| Description | Minutes of a body which was originally a sub-committee of the Committee of Principals and Deans, first appointed in 1990 to consider validation proposals for programmes offered by outside institutions, with qualifications awarded by the University of Birmingham
Its terms of reference were to consider all matters of principle concerned with the University's validating activities, including academic and financial policy; to give initial consideration to all proposals for the validation of courses, especially from institutions which have had no previous links with the University; and to make recommendations to the Committee of Principals and Deans. Proposals would first go through Faculty Board and then to University First Degrees or Higher Degrees Committees. A recommendation of acceptance would be made by the Sub-Committee. The Faculties or Faculty Boards were academically responsible for validated programmes. Visitors were to be appointed for each programme, and they would be responsible to the Faculty Board.
Strategic issues to be considered by the Sub-Committee would include the type of institution; the level of course; the geographical location of the institution; the academic area; and the possible impact on the University's relationship with other outside bodies. The Sub-Committee would also consider details of academic monitoring procedures of the outside body; information about the specific proposal being brought foward, including any intended entry requirements, planned numbers, staffing arrangements, and the programme's place in the institution's overall plan. Proposed financial arrangements would be confirmed with the Office of the Director of Finance.
Membership initially consisted of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (chair); University representative on the Council of Validating Universities; one nominee of the Committee of Principals and Deans; and the Deans of Faculties bringing forward proposals for consideration, accompanied by the appropriate Head of School
Minutes of the first meeting, held on 3 September 1990, include a list of current validation arrangements and proposals which record Faculty of Arts validation of Theology courses at Selly Oak, Queen's College, and Oscott College; Faculty of Commerce and Social Science validation of BSocSc in Tourism and Leisure Management at Birmingham College of Food; Faculty of Education and Continuing Studies validation of courses at Newman and and Westhill; and Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry validation of courses in Midwifery at Birmingham and Solihull College of Midwifery and Physiotherapy at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital School of Physiotherapy and the Royal Orthopaedic School of Physiotherapy
The minutes contain copies of validation proposals, statistics issued by Council of Validating Universities; details about validation costings; and figures for students on validated courses. Minutes of the meeting held on 30 March 1992 record discussion about Validation Agreements and include a copy of the draft outline agreement for Franchised programmes and Validated programmes. There are further drafts of these agreements with minutes of the meeting held on 13 October 1992
The Sub-Committee's name was changed to the Sub-Committee for Externally Provided Programmes in February 1993, and its terms of reference were revised. It was now responsible for considering all matters of principle concerned with the University's validating and franchising activities, including academic and financial policy; giving initial consideration to all proposals for the validation of programmes, especially from institutions which have had no previous links with the University; giving initial consideration to all proposals to franchise University programmes; and making recommendations to the Committee of Principals and Deans
Membership of the Sub-Committee now consisted of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor; University representative on the Council of Validating Universities; and three members nominated by the Committee of Principals and Deans
Minutes of the meeting held on 24 January 1994 contain copies of proposals for several programmes in Science and Engineering courses, submitted by local, national, and international institutions, in contrast to the situation at the start of the 1990s when the Faculty of Science and Engineering was not involved in the validation of programmes at outside institutions. Minutes of this meeting also include a copy of the Higher Education Quality Council Division (HEQC) of Quality Audit, Quality Audit Report on University of Birmingham Validation Arrangements, November 1993
Minutes of the meeting held on 21 April 1994 include a copy of the University of Birmingham Handbook for Externally Provided Programmes, and comment on the HEQC Audit of the University's validation arrangements. Minutes of the meeting held on 28 October 1996 contain papers relating to alterations to the Handbook
Minutes of the meeting held on 6 July 1994 include a copy of the Sub-Committee's amended terms of reference and a list of examples of links between Faculties and external institutions aside from validation, franchising and accreditation, which might form part of the Sub-Committee's future remit. There is also a copy of the Council of Validating Universities survey of the extent of external validation undertaken by degree-awarding institutions in the UK
Minutes of the meeting held on 8 March 1995 include a copy of a paper giving the University's response to the HEQC Validation Audit Report and Follow-up, information on Overseas Collaborative Provision supplied to HEQC, and copies of Council of Validating Universities Code of Practice and Council of Validating Universities Survey of UK Partnership Arrangements. Further discussion by of HEQC Code of Practice for Overseas Collaborative Provision in Higher Education is recorded in minutes of meetings held on 29 January 1996 and 26 June 1996. A printed booklet copy of the Council of Validating Universities Code of Practice is included with minutes of the meeting held on 23 April 1997
Minutes of the meeting held on 17 November 1997 set out further amendments to the Sub-Committee's terms of reference to ensure compliance with the HEQC (now Quality Assurance Agency or QAA) Code of Practice for Overseas Collaborative Provision in Higher Education which included in its scope 'any other association which allows an overseas institution to use the name of a UK institution'. This required that arrangements for quality control of approved collaborative links should be explicit, comprehensive, and documented in detail, so the terms of reference now included the consideration of other links with external institutions; the consideration and recording of proposals for other formal agreements which allow an overseas institution to use the University's name or refer to the award of the University in any context; and the receipt of copies of agreements relating to the University's collaborative arrangements
Minutes of meetings held in 1998 record discussion of the QAA institutional audit, held to discover how the University was sure it was discharging effectively its responsibility for the standard of each award granted in its name and for the quality of education provided by the University to enable students to attain that standard. This audit covered all educational provision, including collaborative, overseas, distance and internet learning, and research and scholarly activity in support of teaching and learning. Minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2000 include a copy of the QAA Quality Audit Report dated February 2000
The last meeting of the Sub-Committee as it was then constituted was held on 17 June 1998. Its replacement was to have similar terms of reference, but would report to the Academic Board instead of the Committee of Principals and Deans, following the devolution of the University structure and the dissolution of the Faculties and the Committee of Principals and Deans.
The new committee was called the External Programmes Committee, and its first meeting was held on 16 November 1998. Its role embraced academic programmes and the approval of modules to be offered exclusively externally as well as institutional agreements. Matters of principle would be brought to the Committee for discussion, but routine business would be expedited executively between meetings and then reported. Cross-membership with other sub-committees of the Academic Board was intended to ensure that individual sub-committees would not agree proposals which could restrict the flexibility of others, but also to avoid double-scrutiny.
The Director of International Affairs would normally be in attendance, and the Pro-Vice-Chancellor responsible for external affairs was invited to attend
The devolved nature of the University meant that additional checks were necessary on new programme proposal forms to ensure that no similar programmes were already being delivered.
At the meeting held on 15 March 1999 it was proposed to change the name of the committee to the External and Collaborative Programmes Committee. The Committee's terms of reference were not restricted to programmes delivered off-campus, and included the oversight of other collaboration, such as distance learning and programmes taught jointly with (and leading to degrees jointly awarded with) other institutions. Minutes of the meeting held on 22 June 1999 include a printed booklet copy of the QAA Guidelines on the Quality Assurance of Distance Learning
Minutes from the late 1990s and the 2000s typically include surveys of external activity; reports of Accreditation Committees; copies of Visitors Reports for review and comment; and copies of External Examiners reports
The Committee's terms of reference were further amended following a review of its first year of operation, and the recommendations made in the QAA Continuation Audit, discussed at the meeting held on 13 November 2000. Members agreed to make points to the Academic Board that the renewal of
collaborative agreements which led to an award should be included and related to the point in monitoring and review. The committee also wanted to reinforce its treatment of Visitors Reports, and asked for a revision of the Audit documentation so that there would be an explicit question about externally provided provision so any issues arising would be reported back from Academic Board
Minutes of the meeting held on 5 March 2001 include a copy of the return to the QAA on the extent of External and Collaborative Provision, and a copy of 'Higher Eduction in Further Education Colleges; Indirectly funded partnerships: Codes of Practice for Franchise and Consortia Arrangements', which formed the basis of contracts and agreements to support Foundation Degree partnerships
Minutes of the meeting held on 3 March 2003 include a draft of the External and Collaborative Programmes Policy, and minutes of the meeting held on 9 June 2003 record discussion about amendments to and expansion of the policy. Minutes of the meeting held on 9 June 2003 include a copy of the Department for Education and Skills paper 'Widening Participation in Higher Education'
Minutes of the meeting held on 3 November 2003 include a copy of the Committee's updated and expanded terms of reference, expanded. These now state that the Committee approved new modules and amendments to existing modules, proposed exclusively for externally-provided programmes of study; approved the withdrawal of programmes and modules; received reports from and commented on arrangements for Visitors of validated programmes and from Accreditation Committees and advised or recommended to the Academic Board on issues arising; conducted appropriate reviews where contacts were to be renewed, taking account of issues identified through the normal processes of Academic Audit, and made recommendations as to the procedures whereby Schools responsible for externally provided and collaborative programmes should report during the Academic Audit process; received copies of agreements relating to University collaborative arrangements and considered and recorded proposals for other formal agreements which allowed an overseas institution to use the University's name or refer to the award of the University in any context
Membership of the Committee at this point consisted of a chair appointed by the Academic Board from among its own members; nine further members appointed by the Academic Board; three Heads of Academic Programmes (one per Deanery, nominated by the Heads of Academic Programmes in the Deanery); co-opted members; two student members nominated by the Guild; the nominee of the Director of the International Office in attendance, and the Pro-Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for External Affairs
Minutes of meetings held in 2004 record discussion about the Institution Audit, and minutes of the meeting held on 23 February 2004 include a copy of the QAA Draft Code of Practice on Collaborative Provision, flexible and distributive learning. Minutes of the meeting held on 17 May 2004 in clude a copy of the report of the Accreditation Group
Minutes of the meeting held on 1 November 2004 include a copy of the revised terms of reference for the academic session 2004-2005 for the Academic Board and its Sub-Committees/Reporting Groups. The minutes also contain a copy of the Draft University Academic Strategy; QAA Code of Practice on postgraduate research programmes; and the QAA Code of Practice on external examining; report on Institutional Audit carried out by the QAA April 2004
Minutes of the meeting held on 21 February 2005 include a copy of the Assessment Strategies and Marking Practices Working Group Report which looks at the underlying principles of the modular regulations to ensure consistency and equity for all students; as well as copies of the Review of Examination Boards; the Review of Mitigation Processes; the report of Reasonable Diligence and Debarring Working Group; and the annual report to Senate of the Accreditation Committee for the Birmingham College of Food, Tourism, and Creative Studies
The last meeting of the Committee was held on 16 May 2005, and minutes of this meeting contain papers on the Collaborative Provision Policy, including a review of the existing policy and a copy of the Code of Practice on Student Plagiarism.
The Committee was dissestablished in October 2005 |