| Description | Minutes of a committee which had its membership and terms of reference approved by the Academic Board in March 2003, but which does not appear to have been established until the 2004-2005 academic session. It was appointed as a result of concerns from the external MBA accrediting bodies (The Association of MBAs or AMBA, and the EFMD Quality Improvement System or EQUIS) over the strategic management of MBA awards. The Committee was set up to provide an essential forum for communication on MBA matters for the School of Business and the School of Public Policy which both offered courses.
Its terms of reference to consider proposals for any new MBA programmes; to monitor periodically the content and structure of the MBA progreammes; to consider matters relating to academic policy development and implementation relating to the award of the MBA, including matters referred to it by Schools or the Academic Board; to receive and as necessary consider reports from the Programme Directors; and to provide an annual report to the Academic Board
Membership consisted of the chair (Dean of Arts and Social Sciences); the Director of Learning and Teaching from each of the Schools offering MBA Programmes (School of Business and School of Public Policy). By 2006 membership also included the Head of Academic Programmes from each of the Schools offering MBA Programmes
It reported to the Academic Board via the Postgraduate Committee
Minutes include assessment reports Business School and School of Public Policy; Accreditation reports; discuss proposals for major modifications to programmes; consider module proposals; review collaborative arrangements with higher education institutions in other countries; external examiners reports; papers re EQUIS and AMBA Accreditation; information about withdrawal of programmes
Minutes of the meeting held on 29 October 2007 include a copy of the report of EQUIS Accreditation panel; league tables showing the position of the Business School; a copy of the Committee's annual report to the Portfolio Development Committee; and reviews of arrangements between the University of Birmingham and Fundesem, Alicante, and ESC Montpellier, France
Supporting papers for the meeting held on 30 January 2008 include copies of the AMBA Accreditation submission and a report for the School of Public Policy. A copy of the final report is included with papers for the meeting held on 11 June 2008, with initial feedback from the AMBA Accreditation Visit to the Business School
Following the restructure of the University and the establishment of Colleges for the 2008-2009 academic session, the Committee's terms of reference were revised. The Committee was now to consider proposals for any new MBA programmes or major modifications to existing provision to ensure compliance with institutional poliyc and practices in relation to MBA awards, and compliance with AMBA, EQUIS and other external accreditation agency criteria; to maintain a strategic overview of the University's suite of MBA programmes taking the requirements of AMBA, EQUIS and other external accreditation agencies into account; to provide a forum in which consultation can take place between the Schools of Business and Government and Society (formerly Public Policy) on the development of MBA programmes; to monitor periodically the content and structure of the MBA programmes; to consider matters relating to academic policy development and implementation relating to the award of the MBA, including matters referred to it by the Colleges/Schools or by the Learning and Teaching Committee or other body; to agree all MBA proposals before submission to the Programme Approval Review Group for full University approval; to receive and, as necessary, consider reports from the Programme Directors; and to provide an annual report to the Learning and Teaching Committee (see UB/COM/109 for minutes of this committee between 1995 and 1998)
Membership consisted of the Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor (chair); the Director of Education or equivalent from each of the Schools offering MBA programmes; and an MBA Programme Director co-opted on the nomination of each School which offers MBA programmes. It reported to the Learning and Teaching Committee
The School of Government and Society ceased to offer an MBA programme in 2009, and the MBA Committee's terms of reference were revised again in 2010 to reflect this. The Committee continued to meet on an annual basis and provided an annual report to the Learning and Teaching Committee. Its terms of reference for the 2009-2010 academic session were to maintain a strategic overview of the Unviersity's suite of MBA programmes and to consider proposals for any new MBA programmes or major modifications to existing provision before submission to the Programme Approval Review Committee for full University approval to ensure compliance with insitutional policy and practices in relation to MBA awards, compliance with AMBA, EQUIS and other external accreditation agency criteria, and the appropriate alignment of any proposed new MBA programme within the existing suite of MBA awards offered by the University; and to provide an annual report on all University of Birmingham MBA programmes to the University's Learning and Teaching Committee
Responsibilities which had been the remit of the MBA Committee were now delegated to the appropriate College and School Committees or satisfactorily addressed via the Universities BIQAUS procedures. These included monitoring the content and structure of MBA programmes, and considering matters relating to academic policy development and implementation relating to the award of the MBA
Membership of the Committee was now the Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor; the Director of Education in the College of Social Sciences; the Director of Education in the Business School; and the MBA Programme Director
The Committee met on an annual basis after the submission of the annual MBA Committee report to the Learning and Teaching Committee, and if required on ad hoc basis through the year. The Learning and Teaching Committee became the Education Committee in 2011. See UB/COM/54 for minutes
The dissestablishment of the MBA Committee was proposed in supporting papers for the meeting held on 24 October 2011, and it was suggested that institutional oversight of MBA matters should be transferred to the relevant bodies. However, the Committee continued to meet. Its terms of reference, included with supporting papers for the meeting held on 17 October 2014, were slightly amended, and include compliance with AMBA, EQUIS and ACCSB accreditation agencies. It also considered reports from the School of Business Accreditation, Rankings and Business Intelligence Group (ARBI). It reported to the Education Committee; the College of Social Sciences College Board; the Collaborative Provision Committee where appropriate (see UB/COM/125 for minutes); and binannually from the Accreditation, Rankings and Business Intelligence Group
The last meeting for which evidence survives in the form of supporting papers, for a meeting to be held on 17 October 2014 but these show that it was intended that the committee should continue to meet during the 2014-2015 academic session, and mention a meeting scheduled for 21 April 2015. However, no further minutes have been transferred to the University Archives |