| Description | Minutes of a committee established to manage the accreditation of degrees at Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies. The University of Birmingham had validated degrees at the College since 1989, and this involvement in the accreditation of qualifications offered at other higher education institutions was partly in order to maintain its position in relation to other universities in the area, and partly to fulfil its obligations to the region. Validated programmes led to the award of University of Birmingham degrees of BSocSc, Postgraduate Diploma and MSocSc in Hospitality Management and Tourism Management, and this relationship between the University and the College enabled the University to develop external links, and the College to continue to develop as the leading institution in its fields, and to protect its independence.
The Committee is likely to have started life as an Accreditation Panel, but was called a Committee by 1995. It was concerned with strategic business as well as matters such as the consideration of new programmes and the appointment of external examiners, and was the main vehicle for considering all aspects of the relationship between the College and the University. Membership was determined by the Senate, on the recommendation of the Committee of Principals and Deans. By 1997, membership consisted of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor as chair; the Principal of Birmingham College of Food, Tourism, and Creative Studies as vice-chair; representatives from the College consisting of the Vice-Principal (Curriculum and Quality Development) and two others; and representatives of the University of Birmingham from the Faculty of Commerce and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Science A representative from the Academic Policy Support Section, Academic Office, was also in attendance
Minutes contain information about applications for accreditation; consideration of the College for affiliation to the University of Birmingham and copies of draft agreements and comments from advisors; copies of External Examiners reports; papers relating to the governance of the College; arrangements for validation visits; papers relating to progress towards accreditation including the incorporation of legislation, the transfer of responsibilities, the schedule of University Services and student and staff access to University services, and degree titles and approval of programmes of study. There are also copies of the College Academic Development Plan; papers relating to the Academic Audit; reviews of the Accreditation Agreement; papers relating to approval for new programmes and revisions to existing programmes; feedback from students; Quality Assurance Agency reports; Ofsted Inspection Reports' reports of the Accreditation Visitors; papers and discussion concerning Re-Accreditation Panel visits; copies of student handbooks; and papers relating to Staff Development
There is also coverage of much of this in the Applications for Accreditation submitted by the College in 1994-1995 and 1999 (see UB/COM/162/16 to UB/COM/162/21)
There is a gap in the surviving minutes sequence between 2010 and 2013. Minutes which survive from 2013 to 2015 indicate that the Committee continued to have very similar terms and reference, but now reported to the Collaborative Provision Committee |