Staff handbook > Memorandum of Cooperation 2009
Memorandum of Cooperation between Bath Spa University, referred to hereafter as ‘the University’ and XXXX College, referred to hereafter as ‘the College’ for collaborative links involving University Awards
1. Preface
This document constitutes an agreement between the University and the College to collaborate and thereby extend regional participation in higher education.
2. Background
The University is committed to collaboration with regional Further Education Colleges. This collaboration involves, inter alia, making available higher education provision in participating Further Education Colleges with clearly defined progression to the University.
3. Coverage
This Memorandum of Co-operation covers provision of University awards as specified in the latest dated schedule.
4. Quality Assurance
All students are registered students of the University. It is the University that has responsibility for ensuring that academic standards are maintained for all awards validated by the University. This responsibility cannot be delegated and it is the University that is accountable, through both internal and external quality regimes, for the standard of its awards. To fulfil this responsibility the University may, following discussions with relevant staff, require the College to introduce changes in order to address identified weakness.
At the University the internal regime for maintaining standards will be fully embraced by existing quality systems as described in the Academic Regulations/ Quality Assurance Handbook.
5. Equality and Diversity
Bath Spa University is fully committed to being an equal opportunities employer and providing equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, applicants and visitors. The University will not tolerate unfair or unlawful discrimination on the grounds of gender, ethnicity, colour, disability, religion, nationality, age, occupation, marital status or sexual orientation or any distinction which is not relevant to the employee/employer relationship or its student body.
Promoting and maintaining equal opportunities is the responsibility of everyone, although it is recognised that management have additional responsibilities to ensure that the policy is carried out. All staff and students are expected to:
• Support and implement the equal opportunities policy
• Ensure that their behaviour and/or actions do not amount to discrimination or harassment.
The University requires its partner organisations to hold an equal opportunities policy and to demonstrate a corresponding commitment to promoting equal opportunities.
6. Student Representation
Bath Spa University places great importance on the views of its students on their experience of study, both at the University and at its partners. Opportunities are available for all students, whatever their place of study, to provide feedback on all modules studies as well as through the participation of student representatives in appropriate University committees and forums, in particular the Student Representatives Committee which is a subcommittee of Academic Quality and Standards Committee (AQSC).
The University has an expectation that its partners will provide and facilitate opportunities for Bath Spa students to participate in feedback activities.
7. Arrangements for Assessment
The assessment of students will be consistent with all other students registered at the University. The assessment for any one module of study will be that as validated and applicable irrespective of location.
To ensure there is comparability of the application of assessments there will be cross moderation of submitted student work by subject tutors at the University and the College.
In addition, tutors from the College will be invited to attend all relevant Subject Boards at the University, and to be available for consultation with Examination Boards.
8. Management (including Reporting and Communicating)
Management will be through the School for Development & Participation (SDP) reporting to a Deputy Vice Chancellor. The School will act as necessary, as a ‘one-stop shop’ for communication between the two institutions.
The responsibilities of each academic School of the University within the agreement will be with a named School Link; this person will be determined by the Head of School.
Within each School there will be named Subject Links who will be responsible for the day-to- day course management for that subject.
For all subjects there will be named Module Coordinators who will liaise on the content and delivery of the module with the module leader at the College.
For the course (s) covered under this Memorandum the appropriate named links and module coordinators are listed in Annexe 2.
9. Publicity and Promotion of Courses
All publicity and promotional material must be approved by the University prior to dissemination to any third party.
All material must be sent to the School for Development and Participation. This School will arrange for final approval to be given by the University Marketing Officer, in consultation, with the Deputy Vice Chancellor.
10. Recruitment of Students
Students will be recruited by the College. This will be against the target numbers agreed with the University. All applications will be made through the University who will make the formal offer, or otherwise, to the applicant.
In the initial years of a course University tutors will assist in the interviewing of applicants as required.
Should the College fail to recruit a viable cohort for a course and therefore, decides not to run that course, the College will agree to notify this decision to the University one week following the start of Clearing (second week of August) in order for alternative provision to be made for learners. If the College decides not to continue with a University course after this time, then the College will share the travel costs of any student who is subsequently offered a place at the university or another partner FEC.
11. Student Admissions
It is the University as the ‘awarding institution’ who will determine the admission requirements and acceptable entry requirements for students joining courses covered by this agreement.
12. Registration, Student Records, and Termination
The registration of all students will be the responsibility of the Registry at the University.
The Student Courses Office will also be responsible for maintaining all student records and for the termination of any student from a course.
The College will identify a post-holder with responsibility for liaison with the University to ensure the registration process is successfully completed.
13. Payment of Fees
Full-time student fees will be paid directly to the Finance Office at BSU. The College will identify a person with responsibility for student finance.
14. Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Disclosure
The University uses the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Disclosure Service and complies fully with the CRB Code of Practice.
All entrants to BSU courses that require CRB clearance will be required to apply for a fresh Enhanced Disclosure via Bath Spa University as the registered body. This process will be managed through Student Services at Bath Spa University. It will be made clear in offer letters to applicants and no exceptions will be made. Disclosures obtained through registered bodies other than Bath Spa University will not be accepted, however recent.
Students who have been cleared through Bath Spa University and progress from one course to another will not normally be required to obtain a fresh disclosure on starting the subsequent course, providing there is no break in their period of registration with the University.
Partner colleges should liaise with the Bath Spa University Admissions Service via admissions@bathspa.ac.uk regarding students on courses which do not have CRB clearance as a standard part of their entry requirements, but who nevertheless require clearance because of a specific activity on their course.
15. Student Numbers
The number of students to be recruited to courses will be agreed between the University and the College, and reviewed annually by the appropriate Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University. This will include any reassignment of student numbers.
16. Distribution, Collection and Securing of Assessments
At the University this will be the responsibility of the subject link person (see 6. above).
17. Liaison with External Examiners
This will be the responsibility of the University through the appropriate subject link person. The University takes responsibility for the specification of the role of external examiners in ensuring that as the awarding institution, it fulfils its responsibility for the academic standards of the course.
18. Issue and Control of Award Certificates
The issue and control of all award certificates is the responsibility of the University. Where a student has studied two years (Foundation Degree) of a University course in the College, then the name and location of the College will be included on the award certificate.
19. Issue of Transcripts
All student transcripts will be maintained and issued by the University. Where a student has studied two years (Foundation Degree) of a University course in the College, then the name and location of the College will be included on the transcript.
20. Articulation Arrangements
All students covered by this agreement are registered with the University. They are following courses validated by the University and, therefore, their articulation arrangements are as for all other students following these courses.
21. Support to Students
The full range of student support services will be provided by the College while students are studying at the College, and it is expected that this will be the primary source.
In addition, from the point of registration students will also be able to access support from the student support services at the University.
22. Health & Safety and Placement Learning
Bath Spa University requires each partner organisation to meet with all current and relevant health and safety and other appropriate legislation.
23. Student Discipline, Complaints and Appeals
It is important to distinguish the procedures for addressing the above. All substantial matters relating to any of the above should be notified to the School for Development and Participation (SDP) at the University to secure agreement about which institution’s procedures should be applied, and to avoid duplication.
Matters of student discipline should be managed through the College’s procedures and referred to the University (SDP) if they are of a serious nature.
Complaints by students should first be managed through the College procedures, notified to the University (SDP), and referred to the University when the College’s procedures are exhausted.
All aspects related to the conduct of assessment and Examination Boards will be managed by the University through its Academic Regulations.
24. Arrangements for Review
The courses covered by this Memorandum will be subject to the University’s procedures for annual monitoring and review. The reviews will be approved by the University’s Academic Quality and Standards Committee Subcommittee for Collaborative Subdegree Provision, and reported to the Academic Quality and Standards Committee.
Each review will include, as a minimum, examination to ensure that the University is in receipt of sufficient information to be confident that the responsibilities of the parties are being met.
Subject to the agreement of both Institutions any aspect of this Memorandum may be reviewed at any time within the duration of the agreement. The Memorandum will be reviewed in full at the end of the specified ‘Duration of Agreement’. In addition, a review of the courses included in this Memorandum will be carried out at the same time, and as an integral part of, any review of the ‘parent’ course.
The primary source and location of published of published quality-related information that may be required, eg by the funding council, reside with the University.
25. Staffing and Staff Development
The staffing of the courses covered by this Memorandum will be the responsibility of the College. It will be its conditions of employment that apply.
All staff who tutor on the University’s courses are required to submit their CVs to the University for approval prior to commencing tutoring on University courses.
The University will also make appropriate academic staff available to the College to act in a consultancy capacity at staff appointment panels where the job description includes tutoring University courses.
To underpin and secure the quality of this agreement the University (SDP) will organise two days annually of joint staff development for staff engaged in the partnership from the College, and other Further Education Colleges participating in the Wessex Partnership, and the University.
26. Financial Arrangements
These are covered in a separate Financial Memorandum.
27. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
The University takes responsibility for ensuring security in respect of matters relating to copyright and intellectual property rights.
28. Duration of Agreement
This agreement will be for three years from the date of the most recent three-year institutional review. Further validated courses will be appended to the schedule to this agreement as appropriate. Each course is validated, in the first instance, for three years. (See Schedule of Awards attached).
29. Arbitration
Should there be any differences of view regarding any aspect of the operation of this Memorandum of Co-operation then, in the first instance, resolution will be sought through communication between the Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University responsible for the Wessex Partnership and the Higher Education Manager at the College. This will include any action that may be deemed necessary by the University as a result of Quality Assurance Agency inspection.
If this fails then the matter will be referred to the University Vice Chancellor and the Principal at the College.
30. Conduct of Franchise
The course, or courses, of study covered by this agreement are designed, approved, owned and quality-assured by the University, and delivered by a partner FEC. The course may not be delivered by the partner FEC at another establishment.
31. Arrangements for the Termination of the Agreement
This arrangement can be terminated by either Institution provided that both are satisfied that the period is reasonable and allows sufficient time for all registered students, covered by this Memorandum, to complete their study for the award to which they are registered.
________________________________________________
Agreed on behalf of Bath Spa University
Signed: .................................
Vice Chancellor
Date: .................................
Agreed on behalf of XX College
Signed: .................................
Principal
Date: .................................
ANNEX 1 Administrative Arrangements
Bath Spa University (BSU) will be responsible for:
1. Notifying all appropriate BSU Departments of the approval of the partnership agreement.
Responsibility: School for Development & Participation
2. Providing documentation via BSU Student Administration Service as necessary for the College staff to enable them to carry out the administrative functions allocated to them, including:
Data Amendment Form
External Transfer Form
Internal Transfer Form
Responsibility: Student Administration Service
3. Providing twice-yearly joint staff development activities.
Responsibility: School for Development & Participation (SDP)
4. Providing student documentation relating to regulatory and resource matters to the College for distribution to students.
Responsibility: Student Administration Service
5. Admitting students
Responsibility: SDP with Student Admissions Service and appropriate BSU School
6. Ensuring that all students receive copies of the BSU by-laws relating to students.
Responsibility: Student Administration Service
7. Issuing students with the Student Handbook and Staff Handbooks for the Wessex Partnership and relevant Module Handbooks.
Responsibility: SDP: Student and Staff Handbooks
BSU Schools: Module Handbooks, Course Handbooks
8. Registration and enrolment of students
Responsibility: Student Administration Service
9. Providing College with deadlines for marking and submitting student data to BSU.
Responsibility: BSU Schools: Subject links
10. Setting up student records on the BSU database.
Responsibility: Student Administration Service
11. Ensuring that data supplied by College is subject to appropriate data protection mechanisms.
Responsibility: Student Administration Service
12. Including students in HEFCE (HESES) returns.
Responsibility: Student Administration Service
13. Module registration and production of module lists.
Responsibility: Student Administration Service
14. Entering end of year status on the BSU database in order for the student record to be rolled forward.
Responsibility: Student Administration Service
15. Ensuring an annual subject review of each partnership programme is conducted each year and is submitted for approval to Academic Quality Standards Committee (AQSC) subcommittee for collaborative sub-degree provision, and reported to Academic Quality Standards Committee (AQSC).
Responsibility: SDP
ANNEXE 2 Other Related Documents
On-line documents
BSU Academic Regulations
BSU Quality Assurance Handbook
BSU Undergraduate Modular Scheme: A Guide for Students
Modular Scheme Guide to Modules
Course Handbook
Wessex Partnership Student Handbook
Wessex Partnership Staff Handbook
Wessex Partnership Guide to Computing
ANNEXE 3 Glossary
BSU: Bath Spa University.
Module Co-ordinator: the person at BSU whose role is to be responsible for a BSU
Module included in a collaborative agreement. Responsibilities include the liaison with module tutors at the participating FEC including the content of modules, assessment and moderation.
Named School Link: the person within each BSU School whose role is to be responsible for the HE/FE partnerships for the whole School. Responsibilities will include liaison with SDP, overview of applications, co-ordination of subject area links e.g. monitoring of visits.
Named Subject Link: the person at BSU whose role is to be responsible for a subject area. Responsibilities include the day to day overseeing of the course management for the subject including exam dates, assessment procedures and subject reviews.
SDP: School for Development and Participation.
The School: Bath Spa University has Six Schools of Study covering a number of disciplines.
QAA: Quality Assurance Agency
Wessex Partnership: A partnership of BSU with regional Further Education Colleges delivering higher education awards.