Academic Partnerships and Collaborative Provision Principles

The University will:

• undertake through the appropriate level of due diligence for the academic partnership arrangement, an investigation to satisfy itself about the good standing of a prospective partner, and their capacity to fulfil their designated role in the arrangement;
• be accountable for assuring the overall quality and academic standards of the provision, regardless of the partnership model;
• ensure that the threshold standards for its qualifications are consistent with the relevant national qualification frameworks;
• ensure that the quality of learning enables a student to achieve the academic standard required for its award;
• ensure that all aspects of the student’s academic experience from admissions to graduation meets agreed standards;
• encourage and enable the partner institution to take maximum responsibility for assuring and enhancing the quality of programmes, courses and modules;
• seek to recognise the autonomy of the partner institution, with particular reference to academic policy and planning, programme development and financial matters, so far as is consistent with University standards;
• have in place appropriate governance to authorise and oversee the development and closure of academic partnership arrangements and to monitor their effective operation;
• establish a Collaborative Management Group/ Apprenticeship Management Group to manage operational oversight for medium and high risk academic partnerships and collaborative provision;
• assist in promoting the higher education ethos of a self-critical academic community in the academic partner institution;
• create a written agreement setting out the rights and obligations of the parties, signed by the authorised representatives of the University and the partner institution. The written agreement will include an agreed exit strategy plan for the partnership and individual collaborative provision to ensure a smooth and appropriate exit.