Full approval of academic partnerships
Full Proposal Academic Partnership Procedure
Following outline approval stage, EPQ Partnership Team will inform the department of what due diligence documentation they are required to submit for full Academic Partnership Panel scrutiny. A submission date for documentation will be agreed at this time.
For high risk provision, the academic department/Central Finance Managers will be able to advise the proposer on the University Financial Procedure Section 11 requirements and review the financial stability and standing of the proposed partner for validation and franchise (and articulation where requested) provision and other academic proposals as required.
The lead academic department will keep the partner organisation informed of the progress of the proposal. Revisions to documentation may be requested during the approval process and due to pressures in the annual University administrative cycle, partner organisations should be prepared to make agreed revisions to proposals and documentation at short notice.
The full academic partnership approval documentation will be considered by the Partnership Committee. For high risk proposals this is likely to be a separate Partnership Committee event to ensure that adequate time is available to scrutinise the proposal. All documentation will be made available to Partnership Committee Panel members 2 weeks before the event in order to gather comments from Partnership Committee members in advance of the event.
The Partnership Committee may also review associated collaborative courses at the same Partnership Committee event if the course approval documentation is University Panel Review ready in the online course approval system for high and medium risk provision.
The partnership proposer, Head of Department and course leader will be asked to attend the Partnership Committee considering the proposal for high risk proposals. Proposed partners can also attend the event. For medium risk proposals, it is likely to be the proposer who attends the Partnership Committee.
Once a proposal has been approved, this will be confirmed with the Lead Department who should then communicate this to the partner organisation. The contractual agreement with the University can then be finalised and signed by both parties once associated courses have been approved.
Timeline for Academic Partner Approval
Validation and Franchise proposals can take up to 18 months from outline to full approval . This timescale should be factored into the development of any new proposals. Medium risk proposals are likely to take up to 6 months and low risk proposals can normally be done within 3 – 6 months depending on course approval requirements and the completion of partnership agreements.
Risk Register (Medium and High Risk Proposals)
When outline approval is agreed by the Outline Proposal Panel, the next stage will include the development of a risk register which will also be used as a key management tool throughout the provision. The draft risk register completed template is a document required as part of the full proposal stage. Each of the University partnership models adopt a proportionate and risk-based approach to establishing and monitoring the different types of arrangement to enable an agile response to developing low, medium and high risk management arrangements. The level of risk presented are influenced by characteristics of the partner or the type of collaborative provision and the location. As part of the submission for full approval of all medium and high risk partnership models a risk register is completed. Questions to consider as part of the development of the of the risk register:
Does the proposed partner:
- Contribute toward or co-produces academic content for the programme?
- Enable PSRB requirements for the programme to be met?
- Involve partner staff teaching or supervising some or all of the provision?
- Involve partners staff marking/assessing some of the work?
- Result in the use of University of Warwick’s name in formal certification or transcripts of study or publicity material?
- Relate to providing access to non-human resources or facilities only?
Is the proposed programme of study:
- Delivered completely or in part on the partner’s site (UK or abroad)?
- Open to any applicants meeting the entry criteria OR a closed course for which the University is contracted to deliver for a (client) organisation?
- Taking place in a work-based environment?
Does the partner:
- Have degree-awarding powers?
- Have experience of similar collaborations with (UK) degree awarding bodies?
- Operate in a financially and politically stable environment/context?
- Operate in a country with a relatively higher incidence of bribery and corruption?
The overall risk indicator can change based upon a number of other factors relating to the proposed partner that were identified in the risk assessment completed as part of the outline approval stage and as part of the due diligence process that take place at full proposal stages.
Approval of Collaborative Provision Teaching Staff and Project Supervision
The Course Director should ensure that timely information is received from the partner institution regarding all academic staff appointments to high risk and agreed medium risk collaborative provision any staff changes. The Course Director should ensure the teaching staff are appropriately qualified. This information should be obtained before the start of each academic year, and monitored at each visit.
Process for Approval of Collaborative Provision Teaching
The University must approve all staff who teach on academic components of medium and high risk collaborative courses and collaborative modules prior to their commencement in the role. All data collected for candidates must comply with the University GDPR policy ensuring there are clear procedures around the collection and use of personal data.
Applications for the roles of teaching and project supervision
All applicants must complete a curriculum vitae (CV). There are separate application form templates for HEI and Non HEI applicants. The course leader/delegated proposer completes the appropriate application form and attaches completed CV.
Academic departmental approval
- The academic department Education Committee or equivalent scrutinises applications for course/module leader/module tutor and project supervisor roles to ensure they are appropriately qualified for the collaborative programmes and collaborative modules and has final approval of project supervisors.
- Project supervisor roles do not need to be approved at Partnership Committee.
- The minutes of the academic department Education Committee or equivalent will record the outcomes.
- The secretariat of the departmental Education Committee or equivalent will inform the proposer/departmental administrator of the decision for course/module leader/module tutor and project supervisor roles.
Partnership Committee approval
- The Partnerships Committee has final approval for course/module leaders/module tutors.
- The course leader will provide EPQ Partnerships team with secure access through an agreed platform to course/module leader/module tutor applications and CVs. The link to the secure access is sent to collaborative@warwick.ac.uk
- The Chair of Partnerships Committee has delegated authority to approve applications.
- The Partnerships Committee will report all approved applicants below the line giving restricted access to CVs. Once the committee has met, CVs are deleted.
- The EPQ Partnerships Team inform the lead academic department of the outcome for all submitted applications for Module Leaders and Tutors.
Devolved sign off of teaching and project supervision roles
Where an academic department has significant numbers of staff requiring approval, the Partnership Committee will consider the approval of devolved sign off. The approval will be recorded in the Collaborative Course Register. All devolved sign off programmes/courses/modules will follow document management control processes for annual review.
Document Control and Management – applications and CVs
The lead academic department is responsible for holding the master copy of applications.
Applications made available for scrutiny by EPQ Partnerships team will be accessed via an agreed shared environment to ensure that there are not multiple copies of applications and CVs created.
Documentation will be made available for scrutiny for 14 days on the agreed shared platform.
Document Control and Management- annual review
The EPQ Partnerships Team will agree an annual review and sampling of all collaborative academic staff and project supervisor records with each academic department as part of the Annual Review process.
Records will be available for scrutiny for 14 days on the agreed shared platform. The records will include all module leaders, module tutors and project supervisors.
Outcomes of the annual review will be reported to Partnership Committee.
https://warwick.ac.uk/services/idc/gdpr/
Application Form for Approval of Collaborative Provision Staff based in HEI/Application Form for Approval of Collaborative Provision Staff NOT based in HEI
Guidance
Academic Partnership Outline Proposal and Full Approval Process Diagram
Full Course Approval Documentation
Academic Partnership Model
Each academic partnership model outlines documentation requirements for approval.
Overview Due Diligence (DD) Requirements Academic Partnerships
Legal and Compliance Services – Financial Procedures
Financial Procedure 11
Risk Management Process
Risk Management of Collaborative Partnership and Provision
Academic Staff Approval Process
Process for Approval of Collaborative Provision Teaching
Agreements and Contracts
Agreement and Contract Templates
Templates
Risk Register Template
Academic staff CV (HEI)
Academic staff CV (Non HEI)