Regulation Governing Collaborative Courses

***Amendments to Regulation 40 were last approved by the University Council at the meeting held on 16 May 2018 with changes taking immediate effect.***

Notes

1. Where a University officer or Head of Department is named in the Regulation, this refers to the member of staff concerned or his/her authorised nominee.

2. Points in italics are included for information.

This Regulation sets out the requirements relating to the admission, registration, examination and assessment and quality assurance of provision for students enrolled on collaborative courses at all levels of study in conjunction with an external organisation.

More information on specific course requirements including course duration and assessment methods is set out by academic departments and in the Course Regulations. 

40.1 Definition of collaborative provision

A collaborative course may be one offered in conjunction with another organisation, leading to;

(i) A certificate, diploma or degree awarded jointly by the University of Warwick and the collaborating organisation(s); or

(ii) A certificate, diploma or degree awarded by the University of Warwick, with an additional degree or degrees awarded by one or more of the collaborating organisation(s).

No awards made solely by the University fall within the scope of this Regulation.

Courses developed in collaboration with a single organisation, or group of organisations, for the purpose of providing bespoke education for a specified workforce are not covered by this Regulation.

Upon successful completion of such a collaborative course of study, a student may be awarded one of the degrees set out in Regulation 39 Governing Undergraduate Non-Degree Courses, Regulation 8 on First Degrees , Regulation 37 on Taught Postgraduate Provision , or Regulation 38 on Research Degrees identified as a collaborative course in the Register of Collaborative Provision maintained by the University.

40.2 Admission of Students

1. All students will normally be admitted to collaborative courses of study upon satisfactory completion of the conditions and requirements set out in the relevant course regulations, which will normally at least match the minimum requirements for admission to degrees of the same level at the University of Warwick, in accordance with Regulation 6 on Admission to the University.

2. Students undertaking a collaborative course at postgraduate level shall be required satisfactorily to complete an approved course of study and/or research, over an appropriate period of registration as specified in the relevant course regulations, University Regulations, or Guidance on the Requirements for the Award of Research Degrees. The course regulations may specify conditions and standards of achievement for students to progress through interim stages of the degree. In the event of any doubt concerning the regulations that apply in particular circumstances, the Collaborative Course Contact, in consultation with the Academic Registrar of the University of Warwick and the nominated equivalent office holder of the collaborating institution(s), shall decide which regulations should apply.

40.3 Registration of students

1. Students on collaborative courses are required to maintain registration with the University by enrolling and re-enrolling when asked to do so, in accordance with Regulation 36 Governing Student Registration, Attendance and Progress. By enrolling, students confirm that they agree to observe the University’s Charter, Statutes, Ordinances and Regulations, and to observe the University’s requirements governing academic and personal conduct for the duration of their course, including Regulation 23 Disciplinary Regulations.

2. A student on a collaborative course may be referred to a Continuation of Registration Committee on the same grounds as other students. In such cases, the membership of the Continuation of Registration Committee and any subsequent Preliminary Review Panel or Appeal Committee may be amended so as to provide for the appointment by the appropriate authority of at least one member of similar status as set out in relevant regulations from each collaborating institution(s) at which the student is registered or otherwise formally engaged in study.

40.4 Quality Assurance arrangements

Collaborative courses will comply with the University’s standard quality assurance arrangements, as overseen by the Partnerships Committee and approved by the Academic Quality and Standards Committee on behalf of the Senate.

A specific contract may be signed with the partner organisation however collaborative courses may be approved and students admitted under this regulation unless there is a specific requirement to deviate from any of the terms of the University’s standard Agreement for Collaborative Provision .

1. Students registered on collaborative courses will be subject to the terms of Regulation 39 Governing Undergraduate Non-Degree Courses, Regulation 8 for First Degrees , or Regulation 37 Governing Postgraduate Taught Degrees or Regulation 38 Governing Research Degrees depending on their level of study.

2. For each collaborative course, there shall be course regulations making detailed provision for the academic content and assessment of students on the degree.

3. For each collaborative course, there shall normally be a Collaborative Course Management Group including representatives from the University of Warwick and from the other collaborating institution(s), as approved by the Partnerships Committee of the University of Warwick and by the nominated equivalent Authority of the collaborating institution(s). The Collaborative Course Management Group will advise on all matters relating to the operation of the course and will have the responsibilities outlined in the Procedures for the Approval and Monitoring of Collaborative Courses . There shall also normally be a Collaborative Academic Contact appointed by the Collaborative Course Management Group from either the University of Warwick or the other collaborating institution(s) or joint Collaborative Academic Contact from each of the collaborating institution(s).

4. Students registered on a collaborative postgraduate research degree leading to the submission of a thesis shall normally be in residence at the University of Warwick for a minimum of one third of their overall period of study, and otherwise shall be in residence at the collaborating organisation(s) or such other place of study as may be approved by the Collaborative Course Contact(s) of the relevant degree. Such students shall in all cases have a supervisor appointed from among the academic staff of the University of Warwick and may have one or more additional supervisors appointed from among the staff of the partner organisation(s). Supervisors and students will work in accordance with the Guidelines on the Supervision and Monitoring of Research Students and Guidelines on the Supervision of Students based away from the University.

40.5 Examination and assessment arrangements

1. Students registered on collaborative sub-degree courses will normally be assessed in accordance with Regulation 39 Governing Undergraduate Non-Degree Courses.

2. Students registered on collaborative undergraduate courses will normally be assessed in accordance with Regulation 8 for First Degrees .

3. Students registered on collaborative postgraduate taught courses will normally be assessed in accordance with Regulation 37 Governing Taught Postgraduate Degrees .

4. Students registered on a collaborative postgraduate research degree will normally be assessed in accordance with Regulation 38 Governing Research Degrees.
5. The recommendations of the Board of Examiners for collaborative awards shall be subject to the approval of the Senate of the University of Warwick and the equivalent academic authority of the collaborating institution(s).

40.6 Appeals procedures

Appeals will be admitted from students enrolled on collaborative undergraduate and postgraduate courses as set out in Regulation 42 Regulation Governing Academic Appeals except that;

(a) the constitution of the Preliminary Review Panel may be altered so as to provide for the appointment by the appropriate authority of one member of similar status from each of the collaborating institutions at which the student is registered or otherwise formally engaged in study;

(b) the constitution of the Appeals Committee may be altered so as to provide for the appointment by the appropriate authority of at least one member of similar status from each of the collaborating institutions at which the student is registered or otherwise formally engaged in study.

Should there be any doubt concerning the appropriate membership of the Preliminary Review Panel or Appeals Committee the matter shall be referred to the Academic Registrar of the University of Warwick and the nominated equivalent office holder of the collaborating institution(s), who shall decide on the appropriate membership.

40.7 Cheating

1. Where a student on a collaborative degree programme comes under suspicion of cheating, as set out in Regulation 11 Procedure to be Adopted in The Event of Suspect Cheating in a University Test , the matter shall be investigated and any subsequent allegation and penalty determined by the relevant procedures as apply in the institution at which the examination or other form of assessment to which the suspicion or allegation of cheating relates was originally undertaken or submitted.

2. It shall be the duty of the collaborating institution where an allegation of cheating against a student has been upheld to report the circumstances and penalty to the other collaborating institution(s) through the Collaborative Course Management Group. Where an allegation of cheating against a student relates to examinations or other forms of assessment at more than one of the collaborating institutions, the matter shall be referred to the Collaborative Academic Contact who shall determine, in consultation with the Academic Registrar of the University of Warwick and the nominated equivalent office holder of the collaborating institution(s), the most appropriate procedures through which the allegation(s) shall be determined.

40.8 Complaints

1. The University has a Feedback and Complaints procedure that applies to students at all levels of study. All students enrolled on collaborative courses of study, as all other students, should familiarise themselves with aspects of this procedure and the opportunities open to them to raise issues of concern relating to aspects of their experience of the University.

2. Where a student on a collaborative course wishes to lodge an academic or other complaint, he or she shall use the appropriate complaints procedure of the collaborating institution in which the act or omission complained of has arisen. Where a complaint relates to an act or omission of more than one of the collaborating institutions, the Academic Registrar of the University of Warwick and the nominated equivalent office holder of the relevant collaborating institution(s) shall determine the appropriate procedure to be followed in each case.

3. The constitution of the Complaints Committee may be altered so as to provide for the appointment by the appropriate authority of at least one member of similar status from each of the collaborating institutions at which the student is registered or otherwise formally engaged in study.