Appendix CP10a

Partnership Review (Off campus)

The overall arrangements for each collaborativepartnership are reviewed by the University everyfive years. The process described here is applicable to Off-Campus partnerships.

Separate processes for dual award, validation andfranchisepartnerships and articulation links are to be found in appendices CP10 and CP10b respectively.

For new partners, delivering a programme with the University for the first time, there will first be an interim review, normally scheduled to take place either immediately after the first cohort of students have completed the programme in respect of one year programmes, or after two years; the partnership review will then take place after three/four years and then every five years after that. The process for an interim review is to be found in appendix CP10c.

The review will focus on the partnership, rather than on an individual programme, (each programme is individually reviewed every five years). The purpose is to review the general operation of the partnership, including the operation of regulations and procedures, the monitoring and development of the programmes, the assessment of students and the enhancement of quality and standards.

A Panel will be established to undertake each review. Membership of the Panel will be approved by the International Affairs and Collaborative Partnerships Committee. The Panel will scrutinise documentation, undertake meetings with staff and students at the Partner institution and make recommendations to the Senate in relation to the partnership.

  1. The Panel

The membership of the Panel will normally be:

  • Chair (a senior member of the University)
  • Two internal Panel Members
  • One external Panel Member

There will be a secretary from the Academic Office to support the Panel’s work.

The Chair and internal Panel Members will be drawn from Faculties outside the Facutly(ies) responsible for the programme(s) of study or from central departments at theUniversityand none may have any direct involvement with the provision under consideration. The Chair will also have experience of collaborative provision.

The external panel member will be familiar with the UK higher education system and have experience of collaborative provision. S/he will not be (or have been)associated with the University or Partner in a way that might compromise his/her ability to form an objective judgement on the partnership. Examples might include associations formed during previous employment, external examiner duties, research partnerships, tutor-student or supervisor-student relationships, and any close personal relationship. In the case of previous employment or external examiner duties at the University, a period of at least 3 years should have elapsed. A nomination form for an external panel member (Appendix CP12) should be completed and approved by the Chair of IACPC.

In addition, the following will be invited to attend the panel meetings:

  • Faculty(ies) representative(s)
  • Partner representative
  • Partnership Co-ordinator

The Faculty and partner representatives and the Partnership Co-ordinatorwill be able to observe the whole of the proceedings in order to promote a greater awareness of the issues around the collaborative partnership. The representatives/Partnership Co-ordinator might usefully clarify issues for the Panel and might have a better sense of the range of issues, and context in which they have been discussed, which impinge on the Panel’s decision-making processes. Consequently, the representatives and the Partnership Co-ordinator may engage as freely as the Chair allows in discussion at any point in the partnership review process butshall not seek to influence panel members beyond contribution to discussions, as allowed by the Chair, during the review.

  1. Terms of Reference of the Panel

Review Panels will be required to:

  1. Report on the ways in which the requirements of the Memoranda of Agreement are being met by both the University and the Partner
  2. Review the academic health and development of the programme(s) of study delivered collaboratively
  3. Review the quality of resources and the availability of learning support for students
  4. Ascertain the strategic views of the Partner’ssenior management in terms of the continuation/further development, or otherwise, of the partnership with the University.
  5. Consider appropriate review documentation from the following:
  6. The Partner
  7. The relevant Faculty(ies) at the University, normally via the Partnership Team Leader
  8. The Partnership Co-ordinator
  9. Academic Office
  10. Registry
  11. Library and Learning Resources
  12. Finance Department
  13. Consider appropriate matters arising from the review
  14. Present formal recommendations to the Senate, via the International Affairs and Collaborative Partnerships Committee.
  1. Review Documentation

The following documentation will inform the review:

3.1 Partner Review Documentation

The partner will be requested to prepare a review document, which should include a ‘front end’ summary and a conclusion section in which any recommendations should be identified. The document should be reflective, as well as evaluative and should identify any issues since the partnership began, or since the last partnership Review, as well as instances of good practice.

The document should also include reference to:

Institutional context

  1. Development, expansion and future plans
  2. Range of non-University of Wales Trinity Saint David course provision
  3. Opportunities for interaction betweenstudents at both institutions
  4. How the partner is meeting appropriate requirements of the Memoranda of Agreement, including financial arrangements

Physical and human resources

  1. Provision of teaching space
  2. Staff and student facilities, including library, learning and IT provision and specialist accommodation/equipment and materials
  3. Number and quality of support staff involved with the management and delivery of programmes,such as librarians and administrative staff and those offering student support.

Programme related issues

  1. Recruitment and admission (admission procedures, non-standard entry, target numbers, Universityenrolment etc.)
  2. Liaison with the University’s academic and administrative departments
  3. Student records, including tracking systems and examination board results
  4. Arrangement for examinations; co-ordination with the University, where applicable.

3.2 University Review Documentation

The University’sFaculties/Departments involved with the development, management, delivery, assessment, quality assurance and administration of the partnership will be required to prepare review documents. These should be reflective, as well as evaluative and should identify any issues since the partnership began, or since the last partnership review, as well as instances of good practice.

The documents should also include reference to:

  1. How the respective Faculty/department is meeting appropriate requirements of the Memoranda of Agreement
  2. The academic health and development of the programme(s) (Faculty)
  3. Implementation of programme monitoring and evaluation procedures (Faculty)
  4. Collaboration between the partner and Universitystudents (Faculty)
  5. Student representation, including student involvement in the quality assurance process (informal/formal feedback etc.) (Faculty)
  6. Student support, including appointment of personal tutors (Faculty)
  7. Range of teaching and learning strategies and educational experiences provided for students (Faculty)
  8. Student retention, progression and achievement, including enrolment statistics and retention rates (Faculty)
  9. Frequency of Partnership Team Leader visits and any issues or identification of good practice arising from these (Faculty and Academic Office).
  10. Any issues or identification of good practice arising from External Examiner reports (Faculty and Academic Office)
  11. Any issues or identification of good practice arising from annual review reports (Faculty and Academic Office)
  12. Matters relating to general management and delivery of programmes (Faculty,Academic Office and Registry)
  13. Matters relating to admissions/approved entry requirements and student records (Registry)
  14. Matters relating to library provision and access to the University’s resources (Library and Learning Resources andFaculty)
  15. Matters relating to finance/credit allocation (Finance Department)
  16. Matters relating to student support (Student Services)
  17. Any appropriate matters arising from the review
  18. Any recommendations to the Review Panel

The most recent annual Partnership Co-ordinator report will be included in the University Review Documentation, which may be supplemented by the Partnership Co-ordinator in order to take into account any recent developments.

The Academic Office will also provide the following documents:

  • Current Memoranda of Agreement
  • Report of the Interim Review
  • Details of any further proposals being considered in relation to the partnership

The pages in the documents should be numbered and a contents page provided, where appropriate.

  1. Initial meeting of the Panel

An initial meeting will be held at the University prior to meeting the staff and students at the partner and will include:

  1. Briefing of Panel
  2. An evaluation of the documentation
  3. The identification of issues to be explored withPartner staff and students

Prior to the meeting the documentation to support the review (as described above) will be sent to all Panel members. The External Panel Member and the partner representative will be invited to the initial panel meeting but are not required to attend and may instead submit written comments for consideration.

Following the meeting the secretary will ensure that the minutes of the initial meeting are sent to all Panel members, to inform the meetings with partner staff and students.

  1. Meeting with Partner Staff and Students

Following the consideration of the documentation, the Panel will meet with representatives of the Partner’s staff and students. This will normally take place duringvisit to the Partner and will include:

  1. Discussion of the Review Documentation
  2. Meetingwith members of Senior Management
  3. Meeting with members of staff responsible for the provision of learning resources, student support and student administration
  4. Meeting with a representative group of past/current students
  5. Meeting with any employers/stakeholders in relation to the University’s programmes
  6. A tour of facilities/resources
  7. Formulation of a conclusion and provision of feedback to representatives from the partneror making provisions to hold a final Panel meeting at the University.

5.1Final meeting of the Panel (if required)

Where a Panel feels that additional information and/or discussion is required before a conclusion can be made a final panel meeting will be held at the University following the meeting with Partner staff and students. This can be useful if a visit was undertaken to a partner overseas or if the review involves multiple programmes, as it allows the Panel to consider the written report of the meetings with partner representatives and formulate conclusions, having a full overview of the full review process. The meeting will include:

  1. A review of the minutes of the first Panel meeting and the meetings with partner staff and students.
  2. A formulation of the conclusion and consideration of arrangements for feedback to the Partner.

As per the initial Panel meeting, the External Panel Member and the partner representative are not required to attend the final Panel meeting but may do so if they wish or may provide written comments/recommendations to the secretary in advance of this meeting.

  1. Outcomes of the Review Available to the Panel

The Panel may arrive at one of the following outcomes at the end of the review. To recommend to Senate:

  • To approve the continuation of the partnership between the University and the Partner
  • To approve the partnership between the University and the Partner but noting concerns regarding the partnershipand the need for urgent action
  • Not to approve the continuation of the partnership between the University and the Partner and, as a result of this, to consider how the completion of existing or agreed commitments to existing or accepted students can be met in all respects, following the University’s procedure for terminating partnerships.

The Panel may suggestrecommendationsto the University and/or the Partner, for confirmation by Senate. The Panel may also make commendations, relating to areas of good practice identified during the review process. Recommendations and commendations may relate to any aspect of the partnership raised during the review process.

The review is expected to lead to identification by the University of a Prioritised Action Plan for appropriatestaff at the University or Partner institution, to maintain and enhance the academic health and development of the partnership. Unless the outcome of the review is to discontinue a partnership, in which the University’s procedure for terminating partnerships will commence.

August 20171