Programme approval and maintenance

For new programmes, strategic approval is taken at university level and addresses the key question, ‘In principle, do we want to do this?’ The key objective is to establish whether the proposal justifies the investment of time and effort that will be needed in subsequent stages and will ultimately provide the desired return on investment to the school and the wider university.

For changes to existing programmes, strategic approval is taken at college level but will still consider the same strategy, business viability including costs, risks (including reputational risks), student numbers and practical and academic considerations.

Programmes with external partners

The governance arrangements for setting up, developing, and monitoring all external partnership activity is outlined in the Education Partnership Policy. Any proposals of this nature are required to complete all stages of the approval procedure set out above including any additional requirements based on the nature and complexity of the proposal. Approval requires dedicated resource and time as each arrangement is individual in its nature.

A set of institutional expectations for programme structure, design, and delivery has been developed that outline the key baseline requirements that should be part of all Cardiff programmes. Each section outlines the specific expectations in addition to advice and guidance on how to explore the topics further.

You will not be limited to discussing the baseline requirements only, but they must be a clear part of the proposal. The Learning and Teaching Academy have a wide range of expertise to support with developing your proposals beyond the baseline.

Once the Chair of the Programme and Revalidation Sub-Committee has confirmed that all conditions have been met, a recommendation can be made to the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Education and Student Experience for approval on behalf of ASQC.