During December 2005 to February 2006, QAA undertook a consultation exercise on the proposed new element of the Guidelines on preparing programme specifications (CL15.05). Over 100 responses were received. QAA had invited respondents to comment in particular on:
- the general approach
- the proposed title (Programme Plus)
- the (minimum) content of Programme Plus and its heading/questions
- the provision of optional additional information
- the relationship between Programme Plus, TQI and institutions' own information provision to students and others
- the timetable for implementation.
The comments from the consultation exercise have been considered carefully by the QAA working group and have had a considerable impact on the final revised version of Guidelines on Preparing Programme Specifications.
There was general support for the notion of a set of comparable, student friendly information available to current and prospective students. There was also support for the suggested minimum content for programmes specifications, likewise the proposed additional information that might be included in a programme specification.
There was not, however, support for the notion of the 'programme plus' proposal; in particular there was strong feeling that the proposal would lead to duplication of information which can already be found through the UCAS website and in institutions' own publications; that it would be burdensome for institutions to provide the information and maintain the links and that that it was too soon to place reliance on the TQI website.
As a consequence of this consultation exercise the proposal for 'Programme Plus' has been removed from the final guidelines.
We would like to thank all the individuals who kindly responded to the consultation exercise and hope the resulting revised Guidelines prove to be useful. The revised Guidelines will be published in July 2006.
May 2006
Proposals for guidance on the minimum content of published versions of programme specifications
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