Preface
Quality assurance of overseas collaborative provision
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) was established in 1997 to contribute to the maintenance and improvement of the quality and standards of all UK higher educational provision, wherever and however this is offered to students. To this end, QAA undertakes regular academic quality audits of individual institutions to review the operation and effectiveness of arrangements for assuring quality and standards.
Quality audits also cover the arrangements which institutions use to assure the quality and standards of their awards and programmes offered in collaboration with other partners, both within and outside the UK. As part of this process, QAA has extended its audit procedures enabling audit teams to visit overseas partners of UK institutions so that the same enquiries can be made of arrangements for safeguarding UK awards and programmes offered to students outside the UK as are made of UK-based provision. This initiative has been designed to help provide enhanced confidence in the work of UK universities and colleges operating overseas.
QAA's enquiries have been assisted by the publication in December 1996 of the former Higher Education Quality Council's revised Code of Practice for Overseas Collaborative Provision in Higher Education. This offers guidance on good practice and a framework within which institutions can review and consider their current and future activities. The Code of Practice has been widely welcomed and has been used as a common point of reference for the programme of overseas visits. Shortly after this overseas audit visit, QAA published a Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education: Collaborative provision. This document will form the basis of overseas auditing activities undertaken with effect from Summer 2000.
The UK universities and colleges, with the agreement of their overseas partners, were voluntary participants in the programme of overseas visits. Their collaborative links cover between them a range of programmes and subjects, levels of award and different forms of institutional partnership.
This report is one of a number of reports published from the summer 1999 overseas audit programme to Ireland.
Foreword
1 This is a report of an academic audit carried out by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) of the quality assurance arrangements for a collaborative partnership between University of Wales College, Newport (UWCN) and St Angela's College, Sligo (St Angela's) to deliver a programme of studies, through a franchise arrangement, leading to the award of an MA in Education of the University of Wales.
2 UWCN was asked to provide a Commentary on its arrangements which would describe the collaborative link, making reference to the extent to which it was considered to be representative of UWCN's procedures and practice in all its overseas collaborative activity, or was specific to UWCN's collaborative activities in Ireland. UWCN was also asked to provide a view of the effectiveness of the means by which it assured itself of the quality of the learning opportunities and student support offered through this overseas link and to offer its view of the effectiveness of the means by which it assures itself of the standards of awards gained through this overseas link.
3 UWCN was asked to list, at the end of its Commentary, the sources and nature of the evidence on which it relied to assure itself that the quality of the collaborative educational provision leading to its awards (or awards for which it had responsibilities) was meeting its requirements and expectations, and that the standards of the relevant awards were being safeguarded. UWCN was asked to make this evidence available to the QAA audit team on the occasion of its visit.
4 The full membership of the Ireland audit team was: Dr F R Burnet, Professor R A Pearce, Mr J C P Raban and Dr D Timms, auditors; and Mr G Clark, audit secretary. Additional audit secretary support was provided by Ms T Hazard, QAA. The audit was co-ordinated for QAA by Dr D W Cairns. The members of the team who visited UWCN on 29 to 30 April 1999 were Professor R A Pearce and Mr J C P Raban, auditors; and Mr G Clark, audit secretary. Dr D W Cairns accompanied the team. In the course of the visit the team consulted materials made available in a base room, and held discussions with more than 20 members of UWCN, some on more than one occasion; they included: the Principal; senior members of UWCN; and staff responsible for part-delivering and for supporting the franchised programme.
5 Members of the audit team visited St Angela's College in Sligo on 26 May. Again, the members of the team were Professor R A Pearce, Mr J C P Raban and Mr G Clark, accompanied for QAA by Dr D W Cairns. In the course of its visit the team met: the Principal of the College and members of her senior staff, together with St Angela's Programme Leader and members of staff. The team also met a number of students following the franchised programme at St Angela's.
6 QAA is grateful to the staff of UWCN and to staff and students at St
Angela's for their assistance and co-operation with the audit team.
UWCN's Commentary
7 UWCN's Commentary on its link with St Angela's was comprehensive
and informative. Although it was mainly concerned with describing UWCN's
arrangements for assuring the quality and standards of the provision, it
included some evaluative comment and key statements were supported by references
to appended documents and to the materials that were provided in the base
room. UWCN's arrangements were set in the context of the 1995 HEQC academic
audit report, the HEQC Code of Practice for Overseas Collaborative Provision
in Higher Education, 1996, and the requirements and procedures of the
federal University of Wales. The eight overseas partnerships listed in
the Commentary were stated by UWCN to constitute the whole of its
current overseas partnership arrangements.
8 The Commentary made frequent and helpful comparative references to UWCN's other overseas collaborations, which allowed the audit team to be reasonably confident that UWCN's partnership with St Angela's was representative of its overseas franchising and outreach activity (see below, paragraph 21).
The institutional context for collaborative provision
9 Until 1992, some of the programmes of the former Gwent College of
Higher Education (as UWCN then was) were validated by the University of
Wales and some by the former Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA).
Following the closure of CNAA, the University of Wales became the sole
validating body for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, and Gwent College
of Higher Education was granted 'Associated College' status by the University.
Although Gwent College of Higher Education applied successfully to the
Privy Council for taught degree awarding powers in 1994, its policy has
been to hold these powers in abeyance and it is currently designated as
a 'University College' within the University of Wales. Gwent College of
Higher Education/UWCN was the subject of an academic audit conducted by
the former HEQC in 1995-96. The report of this audit commended UWCN (as
it had by then become) for 'the thoroughness with which partnership programmes
are validated, assessed and monitored, and the noteworthy practices adopted
for its overseas collaborative provision'. UWCN was, however, advised to
introduce procedures for the periodic review of collaborative provision
and to provide detailed guidelines on the validation procedures to be followed
in the case of courses and programmes which included elements delivered
with partner organisations. UWCN has since introduced a periodic review
procedure (see below, paragraph 43) and revised its arrangements for the
initial approval and validation of overseas collaborative provision in
the light of the HEQC Code of Practice.
Relations with the federal University of Wales
10 UWCN aspires to the status of a Constituent Institution of the University
of Wales which would confer on it greater autonomy within the University's
arrangements. UWCN's view is that at present the effective locus of responsibility
for academic quality assurance lies with its academic departments, its
Academic Board and, acting on behalf of the latter, the Academic Standards
Committee (ASC). While the University of Wales is the 'ultimate guarantor
of standards', fulfilling this role through its Validation Board, the University's
arrangements are seen as providing a guarantee of academic quality and
standards only at a threshold level, with UWCN having built upon its CNAA
legacy to establish quality assurance arrangements that exceed the minimum
requirements of the University.
UWCN's arrangements for the management of collaborative provision
11 At the time of the 1996 HEQC audit, UWCN had established some 15 partnerships, mainly in Wales and with institutions in the further education and tertiary sectors. Prior to 1997 UWCN had had little involvement in the overseas market and the relevant appendix to the 1996 HEQC report on UWCN's quality assurance arrangements lists only one overseas partner. Possibly as a result of its early focus on franchises with further education institutions, some of UWCN's policy documents and guidelines for the conduct of collaborative provision remain strongly focused on the further education sector and within the Principality; others, however, reflect its growing interest in the development of collaborative provision with 'carefully selected' overseas partners.
12 Within UWCN, its Overseas Collaborative Group (OCG) is responsible to the Principal's Management Group for recommending the strategic direction of policy. The OCG may send comments on the quality of UWCN's overseas collaborative provision to the ASC, which is responsible for conducting periodic reviews of overseas partnership provision. UWCN's International Office provides administrative support for the initial development of overseas partnerships, together with its Academic Office. The Academic Office deals with student matters and provides summaries for the University of Wales of annual monitoring and review (AMR) reports from overseas partnerships and the franchise centres in which they are based. The International Office was described by staff as a 'post box' and 'clearing house', acting as the primary channel of communication with franchise centres and ensuring compliance with UWCN's administrative requirements.
13 The first line of academic support for UWCN's partnership with St Angela's is provided by the franchise managers, the officers appointed by UWCN for that purpose for each of its collaborations. In the case of UWCN's partnership with St Angela's, the appointed Franchise Manager, who was instrumental in initially promoting the partnership, is based in the Department of Education and Training, while the chief support from UWCN for the programme currently derives from the Department of Teacher Education, in which many of UWCN's module leaders are based. In practice, module leaders frequently work directly with their counterparts in Sligo.
14 There are multiple points of contact between UWCN and its partners,
and there is some overlap between the responsibilities of departments,
the International Office and the Academic Office and, on quality assurance
matters, between OCG and ASC. UWCN staff expressed some uncertainty about
the precise nature of the reporting relationship between the OCG and ASC,
and recognised the overlapping responsibilities of individuals, departments
and committees. These features of UWCN's arrangements, in fact, appear
to provide an important safeguard in the event of a failure of any one
department or committee to discharge its responsibilities. UWCN's present
arrangements are underpinned by a detailed specification of the roles and
responsibilities of the University's academic and administrative departments.
Guidelines and Codes of Practice
15 UWCN supports its overseas franchising activity with various handbooks and operational guidelines which have been adapted from material originally developed by UWCN for franchises within the United Kingdom. The Commentary states that UWCN is 'conscious of the importance of establishing and maintaining a good reputation in higher education by engaging in best practice, particularly overseas and regards its Guidelines for Overseas Quality as being in accordance with the 1996 HEQC Code of Practice for Overseas Collaborative Provision. Members of UWCN expressed confidence in its quality assurance arrangements, which they regarded as going beyond the minimum requirements of the federal University.
16 UWCN is preparing a single generic handbook for the conduct of collaborative provision, and its Academic Office has recently prepared guidance notes for administrators in partner institutions to assist them in their responsibilities for servicing Boards of Examiners (see below, paragraph 52).
17 UWCN has decided that its central Committees should continue to be actively
responsible for ensuring that Departments discharge their duties in line
with UWCN-wide policies, particularly in respect of collaborative provision,
arguing that its size lessens the need for greater devolution. The case
for these arguments seemed to the audit team to have considerable merit
and to be substantiated by the evidence made available by UWCN.
UWCN's Guidelines and its typology of collaborative provision
18 UWCN currently conducts its collaborative activities within the provisions of its Guidelines for Collaborative Agreements (GCA) and its Guidelines for Overseas Quality Code of Practice (GOQCP). The GOQCP identifies the 'main objectives' of UWCN's overseas developments as including the maximisation of commercial benefits 'without compromising quality standards'. The Commentary states that UWCN's selection of partners is informed by a 'strategic plan' for developing overseas links, deviation from which was said to be 'very rare'.
19 The conceptual framework within which UWCN has developed its collaborative provision derives from that of the University of Wales and the Validation Board of the latter, though with some important differences. As with the University of Wales, UWCN distinguishes between collaborations based on 'outreach' and 'franchise' arrangements delivered within the 'home' and 'overseas' markets. The distinction between 'outreach' and 'franchise' originally referred to different arrangements for the allocation of student places funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. Subsequent to the audit visit UWCN represented to the audit team that current usage defines 'outreach' as 'provision which is delivered at, and by the staff of, another institution but which is not originally designed by [UWCN]'. This was not the definition offered by members of UWCN when they met the team, when 'outreach' was defined as 'a course or programme of study designed by UWCN and delivered by its staff at the premises of a partner'. UWCN will wish to clarify for its own benefit what it means when it uses the term 'outreach' to describe partnership relations within the Principality, elsewhere within the UK, and overseas.
20 UWCN describes a 'franchise' as a programme of study designed by UWCN, delivered in, and by, the staff of another institution, which may be either a 'full' or 'partial' franchise. A 'full franchise' is a partnership where the teaching and learning support is delivered solely by the staff of the partner; a 'partial franchise' exists where teaching and learning support are provided by staff of UWCN and by staff of the partner. In each case, overall responsibility for the quality and assessment of the franchised programme of study rests with UWCN. In 1995 UWCN viewed its existing policy as having 'a narrow focus on outreach and franchise provision' and proposed that the 'focus should be widened to include other forms of collaboration'; it has not, however, subsequently extended the forms in which it offers collaborative provision beyond the categories identified above.
21 UWCN's partnership with St Angela's was initiated within the terms of a procedure that had been designed primarily for the purpose of approving franchises within the United Kingdom. The audit team is broadly confident, however, that the partnership between UWCN and St Angela's is representative of UWCN's overseas partnerships in general (see below, paragraphs 29 and 61).
22 The GOQCP sets out the criteria by which overseas partners are to be selected, and the procedures to be followed for the initial approval, validation, administration and monitoring of collaborative programmes. UWCN considers the provisions of the GOQCP to be 'in accordance with the [terms of the] HEQC Code of Practice for Overseas Collaborative Provision'. The fact that UWCN's GCA do not identify Ireland as one of the countries considered by UWCN to possess 'an acceptable level of financial and political stability' when evaluating the merits of a partnership, suggests that UWCN has not yet firmly decided whether franchises with partners in the Republic of Ireland constitute 'home' or 'overseas' collaborations', a matter which requires clarification.
Initiation of the partnership
The partnership between UWCN and St Angela's
23 St Angela's College, Sligo was founded by the Ursuline congregation in 1950 and in 1978 it became a Recognised College of the National University of Ireland. St Angela's was initially a specialist College of Home Economics and currently offers programmes of study leading to awards of the National University, including a BEd programme in Home Economics, a BA in Social and Community Studies, and a BA in Humanities by distance learning. UWCN also offers a range of diploma courses in aspects of education, tourism and social care and a variety of certificate level and short courses. St Angela's contributes Home Economics as a subject specialism to an MEd programme of University College Galway.
24 Following informal discussions between members of staff, work on developing a partnership between UWCN and St Angela's began in October 1994. In February 1996, the franchise of a programme of studies leading to a University of Wales MA in Education and linked named awards was approved by UWCN and the University. A single cohort of students was admitted in 1996-97, and the partners' intention is that a further cohort should be enrolled in June 1999 (see below, paragraph 49). Two-thirds of the programme at St Angela's was initially taught by UWCN staff; this has subsequently been reduced to about 40 per cent, with the decision to do so being justified by the receipt of satisfactory annual monitoring and review reports.
25 In its discussions with members of staff at St Angela's, the audit team was told that its partnership with UWCN had been seen as a means of diversifying St Angela's provision and funding base, while building upon its strengths and experience in the field of teacher education. Members of St Angela's have attached particular value to the flexibility afforded by the franchise arrangement which enables modifications to the mode of delivery and the curriculum of the MA programme to be made to meet local needs. The delivery of the course in weekend study 'blocks' has enabled UWCN and St Angela's to recruit students from a wide geographical area; and the opportunity to vary the curriculum in ways that were relevant to the Irish context has strengthened the 'reflective practitioner' focus of the programme and given it a specifically European and comparative slant. In the longer term, St Angela's hopes to be able to assume additional responsibility for the delivery of the programme, to develop its own modules, and to negotiate franchises with UWCN in other areas of educational provision.
Stage 1: UWCN's scrutiny of the proposed partnership
26 The process followed by UWCN in its scrutiny of the proposed partnership with St Angela's was similar to that which is currently in force in UWCN and included four visits by staff from the one institution to the other. The Franchise Manager of the Department of Education and Training prepared a 'Concept Paper' which included details of the management structure and the provision offered by St Angela's, a résumé of its planned future developments, and an assessment of the latter's resource base. Progress on the development of the partnership was discussed by UWCN's Management Sub-Group on Collaborative Provision, and Memoranda of Understanding were signed in March and November 1995. In November 1995 St Angela's was visited by UWCN's Marketing Director and the Dean of its Faculty of Education followed by a further period of discussion between staff at St Angela's and UWCN. There is clear evidence that UWCN established at an early stage that the Irish Government would recognise the MA award of the University of Wales.
27 The audit team was satisfied that, although UWCN's partnership with St Angela's predated its current arrangements, the partnership was nonetheless approved in a manner that was broadly consistent with them. Although financial considerations and, in particular, the capacity of the supporting department to maintain a collaborative programme were taken into account, the partnership with St Angela's was justified by the non-pecuniary benefits accruing to UWCN, with the financial arrangements designed to achieve a balance between costs and revenues.
28 The link between UWCN and St Angela's was originally based in UWCN's Continuing Education and Training Programme in its former Faculty of Education, Humanities and Science, where it was managed by an Associate Dean. The partnership is now supported by UWCN's Department of Education and Training where the former Associate Dean now acts as the Franchise Manager for the franchised programme. Members of UWCN with whom the audit team discussed the partnership with St Angela's viewed the link between the two institutions as providing significant academic benefits to both, including opportunities to engage in professional dialogue with colleagues working in another culture and education system, to exchange ideas on teaching and learning styles; and to gain experience of managing collaborative partnerships (see above, paragraph 25).
29 The partnership between UWCN and St Angela's was initiated at a time
when UWCN had little overseas collaborative provision and it was initially
seen as an extension of the 'home' programme. The link with St Angela's
has since been reclassified by UWCN as an overseas partnership, and UWCN
regards the partnership as a 'partial franchise', combining the features
of a conventional franchise with those of outreach provision (see above,
paragraphs 19 and 20).
Stage 2: the franchise validation
30 Stage 2 of the process through which UWCN approves a partnership consists of its approval of the franchise of an award previously validated for delivery at UWCN, in this case an MA in Education of the University of Wales. A UWCN panel tests the partner's ability to deliver the approved curriculum and offers a recommendation based on its findings to UWCN and, separately, to the University of Wales. The signing of a formal Memorandum of Agreement follows UWCN's approval of the franchise.
31 To support the validation, members of UWCN's Department of Education and Training and of St Angela's prepared a document which was, in effect, the equivalent of the 'Proposal for Collaborative Provision' required by UWCN's current procedures. This included: documents demonstrating how the franchise would operate at St Angela's; a description of the context within which the franchise would operate; the regulations and guidelines for the franchised provision; and a statement of the curriculum of the 'home' programme of study including module outlines.
32 A two-day validation event was held at St Angela's in February 1996, some 15 months after discussions between UWCN and St Angela's had begun. The membership of the Validation Panel comprised: UWCN's Academic Development Officer; its Assistant Academic Registrar; the Head of UWCN's Library and Media Resources; two members of its ASC; a representative of the University of Wales' Validation Board; and a member of its Validation Unit. Senior staff from UWCN's Faculty of Education, Humanities and Science, which was proposing the franchise, were afforded 'observer' status. The Validation Panel recommended that the franchise be approved subject to various conditions and to a review of the programme to be conducted after two years' operation (see below, paragraph 36). The report of the panel was considered by UWCN's ASC and subsequently, its Academic Board, and by the University of Wales' Validation Board. The franchise was formally approved by these bodies following receipt of satisfactory responses to the conditions of validation.
33 The completion of the validation report marked the culmination of a rigorous process which had entailed careful and wide-ranging discussions between the Validation Panel and those proposing the partnership. Staff at St Angela's recollected that the event had been efficiently conducted, with prompt and informative feedback and with the roles of the participants having been clearly defined. The possibility of adapting the curriculum to give it a more 'international' and Irish focus was explicitly discussed at the validation event and the report of the panel recommended that staff at St Angela's should be authorised to modify the content of modules, following consultation with their counterparts at UWCN, and providing that the approved learning outcomes were met.
Stage 3: the Memorandum of Agreement
34 Once Stages 1 and 2 of UWCN's processes for approving collaborative provision have been completed - institutional and validation approval - Stage 3 consists of post-validation activity, including the completion of a formal Memorandum of Agreement. The Memorandum of Agreement (the Memorandum) with St Angela's was signed in September 1996. It assigns to St Angela's day-to-day responsibility for 'ensuring that the course meets the academic, financial and managerial standards' set out in the Memorandum, and states that the final responsibility for 'ensuring that such standards are clearly defined, communicated, up-dated and maintained' rests with the Academic Board of UWCN. In the latter respect, the course 'is treated as any other course within the University of Wales College, Newport portfolio'. The Memorandum provides an outline of the partner's responsibilities for academic matters, resources and students and the appendices to the Memorandum specify the financial arrangements and administrative procedures that are applicable to the partnership.
35 The current Memorandum applies specifically to the first cohort
of students enrolled for the MA in Education (and its linked awards), and
a new agreement will be brought into operation from June 1999, to coincide
with the admission of the second cohort of students. This new agreement
will be based on UWCN's new standard agreement for overseas collaborations,
itself completed in June 1998 in the light of advice received by UWCN from
solicitors and the former HEQC. The new standard agreement is intended
to provide 'a more robust legal framework for collaboration in the context
of a relationship based upon trust and mutual respect'; it incorporates
a more detailed specification of the obligations of both UWCN and the partner
institution; the circumstances that would lead to the termination of the
agreement, and sets out the procedures to be followed in such cases. These
procedures outline the action to be taken to ensure that those students
who have enrolled on the course prior to termination are enabled to complete
the course and attendant examinations.
36 The report of the initial franchise Validation Panel and UWCN's Memorandum with St Angela's required the former to undertake a review of the franchised programme, focused on staff development activity, as a condition of admitting further students. This review was undertaken in October 1998 by the Franchise Manager and was conducted with the involvement of staff at St Angela's. The report of this review commented on the general wellbeing of the programme and provided evidence of the not inconsiderable efforts made by UWCN to ensure that staff at St Angela's would continue to acquire and develop the skills and knowledge necessary for the supervision and assessment of students at master's level. The report also provides details of the efforts that had been made to prepare students for the dissertation component of their programme of studies.
Systems and arrangements for the quality assurance
of overseas
collaborative provision
Monitoring the franchise
37 UWCN considers that its arrangements for quality control for overseas
collaborative provision 'are no less robust than those operating for programmes
delivered in Newport'. UWCN's GOQCP stipulates the quality assurance processes
to which such provision is subject which include the three-stage procedure
for approving a partnership, AMR, and monitoring visits by UWCN staff.
The formal periodic review of collaborative provision and associated arrangements
has been only recently introduced (see below, paragraph 43).
38 UWCN's annual monitoring arrangements are described in the HEQC 1996 report. The AMR report for the MA in Education provided at St Angela's is produced by the latter according to UWCN's requirements. The production of St Angela's AMR report is a collective effort, involving both the course team and student representatives on the course committee in Sligo, and drawing on student evaluation questionnaires. UWCN staff provide advice on the completion of the AMR report according to need. The report is discussed with the Franchise Manager (see above, paragraph 28) who produces a further summary report. The standard documents used for these summary reports are comprehensive and provide details of the student consultation process, curricular and teaching issues, the teaching and learning environment, staff development activity, assessment and student attainment, issues raised by the external examiner, and statistical data on the admission and progression of students.
39 Action plans to develop points of good practice and remedy weaknesses are appended to the reports from St Angela's, and the AMR report for each session includes a report on the action that has been taken since the previous report. Staff at St Angela's reported that the Franchise Manager acknowledges his receipt of the AMR reports, and that it would be normal for UWCN's Head of Professional Development to follow up the report with enquiries about progress on the action plan. The AMR reports seen by the audit team met UWCN's requirements in all respects.
40 The AMR reports prepared by staff at St Angela's and the Franchise Manager are considered by the Departmental Committee of the Department of Teacher Education, and are read by the Assistant Principal (Departments), who produces a further summary report for ASC. ASC considers the Assistant Principal's summary report, together with departmentally-prepared documentation; UWCN's Academic Board receives the summary report, the relevant ASC minutes and copies of the Departmental AMR reports. Copies of the external examiners' reports and all other original documentation are held by the International Office. An additional AMR report, in a standard format, is completed by UWCN's Academic Office for each of its franchises and is forwarded to the Executive Panel of the federal University's Validation Board for its consideration.
41 In the view of the audit team, the thoroughness with which UWCN's AMR report procedure has been designed, and the conscientious manner in which staff at all levels, in UWCN and St Angela's, analyse and report on the franchised provision, justify UWCN's confidence that its ASC and Academic Board are provided with the information required to discharge their quality assurance responsibilities satisfactorily (see below, paragraph 54).
42 At the time of the audit, UWCN was seeking to develop a more reflective
and proactive approach to annual monitoring and evaluation with executive
feedback to those providing the original AMR reports. It is its intention,
however, that any changes to its annual monitoring procedures should be
piloted with UWCN's own provision before they are applied to the provision
offered by its partner organisations.
Periodic review of overseas collaborative provision
43 The 1996 HEQC audit report suggested that UWCN should consider the advisability of 'putting in place procedures for the periodic review of...franchises and outreach arrangements'. A formal procedure for the periodic review of UWCN's partnerships and overseas collaborative provision has since been established. Under the terms of this procedure, triennial review is a requirement for all overseas provision. A review is undertaken by a panel selected from UWCN's academic staff and senior management, and the resulting report is considered by the appropriate department together with UWCN, the International Office, Academic Office and by the partner institution, or franchise centre. The operation of its newly-introduced periodic review process has recently led UWCN to close two of its collaborative programmes.
44 UWCN's periodic review procedure does not routinely involve external
peers and makes no provision for UWCN to confirm for itself that a partner
continues to provide a financially secure environment for the discharge
of its responsibilities. Members of staff in UWCN and St Angela's were
uncertain about future arrangements for the review of the franchised programme
and whether it might be included in a forthcoming quinquennial review of
the parent programme running at UWCN's home campus. Such uncertainty is
not helpful, and UWCN might be advised to clarify its intentions for reviewing
the franchise.
Monitoring visits by members of UWCN
45 The GOQCP states that end-of-semester visits and, where appropriate, mid-semester visits will be made by UWCN's departmentally-based staff, and that a report on each visit in a standard form will be submitted to OCG and lodged with the International Office. In addition to the visits to Sligo by UWCN staff for teaching and assessment purposes, St Angela's has been visited by UWCN staff on some eight occasions since the validation of the franchised programme in 1996. In the course of these visits the curriculum, matters relating to the library and learning resources, assessment, quality assurance, developmental and other topics had been discussed. Although UWCN staff are required to complete a comprehensive Monitoring Visit Report Form, a copy of which is lodged with the Academic Office, staff at St Angela's told the audit team that they had not been aware of this post-visit reporting procedure. The new agreement, which will come into force for the next cohort of students recruited to the franchise, prescribes the minimum number of visits by UWCN staff to partner organisations.
The academic standards of credits and awards
46 UWCN's Commentary on its partnership with St Angela's lists
various arrangements for maintaining the academic standards of the award
of the University of Wales. These include the joint delivery and assessment
arrangements that, in UWCN's view, are characteristic of a 'partial franchise';
common external examining arrangements, shared by the programmes delivered
at UWCN and its franchised programme at St Angela's and the attendance
of members of its staff at assessment boards for the MA in Education students
based in Sligo.
47 The first session of each of the modules that is offered at St Angela's
College is taught by UWCN staff and the contribution of the close professional
relationships that have been developed between staff in the two institutions
to sustaining the academic standards of the resulting award should not
be underestimated. The audit team sought to establish whether UWCN might
be over-reliant on the personal contacts established with staff in its
partner institutions for the maintenance of the academic standards of the
awards for which it has responsibility, and whether this might compromise
its responsibility for maintaining an objective view of the standards maintained
by its partner. On the basis of the evidence seen by the team and its discussions
with members of UWCN and St Angela's, the team concluded that UWCN's quality
assurance arrangements for its franchised programme in this instance are
not overly reliant on informal personal contacts (see above, paragraph
14).
48 According to the Commentary, UWCN 'insists that the approved admission/entry requirements [to the franchised programme] are established and maintained'. Although the Commentary states that the Franchise Manager provides 'guidance and direction' on the admission of students when this is required, staff at St Angela's seek UWCN's approval on admissions decisions before places are offered to students. Claims under UWCN's Accreditation of Prior Achievement procedure are dealt with by the Academic Board's Accreditation Committee, supported by the Academic Office, and in consultation with the relevant department. The audit team was able to discuss with staff an instance when such a claim had been declined by UWCN.
49 The franchised programme was validated for an initial intake of 30 students; however, 40 students were admitted in the first cohort in June 1996. Since the quality and standards of a programme, and in particular the adequacy of staffing and learning resources, may be adversely affected if a partner admits more students than the number agreed at validation, the audit team was concerned to establish how this situation had arisen and what action had been taken once it had occurred.
50 Staff in both institutions stated that offers had been made on the assumption
that the number of students eventually enrolling on the course would be
within the agreed number. Once it became apparent that this would not be
the case, the Programme Leader had sought from UWCN's Programme Manager
and the Chair of the Validation Panel approval to exceed the target intake.
This series of events initially led the audit team to question the extent
to which UWCN was as closely involved in admissions decisions at St Angela's
as the Commentary had led it to believe. However, the current Memorandum neither
states an upper limit to the admissions target nor does it prescribe the
action that should be taken when the number agreed at validation is exceeded.
In practice, the passage of time has proved the judgements made in 1996
by UWCN and St Angela's to have been sound. UWCN's proposed new agreement
for the second cohort now specifies the procedure by which a partner institution
should agree student entry numbers but, in addition, UWCN may consider
it advisable to amend the proposed new agreement to require that appropriate
action is taken to protect academic standards and the quality of the provision
in the event of a partner exceeding an agreed admissions target.
Student progression, assessment, and examining arrangements
51 The assessment boards held at St Angela's are attended by UWCN staff (see above, paragraph 46) and UWCN's Commentary stated that 'the administration of assessment procedures is standard to both institutions, and follows similar protocol and pattern'. Assignments are subject to unseen double marking within St Angela's and all scripts for the core module of the franchised programme are moderated by UWCN staff, who send a sample of 10 per cent of the submitted scripts to the programme's external examiner. It appeared to the team that the module leader was free to decide the level of involvement of new staff in the assessment process. UWCN may wish to consider the desirability of formalising its requirements for the moderation of assessed work, and the means by which they are communicated. The marking of all dissertations is moderated by UWCN staff. The programme level AMR report for 1996-97 observed that only six scripts, all from the same module, had been forwarded for moderation from St Angela's and it recommended that a larger sample should be provided in 1997-98.
52 The Commentary and the current Memorandum state that the external examiner for the course offered at UWCN will also serve as the external examiner for the 'franchised version'. The assessment board meeting at St Angela's is attended by the external examiner, and the external examiner's reports have been fully considered through the AMR report process. As noted earlier, UWCN's Academic Office has recently prepared notes of guidance for administrative staff in its partner institutions who are required to support the operation of assessment and examination boards (see above, paragraph 16). The external examiner appointed by UWCN in respect of the franchised programme was not at that time working with the 'parent' programme and while the circumstances and qualifications of the external examiner may have justified his appointment, it appeared that this apparent irregularity had not been detected by the responsible bodies in either UWCN or the University of Wales. Notwithstanding this procedural shortcoming, the audit team is generally confident that UWCN has established effective arrangements to safeguard the academic standard of the University's award for which students at St Angela's are being prepared.
The learning environment for the franchise
53 As part of the initial scrutiny carried out by UWCN, the learning
environment for students following the franchised programme at St Angela's
was reviewed by the early visitors from UWCN, prior to Stage 1 of the approval
process (see above, paragraph 27). The learning environment was also considered
as part of the validation event, and library and study arrangements are
routinely addressed through the AMR report procedure. The Librarian at
St Angela's, who is a member of the Sligo-based course committee for the
franchised programme, had undertaken a survey of user requirements and
had been in direct contact with UWCN's Librarian.
54 UWCN secures information on the learning environment offered to students at St Angela's through the AMR report process and through the section on resources included on the Monitoring Visit Report Form which members of UWCN staff complete after visits to Sligo (see above, paragraph 45). One AMR report seen by the audit team included an acknowledgement of student criticism of library provision at St Angela's, together with details of the action to be taken to respond to their comments.
55 The team discussed these matters with the students in the course of the visit and was told that commendable arrangements had been made to ensure their access to the necessary staff support and learning resources, including provision for additional staff to be brought in on a sessional basis from elsewhere in Ireland and that, when necessary, prompt and effective remedial action had been taken to address their concerns. The instances cited to the team by students and staff at St Angela's constituted persuasive evidence that UWCN's monitoring arrangements had been effective in helping it and its partner to maintain a learning environment appropriate to a taught postgraduate programme of studies.
Appointment of staff to teach the franchised provision
56 Although the Commentary states that UWCN is 'not directly involved in the appointment of staff', implying that the Academic Office is merely notified of staff changes, the GOQCP requires notification from franchise centres of any changes to staffing and the submission of the CVs of new staff 'for approval'. It is clear, however, that the Programme Leader at St Angela's had discussed the suitability of teaching staff with the Franchise Manager and members of the Department of Teacher Education at UWCN, prior to their deployment to teach on the franchised programme.
57 The Commentary also states that it has always been the intention of UWCN 'to nurture and develop staff in Ireland to undertake more of the delivery in due course'. The composition of the staff delivering the course at St Angela's College has changed significantly since the validation of the course in 1996, and the audit team was able to establish that UWCN had maintained an active and continuing involvement in the development and training of staff at St Angela's. This has included a development day on assessment, a number of other staff development visits, and a 'formative' moderation of the first course work assignment, giving feedback to staff at St Angela's on the quality, level and appropriateness of their approach to assessment. The team concluded that this staff development programme and the close personal contact between UWCN staff and their colleagues at St Angela's had ensured that staff changes in the latter (which have been limited) have not had a detrimental effect on the standard of the franchised programme or the quality of the student experience.
Internal and external communications
Communications between the partners
58 Members of staff at St Angela's emphasised the importance that they have placed on maintaining regular contact with the Franchise Manager and module leaders at UWCN and that the overall accessibility and supportiveness of UWCN staff had ensured that any matters requiring attention had been dealt with promptly. From the evidence available to it the audit team concluded that communications arrangements between UWCN and St Angela's were frequently used and were operating satisfactorily.
59 Although the current Memorandum between UWCN and St Angela's does not specify the procedure for approving its publicity and promotional literature final drafts of all promotional materials must be approved by UWCN. Draft promotional materials are checked for accuracy and conformity with UWCN Guidelines by its International and Academic Offices, and by the relevant academic department. The process of scrutiny is co-ordinated by the International Office. Students who discussed their applications and interviews with St Angela's confirmed that the promotional materials they had relied on in choosing the programme had been accurate. Notwithstanding the omission from the initial Memorandum of a formal requirement that promotional materials should be authorised by UWCN, the team concluded that UWCN's procedures for monitoring and reviewing the information, publicity and promotional materials produced by its partners were commendably thorough. UWCN's new agreement with St Angela's will formally require its partner to submit promotional materials for scrutiny and prior approval.
Conclusions
60 At the time of the audit, the University of Wales College, Newport
(UWCN) was at a relatively early stage in the development of its strategy
for overseas collaborative provision and some of its more recently-introduced
procedures for assuring the quality and standards of its overseas provision
had yet to be fully implemented. Although UWCN has recently embarked on
a number of new ventures, its overseas collaborative provision does not
yet extend beyond franchising and the delivery of programmes by its own
staff in the premises of its partner institutions.
61 The provision offered by UWCN with its partner, St Angela's College, Sligo (St Angela's) is described as a 'partial franchise', in which St Angela's staff take direct responsibility for aspects of the teaching and assessment of students. The partnership had originally been placed in the same category as UWCN's links with institutions within the United Kingdom. It appears, however, that UWCN's arrangements for managing its partnership with St Angela's are broadly representative of those which applied to its overseas collaborative provision.
62 UWCN's decisions to enter into formal negotiations with St Angela's and, ultimately, to approve the franchise, were reached on the basis of an assessment of the academic maturity of its partner, the capacity of the home department to discharge its responsibilities for the quality and standards of the provision and the financial viability of the partnership. UWCN's procedures for testing the suitability of a prospective partner and for validating and approving the proposed partnership provision appear well-conceived and effective in operation.
63 UWCN reviews its collaborative provision through annual monitoring and review (AMR) reports on a regular basis. These are subject to full discussion within its partner institution and at a variety of levels within UWCN, which also deploys a variety of effective mechanisms for ensuring that academic standards are maintained, including attendance to the staff development needs of its partner and procedures that ensure the objectivity and reliability of decisions on staff appointments, student admissions and assessment. UWCN's confidence in the effectiveness of its annual monitoring and review arrangements appears justified.
64 Since the initial approval of the partnership with St Angela's, UWCN has continued to develop and formalise its procedures, which now provide for the formal periodic review of each of its partnerships. Periodic review of collaborative provision will provide an additional buttress to a sound structure. Further consideration might, however, be given to the amendment of the procedure for periodic review to provide for the involvement of external peers. UWCN's standard Memorandum of Agreement has been revised and, although in its new form this extends the protection for the interests of UWCN, its partner, and students, UWCN will wish to consider whether the proposed new agreement should be revised to ensure that appropriate action is taken to protect academic standards and the quality of the provision in the event of a partner exceeding any stated admissions target.
65 The overlapping remits of administrative and academic departments and of UWCN's senior committees might appear to have the potential to create some confusion for its staff, and staff in its partner institutions, as to the location of responsibility for the quality of provision and for safeguarding the standard of the University of Wales' awards. This is not the case in practice, however; UWCN's present arrangements appear to provide safeguards against the possible failure of any one department or committee to discharge its responsibilities, or a breakdown in the relationships between an academic department and staff in a partner organisation.
66 The partnership appears to have developed soundly. UWCN staff have maintained regular and close contact with their colleagues and with students at St Angela's. The commitment of staff in both institutions to the purposes of the partnership, and to the development of a common understanding of quality and standards matters has made a very positive contribution to the effectiveness of UWCN's communications with, and support for, its partner. The provision for formal communication between the administrative departments of UWCN (in particular, its International Office) and its partners is commendably efficient and, in general, UWCN's formal systems ensure that the quality and standards of the provision for which it is responsible are not over-reliant on the personal commitment of its staff and the informal relationships that they may develop with colleagues in partner institutions.
67 UWCN has developed an approach to the franchising of its provision that is sufficiently flexible to accommodate the needs of its overseas partners. The design and management of UWCN's partnership with St Angela's has enabled students from a wide geographical area to follow a curriculum modified by the partners to enhance its relevance to their professional needs. The franchise and associated staff development arrangements have allowed the staff at St Angela's to take progressively more responsibility for the delivery of the course as their experience has deepened in the teaching, supervision and assessment of students at master's level.
68 UWCN is confident that its partnership with St Angela's has been developmental for all those participating, and that the measures it has taken, and continues to take, enable it to assure the quality of the franchised provision offered with its partner and to safeguard the standard of the MA in Education award of the University of Wales. This confidence appears to be soundly-based.
Annex
The University of Wales College, Newport is committed to continually
seeking to improve the quality of its provision and of its quality assurance
systems and welcomes this report from QAA, which derives from an audit
process which was professionally managed and conducted.
UWCN takes considerable encouragement from the positive tone of the report, particularly the comments relating to the range of overseas collaborative activity and the systems which monitor and evaluate this. However, the University College would wish to guard against complacency and will be taking action to address issues raised in the report regarding:
- clarification of the precise reporting relationship between the Overseas Collaborative Group and the Academic Standards Committee;
- clarification of the status of collaborative links with the Republic of Ireland as 'overseas' collaborations;
- consideration of how external peers can be effectively involved in the review of collaborative provision in order to make this consistent with the use of external peers in periodic review of University College-based provision;
- clarification of the involvement of collaborative partners in periodic reviews of University College-based provision; and,
- adjustment to the Memorandum of Agreement to identify the action to be taken in the event of a partner exceeding an admissions target.
It is considered that, through attending to the above issues identified in the report, the quality of collaborative provision of the University College will be rendered even more secure than at present.
Top