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Making Changes to a Suite of Programmes

When we talk about making changes to programmes we mean this in the broadest sense of introducing or withdrawing programmes. Making changes to elements of the programme are detailed on our Making Changes to Modules and Making Changes to Assessment pages.  

There are three main types of changes to programmes – seeking approval to introduce a new programme for delivery at a TEI, seeking approval to withdraw a programme from delivery at TEI, and seeking approval to change the delivery mode of programmes and modules. There are many reasons for doing these, and TEIs will need to provide a rationale in the Curriculum Development request form detailing this.   

Find out more:

Introducing a new programme (TEI level)

TEIs are advised to consult our webpages on the Common Awards Curriculum Framework and the Principles of Programme Design.

TEIs may wish to begin delivering one of the approved Common Awards Programmes that the TEI does not currently have approval to deliver. For example, a TEI may wish to introduce an MA programme but it has only received approval to deliver the DipHE and BA. The TEI should consult with students and discuss the proposal at the TEI’s Management Committee, to ensure that there are adequate resources and staffing in place to deliver the programme. Following these consultations the TEI can submit the request to the University. 

In some cases, multi-centre TEIs (i.e. those TEIs with more than delivery centre, constituent centre, or campus) may have received approval for a programme to be delivered within one, but not all, of its centres.  

For example, a multi-centre TEI, which is comprised of 4 centres, has received approval for the BA programme to be delivered in 3 of its centres. The fourth centre has already received approval to deliver the CertHE and the DipHE, but until now it has not needed to deliver the BA. The TEI has conducted market research in this area, and it has identified a market for a BA programme in the fourth centre. Following consultation with students and at the TEI’s Management Committee, where it was considered that the fourth centre has adequate resources and staffing to deliver the programme, the TEI wishes to propose to deliver the BA programme in its fourth centre from the following academic year.  

The TEI can prepare a new programme proposal to request University approval for the fourth centre to deliver the BA. TEIs must receive approval from the University for the Programme to be delivered in each of the centres. TEIs can request this approval via the Curriculum Development process.  

TEIs wishing to introduce a new programme (at either TEI level or centre-level) should submit their requests for the January Curriculum Development deadline. See our calendar for the specific deadline this year. Curriculum Development requests will need to include the following:  

  • Curriculum Development request form (see our Forms and Templates page) 
  • Proposed Programme Regulations (T3) 
  • Proposed Module Overview Table (T4) 
  • Proposed Curriculum Mapping document (T5) 

TEIs are advised that requests to deliver a programme one level above that which TEIs have already been granted approval to deliver will need to be considered by the Quality and Standards Committee. TEIs are advised to take this into account when planning their provision for the next academic year, and are encouraged to submit Curriculum Development requests of this nature in advance of the January deadline.

Withdrawing a programme (TEI level)

In some cases, TEIs might consider it necessary to permanently cease delivering a programme for which they have received approval. The curriculum development process provides a mechanism for considering such proposals. 

For example, a TEI has received approval to deliver the CertHE (120 credits) and the CertHE (180 credits). The CertHE (180 credits) has not run since the programme was approved. The TEI has decided that it does not wish to go ahead with this programme. As the programme has not been advertised, no students are registered on the programme. The TEI is now proposing to withdraw the programme, as it is no longer required. 

In the case of multi-centre TEIs, if one of the constituent centres proposes to cease delivering a Common Awards programme such as the CertHE (180) but the other centres will continue to deliver the programme, the TEI must submit a request to withdraw the CertHE (180) programme for one of its centres. 

TEIs wishing to withdraw a programme (at either TEI level or centre-level) should submit their requests for the January Curriculum Development deadline. See our calendar for the specific deadline this year. Curriculum Development requests will need to include the following:  

  • Curriculum Development request form (see our Forms and Templates page) 
  • Proposed Programme Regulations (T3) 
  • Proposed Module Overview Table (T4) 
  • Proposed Curriculum Mapping document (T5) 

TEIs are advised that requests to withdraw a programme will need to be considered by the Quality and Standards Committee. TEIs are advised to take this into account when planning their provision for the next academic year, and are encouraged to submit Curriculum Development requests of this nature in advance of the January deadline.   

Proposed changes to the mode of delivery of TEI programmes and modules

TEIs may wish to change the mode of delivery of programmes, modules or parts of modules. For example, a TEI may decide to move the teaching of a programme from onsite delivery to entirely online delivery, or may wish to move a module to a blend of online and in-person activities.

Such requests need to be accompanied by a rationale. One rationale can cover all the modules or programmes being changed, and might include, for example: 

  • A brief description of the TEI's past experience of delivering teaching in the proposed form
  • Evidence to show that the TEI can do the new form of delivery effectively (this could include information from module evaluation questionnaires, including what has and hasn't worked in the past) 
  • A note on feedback from and consultation with students which has informed the proposed changes  

The Programme Regulations (T3) should state briefly that the whole programme was available in person, or online, or both, or using a blend of online and in-person activities. If the last of these, we would need some way of noting which modules are available online and which in person. However, that is only needed if this information differs from module to module. 

On the Module Overview Table (T4), we again need to have a way of noting which modules are in-person only, which are online only, which are available both ways, and which are a blend. If the module learning hours and assessments are very different in different modes, TEIs will need to have a separate row for each mode (accompanied by a rationale for this request). However, if the assessments are the same, and the learning hours broadly equivalent, this can be detailed within the row and an explanatory note to confirm that ‘class time’, for example, can mean either online or in person. 

TEIs wishing to make changes to the mode of delivery of programmes or modules should submit their requests for the January Curriculum Development deadline. See our calendar for the specific deadline this year. Curriculum Development requests will need to include the following:  

  • Curriculum Development request form (see our Forms and Templates page) 
  • Proposed Programme Regulations (T3) 
  • Proposed Module Overview Table (T4)