(96)PROG AMEND FORM

Proposal for an Immediate Change (to take effect in 2003/04)

This form is available for downloading from admin/ar/templates - spaces can be expanded as required.

1. Name of Department and Departmental contact

Economics, Mrs Susan Simmons, Dr Lawrence Leger

2. Request to change: Please delete as required

Programme Regulations

3. Which Modules and/or Programmes does this affect?

MSc in Banking and Finance

MSc in Economics and Finance

MSc in International Banking

MSc in Islamic Economics Banking and Finance

4. Outline of changes to be made

Research Practice Seminars as alternative to the Dissertation, assessed by one three-hour written examination in each of two modules, each module to be worth 30 credits. The proposed modules and module numbers are:

Specialist Subject Knowledge ECP301

Research Skills ECP302

It is expected (and intended) that the Research Skills component will prove more difficult than the Specialist Subject Knowledge component, by of the very nature of the required activity. The separation of the two components therefore allows positive progression in attainment, as required by QAA guidelines.

5. Reasons for the request

The aim of the new pair of modules is to overcome quality and resource problems arising from the MSc dissertation. There are four specific problems.

1. The very high dissertation/staff ratio means that many students are either unable to work on their preferred dissertation topic or cannot be supervised by staff with the necessary expertise in their chosen research area. This has led to significant discontent among both staff and students.

2. There is a very significant and growing problem of plagiarism and poor scholarship (heavy use of cut-and-paste). Detection is severely time-consuming and unlikely to be successful in more than a small minority of cases.

3. The award of 60 credits for the dissertation is too ‘lumpy’, particularly in an MSc using 15-credit modules. University regulations require 100 modular credits for the Diploma and 150 credits for the MSc (with grade D elsewhere). This means that the MSc can be awarded to a student with 6 grades of C and 2 grades of D in taught modules (90 credits), whereas a Diploma requires 7 grades of C and one of D (105 credits). Thus students who achieve the taught module results required for award of MSc will only achieve the Certificate if they fail the dissertation. This is a clear breach of QAA guidelines and is not in the spirit of progression that was presumably intended by the University. The proposed allocation of 30 credits to each of two modules will allow (in accordance with QAA guidelines) the positive award of Diploma to students who show sufficient attainment in Specialist Knowledge but who fail the Research Skills component.

4. Dissertation supervision and double-marking currently impose an excessive burden on staff time that significantly reduces time for research. Staff are currently required to supervise more than 8 dissertations on average. Good quality dissertation marking requires about 2½ hours per dissertation. With double-marking this currently imposes a marking load of 40 hours per staff member. This is substantially increased when staff must mark dissertations outside their area of expertise. The detection and regulation of plagiarism and cut-and-paste further adds up to 10 hours for each suspect dissertation. Allowing 10 hours per student for actual supervision, reading of drafts etc., this adds up to an effective requirement of more than one month of full time work in dissertation administration for each member of staff – equivalent to one year of full-time research lost to the Department.

6. Consultation - 1 Indicate steps taken to consult students on campus. Summarise any adverse comments.

Students who were affected by the highly imperfect allocation of dissertation topics and supervisors were very unhappy this year about the lack of effective academic and pastoral care during their research.

Students who are unhappy with the proposed Research Practice Seminar this year will have the opportunity to enrol for the dissertation.

7. Consultation - 2 How does this affect students not on campus? Indicate steps taken to consult them.

Students are required to remain in residence for the summer period. Part-time study and distance learning are not offered under our regulations. However, for those students who must unavoidably leave Loughborough and who will therefore be unavailable for the Research Seminars will be able to enrol for the dissertation provided that they agree to conform with normal supervision requirements.

No students who are currently registered for the dissertation re-submission are affected. No students currently on leave of absence are affected as these students will have the option of taking the dissertation.

8. Consultation - 3 How does this affect other departments? Attach their consultation forms if appropriate.

There are no direct consequences for other Departments.

9. Additional Library requirements Library consulted Yes

N/A

There are no consequences for the library. Reading material will be made available in the same way as for regular modules.

10. Additional Computing Support required Computing Services consulted Yes

Network/Software (please elaborate): N/A

Lab space (please elaborate):

No additional computing support is required. It is likely that a reduction in computing support will be required because students will typically be asked to work in groups.

11. Have the necessary database changes been carried out (provisionally)? By whom?

Changes have been made by S.E. Simmons and J. Elliott.

12. Any other relevant information

ENDORSED

............................................................................................... Date:..................................................

Head of Department

* This form is to be used only during the course of the academic year in which the module is running or the Programme Regulations are in force, NOT during the Annual Update process.

APPROVAL PROCESS

1) Associate Dean (Teaching)

(a) Consultation has been adequate Yes/No

(b) Change is supported Yes/No

............................................................................................... Date:..................................................

Associate Dean (Teaching)

2) Chair of CSC

Personal Approval / Requires CSC Approval

............................................................................................... Date:..................................................

Chair, CSC

3) Secretary of CSC

Detailed changes implemented and confirmed to Department

............................................................................................... Date:..................................................

Secretary, CSC

[June 2003]

Proposals for New or Amended Modules for 2003/2004

This form is available at http://www.lboro.ac.uk/admin/ar/templates/index.htm

Spaces can be expanded as required.

1. Name of Department and Departmental contact

Economics, Mrs Susan Simmons, Dr Lawrence Leger

2. Module Code and Title

Research Practice Seminars replacing the MSc dissertation will be assessed through two modules:

Specialist Subject Knowledge ECP301
Research Skills ECP302

3. This is a proposal to:

Create a new module

Delete a module permanently*

Suspend a module for 2003/04

Modify an existing module specification

Convert module to distance learning †

Convert module to partial DL †

Remove bar from Special Assessment Period

Retain bar from Special Assessment Period

Introduce bar from Special Assessment Period

New Modules Only:

I have searched the database and in my opinion:

No existing alternative module is available

An existing alternative module is unsuitable

_______________ signature

(Please explain in section 4 below)

The module will be:
full DL † or partial DL†
block-taught

4. Reasons for the proposal: its purpose and relevance; how it will maintain or enhance the quality of teaching and learning; implications for existing programmes and modules

The aim of the new pair of modules is to overcome quality problems arising from the MSc dissertation. There are four specific problems.

5. The very high dissertation/staff ratio means that many students either are unable to work on their preferred dissertation topic or cannot be supervised by staff with the necessary expertise in the chosen research area. This has led to significant staff and student discontent.

6. There is a significant and growing problem of both plagiarism and poor scholarship (cut-and-paste). Detection is severely time-consuming and unlikely to be successful in more than a minority of cases.

7. The award of dissertation is too lumpy, particularly in an MSc using 15-credit modules, with the effect that students are disadvantaged and QAA guidelines breached..

8. Dissertation supervision and double marking currently impose an enormous burden on staff time.

5. (This question applies to proposals to modify existing specifications)

Outline of new/amended content: what elements are new, what is changing

N/A

6. Staffing implications - adequacy of existing departmental resources; net increase/reduction in staff teaching effort or demands on support staff

The proposal will significantly reduce the current commitment of staff time. The addition to administrative support is very small (provision of exam papers and timetabling).

7. Financial implications - anticipated effect on departmental income and expenditure

The proposal significantly increases the efficiency with which departmental resources can be allocated.

8. Additional Library requirements None

Library Consulted Yes

N/A

9. Additional Computing Support required None (there may be a reduction)

Network/Software:

Lab space:

Computing Services Consulted Yes

N/A

10. SENDA Compliance

All 03 modules are required to be reviewed for compliance with SENDA. A separate form, with guidance notes, has been issued for the identification of any module where accessibility for students with a disability is uncertain, and for acknowledgment that all other modules are accessible. Completion of this form, to be submitted by
5 September 2003, will be required before the provisional flag can be removed from a module specification so that it becomes available for viewing on the web.

11. Other resource implications, e.g. - lecture room, lab and other space requirements; equipment, materials; timetabling constraints (block-teaching for example); any special residential requirements

Timetabling of small seminar rooms during the summer period.

12. Implications for other departments, both providing and receiving

None

13. Barring from the Special Assessment Period (Undergraduate Modules only)

Provide a case if: a new module is not normally to be available in the SAP; an existing module is to become SAP-restricted; a SAP-restriction is to be removed; a SAP-restriction is to be retained.

See note below.

Will the SAP bar be waived for those meeting a minimum standard? If so, is the minimum standard to be 30% in coursework or is it to be 30% in the module mark?

See note below.

NOTE: The first exam will be held in the SAP. Resits will be organised by the Department before the Programme Board.

14. Any other relevant information

The modules will be examined at the end of the SAP. Re-assessment will occur at the end of October, in time for the normal Programme Board. This proposal is to be read in conjunction with the relevant proposal to modify Programme Regulations with immediate effect.

*Ensure no students are registered on the module

†Guidelines on full/partial DL provision are available on the intranet at https://internal.lboro.ac.uk/admin/registry/uniwide/ (Distance learning flow chart)

Approval Route

Head of Department/Chair of Department’s Learning and Teaching Committee

Signature

Date

Associate Dean (Teaching) Decisions (tick as appropriate)

AD(T) approves

Proposal raises strategic issues

Proposal requires referral to Chair of CSC

AD(T) comments:

Associate Dean (Teaching) Signature

Date sent to Jennie Elliott

(please attach all papers)

Chair of CSC Signature

Date

Actioned by Jennie Elliott and notified back to Department on

Date

[June 2003]