Learning and Teaching Committee

Subject: Report of Curriculum Sub-Committee – New Programme Proposals/ Strategic Changes/Other Matters requiring Senate approval

Origin Unconfirmed Minutes of the Meeting on 17 October 2008

Curriculum Sub-Committee at its meeting on 17 October 2008 recommended to Learning and Teaching Committee and Senate that approval be given to the following proposals. Details are available from the Secretary.

1. BSc(DPS) Web Development and Design: New Programme Proposals

.1 The Sub-Committee considered proposals from Information Science for a new full-time programme with effect from October 2009. A member commented that an opportunity for exploring interdepartmental collaboration with LUSAD in some areas of the programme had been missed. The Sub-Committee was informed that LUSAD had been informally consulted about the programme and that differentiation between modules on the programme and apparently like LUSAD modules had been assured.

The general issues of encouraging interdepartmental collaboration in module and programme provision and avoiding confusion between disciplines in programme/module titles were then discussed. Such confusion should not arise with module titles, as the module code would clearly identify the discipline. Proposals for new modules already required the statement that no other suitable modules were available on the LUSI module database, and consultation was already required where terminology in a programme title could cause concern for another department. For this proposal the programme title was not felt to be misleading. It was considered that the Sub-Committee had never been given a formal indication that it should be working to encourage inter-departmental collaboration in module/programme provision. In regard to module provision, there could be considered to be financial disincentives to such collaboration. The Sub-Committee AGREED that this should be further discussed at Learning and Teaching Committee, so that the Sub-Committee could be clear whether or not it should be working to encourage collaboration.

.2 It was AGREED to recommend the proposals to Learning and Teaching Committee, subject to the following matters being resolved to the satisfaction of the ADT (via the Faculty Board representative on CSC) prior to the meeting of Learning and Teaching Committee:

(a) Programme Regulations

(i) Para 1.4 to be removed as it was unnecessary

(ii) Para 3.1; Different rules for IS and CO modules would over complicate rules for reassessment. The proposers should reconsider these rules and if changes were made these should carry over to the Information Management and Computing regulations.

(iii) Para 2.3: The balancing of modules across semesters was complicated. The proposers should consider whether the statement ‘(The modular weight of COC253…..chosen)’ was needed.

(b) Programme Specification

(i) ILOs: Teamwork was mentioned twice. The proposers should consider whether teamwork should be mentioned under key transferable skills only, or whether there were discipline-specific skills that warranted listing under subject-specific skills. Otherwise the ILOs were an exemplar.

(i) ISC200: The proposers should consider whether there should be key transferable skills for the module, noting the relationship between ILOs A1 and D1.

(ii) Confirmation was needed that there was no overlap with existing LUSAD modules whereby they could be substituted for any modules listed. If substitution was agreed, revised proposals and a signed consultation form from LUSAD would be required.

(d) Curriculum Map

(ii) The proposers should reflect on whether it was appropriate for the two alternative project modules to have different outcomes.

(iii)

2. MA Studio Ceramics: Methodologies and Practice: New Pogramme Proposals

The Sub-Committee considered proposals from LUSAD for a new full-time/part-time programme with effect from October 2009. The paperwork was considered to be exemplary. It was AGREED to recommend the proposals to Learning and Teaching Committee, subject to the following matters being resolved to the satisfaction of the ADT prior to the meeting of Learning and Teaching Committee:

(a) Programme Regulations

(i) These should refer to ‘programme’ rather than ‘course’.

(ii) Paras 2.2 & 3.1: Delete as unnecessary.

(iii) Para 3.2: This should be covered by pre-requisites in the module specification and would therefore be unnecessary in the regulations.

(iv) Paras 3.4 & 3.5: Clarification was required as to whether reassessment ‘at an earlier date’ or ‘in a special assessment period’ were different, and thereby whether both paras were needed and whether the wording needed to be revised.

(b) Programme Specification

(i) The structure table should be replaced by a link to the Programme Regulations (see up-to-date template)

(i) SAP201: Remove ‘to’ at the beginning of each aim.

3. MA Cultural Analysis/MSc Cultural Sociology: New Programme Proposals]

1 The Sub-Committee considered proposals from Social Sciences for two new full-time programmes with effect from October 2009. It was noted that the MSc programme and the MA programme had been designed to meet the requirements for research training recognition of the ESRC and AHRC respectively. The missed opportunity of dialogue with LUSAD at the planning stage about areas of possible overlap, as referred to in Minute 08/29.1, was noted.

.2 When discussing module specifications it was noted that the MTLA field of SSP598 & 599 included a date by which a dissertation should be submitted. A long discussion ensued as to whether it was appropriate or practical to include submission dates/weeks within module specifications. They could provide useful information to students, but would need regular maintenance to ensure that they were correct and the information should anyway be provided to students via an overview of assessment for their programme. It was agreed that specific submission dates were not appropriate as these would change from year to year. Members then voted as to whether:

(i) reference to submission weeks should be permitted but optional

(ii) reference to submission weeks should not be permitted unless a strong argument was put forward

(iii) as for (i), but with a warning on the indicative nature of submission weeks to automatically be included in the MTLA field of all module specifications.

Options (ii) and (iii) received 4 votes each. Option (ii) was chosen using the Chair’s casting vote. It was therefore AGREED to make this recommendation to Learning & Teaching Committee. It was noted that this would not affect the need for year-long modules to indicate the assessment to be undertaken in Semester 1.

.3 It was AGREED to recommend the proposals to Learning and Teaching Committee, subject to the following matters being resolved to the satisfaction of the ADT prior to the meeting of Learning and Teaching Committee:

(a) Programme Regulations

(i) The title listed for SSP502 should correspond to that on the module specification.

(ii) Para 6.3 of MA regulations: Requires rewording to ensure that it conforms with Regulation XXI para 16.2.

(b) Programme Specification

(i) Details of accreditation: ’to be confirmed’ to be replaced with ‘to be sought’.

(ii) Para 4: Information already included in the Programme Regulations should be removed.

(iii) ILOs to be revised in accordance with the FHEQ descriptors for an M level qualification.

(iv) The Aims and ILOs were surprisingly similar for the two programmes. The opportunity should be taken in Section 7 of the Programme Specification to distinguish the two programmes.

(v) Paras 8 & 9: To ensure that the generic information was kept up-to-date, this should be provided via a link to the central site holding this information. The information specific to the department should remain in the specification.

(i) The map showed assessment of each ILO to be spread across most modules. The proposers should consider focussing module ILOs more closely on the topic of the module. This, together with higher level programme ILOs, might help to reduce the population of the Curriculum Map and further differentiate the ILOs of the programmes.

(d) Assessment Matrix

(i) The Matrix should be resubmitted in the up-to-date format.

(e) Module Specifications

(i) SSP504: Several elements of coursework assessment were implied in the MTLA field. These should each be weighted.

(ii) SSP598/599: The submission date for the dissertation should be removed.

4. MSc Management and Leadership (Association for Consultancy and Engineering): New Programme Proposals

.1 The Sub-Committee considered proposals from the Business School for a new part-time programme with effect from January 2009. It was noted that the programme was an addition to the Professional Management Development Centre’s portfolio of part-time postgraduate programmes for specific clients. In view of the intended collaboration with the Department of Civil and Building Engineering in the provision of the programme, the Sub-Committee was concerned that it did not have written evidence of that Department’s support for the programme and willingness to be involved. It was also concerned that it appeared that existing CV modules intended for the new programme had been re-branded as Business School modules. It was noted that the CV modules referred to in the proposal form as distance learning were in fact by work-based learning.

.2 It was AGREED to recommend the proposals to Learning and Teaching Committee, subject to the following matters being resolved to the satisfaction of the ADT prior to the meeting of Learning and Teaching Committee:

(a) Assurance that the Department of Civil and Building Engineering would be willing and able to contribute to the programme, together with signed confirmation of this by the Head of Department.

(b) Programme Regulations

(i) Para 1.5: At some point the modules to be exempted would need to be identified.

(ii) Para 2.1: ‘Level’ was a misleading term as it had other implications and should be replaced e.g. by ‘Stage’. Alternatively, ‘Level 1’ modules could be listed as prerequisites in ‘Level 2’ module specifications.

(i) Programme Title: Delete ‘Postgraduate Certificate in’.

(ii) Para 3: The work-based learning element should be mentioned in the preamble.

(iii) Para 4: The programme would not be entirely by block-release. ‘Level’ should be replaced by ‘stage’. TLA strategies for work-based learning were available and should be included.

(iv) Para 5: Should align with the statement in the Programme Regulations.

(v) Para 7: Should mention collaboration with Civil and Building Engineering.

(vi) Paras 8 & 9: To ensure that the generic information was kept up-to-date, this should be provided via a link to the central site holding this information. The information specific to the department could remain as a departmental link.

(d) Module Specifications

(i) The codes for the Civil & Building Engineering modules should reflect whatever is agreed between the two departments. Whether or not they were existing modules, the module codes should reflect the department undertaking the majority of the ‘teaching’.

(ii) Responsible Examiners and delivery period information should be inserted. Coursework submission timings should be removed.

(e) Curriculum Map

(i) This was over populated. The programme ILOs should be revisited to raise their level. The revised Map should be checked by Civil and Building Engineering in regard to CV modules.

5. MA/MSc Product Design in Business: New Programme Proposals

It was AGREED to ratify the action of the Chair in recommending to the Chair of Learning and Teaching Committee a proposal for an additional full-time pathway within the suite of Masters programmes in Design and Technology, with effect from October 2008.

6. Discontinuation of a programme

It was AGREED to recommend to Learning and Teaching Committee the discontinuation of the following programme, subject to approval by the Directorate and Operations Committee:

MEng, MEng (DIS) Wireless Communications Engineering (last intake Oct 2003)

7. MSc Research in Analytical Chemistry: New Programme Proposals

.1 The Sub-Committee considered proposals from Chemistry for a new full-time/part-time pathway within the suite of Masters programmes in Chemical Sciences, with effect from October 2008. It was noted that the proposal referred throughout to MSc by Research in Analytical Chemistry, but that the ‘by’ could not be included. The proposals had been submitted late because they were mistakenly submitted as part of the Annual Update for programmes in 2008/09. Strategic approval had recently been received by Chair’s action. The new project module proposed had been approved during the Annual Update process.

(a) Programme Specification

(i) To provide assurance that the ILOs for the suite of programmes were in accordance with the FHEQ descriptors for an M level qualification.

(ii) Aims and ILOs to be added for the new programme. It was expected that the development of sophisticated research skills would be listed, particularly in view of the large 100-credit project module, and that there would be skills relating specifically to this programme.

(b) Curriculum Map/Assessment Matrix

These should be provided.

Author – Jennie Elliott

Date – October 2008