Senate

 Subject: Amendments to General Regulations for Diplomas

Origin: Programme Development and Quality Team Manager

 

The Department of Economics has recently put forward a proposal for the introduction of a ‘conversion’ Diploma programme. All the modules will be unique to the Diploma programme, although some may have elements of shared teaching with undergraduate or indeed postgraduate modules. Although candidates will normally require a first degree for entry to the programme, the Department considers it essential to distinguish the award from the ‘Loughborough Postgraduate Diploma’ (LPD) which is available as an exit award on their MSc programmes.

The existing regulatory framework does not easily accommodate such a programme. Ordinance XXXIII certainly provides for the award of Diplomas, ‘to persons who have satisfactorily completed periods of study of not less than ten weeks of full-time study or its equivalent approved by Senate for the purpose of such awards’. The Ordinance links to General Regulations for Diplomas. The difficulty is that these Regulations are currently drafted for courses that pre-date and do not fit into the modular scheme. These ‘other Diplomas’ are awarded by Boards of Examiners (not Programme Boards) and the supporting assessment arrangements (e.g. rules for re-assessment, etc.) are not clearly specified.

The following amendments are proposed. They would provide a suitable framework for Diploma programmes of a modular structure, where one credit is awarded for learning achievable in 10 hours of study, and students qualify for the award by credit accumulation. The total volume of credit is not prescribed, to permit flexibility. No change is proposed to Ordinance XXXIII: the minimum period of study would continue to be ten weeks full-time. Students will of course be able to obtain an academic transcript which will show the modules studied and volume of credit awarded: this was not the case when the current regulations were drafted. Provision will continue for the time being to be made for other Diplomas in the old style, although very few such programmes are still running and they will be encouraged to restructure within the new scheme.

The amendments are intended to take effect from 1 July 1999.

 

Amendments to Ordinance XXXIII

None required.

Amendments to General Regulations for Diplomas

  1. Amend para.1 to read as follows:

    2. ‘For every course/programme of study leading to a Diploma, other than a Diploma specified in para.1 of Ordinance XXXIII, there shall be a Scheme of Study (for Style A Diplomas) or Programme Regulations (for Style B Diplomas) to be read in conjunction with these Regulations.’

  2. Amend para.2 to read as follows:

    3. ‘Faculty Boards may admit to Diploma courses/programmes students whose experience and qualifications are considered appropriate having regard to the nature and academic standard of the course/programme to be pursued.’

  3. Before para.3, insert sub-heading:

‘Style A – For Diploma Courses first offered before 1 July 1999’

4. After para.4, insert sub-heading:

‘Style B – For Diploma Programmes first offered after 1 July 1999’

5. Below sub-heading insert the following additional paras.

5. The Programme Regulations for each Diploma programme shall include a listing of the constituent modules of the programme. Module Specifications shall be published which for each module shall include information on its aims and objectives, its content, its level, when it is offered, its modular weighting, and the methods of teaching and learning and assessment. Where Programme Regulations permit a choice of modular options, a candidate's selection of modules will normally be subject to approval by the Programme Director or other academic staff member of the Department responsible for the programme. It is not possible to guarantee that all optional modules will be offered every year. Module Specifications will also indicate availability.

6. In order to qualify for the award of a Diploma, a student must have satisfied the examiners by accumulating credit in the assessment of modules in the manner specified in the relevant Programme Regulations.

7. The assessment of each module shall be conducted by a Module Board constituted in accordance with the provisions of Ordinance XIX and acting in a manner analogous to the procedure set out in General Regulations for Modular Postgraduate Awards and Assessment Regulations for Modular Postgraduate Awards.

8. Diplomas will be awarded by Programme Boards constituted in accordance with Ordinance XIX and acting in a manner analogous to the procedure set out in General Regulations for Modular Postgraduate Awards and Assessment Regulations for Modular Postgraduate Awards.