Senate

Subject: New Programme Proposals/Strategic Changes/Other Matters requiring Senate approval

Origin Unconfirmed Minutes of the Meeting of Curriculum Sub-Committee on 12 January 2006

At its meeting on 9 February 2006, Learning and Teaching Committee recommended to Senate that approval be given to the following proposals. Details are available from the Secretary.

1. MSc Construction Project Management (Work-based DL): New Programme Proposals

.1 Further to Minute 05/43 of the previous meeting, the Sub-Committee noted the minute of Learning and Teaching Committee’s discussion on the proposal.

.2 (a) The Sub-Committee considered revised proposals from Civil and Building Engineering for a new part-time programme with effect from the earliest possible date in 2006. In response to a query, the proposer, Professor Andrew Price, confirmed that the title of the programme would be Construction Project Management (Work Based Distance Learning), thereby distinguishing it from the existing MSc in Construction Project Management. It was intended that the degree certificate would include a statement that the programme was joint with Heriot-Watt University (HWU). It was noted that there would be separate sets of Programme Regulations for each institution. HWU did not offer a distinction for a Postgraduate Certificate, but this should not be an issue for Loughborough as the early modules on which a PGCert was likely to be based were primarily from HWU.

(b) It was AGREED to recommend the proposals to Learning and Teaching Committee, subject to the resolution of issues raised by Robert Bowyer on the collaborative arrangement, and the following matters being resolved to the satisfaction of the AD(T) prior to the meeting of Learning and Teaching Committee:

Programme Regulations

(i) Para 1: To include the statement that ‘successful students will graduate from the University supervising their Research Project’. (Also to be included in the Programme Specification.)

Module Specifications

(ii) HWU module specifications should align with the information in the Assessment Matrix

(iii) CVP106/107: the MTLA field should mirror the assessment detailed in the Assessment Matrix.

(iv) Module specifications should be presented as CIS versions.

Consultation Forms

(v) 2 or 3 signed letters of support should be provided.

(vi) Concerns raised by Computing Services and the Library relating to students registering at both institutions should be addressed before the programme commenced.

Memorandum of Agreement

(vii) As awards would not be made jointly by the institutions, but by one institution only, a Joint Board of Examiners was not advisable, for reasons previously raised by Robert Bowyer. There should be separate Boards of Examiners but consideration should be given to having a common External Examiner and to a member of one institution (possibly the Programme Director) attending the other institution’s Board meeting.

(viii) Principles on the requirements for awards should be set down in the Memorandum of Agreement in the form of a statement on key issues, how these had been resolved and where the details could be found. More detailed information, likely to be subject to change, should be included in Programme Regulations.

(c) The Sub-Committee was advised that the concerns raised by Computing Services and the Library in relation to distance learning students were generic ones. Professional Development would be producing a report on support for DL students which would in due course be presented to the Sub-Committee for information/debate.

2. MRes Human Biology/MRes Ergonomics/MRes Psychology: New Programme Proposals

.1 Further to Minute 05/46 of the previous meeting, the Sub-Committee noted that the proposals had not gone forward to Senate in November 2005, and considered revised proposals from Human Sciences for new full-time/part-time programmes with effect from October 2006. Two of the proposers, Professors Haslam and Hogervorst, attended for this item and were congratulated on the quality of the revised documentation, which fully aligned with the University’s concept of an MRes. It was noted that the proposed Programme Regulations made no mention of the award of PGDip\PGCert, in line with the Sub-Committee’s recommendation to Learning and Teaching Committee at its last meeting that such awards should not be available as alternative\exit awards for an MRes. That recommendation had not been carried forward to Senate, however, and its status was unclear. It was AGREED that this matter be clarified and the outcome reported to the proposers, and to those recently submitting other MRes proposals.

.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 AD(T) prior to the meeting of Learning and Teaching Committee:

(a) Amendments to the documentation as annotated by the AD(T).

Programme Regulations

(b) Para 2.4: to be reworded as ‘Modules may be replaced with other suitable modules, offered by the Department at the discretion ……….’

Module Specifications

(c) HUP450: Clarification was needed on whether the dissertation and written report were the same, whether the viva was assessed, whether the report in a journal article format was a separate requirement and how this would be assessed. Senate had agreed that departments should be encouraged to include the preparation of a paper in journal format within an MRes programme.

3. BSc Business Studies with Human Resource Management (Singapore): New Programme Proposals

.1 The Sub-Committee considered proposals from the Business School for a new part-time programme with effect from August 2006.

.2 The proposed programme would run concurrently in Singapore with the existing BSc in Business Studies, and had been developed in response to demand. All modules on the proposed programme were already available as options on the existing programme. On comparing the proposed Programme Regulations with those of the existing programme, members concluded that it would be possible for students on both programmes to take exactly the same modules, though it was noted that minor changes were intended to the existing programme for next year.

.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 AD(T) prior to the meeting of Learning and Teaching Committee:

(a) Provision of information on the intended changes to the existing programme and an explicit statement of the differentiation between the programmes. Learning and Teaching Committee should be alerted should there be no differentiation between the programmes.

Programme Specification

(b) The generic section required updating.

Assessment Matrix

(d) The column entitled ‘% Individual Assessment’ appeared to have been misinterpreted and should be revised to reflect the percentage of continuous assessment that would be individually marked.

4. BA Fine Art: New Programme Proposals

.1 The Sub-Committee considered proposals from LUSAD for a full/part-time programme with effect from October 2006. The proposal included the discontinuation of three existing Fine Art undergraduate programmes in Painting, Printmaking and Sculpture, with final recruitment to these programmes in October 2005. The Sub-Committee congratulated the proposers on a well-presented submission and had found the feedback from students on the proposals particularly helpful. It was commented that it was pleasing to see a move towards a broader degree in contrast to the recent trend of moving to more specialised titles.

Programme Regulations

(a) Para 3.1: Terminology to be in line with Regulation XX (i.e. accumulated credits from each part rather than cumulative credits from previous parts).

Programme Specification

(b) ‘Etc’ to be expanded under subject benchmark statements.

(d) Para 6: Reference to the restriction on using the SAP for reassessment to students achieving a minimum of 60 credits was now unnecessary as the requirement had been incorporated into Regulation XX.

Module Specifications

(e) MTLA fields should not refer to grades.

(f) SAB522: Requirement to pass an element of coursework was only permissible on grounds of health and safety

(g) SAB502: The proposers should reflect on the possibility of increasing the contact time. The contents section was unclear; was there a missing line? ‘Mandatory attendance at MA talks’ under Contents was not appropriate.

5. MSc Advanced Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering: New Programme Proposals

.1 The Sub-Committee considered proposals from Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering for a new full-time programme with effect from October 2006. The programme was based on existing Part D MEng modules and was intended to fill a gap in the overseas market for more traditional engineering titles. The proposers were advised that, in the experience of another department which had already taken this approach, such a programme could also prove attractive to home students wishing to top-up their BEng degree. Master’s students would be studying alongside Part D MEng students and the proposers were advised that the different types of students would have very different support needs. For this reason the Sub-Committee would expect the Programme Director for the MSc programme and the MEng programme(s) to be different.

Programme Specification

(a) The aims were more about the ambition of the department and required rewording from the student point of view.

(b) Para 3: ILOs should be presented under the three established categories together with a teaching, learning and assessment strategy for each.

Module Specifications

(d) For practical purposes in terms of timetabling, Programme Boards, transcripts etc, separate ‘P’ modules should be set up for the programme, despite being identical to the ‘D’ modules.

Consultation Forms

(e) These should be provided in view of the possible resource implications of additional students.

6. MSc Healthcare Governance: New Programme Proposals

.1 The Sub-Committee considered proposals from the Business School for a new part-time programme with effect from October 2006. The Sub-Committee was informed of the very specialised nature of the programme for which there would seem to be strong demand. Though there was only one member of staff currently designated as Internal Examiner for all the modules, it was intended that teaching would be shared between CHaRM staff and a number of bought-in contributors. A new visiting fellow had been appointed with expertise in the area and it was intended that when appropriately assessed he be nominated as Internal Examiner for some modules. It was not unusual for highly specialised programmes in the Business school to have a limited number of staff teaching on the programme and the Business School recognised the risks in this. The Sub-Committee expressed concern at the current position and that there was no assurance that bought-in teaching staff had been secured.

(a) There should be 3 Internal Examiners covering the modules for the programme.

Programme Regulations

(b) Para 2.1: It should be made clear that the alternative modules listed were identical but available at different times.

(c) Para 4.7: It was no longer permissible to increase the distinction threshold. The paragraph could anyway be deleted as superfluous.

Programme Specification

(d) The programme title in the header was incorrect.

(e) Para 2: ‘Type 1’ Master’s degree required clarification.

(f) Para 3: The teaching, learning and assessment strategies were identical for the three types if ILOs. This was undesirable and the strategies should be reworded to explain why the particular TLA approach had been selected, preferably not as bullet points.

Module Specifications

(g) If more than one in-class test was intended across the taught modules these should be given individual weightings.

(h) BSP671: Do the study days represent contact time?

(i) BSP673: ILOs included presentation skills but these do not appear to be assessed.

(j) BSP677: Confirmation required that an 18,000-20,000 word assignment for a 60-credit module was in line with other such modules in the SSH faculty.

Assessment Matrix

(k) The proposers should reflect on the lack of variation in assessment methods.

7. MSc Psychology of Sport and Exercise: New Programme Proposals

The Sub-Committee considered proposals from SSES for a new full/part-time programme with effect from October 2005 (by transfer from existing programme). It was noted that the programme was identical to the existing MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology, except for the Research Project module, and would provide a programme accredited by the British Psychological Society for suitably qualified entrants. The existing programme would continue for those entrants without the specific entry qualifications required for accreditation. It was AGREED to recommend the proposals to Learning and Teaching Committee subject to the following matters being resolved to the satisfaction of the AD(T) prior to the meeting of Learning and Teaching Committee:

(a) The proposals should be drawn to the attention of the Department of Human Sciences, in view of their particular interest in Psychology.

Module Specification

(b) PEP315, MTLA field: The coursework element should be further defined, as presented in the Assessment Matrix. There should be a word limit on the research report, and use of the word ‘submitted’ was misleading.

8. MSc Economics & Finance/Financial Economics/International Finance & Economics/ Monetary Economics/Banking & Finance/International Banking: Major Programme Changes

The Sub-Committee received proposals from Economics for major programme changes from 2006/07, and endorsed the decision of the Chair that these be approved.

9. Changes to Programme Titles or Awards

.1 It was agreed to recommend to Learning and Teaching Committee the following changes to programme titles or awards:

(a) MSc Environmental Dynamics: Monitoring, Evaluation and Management to MSc Environmental Monitoring for Management

With effect from October 2007 entry.

(b) BA European and International Studies to BA European Studies

With effect from October 2006 entry.

With effect from October 2007 entry.

(d) MSc Manufacturing Management to MSc Advanced Manufacturing Engineering and Management

With effect from October 2006 entry.

.2 MSc Business and Management Research to MRes Business and Management

Further to Minute 05/48 of the previous meeting, it was noted that the Chair had recommended to the Chair of Learning and Teaching Committee the changes of award and title with effect from October 2006 entry.

(Secretary’s note: This was subsequently approved by the Chair of Senate)

10. Discontinuation of Programmes

It was agreed to recommend to Learning and Teaching Committee discontinuation of the following programmes (proposed date of last intake shown in brackets):

BA/BSc Industrial Design and Technology with Education (October 2005)

BSc Industrial Design and Packaging Technology (October 2005)

MEng Computer Network and Internet Engineering (October 2005)

Author – Jennie Elliott

Date – February 2006