Senate

 

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

 

Origin:       Unconfirmed Minutes of the Meeting on 27 January 2011


 

Curriculum Sub-Committee at its meeting on 27 January 2011 recommended to Learning and Teaching Committee and Senate that approval be given to the following proposals.  Details are available from the Secretary.

 

1.       MEng Design with Engineering Materials: New Programme Proposals

.1         The Sub-Committee considered proposals from Materials for a new full-time programme with effect from October 2012. The proposed MEng programme was an extension of the existing Bachelors’ programme. Members were supportive of this development in principle, but it was commented that with only one new proposed module the opportunity had not been fully taken to rethink the curriculum in Part D in line with comments from industrial representatives. 

 

.2         It was commented that programme content did not strictly align with the credit values of the University’s awards in that:

·       There were 40 credits of Part B modules in Part C, and therefore insufficient credits at level 6

·       The project module MPD110 was in Part C and could not therefore be considered a level 7 module, leaving insufficient credit at level 7 for an integrated Master’s award.

 

Members were informed that other integrated Master’s programmes within the Department and in other Departments also included the ‘D-level’ project module in Part C. In 2007, Electronic and Electrical Engineering had been granted their request to allow students to undertake at least 100 credits of D or P level materials in the last two years of the extended UG programme in Systems Engineering, on the understanding that this met with the requirements of the accrediting body.

 

Regarding the B modules in Part C, it was commented that these were from outside the Department and that there was the view that this raised the level of difficulty such that the modules could be considered to be at level 6.

 

Concern was expressed about the inconsistencies in approach to the University’s credit framework that the proposal had exposed, and it was AGREED that this matter should be forwarded to Learning and Teaching Committee for further discussion.

 

.3         The Sub-Committee identified many matters for amendment within the documentation, but considered that it would not on this occasion require the proposal be re-submitted to the next meeting, providing that the Sub-Committee’s requirements were met. It was therefore 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)  Programme Regulations

(i)    The balance of module weighting across semesters should be included in para 2.

(ii)   Para 3.1 should make clear that the module weighting requiring marks of 50% or 40% was in ‘further’ modules.

 

(b)  Programme Specification

(i)    ‘To provide a Master’s level degree’ was not a programme aim

(ii)   The comments from the industrial assessor should be reflected upon

(iii)  References to the Business School should read School of Business and Economics

(iv) Amendments annotated on the document by a member (which would be forwarded to the programme proposer), and advice given to the proposer by the Faculty QEO to improve the document, should be acted upon

 

(c)  Module Specifications

(i)    Justification was required that MPD110 was at level 7

(ii)   MPD106:The ILO to  ‘develop and implement a strategy..’ was a skill rather than Knowledge and Understanding

 

(d)  Curriculum Map

(i)    The map was overpopulated and was likely to require change following any amendments to ILOs in the Programme Specification

 

(e)  Assessment Matrix

(i)    Assessment on modules MPB105, MPD101 and MPD106  did not total 100%

 

(f)   Consultation Forms

(i)    A completed consultation form should be obtained from the Design School

(ii)   The comments from the External Assessors should be reflected upon and a response sent to the Assessors and copied to the ADT.

2.         MSc Systems Engineering: New Programme Proposals

           

.1         The Sub-Committee considered proposals from Electronic & Electrical Engineering for a new full-time version of the existing part-time MSc in Advanced Systems Engineering (to be renamed Systems Engineering), with effect from October 2011. Members were informed that there was an existing MSc in Systems Engineering as an exit award from the Systems Engineering EngD, with a different content to that proposed for the new programme. An email from the Department was tabled confirming that the content of the EngD exit award would be changed such that the proposed programme would in effect become the EngD exit award. Attention was drawn to the comment from the Industrial Assessor concerning the need for the programme to cater for both full-time, limited industry experience students, and part-time, industrially experienced students, and to the need for the proposer to reflect on this.  

 

.2         The Sub-Committee identified matters for amendment within the documentation, but considered that it would not on this occasion require the proposal be re-submitted to the next meeting, providing that the Sub-Committee’s requirements were met. It was therefore 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)  Programme Regulations

(i)    Para 2: Final sentence to explain why ELP065 was the exception to the modules being taken in any order

(ii)   Para 4.1: There was some concern that this might be in contravention of University requirements. This would be explored and the proposers informed of the outcome

 

(b)  Programme Specification

(i)    The Programme Specification should conform to the current template

(ii)   Para 3: Cognitive skills (3) should probably be practical skills (3) and vice versa

(iii)  Para 6: Was assessment to be at the end of the semester?

 

.3                     The Sub-Committee remained concerned that unsatisfactory paperwork continued to be submitted, often with basic errors that the Sub-Committee should not have to spend time identifying. In some cases proposers had been advised by the AD(T) or by the Faculty QEO to make changes and this advice had not been acted upon. Further measures needed to be put in place to ensure that the Sub-Committee’s time was spent effectively. Approval of documentation by the School AD(T) and also by another AD(T) before submission to CSC might be a way forward. It was AGREED that, as a first step, simplification of  Programme Specifications  avoiding duplication of any information held elsewhere should be explored, whilst bearing in mind the current consultation by QAA on the revision of the Academic Infrastructure.

 

3.         BSc Information Management & Business Studies/BSc Information Management & Computing/BSc Information Management & Web Development: Major Programme Changes

.1         The Sub-Committee considered proposals from Information Science for major programme changes with effect from October 2012 entry. It was noted that the programmes would include a heavy diet of 10-credit modules, and that a possible move by the School of Business and Economics towards more 20-credit modules was likely to have an impact on the Information Management with Business Studies programme. Attention was drawn to the varied relative weightings of Parts for final degree classification, but it was noted that the AD(T) had accepted the proposer’s justification for this which was due to Faculty differences in approach. The proposers were requested to ensure that any students resitting Part A modules in 2012-13 were not disadvantaged by the changes.

 

.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)  Programme Regulations

(i)    Para 2.2: ‘WDD’ should read ‘IMWD’

(ii)   Para 2.4: The module number for the Web Project should be included and a module specification provided

 

(b)  Programme Specifications

(i)    Section 1: Programme Aims were too descriptive. The first paragraph should be omitted

(ii)   Section 3: The initials following the PLOs should be spelt out. Some PLOs were misplaced. The ADT’s annotated amendments would be forwarded to the proposers

(iii)  Section 3: The Knowledge and Understanding PLOs for Information Management and Business Studies did not match those in the Curriculum Map. One of the documents therefore required adjusting. Numbering of PLOs in the Programme Specification, as in the template (K1, K2 etc), would assist in this.

 

(c)  Module Specifications

(i)            The modules should be looked at across the board to ensure that there were no inconsistencies in key/transferable skills. ‘Use the University’s Learn server resources effectively’ was no considered to be an appropriate key/transferable skill

(ii)           Word number requirements for essays or reports with similar assessment weightings varied greatly across modules. The proposers should have a clear rationale for this, to be conveyed to students within the assessment criteria for each piece of work

 

(d)  Assessment Matrix

(i)    Though an Assessment Matrix had not been requested as part of the documentation, one should be provided for each of the programmes on this occasion so that any anomalies in assessment burden between modules and programmes could be identified.

4.       MSc Healthcare Emergency Preparedness & Business Continuity Management (SWSHA): New Programme Proposals

It was AGREED to ratify the action of the Chair in recommending to the Chair of Learning and Teaching Committee proposals from the School of Business and Economics for the existing part-time MSc in Healthcare Emergency Preparedness & Business Continuity Management to be delivered locally to the staff of the South West Strategic Health Authority, with effect from March 2011.

 

5.       MSc Healthcare Manual Handling Management: Delivery of Modules Off-Campus

It was AGREED to ratify the action of the Chair in recommending to the Chair of Learning and Teaching Committee proposals from the School of Business and Economics that instances of modules BSP633, 634 & 656 be delivered off-campus for students employed by the South West Ambulance Trust.

 

6.       Change to Programme Titles/Awards

It was AGREED to ratify the action of the Chair in recommending to the Chair of Learning and Teaching Committee the following changes (effective date shown in brackets):

 

MComp Computer Science/Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence/Computer Science & E-Business to MSci Computer Science/Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence/Computer Science & E-Business (for all current students, already approved from Oct 2011 entry)

 

MSc Engineering Innovation & Management (title from Oct 2005 entry) to revert to previous title Construction Innovation & Management (from Oct 2010 entry)

 

BSc Retail Management to BSc Retailing, Marketing & Management (for current Part C, already approved from 2009 entry)

 

BSc Design with Engineering Materials to BEng Design with Engineering Materials (from Oct 2011 entry, current students also being consulted)


Author – Jennie Elliott

Date – February 2011  

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