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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