From: Dr Jennifer Nutkins, Academic Registrar

This summary paper is to alert members of Senate, and Heads of Departments in particular, to the proposals from Learning and Teaching Committee for major reorganisation of the University’s Academic Regulations for taught programmes. The changes are largely a matter of re-organisation to make the regulations easier for staff and students to use but there are a small number of major changes of principle and several areas where procedures have been changed to reduce bureaucracy. Extensive consultation has taken place in relation to the major changes of principle and a clear majority of departments supported the proposals. Departmental administrators have also been given the opportunity to comment on the procedural revisions. Full details are set out in Item 16.1 of Section B of the Senate Agenda. Given the consultation which has already taken place, it is not proposed that they be discussed in detail at Senate.

Staff in departments need to be aware of the changes so students can be accurately advised and student documentation and procedures should be reviewed to ensure consistency with the new regulations. The Academic Registry will work closely with departmental colleagues to help raise awareness.

Background

In June 2004, Senate approved a number of significant changes as part of a major, two phase restructuring and simplification of the University’s Academic Regulations. The changes last year created a number of new regulations and removed the equivalent provisions from the General and Assessment Regulations for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Awards.

The second phase of the restructuring, consolidation of the currently separate General and Assessment Regulations for Undergraduate Awards (GRUA and ARUA) and for Module Postgraduate Awards (GRMPA and ARMPA) was signalled to Senate last year.

Current Proposals

There are three main elements to the proposals:

1. Restructure Regulations

(a) Combine GRUA and ARUA to create Regulation XX Undergraduate Awards

For the time being Regulation XX will have to have two parts, Section A applying to new students from 2005/06 and Section B applying to current students. GRUA and ARUA will essentially cease to exist except for the handful of remaining students who commenced their studies in 1999 or earlier who remain on GRUA(1999) and ARUA(1999).

(b) Combine GRMPA and ARMPA to create Regulation XXI Postgraduate Awards

This will be implemented for all postgraduate students from 2005/06 and GRMPA and ARMPA abolished.

(c) Replace existing Ordinance XIX with new Regulation XXII Taught Programme Internal and External Examiners and Review and Programme Boards

This will bring together existing provisions in one place and incorporate elements deleted from other regulations as well as establishing a small number of new arrangements.

2. Major Changes of Principles

The first four of these were subject to extensive consultation in early 2005. Consultation has recently taken place on the final one.

(a) Reassessment Rights and Capping

With the aim of encouraging higher standards of performance and reducing the attractiveness of the resit “safety net”, only the mark achieved at the first attempt at a module will contribute to Part and Programme marks. Capped resit marks will only be used for current undergraduate students as the risks of withdrawing this arrangement were considered too high to implement an immediate change and bearing in mind that the majority of such students will have graduated by July 2008. Given postgraduate students can be registered for 8 years, it is felt worth the risk of challenge to change the regulation for all students immediately.

A number of changes to resit rights and procedures either logically follow from the above or are also included to simplify the regulations and reduce potential for misunderstandings.

Analysis of current results suggests the changes will not have a major impact on the pattern of degree results but the effects will be kept under careful review.

(b) Abolition of Module Boards for Postgraduate Programmes

Currently a separate Board must be held and documented for all postgraduate modules. An equivalent requirement was included for undergraduate programmes when modularisation was originally implemented but was soon repealed. The proposals now remove the requirement but allow departments to convene Postgraduate Review Boards of similar constitution to Module Boards consider one or more modules prior to a Programme Board if they wish. Departments can use the new arrangement flexibly to suit the needs of their students and bureaucracy should be reduced.

(c) Sanctions for Failure to Participate

There are currently no powers to terminate the studies of a student who is failing to participate in their programme but has not notified their withdrawal until a meeting of a Programme Board at the end of the year. A new section has been added to Regulation IX Registration, Attendance, Leave of Absence, Withdrawal and Transfer to provide a procedure.

(d) Abolish Requirement for Maximum of 80 Credits from Year Long Modules

Following on from the Review of the Structure of the Academic Year, it is proposed that the requirement that a full-time undergraduate student take no more than 80 credits in year long modules be abolished. The requirement that at least 20% of the assessment for year long modules be carried out in Semester 1 remains.

(e) Membership of Programme Boards

The current membership of Programme Boards includes a Senate member and Faculty Board member, one of whom must be present for the Board to be quorate. Departmental administrators spend considerable time identifying people to serve from the relatively small pool of possible candidates. The proposals for the new Regulation XXII provide for one independent Board member from a list of suitably qualified academic staff. The list will include the majority of academic staff who have several years of experience of Loughborough procedures and regulations.

3. Other Technical Changes

These changes should be straightforward and include;

Measures to reduce the workload of the ADT(s), e.g. by delegating responsibility for approving late approvals of leave of absence to HoDs and for checking the membership of Programme Boards to the Academic Registry.

Removing the power to raise degree boundaries by 3%. In practice this is very rarely used and application is difficult to justify given other information given the students.

Removal of the requirement for Semester 1 Undergraduate Marks to be approved by externals at the end of Semester 1.