Outline Approval Process for New Courses
Stage 1 - Request for Support for Development
1. An initial request to develop a new course idea is made via a one-page form, to be completed by members of faculty or other staff. It should be sent to the Deputy Academic Secretary in the Office of Governance & Secretariat (Angela Pater), who refers it to the PVC Teaching & Learning. The form can be found here:
New Academic Course Proposal Form Stage 1 [DOCX 17.77KB]
It requires the following information:
a) Course Title
b) Proposed start date
c) Academic rationale and how it fits with the strategy of the School.
d) Outline structure (and whether it includes new or existing modules).
e) The target market. See advice on target markets.
f) The professional services support required to develop the course:
- marketing
- finance
- library
- other (eg IT/ e-learning)
2. The PVC Teaching & Learning discusses the merit of the proposal with the other PVCs and relevant professional services colleagues, and decides within 15 days whether it should be progressed or not. The decision is fed back to the member of staff who proposed it.
Stage 2 – Project Team and Stage 2 Proposal Form
3. A Project team is then created to follow up successful proposals; this would include the academic team from the School, Head of Academic Services (or nominee), representatives from market research and finance and a student, to develop the proposal further. They are allocated a provisional date for discussion/presentation at the New Academic Courses Committee (NACC), normally within two months. Funds may be allocated for additional market research at this point, if justified.
4. The project team develops a full course proposal. A 'New Academic Course Proposal form stage 2' should be completed at this stage.The Head of School signs off any resource issues, and the School Director of Teaching & Learning signs off course and module information. The paper for the NAC committee will include course idea; academic case; finance costings, including development costs; marketing information and comments on IT and Library resources required.
Stage 3 – New Academic Course Committee; Outline approval
5. At the New Academic Course Committee meeting, the course team will be available for a question and answer session.
6. Outline approval will be given or not. Then the course is entered on the database to allow recruitment to begin.
7. If approved, the next step is validation. See Academic Office website for further details.