Programme Design, Development, Approval and Review

The Swansea University principles have been designed to meet the expectations and practices outlined in in the UK Quality Code for Higher Education, (May 2018) and the Guiding Principles included in the Advice and Guidance for Course Design and Development and Evaluation and Monitoring (November 2018). From the EXPECTATIONS FOR STANDARDS The relevant Core Practice is as follows:

• The provider ensures that the threshold standards for its qualifications are consistent with the relevant national qualifications frameworks. In practice, this means that when designing and approving courses, relevant national qualifications frameworks are referred to.
• Where a provider works in partnership with other organisations, it has in place effective arrangements to ensure that the standards of its awards are credible and secure irrespective of where or how courses are delivered or who delivers them. In practice, this means that Swansea University ensures that it maintains responsibility for setting and maintaining standards of a course regardless of where it is delivered.
• The provider uses external expertise, assessment and classification processes that are reliable, fair and transparent. In practice, this means that feedback from external stakeholders is used to inform course design and development.

The relevant Common Practice is as follows:

• The provider reviews its core practices for standards regularly and uses the outcomes to drive improvement and enhancement. In practice, this means that regular monitoring and evaluation are used to drive improvement and enhancement of course design and development processes.

From the EXPECTATIONS FOR QUALITY The relevant Core Practice is as follows:

• The provider designs and/or delivers high-quality courses. In practice, this means that course approval processes facilitate the design and development of high-quality, relevant, market-attractive courses which lead to credible and recognised positive outcomes for students.
• The provider has sufficient appropriately qualified and skilled staff to deliver a high-quality academic experience. In practice, this means that course approval processes ensure that there are appropriately qualified and skilled staff to deliver a high-quality academic experience.
• The provider has sufficient and appropriate facilities, learning resources and student support services to deliver a high-quality academic experience. In practice, this means that course approval processes ensure that there are appropriate facilities, learning resources and student support services to deliver a high-quality academic experience.
• Where a provider works in partnership with other organisations, it has in place effective arrangements to ensure that the academic experience is high-quality irrespective of where or how courses are delivered and who delivers them.In practice, this means that when a course is designed and developed in partnership with an external organisation, the degree-awarding body’s course approval processes consider and document responsibilities in relation to delivery, support and monitoring arrangements.

The relevant Common Practice is as follows:

• The provider reviews its core practices for quality regularly and uses the outcomes to drive improvement and enhancement. In practice, this means that regular monitoring and evaluation are used to drive improvement and enhancement of course design and development processes.
• The provider engages students individually and collectively in the development, assurance and enhancement of the quality of their educational experience. In practice, this means that students are key stakeholders in course design and development processes.