Section 3: Roles, Responsibilities and Governance

Published for 2023-24

3.1 Governance at UCL Level	3.3 Professional Support and Oversight
3.2 Faculty Management Framework

3.1 Governance at UCL Level

1.	Although in practical terms academic partnerships normally involve UCL Faculties and Departments, they are a formal relationship between the University and the partner organisation. Hence governance of academic partnerships, in terms of mandating and decision-making, sits at the highest appropriate level of authority in UCL once the relevant Head of Department/Director of Division/Institute and Dean of Faculty has approved any such proposal.
2.	Academic Committee delegates responsibility for oversight of learning and teaching, including the maintenance of standards and quality management, of accredited taught programmes to the Education Committee. It also delegates responsibility for oversight of research degree provision, including the maintenance of standards and quality management, to the Research Degrees Committee.
3.	Academic partnerships involving the award of credit and/or qualifications relating to taught degree programmes are therefore considered under the terms of the Education Committee; academic partnerships involving the award of research degrees are therefore considered under the terms of the Research Degrees Committee.
4.	In the case of potential international academic partnerships involving accredited taught programmes/modules or research degrees, in the first instance partner organisations must be considered by the Global Engagement team (GE). GE must endorse the potential international partner in the first instance and ensure that they are in-keeping with the UCL Global Engagement Strategy.
5.	The Global Engagement team (GE) may wish to strengthen an initial international partnership proposal which has the Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation and Global Engagement)’s endorsement for development through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). MoU may also be developed in response to a specific need of the partner institution, such as to progress the partnership through their own governance structure. All MoU must be signed by the Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation and Global Engagement) on behalf of UCL once the relevant Head of Department/Director of Division/Institute and Dean of Faculty has given their approval and/or signed the MOU.
6.	The Education Committee and the Research Degrees Committee have delegated the authority to the Academic Partnership Review Group (APP) to review proposals for academic partnerships with other organisations (both UK and international) which lead to or involve the award of UCL credit and/or qualifications. The Academic Policy, Quality and Standards team will be responsible for the processes underlying the development, approval and operation of such partnerships.
7.	The APP consists of representatives of these two committees as well as other UCL stakeholder Departments as appropriate (including but not limited to Student and Registry Services, Legal Services and the GEO) and is supported by the Academic Policy, Quality and Standards team.

3.2 Faculty Management Framework

1.	Responsibility for quality management of learning and teaching is located with Heads of (Academic) Departments (excluding the School of Life and Medical Sciences) in liaison with the relevant Dean of Faculty; this is devolved to Heads of Department from Council via the Provost.
2.	In the School of Life and Medical Sciences, responsibility for quality management of learning and teaching is located with the relevant Directors of Division/Institutes; this is devolved to Directors from Council via Deans of Faculties, Vice-Provost (Health) and ultimately the Provost.
3.	With paragraphs 3.2.1 and 3.2.2 in mind, the day-to-day management of academic partnerships sits at local (departmental, divisional or institutional) level, normally through the Academic Programme Director, who has been appointed to the academic partnership and who is responsible for the day-to-day running of the partnership programme/activity and for ensuring that the partnership adheres to UCL’s systems and procedures.
4.	Management of academic partnerships must be included in the terms of reference of Departmental committees to ensure that this is embedded and this in turn reflected in the terms of Faculty committees to ensure consistency between organisational layers of UCL. The Department Teaching Committee, or equivalent, should receive the minutes of Joint Management Committees.

3.3 Professional Support and Oversight

1.	The Academic Policy, Quality and Standards team provides a central point of contact at UCL regarding academic partnerships which lead to or involve the award of UCL credit and/or qualifications. This central team acts as an advisory and co-ordinating body for the approval, development and management of academic partnerships, linking up the relevant UCL stakeholders and ensuring oversight at institutional level.
2.	The instigation and academic development of academic partnerships is undertaken within academic Departments and Faculties, always in liaison with the Global Engagement team (GE) (for international partnerships).
3.	The processes for supporting academic partnerships beyond inception are situated in the Academic Policy, Quality and Standards team. This team is the first point of contact for any member of UCL wishing to propose entering into an academic partnership.
4.	The Academic Policy, Quality and Standards team provides expertise and guidance in evaluating and developing partnerships for academic Departments and other stakeholders during all phases of the partnership, from initial approval through to implementation, operation, review and termination.
5.	The Academic Policy, Quality and Standards team coordinates communication with other UCL stakeholders who may need to be consulted with regard to each partnership (e.g. GEO, Legal Services).
6.	The Academic Policy, Quality and Standards team is responsible for ensuring that any reporting relating to academic partnerships required under the Office for Students Regulatory Framework takes place (in line with UCL’s standard practice for reporting to the Office for Students).
7.	The Academic Policy, Quality and Standards team also develops and services the Academic Partnership Review Group described in Section 3.1 and other cross-UCL teams and working groups to share good practice and resolve common issues which may occur. The team also works directly with relevant areas across UCL to resolve more specific issues.

Recent Changes

A guide to changes to the regulations are available from the Recent Changes page.