Programme Amendments from 2022-23 onwards

In 2022-23, Academic Services are going to be more robust with programme amendment proposals, in terms of the deadline for submissions and the quality/completeness of the documentation. 

CONTEXT 

From October 2021 – August 2022, Academic Services received 81 moderate and major programme amendments to review and approve. 

• 57% were late, and 61% of those late submissions were significantly late (i.e.  4-15 months late). 
• 78% of the 81 submissions required further work / had conditions of approval. 

The ‘’Top 10’’ of conditions of approval recur year on year and are not complex or technical.  

This had a significant impact on the planning, timing and load of work expected of colleagues across Professional Services. It has been confirmed with Kathy Armour and Sarah Cowls that this cannot continue.     

FROM 2022-23 

• The Friday 9th June 2023 programme amendment deadline will be a ‘’hard’’ deadline, or cut-off, for all programme amendments for 2024-25.  

Any submissions received after this date will be processed for 2025-26.  

It is therefore incumbent on Departments and Faculties to ensure that their review and approval processes are timed accordingly. Our advice would be for the Departmental review and sign-off to be in the early/mid Spring term and for the Faculty review and sign-off to be in the late Spring / early Summer term. We will continue to welcome early submissions. 

• Collectively, we need to reframe the timelines. Programme Amendments have always been considered to be for the next cohort of enrolled students. However, since 2015 and the impact of consumer legislation (CMA) on Universities’ obligations, programme amendments need to be in place for the next cohort of offer holders. This makes the lead time (from amendment submission to Prospectus copycall) around 4 months. 
• There will continue to be a process for requesting a late submission, but the request has to meet one of the following criteria: 
  • 1. a requirement of the PSRB for which the programme is accredited. 
  • 2. current programme information is factually inaccurate. 
  • 3. the External Examiner has recommended that the amendment is made as failure to do so would have a detrimental impact on the student experience. 
  • 4. failure to make the amendment would be a breach of consumer protection legislation.    

In this circumstance, Academic Services staff should be contacted in the first instance and student  / offer-holder consultation should not take place until the proposed amendment has been centrally approved in principle.  

• Submissions where the quality/completeness of the documentation is poor / lacking will not be approved. However, proposers will be encouraged to revisit the proposal and submit in time for the next cut-off date (Friday 7th June 2024).

Contact email for further information: acadserv.pmap@ucl.ac.uk