Starting Out
Internal communication
Once the new programme has been approved it is important to inform all the relevant people. Following sign off of the response to conditions, GQE must:
- Write formally to the partner institution confirming approval.
- Send a copy of the definitive document to Academic Administration to allow information to be entered onto SITS.
- Give the Collaborations team contact details of the programme leader at the partner institution to allow arrangements to be made regarding matriculation.
- Inform Admissions and Marketing.
It is good practice for the Collaborative Academic Lead to alert the Collaborations team to potential new programmes before validation. The Collaborative Academic Lead should inform the team about the new programme, providing contact details of the partner.
Preparation
The Library should have been consulted at the planning stage when costings and price were negotiated. It is advisable for the Collaborative Academic Lead to update their Liaison Librarian following validation to confirm when the programme will be starting. Arrangements for setting up remote library access should be discussed. If a dedicated induction session will be needed this must be negotiated with the relevant Liaison Librarian.
All new partners are encouraged to arrange an induction session introducing QMU and its procedures. This will normally be coordinated by the Collaborative Academic Lead with support from the Collaborations team and GQE. The Collaborative Academic Lead should coordinate the provision of any further academic staff development required. Again, this should have been discussed during planning. (See Staffing.)
The partner and Collaborative Academic Lead should exchange calendars indicating the timing of key events throughout the year – term start and finish dates, holidays and exam boards. This calendar should be sent to the Collaborations team and GQE.
Some programmes are either direct copies of QMU programmes or are made up of modules which already run at QMU. In such cases, the QMU module co-ordinator must provide their counterpart at the partner organisation with the following material:
- Module descriptor
- Suggested week-by-week breakdown of teaching. The partner may choose to modify this as long as the content and learning outcomes are covered. Additional contact hours may be taught.
- Draft exam papers and assignment specifications
- Model answers and marking criteria for the above
- Guidelines to be provided for students regarding the assignments
This ensures that the module co-ordinator at the partner organisation is able to deliver the module in the same way as it would be delivered at QMU.
