Brief description of the paper

This is the final report from Deloitte detailing the internal audit of programme approval procedures which took place during 2008-09.

The main finding is that there is ‘a clear process and satisfactory controls over the review and scrutiny of new programmes by the Faculties and centrally by the Academic Standards Committee’.

Some issues concerning the application of the process within Faculties were identified along with some process improvements. Six recommendations were made to address these.

• Faculty Boards of Studies should be asked to ensure that only programmes with adequate consultations and only proposals with all the required documentation are approved for submission to the PAGs. There should also be spot checks by PAGs (to be undertaken by PAG clerks) on a sample of proposals to ensure that this is complied with. [Recommendations 1 and 2].
• Budget information should be prepared for each proposal and reviewed either by the Vice Principal (Strategy & Resources) or the Faculty prior to submission to the Board of Studies. A budget template will be produced. [Recommendation 3].
• There should be a review of the timing of the programme approval cycle with consideration of the usefulness of the new Semester 1 option to ensure that there is sufficient time for new programmes to be marketed and good numbers recruited in the first year. [Recommendation 4].
• The Senate Office should review current processes at Faculty level and report to ASC which should decide whether these should be standardised. [Recommendation 5].
• Faculties should be actively informed of the need to formally withdraw programmes and courses which are no longer running and they should assign responsibility for this task to appropriate staff. [Recommendation 6].

Action Requested

ASC is invited to comment on this report and its recommendations. Discussion on recommendation 4 in particular would be welcome.

Recommended Person/s responsible for taking action(s) forward

Clerk of ASC for Recommendations 1, 2, 4 – 6.

Vice Principal (Strategy & Resources) for Recommendation 3.

Resource implications

Not applicable.

Timescale for Implementation

The action timeframe for all recommendations, except number 5, is Semester 1. The review of Faculty processes will commence in Semester 1, but will be reported to ASC in Semester 2.

Equality implications

None identified in the audit.