At its November 2016 meeting, Academic Standards Committee approved in principle the introduction of the MLitt Art Writing at GSA, to commence in September 2018. The enclosed paper is the Programme Approval Report from the GSA Undergraduate and Postgraduate Committee (UPC) held on 10 May 2017 which recommended that the programme be approved subject to the conditions below. [Attached also, for information is the Programme Specification for this Programme, which provides more detail on the teaching delivery arrangements for the programme].

Condition 1.

The Programme Team should review the Programme documentation to ensure the minimal inaccuracies highlighted by the panel are addressed.

Condition 2.

All bibliographies for course specifications must be compiled and included within the relevant section of the programme documentation.

Condition 3.

The satisfactory completion of the Service Teaching Agreement with the University of Glasgow.

Noting that conditions 1 and 2 have now been satisfied, GSA Academic Council at its meeting on 4 October 2017 approved the programme’s introduction.

Academic Standards Committee is asked to note that the University of Glasgow will provide teaching and assessment in respect of one course on this programme (this being 20 credits out of a total for the programme of 180) and that a Service Teaching Agreement between the University and GSA in respect of this arrangement is expected to be completed by early 2018.

Academic Standards Committee is asked to approve the introduction, and validation of, the MLitt Art Writing at GSA commencing in September 2018, subject to the completion of a satisfactory Service Teaching Agreement between the two institutions.

GSA in respect of the programme, and both GSA and the University in respect of the Service Teaching Agreement.

There are resource implications for the University related to the service teaching and assessment provided by the School of Critical Studies (see MLitt Art Writing programme specification enclosed for further information).

The first cohort will commence in September 2018.

Equality considerations and equality impact assessment are embedded and mainstreamed at GSA. An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) for the MLitt Art Writing was undertaken in tandem with the development of the Programme Approval documentation and the EIA was considered at the UPC Programme Approval meeting. The outcome of the EIA was that the actions taken, or planned, would promote positive impact for all protected characteristic groups. All future actions taken in relation to this will be examined and reported as part of the Programme Monitoring Annual Report (PMAR).