Academic Quality and Standards Handbook
The Academic Quality and Standards Handbook (AQSH) details the University's principles and procedures for approving, monitoring and reviewing its courses, programmes and partnerships.
AQSH 2025/26
The Academic Quality and Standards Handbook (AQSH) for 2025/26 consists of 16 sections, including an introduction, which detail the University's principles and procedures for approving, monitoring and reviewing its courses, programmes and partnerships.
It is anticipated that the AQSH will be of most benefit to those members of staff with day-to-day involvement in the University's quality assurance and enhancement procedures.
Introduction to the Academic Quality and Standards Handbook 2025/26 (Word doc)
- (i) – Abbreviations and Glossary
- (ii) – Current fee levels 2025/26 (Word doc)
- (iii) – Town House Strategy - Education Strategy 2025/26 (Word doc)
- (iv) – Town House Strategy - Education Partnerships 2025/26 (Word doc)
Section A: Academic Portfolio Changes 2025/26 (Word doc)
- Annex A – Post PMG Processes for New Courses Following Approval to Proceed to Validation 2025/26 (Word doc)
- Annex B – Process for the Validation of a New Course 2025/26 (Word doc)
- Annex C – Process for the Validation of a New Collaborative Partner Course 2025/26 (Word doc)
- Annex D – Process for Significant Changes to Existing Courses 2025/26 (Word doc)
Forms and templates
- A1 – New qualification form 2025/26 (Word doc)
- A2 – New Course and Proposal Form - Provision to be delivered by KU 2025/26 (Word doc)
- A2a – PMG Approval Form for Collaborative Partner Proposals 2025/26 (Word doc)
- A2b – Proposal for the approval of a new collaborative partner or new provision to be delivered by a collaborative partner 2025/26 (Word doc)
- A3 – Course or partnership closure and suspension to recruitment form 2025/26 (Word doc)
- A4 – Change to location of delivery form 2025/26 (Word doc)
- A5 – Addition of a new course pathway or change of title to an existing pathway 2025/26 (Word doc)
- A6 – Change to the duration, learning mode, delivery mode or intakes of a course 2025/26 (Word doc)
- A7 – Student consultation outcome regarding transfer to new course 2025/26 (Word doc)
Section B: Managing Higher Education provision with others (Word doc)
- B1 – Due diligence institutional approval re–approval evidence request 2025/26 (Word doc)
- B2 – Due diligence report template 2025/26 (Word doc)
- B3 – Collaborative partner contingency plan 2025/26 (Word doc)
- B4 – Operational plan and staff development plan 2025/26 (Word doc)
- B5 – Institutional-monitoring-report 2025/26 (Word doc)
- B6 – Annual Institutional Monitoring Overview report template 2025/26 (Word doc)
- B7 – Institutional Agreement 2025/26 (Word doc)
- B7 (i) – Schedule 5a GDPR DPC1 Controller to Processor no IDTA 2025/26 (Word doc)
- B7 (ii) – Schedule 5b GDPR DPC2 Controller to Processor with IDTA 2025/26 (Word doc)
- B7 (iii) – Schedule 5c GDPR DPC3 Controller to Controller with IDTA 2025/26 (Word doc)
- B7 (iv) – Schedule 5d GDPR DPC4 Controller to Controller no IDTA 2025/26 (Word doc)
- B8 – Termination agreement template 2025/26 (Word doc)
- B9 – Liaison Document 2025/26 (Word doc)
- B10 – Fit and Proper Person Declaration Form 2025/26 (Word doc)
Guidance notes
- BG (i) – Role of the liaison officer 2025/26 (Word doc)
- BG (ii) – Availability of univ services and resources for collab provision 2025/26 (Word doc)
- BG (iii) – Promoting and marketing collaborative programmes 2025/26 (Word doc)
- BG (iv) – Terminating a partnership checklist for completing the action plan 2025/26 (Word doc)
- BG (v) – Checklist for New Developments involving a Double, Joint or Dual Degree 2025/26 (Word doc)
Section C: Validation of new courses 2025/26
- C1 – Panel nomination form 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C1A – External consultant nomination form 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C2 – Table of modules contributing to a course for module directory 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C3 – Application for exemption or variant to AF 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C4 – Programme specification 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C5 – Module descriptor template 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C6 – Faculty documentation check 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C7 – Faculty documentation check: SVP 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C8 – Faculty conditions check 2025/25 (Word doc)
- C9 – Chair's approval of conditions 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C10 – RISER (Student Consultant) Statement 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C11 – Indicative module summative assessment map 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C12 – External Expert (Academic) Consultant Statement 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C13 – Key Meetings and Milestones for Online Courses and Modules 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C14 – Resources document template 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C15 – Agenda for Validation Planning Meeting 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C15a – Validation SVP Planning Meeting Agenda & Notes Template 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C16 – Academic Framework and Academic Regulations - Key Points Checklists 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C17 – Briefing Document Template 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C18 – Module Delivery Dates 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C19 – Standing Validation Panel Lead Reviewer Report 2025/26 (Word doc)
- C20 – Standing Validation Panel Response to Conditions Form 2025/26 (Word doc)
Guidance notes
- CG (i) – Producing documentation for validation events 2025/26 (Word doc)
- CG (ii) – Completing module descriptors and module guides 2025/26 (Word doc)
- CG (iii) – Guidance on writing the course handbook collaborative provision only 2025/26 (Word doc)
- CG (iv) – Validation documentary requirements 2025/26 (Word doc)
- CG (v) – Placement and work–based learning guidelines 2025/26 (Word doc)
- CG (vi) – Validation criteria 2025/26 (Word doc)
- CG (vii) – Indicative Prompts for Standing Validation Panel Lead Reviewer Report 2025/26 (Word doc)
Section D: Kingston continuous enhancement process (KCEP) 2025/26 (Word doc)
- D1 – Module Enhancement Plan (MEP) 2025/26 (Word doc)
- D2 – Course Enhancement Plan (CEP) 2025/26 (Word doc)
- D3 – NCB Provision Enhancement Plan 2025/26 (Word doc)
- D4 – School KCEP report 2025/26 (Word doc)
- D5 – Faculty KCEP report 2025/26 (Word doc)
Guidance notes
Section E: Substantive Review 2025/26 (Word doc)
- E1 – Substantive review advance documentation faculty check 2025/26 (Word doc)
- E2 – Critical Evaluation document (CED) 2025/26 (Word doc)
- E3 – Faculty conditions check 2025/26 (Word doc)
- E4 – Chair's approval of conditions response 2025/26 (Word doc)
- E5 – External Nomination Form 2025/26 (Word doc)
Guidance notes
Section F: Internal Quality Audit 2025/26 (Word doc)
Section G: Changes to courses, modules and academic regulations 2025/26 (Word doc)
- G1 – Proposal for significant changes to an existing course 2025/26 (Word doc)
- G3 – Application for a variation to UG or PG Regulations 2024/25 (Word doc)
- G4 – Changes to courses and modules form 2025/26 (Word doc)
- G5 – Proposal for a new standalone module 2025/26 (Word doc)
- G6 – Changes to NCB provision 2025/26 (Word doc)
- G8 – New Standalone Module Set Up Form (Word doc)
Guidance notes
Section H: Accreditation processes 2025/26 (Word doc)
- H1 – Assessment of application for RPL 2025/26 (Word doc)
- H2 – Articulation proposal form 2025/26 (Word doc)
- H3 – Articulation agreement 2025/26 (Word doc)
- H4 – Monitoring of articulation agreements 2025/26 (Word doc)
- H5 – Monitoring of progression agreements 2025/26 (Word doc)
- H6 – Progression agreement 2025/26 (Word doc)
- H7 – PMG approval form for progression agreements with advanced standing or articulation agreements with collaborative partners 2025-26 (Word doc)
- H8i – Schedule 2c GDPR DPC3 Controller to Controller with IDTA 2025/26 (Word doc)
- H8ii – Schedule 2d GDPR DPC4 Controller to Controller no IDTA 2025/26 (Word doc)
Section I: External examiners 2025/26
- I1 – Application for approval of a subject external examiner 2025/26
- I2 – Application for additional duties or extension 2025/26
- I3 – Application for approval of a PAB external examiner 2025/26
- I4 – Application for approval of a HDA external examiner 2025/26
- I5 – PAB/HDA external examiner annual report response letter 2025/26
- I6 – Subject external examiner annual report form 2025/26
- I7 – PAB external examiner annual report form 2025/26
- I8 – HDA external examiner annual report form 2025/26
Guidance notes
- IG (i) – Responsibilities of faculties and central university departments 2025/26
- IG (ii) – Checklist of documentation for new external examiners 2025/26
- IG (iii) – Induction of new external examiners and planning of audit of assessment 2025/26
- IG (iv) – Rights and responsibilities of subject external examiners 2025/26
- IG (v) – Rights and responsibilities of PAB external examiners 2025/26
- IG (vi) – Rights and responsibilities of Higher and Degree Apprenticeship (HDA) External Examiners 2025/26
- IG (vii) – External examiner guide to accessing KU systems 2025/26
- IG (viii) – Student guide to the role of the External Examiner 2025/26
- IG (ix) – External Examiner Module Materials: Guide for Kingston University Academic Staff 2025/26
Section K: External requirements 2025/26 (Word doc)
Section N: Student mobility 2025/26 (Word doc)
- N1 – Exchange agreement request 2025/26 (Word doc)
- OG(i) – Committee structure diagram 2025/26 (Word doc)
- OG(ii) – Summary of committee responsibilities 2025/26 (Word doc)
- OG(iii) – Education Committee Terms of Reference 2025/26 (Word doc)
- OG(iv) – Faculty Education Committee Terms of Reference 2025/26 (Word doc)
- OG(v) – Portfolio Management Group Terms of Reference 2025/26 (Word doc)
- OG(vi) – Quality Assurance Portfolio Change Committee Terms of Reference 2025/26 (Word doc)
- OG(vii) – Apprenticeship Monitoring Committee Terms of Reference 2025/26 (Word doc)
- OG(viii) – Apprenticeship Operations and Compliance Group Terms of Reference 2025/26 (Word doc)
- OG(ix) – Academic Information Monitoring Committee Terms of Reference 2025/26 (Word doc)
- OG(x) – Learning Technology and Spaces Advisory Committee Terms of Reference 2025/26 (Word doc)
- OG(xi) – Student Voice Group Terms of Reference 2025/26 (Word doc)
- OG(xiii) – School Education Committee Terms of Reference 2025/26 (Word doc)
- OG(xiv) – Joint Executive Committee Terms of Reference 2025/26 (Word doc)
- OG(xv) – Course and Module Modification Panel Terms of Reference 2025/26 (Word doc)
- OG(xvi) – Student Voice Committee (SVC) Terms of Reference 2025/26 (Word doc)
- OG(xvii) – Standing Validation Panel (SVP) Terms of Reference 2025/26 (Word doc)
- OG(xviii) – KULISC Steering Committee: ToR and Membership 2025/26 (Word doc)
Any questions?
If you have queries regarding the Academic Quality and Standards Handbook, please get in touch with the Quality Assurance and Enhancement (QAE) team at [email protected].
