Academic Quality and Standards Handbook 2017/18

The Academic Quality and Standards Handbook (AQSH) for 2017/18 consists of 15 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.

AQSH – abbreviations and glossary (PDF)

Sections

Introduction
Section A – Academic planning
Section B – Managing higher education provision with others
Section C – Validation of new fields
Section D – Internal subject review
Section E – Internal quality audit (PDF)
Section F – Annual review and development
Section G – Changes to fields
Section H – Accreditation processes
Section I – External examiners
Section J – Professional, statutory and regulatory body accreditation or recognition (PSRB)
Section K – External requirements (PDF)
Section L – Student engagement and feedback 2014/15
Section M – Research degrees (covers Masters by Research, MPhil and PhD)
Section N – Student mobility

Introduction

Introduction to The Academic Quality and Standards Handbook (AQSH) (PDF)

Code	Document
Guidance(i)	Committee structure diagram 2017/18 (Word)
Guidance(ii)	Summary of committee responsibilities (Word)
Guidance(iii)	Fees (Word)

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Academic planning

Section A – Academic planning (PDF version)

Code	Document
A1	New qualification (Word)
A2	New course and partner proposal (Word)
A2a	Technical data collection (Word)
A2b	New development involving a joint or dual award (Word)
A2c	Proposal for re-validation of an existing field (Word)
A3	Course and partner closure form (Word)
A4	New partner campus or site (Word)
A5a	Notification of new course combination (Word)
A5b	Notification of course combination closure (Word)
A6	Market analysis summary (Word)
Guidance AG(i)	Guidance for completing the A2a technical data form (Word)
Guidance AG(ii)	Writing the market demand section of the A2 (PDF)
Guidance AG(iii)	Course closure (PDF)

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Managing higher education provision with others

Section B – Managing higher education provision with others (PDF)

Code	Document
Form B1	Due diligence/institutional re-approval evidence request: UK publicly funded institutions (Word)
Form B2	Due diligence/institutional re-approval evidence request: UK privately funded institutions (Word)
Form B3	Due diligence/institutional re-approval evidence request: overseas institutions (Word)
Template B4	Due diligence report template: UK publicly funded institutions (Word)
Template B5	Due diligence report template: UK privately funded institutions (Word)
Template B6	Due diligence report template: overseas institutions (Word)
Template B7	Institutional agreement template (Word)
Template B8	Institutional monitoring report template (Word)
Template B9	Overview report to quality assurance committee template (Word)
Template B10	Institutional re-approval report template (Word)
Template B11	Notes for completion of action plan for terminating a collaborative partnership (Word)
Template B12	Termination agreement template (Word)
Guidance BG (i)	Guidance on the role of the liaison officer (Word)
Guidance BG (ii)	Liaison document guidelines (Word)
Guidance BG (iii)	Terms of reference and standard agenda for executive committees (Word)
Guidance BG (iv)	Guidelines on the application and regulations and procedures for collaborative provision (Word)
Guidance BG (v)	Promoting and marketing collaborative programmes (Word)
Guidance BG (vi)	Availability of University services and resources for different types of collaborative partner (Word)
Guidance BG (vii)	Spectrum of collaborative provision and associated due diligence requirements (Word)

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Validation of new fields

Section C – Validation of new fields (PDF)

Code	Document
Form C1	Panel nomination form 2017/18 (Word)
Form C2	Table of modules contributing to a field for module directory 2017/18 (Word)
Form C3	Application for exemption or variant to RAF 2017/18 (Word)
Template C4	Programme specification 2017/18 (Word)
Template C5	Module descriptor template 2017/18 (Word)
Form C6	Faculty documentation check 2017/18 (Word)
Form C7	Faculty level validation external scrutiny report 2017/18 (Word)
Form C8	Faculty conditions check 2017/18(Word)
Form C9	Chair's approval of conditions 2017/18 (Word)
Form C10	Notification of faculty validation approval to AQS 2017/18 (Word)
Template C11	Module guide template for dissertations and research projects 2017/18 (Word)
Guidance CG (i)	Producing documentation for validation events 2017/18 (PDF)
Guidance CG (ii)	Completing module descriptors and module guides 2017/18 (PDF)
Guidance CG (iii)	Preparing the HEAR descriptor 2017/18 (PDF)
Guidance CG (iv)	Validation documentary requirements matrix 2017/18 (PDF)
Guidance CG (v)	Placement and work-based learning guidelines 2017/18 (PDF)
Guidance CG (vi)	Validation criteria and checklist for Faculty and University panels 2017/18 (PDF)
Guidance CG (vii)	Good practice for undertaking events by video-conference 2017/18 (PDF)

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Internal subject review

Section D - Internal subject review (ISR) (Word)

Forms and templates

Code	Document
Form D1	Action plan in response to ISR 2017/18 (Word)
Form D2	Chair's approval of ISR action plan or one year follow up 2017/18 (Word)
Form D3	ISR advance documentation faculty check 2017/18 (Word)
Form D4	Faculty recommendation check (Word)

Guidance notes

Code	Document
DG (i)	ISR criteria and checklist 2017/18 (Word)
DG (ii)	Agenda for ISR planning meeting 2017/18 (Word)
DG (iii)	Agenda and guidance for meeting with students graduates and employers 2017/18 (Word)
DG (iv)	Digital module boxes in StudySpace 2017/18 (Word)
DG (v)	Current Kingston University ISR groupings (Word)
DG (vi)	Writing the Self-Evaluation Document (Word)

Digital module boxes in StudySpace (Word)

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Annual review and development

Annual monitoring and enhancement 2017/18 (Word)

Forms and templates

Code	Document
Template F1	Module Enhancement Plan (MEP) 2017/18 (Word)
Template F2	Course Enhancement Plan (CEP) 2017/18 (Word)
Template F3	Course Enhancement Plan School Summary 2017/18 (Word)

Guidance notes

Code	Document
FG (i)	Performance indicators for annual review and development 2017/18 (PDF)
FG (ii)	Terms of reference agenda items and guidance for boards of study 2017/2018 (Word)
FG (iii)	AME Module Enhancement Plan (PDF)
FG (iv)	AME Course Enhancement Plan (Word)

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Changes to fields

Section G – Changes to fields (PDF)

Forms and templates

Code	Document
Form G1	Change of field title of qualification 2017/18 (Word)
Form G2	Change or addition to duration or mode of delivery of a field 2017/18 (Word)
Form G3	Application for a variation to UG or PG Regulations 2017/18 (Word)
Form G4	Changes to fields by delegated powers 2017/18 (Word)

Guidance notes

Code	Document
Guidance GG (i)	Criteria for approval of variants and cycle of review 2017/18 (PDF)
Guidance GG (ii)	Changes that might affect my course – student guidance 2017/18 (PDF)

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Accreditation processes

Section H – Accreditation processes (PDF)

Accreditation processes 2017/18 (PDF)

Forms and templates

Code	Document
Form H1	Student request for recognition of prior and or experiential learning 2017/18 (Word)
Form H2	Articulation proposal form 2017/18 (Word)
Template H3	Articulation agreement 2017/18 (Word)
Form H4	Monitoring of articulation agreements 2017/18 (Word)
Form H5	Monitoring of progression agreements 2017/18 (Word)
Form H6	Progression agreement 2017/18 (Word)

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External examiners

Section I – External examiners 2016/17 (PDF)

Forms and templates

Code	Document
Form I1	Application for approval of an external examiner 2016/17 (Word)
Form I2	Application for additional duties or extension 2016/17 (Word)
Template I3	External examiner response letter (Word)
Template I4	External examiner report form 2016/17 (Word)
Template I5	External examiner final checklist form 2016/17 (Word)

Guidance notes and exemplars

Guidance IG (i)	Responsibilities of faculties and central university departments 2016/17 (PDF)
Guidance IG (ii)	Criteria for the approval of external examiners – supplementary information 2016/17 (PDF)
Guidance IG (iii)	Checklist of documentation for new external examiners 2016/17 (PDF)
Guidance IG (iv)	Induction of new external examiners and planning of audit of assessment 2016/17 (PDF)
Guidance IG (v)	Rights and responsibilities of external examiners 2016/17 (PDF)
Guidance IG (vi)	External Examiner access to StudySpace 2016/17 (PDF)
Guidance IG (vii)	Student guide to the role of the EE 2016/17 (PDF)