1. AQSU Validation Surgery for Programme Teams – June 2017
ACADEMIC QUALITY AND STANDARDS UNIT
Jayne Storer – Senior Quality Officer
Melanie Smith – Senior Quality Officer

2. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF VALIDATION?
The process by which the University assures the quality and standards of all programmes by:
Ensuring that a programme meets the requirements of the QAA’s Quality Code
Ensuring that a programme conforms to all relevant University regulations and policies and any relevant PSRB criteria
Ensuring that a programme has been effectively designed, is viable and current, and that arrangements for its delivery and assessment have been properly planned

3. THE VALIDATION PROCESS: AN OVERVIEW
Development of an Initial Proposal (IPPF) by Programme Team
IPPF to be reviewed and signed off by all members of Senior Management as required
Presentation at Academic School Board for approval to proceed to Validation
Development of Validation Submission by Programme Team
Internal Pre-Validation Check
Validation Event
Approval by Academic Board

4. Validation Events to take place
Timeline
School Boards to approve all IPPFs for Revalidation and Validation for September delivery in 2 years time (Sept 2019)
JUNE
All IPPFs to have been signed/approved by School Board and submitted to AQSU
School Board to negotiate Pre-Validation check method (see slide 9 for detail)
JULY
AQSU to set dates for Validation events in liaison with Academic Schools. Programme Teams to start developing Validation submission
SEPT – NOV
Pre-Validation check to be completed and Validation documentation to be submitted to AQSU
Validation Events to take place
DECEMBER
Programmes to be approved by Academic Board
JANUARY
Programmes to be included in prospectus and on website for recruitment for September intake in the following calendar year

5. EXTERNAL ASSESOR NOMINATION
The Programme Team is responsible for sourcing and proposing the external member(s) of the Validation Panel. The CV of the proposed external member(s) should be submitted with a brief rationale for their nomination to AQSU for approval by the Chair of the Learning and Teaching Quality Committee. Once an IPPF has been approved at School Board, AQSU will liaise with the Programme Team to agree a suitable timeline for the sourcing and approval of an External Assessor(s).
Nominees must meet the following criteria:
Be of appropriate academic standing (usually from a HEI) and able to bring appropriate expertise relevant to the content and level of the proposed programmes
Not previously have been associated with the Programme Team in a way that may compromise their ability to form an objective judgement of the proposal
Not have been employed by Wrexham Glyndŵr University as a member of staff or an External Examiner in the last three years
NB. If the proposed programme has a strong vocational focus the team may propose an additional external panel member drawn from a professional/industrial background.
NB. If the Programme Team wish to nominate an individual who has previously been an External Assessor on a Wrexham Glyndŵr University Validation Panel they should seek advice from AQSU.
NB. External Assessors cannot be subsequently nominated as an External Examiner for the award for at least 18 months after the programme commences delivery

6. Development of the full validation submission – the programme team
At this stage the full Programme Team should have been identified including the allocation of the Programme Leader and Module Leader roles. It should be noted that:
The Programme Leader’s highest qualification should be equivalent to (or higher than) the level of the proposed programme (except where the Academic Head of School is able to satisfy the Validation panel that an individual’s other skills/experience are of particular benefit to the programme
Programme Leader and Module Leader roles should not be allocated to sessional lecturers
Care should be taken to ensure that there is a even distribution of Module leadership

7. Development of the full validation submission – AVAILABLE SUPPORT
The Programme Team should ensure that the development of the Validation submission is done in conjunction with a variety of integral departments and individuals within the University, who are available to offer support to teams throughout the Validation process:
Senior Quality Officer re: Validation process generally and any other queries
Melanie Smith
Jayne Storer
Relevant Subject Librarian re: learning resources, reading lists etc.
Social Sciences and Education – Trish Maybury
Business and Applied Science, Computing and Engineering - Zoe Collyer
Built Environment – Paul Jeorrett
Psychology, Sport Science and Health – Nicola Watkinson
Media, Art and Design – TBC (Contact one of the other Librarians listed above)
Relevant School Lead for Quality and Standards
Deputy Academic Registrar, Students and Programmes re: assessment etc.
Katie Cunningham
Compliance Manager re: DBS
Alison Kulkowski

8. Development of the full validation submission – programme validation document
The Programme Team should fully develop the Validation submission using the Programme Validation Document Template (Appendix 2 of the Validation and Programme Periodic Review Handbook). During this developmental stage the Programme Team should:
Seek available advice on programme, teaching and assessment design
Seek advice from appropriate external expertise within the relevant discipline, profession or industry
Refer to the relevant sections of the QAA’s Quality Code for HE, the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales, any relevant professional body requirements and subject benchmark statements
Ensure that the proposal fully complies with the University’s standard Modular Curriculum Framework, unless there are justifiable reasons for not doing so that can in turn be verified and approved by the Validation panel

9. PRE-VALIDATION CHECK
Once an IPPF has been approved the relevant Academic School Board is to negotiate and agree upon a preferred Pre-Validation Check method appropriate for the needs of the proposing Programme Team.
The Pre-Validation Check is to be split into two stages. Stage 1 of the Pre-Validation Check is to be conducted within School by the Programme Team ahead of completion of Stage 2 of the Pre-Validation Check (the method of which will have been agreed upon at the School Board). Both stages are to be done using the Pre- Validation Checklist. The purpose of the Pre-Validation Check is to:
Confirm that all procedural and documentary requirements have been met by the Programme Team (including consideration of any derogation from the regulations)
Evaluate the proposal against the Glyndŵr University programme approval criteria and adherence to the Modular Curriculum Framework to highlight any additional work to be done by the Programme Team in order to strengthen the proposal ahead of the Validation event
Confirm that all bibliographies are accurate and accessible by all in liaison with the relevant Subject Librarian
Ensure all documentation has been checked for accuracy and that any errors (minor or major) are corrected prior to circulation to the Validation panel for scrutiny
Any comments/revisions suggested as a result of Stage 2 of the Pre-Validation Check should be addressed by the Programme Team and reviewed via a further check prior to the submission of the amended documentation to AQSU at least two weeks before the Validation Event. If a submission is deemed still not ready for Validation it will be returned to the Programme Team again and the Validation Event may need to be deferred.

10. VALIDATION SUBMISSION – DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS
The full Validation Submission should comprise of the following documentation:
Appendix 3 - Pre-Validation Checklist
Appendix 2 - Validation Document (one Validation Document per programme title)
PART 1 : Programme Proposal Checklist
PART 2: Programme Specifications and Module Specifications
Current Staff Information Summary
If appropriate, samples of study materials and/or access to the student learning experience for any modules being delivered via distance or e-learning (representing at least 25% of the material to be delivered online)
If the submission is for a Revalidation Event the additional documentation should also be included:
Appendix 4 – Periodic Review - Self Critical Reflective Account (an evaluation of the programme since its last Validation)
Documentary evidence of:
Programme statistics for the previous two years
External Examiner reports and Programme Team responses for the previous two years
Action Plans from Annual Monitoring Reports and Programme Team responses for previous two years
Summary of student feedback for the programme
The finalised submission should be submitted electronically to the Academic and Quality Standards Unit at least 2 weeks prior to the Validation Event for circulation to the Panel, Subject Librarian, SPC and SDS.

11. THE Validation EVENT : criteria for approval
The Validation Panel are obliged on behalf of Academic Board to make a judgement on the appropriateness of the academic standards and the quality of learning opportunities available to students on proposed new programmes. As such, Validation Events must address the following criteria:
Award Title and Descriptors
Credit structure and final award must be consistent with the regulations of the appropriate awarding body and part A of the QAA’s Quality Code and the Credit & Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW)
Proposed title must not exceed 100 characters including spaces and symbols in both English and Welsh
External Referents and Benchmarking
Curriculum must be consistent with external reference points, including Subject Benchmark Statements and where appropriate the requirements of professional/statutory bodies and employers
External Engagement
The proposal should be underpinned by research and scholarship/professional activity or a clear strategy should be established to enhance the aspect of this provision
Admission and Progression
The criteria for admission and the way candidates are assessed should be clear and appropriate with the reasonable expectation that the student will be able to fulfil the requirements of the award
The conditions and regulations governing progression should be clear – the curriculum must impose an increasing level of demand on the learner as they progress through the programme
Curriculum
There must be an appropriate balance in the programme in relation to academic and practical elements, personal development and academic outcomes and breadth of curriculum
The curriculum structure, learning and teaching and assessment strategies must be designed to enable the achievement of the intended learning outcomes and be flexible to meet the needs of a varying student body
The curriculum structure should match the University’s Modular Curriculum Framework or a full justifiable explanation given as to otherwise
Student Support
Adequate provision for student support (academic and pastoral) must be appropriate to the nature of the programme and equitable to other programmes, and should be available to support a variety of learning needs

12. THE Validation EVENT : criteria for approval (Cont.)
Resources
The programme team must be suitably qualified and experienced and have an appropriate strategy in place for assuring and enhancing the quality of teaching
Learning resources must be sufficient to enable students to complete the programme
Student Feedback
There should be appropriate arrangements in place to enable students to contribute to the quality management of the programme
Foundation Degrees
It is expected that the design and delivery of Foundation Degrees will have been informed by the QAA’s Foundation Degree Characteristics Statement and the appropriate Sector Skills Council expectations
Foundation Degrees must demonstrate that:
There is an appropriate balance of theory, skills development and work based learning
Work based learning is an integral feature of the programme
There is collaboration between employers and programme providers in the design and delivery of the programme
The level of the final award is consistent with Level 5 as detailed in Part A of the Quality Code
There are opportunities for students to progress to Level 6 of a named Honours degree (where a bridging programme is required this must be described in the submission)
Work Based and Placement Learning
Where a proposed programme is to include work based learning or placement opportunities a Work Based/Placement Learning Statement is required as part of the submission (except where governed by PSRBs)
Distance Learning or E- Learning
The University website must be clear in identifying the programme and the appropriate institutional contacts, evidence how students will be facilitated in having meaningful engagement with the programme and provide a clear overview of the programme’s structure and delivery and assessment schedules
The delivery system of the Distance Learning programme/element must be fit for purpose and have an appropriate availability and life expectancy
The reliability of the delivery system must have been tested and contingency plans outlined
The delivery of any study materials to students remotely must be secure and reliable

13. THE Validation EVENT : THE PANEL
A Validation Panel consists of:
a Chair drawn from the bank of staff approved by LTQC as eligible to chair panels and who is outside the Academic School leading the proposal
a Senior Quality Officer and a Secretary nominated by the Academic Registrar (where agreed by the Academic Registrar both roles may be undertaken by one individual)
at least one External Assessor nominated by the Programme Team and approved by LTQC
two Internal Assessors drawn from the bank of eligible staff approved by LTQC and who are outside the Academic School leading the proposal
one Student Representative who is studying outside the Academic School leading the proposal and who has received appropriate training
N.B AQSU will source all members of the panel except for the External Assessor(s) who should be nominated by the Programme Team.

14. THE Validation EVENT : Agenda and conduct
AQSU are responsible for the logistical arrangements of the Validation Event (e.g. catering, room booking etc.)
The Chair, Senior Quality Officer and Secretary are responsible for managing the conduct of the Validation Event ensuring that the agenda allows for full consideration of the programme team’s full submission and allows all participants the opportunity to contribute to the discussion.
The Agenda will typically follow the below structure:
Private Panel meeting – Confirmation of the Agenda
(If Revalidation Event) Panel meeting with past and current students on programme
Initial Panel meeting with the Programme Team
Tour of facilities to be led by Programme Team to include resources
Private Panel meeting/Lunch
Concluding Panel meeting with Programme Team (usually with a focus on module specifications)
Panel meeting with Head of School and Programme Leader
Private Panel meeting to formulate conclusions
Panel to provide feedback to Programme Team
The Validation Panel is responsible for judging the appropriateness of the academic standards and the quality of learning opportunities of the proposed new programme. They are responsible for making any recommendations to the Academic Board for approval of a new programme, and setting any conditions upon which approval is dependent.
The Validation Panel must agree a date for the first intake of the new programme and confirm the period of approval (max. 5 years)
The Validation Panel must ensure that in the case of Periodic Review and Revalidation transitional arrangements are in place for the phasing in of new provision and the phasing out of current provision

15. After the validation event : steps to approval
The Secretary will produce a report recording the conditions, recommendations, any key issues raised during discussions and any commendations or good practice
Conditions = essential action required in order for proposed programme to meet Glyndŵr University’s criteria of approval
Recommendations = actions that are desirable in order to enhance the quality of the provision but where there is no risk to academic standards - Programme Teams are usually expected to address recommendations through the annual monitoring process
Programme Teams and Heads of Academic Schools are responsible for resubmitting the revised submission together with a written account of how the conditions have been met to AQSU by the agreed deadline
The Chair must complete an Executive Summary report for submission to Academic Board (along with the full Validation report) in recommendation that the new programme be added to the University’s portfolio
Academic Board is responsible for confirming final approval of a new programme
AQSU will inform the Programme Team once final approval has been confirmed by Academic Board

16. AFTER APPROVAL : ONWARD ACTIONS
Once final approval from Academic Board has been confirmed, the following actions must be carried out:
The Programme Team must source and nominate and External Examiner for the new programme
AQSU will ensure that the approved Programme Specification is published on the Programme Specification Directory on the University website
AQSU will ensure that the approved Module Specifications are published on the Module Specification Directory on the University website
The Programme Team must submit a Student Handbook for the new programme (using the Glyndŵr University template) to AQSU ahead of the commencement of delivery

17. Any Questions? Jayne Storer Melanie smith jayne.storer@glyndwr.ac.uk
Ext. 3384
Melanie smith
Ext. 3404