A Programme Approval Panel has authority to grant full approval to new academic programmes on behalf of Senate.
Secretary to the Panel: If you would like further information about the arrangements for Programme Approval Panels for your Faculty/School/Division, please contact the Secretary to your Faculty/School/Division Boards of Studies (www.bath.ac.uk/internal/bos/)
Membership 2008/09
Term of Office expire on 31st July in the year stated.
A Programme Approval Panel is constituted as follows:
Chair of the Panel (Member of Senate);
One non-member of Senate from the Faculty/School/Division with overall responsilibility for the subject area being considered;
One member of Senate or Board of Studies from any Faculty/School which does not have responsibility for the subject area being considered;
One member of the Quality Assurance Committee;
At least one external participant. The external participant should not be a current external examiner but should have knowledge of the subject area and any relevant sector requirements/guidance (e.g. subject benchmark statements).
The following officers routinely attend meetings of the Panel:
Faculty Executive Assistant (or equivalent) (Secretary)
Representative from the Registry
Terms of Reference
Approved by Senate 27th October 2004, revised 15th June 2005.
It is the responsibility of the Programme Approval Panel to employ its specialist expertise to undertake detailed scrutiny of the programme proposal in accordance with the aims of the Full Approval stage set out in paragraph 7.1 of QA3, and to assure itself that any issues previously raised by staff or committees during the programme approval process have been adequately resolved.
The role of the Programme Approval Panel in the approval of a partner organisation to deliver a programme is set out in QA20.
The Programme Approval Panel has three options open to it; a) to reject the proposal, b) approve the proposal, c) to approve the proposal subject to conditions. If the last option is the case, these actions must be completed prior to the proposal being signed off by the Chair on behalf of the Programme Approval Panel.
The Secretary will produce a report outlining comments made by the Panel and any recommendations or requirements.
Once the full proposal is signed off, the Secretary of the Panel will report the Programme Approval Panel's decision to the next meeting of Senate and forward programme paperwork to the Student Records and Examinations Office for setting up on University database and web catalogue.
Dates of Meetings
Panels are convened by the Faculty/School/Division as required.
The minutes and summaries of meetings of Programme Approval Panels are not published here because they contain information which the University has declared will not be routinely published under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Further information about the Act (including the reasons why such information is exempt from publication) is available at http://www.bath.ac.uk/foi/faqs-staff-general.htm. If you have any queries about the business conducted by the Panels, please contact the Secretary to the relevant Faculty/School/Division Board of Studies (www.bath.ac.uk/internal/bos/)
Prodecural Rules
Membership:
The following are included in the Programme
Approval Panel Membership Pool:
All academic members of Senate
All academic members of Quality Assurance Committee
All academic members of Boards of Studies
Director for Lifelong Learning
Co-option: None specified
Alternates: None specified
Quorum: The meeting will involve all members of the Panel.
Rules for voting: None specified.
Other relevant links/reference material:
Learning and Teaching Enhancement Office
Quality Assurance Code of Practice,
And in particular:
QA3 Approval of New Programmes of Study
QA20 Collaborative Provision