Programme & Unit Catalogues - Frequently Asked Questions (Staff)
Below are the answers to some questions we are frequently asked in relation to the Programme and Unit catalogues. If you cannot find the answer to your query below please see the Useful Contacts page for information on where to go next.
1. Why is the programme I am looking for not represented in the web catalogue?
2. Why have you given a new code to my updated unit?
3. How do I get a new programme or unit added to the catalogue?
4. How do I get amendments made to an existing programme or unit?
5. Where can I find templates for programme and unit descriptions?
6. When should I submit changes for next academic year to SREO?
7. Who do I need to inform about changes to programmes or units?
8. I have a Business Objects report which produces a list of units that I need to create assessments for. Why does the list include units which are no longer running?
9. The way my programme appears in the catalogue is not how I expected. Can this be changed?
10. Why do I have to provide information for the programme and unit catalogues so far in advance of the start of the relevant academic year?
11. When will my students be asked to select optional units for next year?
12. A change to the assessment pattern of my unit has been approved by my faculty. Why hasn't the web catalogue been updated?
13. My new postgraduate research programme includes some taught units. Do these need to be set up in SAMIS/included in the web catalogues?
14. How can I find out which programmes my unit is offered on?
15. The supplementary assessment data displayed for my unit in the unit catalogue is wrong. How can I get this changed?
1. Why is the programme I am looking for not represented in the web catalogue?
There are a number of potential reasons why a given programme might not appear in the web catalogue...
a) The department owning the programme has not returned the draft programme catalogue to SREO.
b) The structure of the programme is such that it is better explained in discussion with the Director of Studies (this is often the case for part-time programmes).
c) The programme structure has not yet been submitted to SREO for inclusion in the catalogue.
If you cannot find a programme which you think should be in the catalogue please contact Helen Buick in SREO.
2. Why have you given a new code to my updated unit?
We will provide a new code for an existing unit if...
a) The level of the unit changes and/or the unit is to be offered at two or more different levels simultaneously.
b) There is a change in the departmental ownership of the unit.
3. How do I get a new programme or unit added to the catalogue?
For general guidance on the publication of the programme and unit catalogues (including making amendments to data), please see the information sheet Preparing to Publish the Programme and Unit Catalogues (pdf). For further advice please contact your Faculty Executive Assistant or Helen Buick in SREO.
4. How do I get amendments made to an existing programme or unit?
All programme and unit amendments must be approved by the appropriate committees before being submitted to SREO (see QA4 for information relating to the approval of programme and unit changes). Once changes have been approved, your Faculty Executive Assistant will forward the relevant documentation to Helen Buick in SREO so that she can update both SAMIS and the web catalogues.
Please note that...
...it is the responsibility of the owning department to ensure that the agreement of all relevant Departments is obtained before any changes are made to a unit which will affect programmes of study in other departments. This is particularly important where units change period slot or are withdrawn entirely.
...you must ensure that you have gained approval from the relevant Director(s) of Studies before including a unit from outside your department within a programme of study. SREO cannot be responsible for checking that approval has been granted in such cases nor for any problems resulting from approval not being granted (e.g. problems with timetabling).
...it is the responsibility of the owning department to ensure that all
students affected are advised that a unit is to be withdrawn or moved to a different period slot.
5. Where can I find templates for programme and unit descriptions?
You can download the templates for programme and unit descriptions and
associated forms from the Quality
Assurance Code of Practice.
6. When should I submit changes for next academic year to SREO?
Your FEA should send us details of all changes as soon as they are approved.
Please see the deadlines page for details of deadlines for the submission of changes and the production
of the programme and unit catalogues. This information can also be found in the Academic
Administration Calendar.
7. Who do I need to inform about changes to programmes or units?
Once changes have been approved your FEA should forward all relevant paperwork
to Helen Buick in SREO. You should also ensure that the Timetabling Office
is informed about any changes which will affect the timetables (e.g.
withdrawal of units, changing semesters etc.)
8. I have a Business Objects report which produces a list of units that I need to create assessments for. Why does the list include units which are no longer running?
Your Business Objects report will pick up all units currently showing as "in use" in SAMIS. Although a unit may not be included in any programmes of study (and will therefore not appear in the web catalogues), it will still be "in use" in SAMIS until we are advised that is has been withdrawn (and this withdrawal has been approved by your Faculty).
9. The way my programme appears in the catalogue is not how I expected. Can this be changed?
The structure of programmes in the web catalogue is derived from the way they are set up in SAMIS. Often there is more than one way in which a programme can be set up and we have structured your programme in the way that we think most closely matches your programme description. We are always happy to discuss this (please contact Helen Buick), however, we can only make changes that fit with the structure as it appears in the approved programme description. Any changes to the content of the programme must be approved by your Board of Studies.
10. Why do I have to provide information for the programme and unit catalogues so far in advance of the start of the relevant academic year?
Due to the number of programmes and units offered by the University, it takes several months to prepare the programme and unit data for publication in the catalogues. Undergraduate programme and unit catalogues are published in late April so that continuing undergraduates can choose their units for the following year on-line (the data used to produce the catalogues is also used in the on-line student-unit selection process) before the start of the Semester 2 exams. This means that we need to start preparations for the production of the catalogues in January to ensure that we have enough time to process changes to units and programmes for all departments before the catalogues are published. Similarly with postgraduate programmes we need to start processing changes by Easter to ensure that all programmes and units are updated in time for the publication of the postgraduate catalogues in early August.
In addition to the above, any new programmes being offered need to be set up in SAMIS before the Recruitment & Admissions Office can begin processing applications for them.
11. When will my students be asked to select optional units for next year?
Continuing undergraduates will be asked to select their units for the following academic year on-line during April (prior to the start of the Semester 2 exams). New undergraduate and full-time taught postgraduate students will be able to select units at the beginning of the academic year.
12. A change to the assessment pattern of my unit has been approved by my faculty. Why hasn't the web catalogue been updated?
Assessments for ALL units are processed via SAMIS. This means that departments are responsible for maintaining their own assessment data in SAMIS (including the assessment pattern which is pulled into the web catalogues). Please ensure that you have made any changes to assessment patterns for these units before we start creating the web pages for 2009/10 (please see the deadlines page for information on the publication schedule). If you make changes after the web-based catalogues are published you must inform Helen Buick so that she can update them.
13. My new postgraduate research programme includes some taught units. Do these need to be set up in SAMIS/included in the web catalogues?
If you would like your postgraduate research programme to be included in the web catalogues then we will be happy to add it. Whilst we do not routinely include these programmes and units in the catalogues there may be some instances where they need to be set up (e.g. for access to Moodle and the Learning Materials Filestore). Please contact Helen Buick if you would like to discuss the setting up of units not currently in SAMIS.
14. How can I find out which programmes my unit is offered on?
Helen Buick in SREO can provide you with this information (or, if you have access to Business Objects, send you a report so that you can look this up for yourself).
15. The supplementary assessment data displayed for my unit in the unit catalogue is wrong. How can I get this changed?
Please speak to your Departmental Administrator (or the person responsible for processing assessments through SAMIS in your department) in the first instance. The supplementary assessment data in the unit catalogues is taken directly from the data set up by your department in SAMIS. Once the data in SAMIS has been corrected please contact Helen Buick to have the unit catalogue entry updated. Please note, however, that any change to the supplementary assessment for a unit must be approved by your Board of Studies before the catalogues can be updated.