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QUALITY ASSURANCE OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK

The University of Liverpool

Liverpool, L69 3BX

And

Laureate Online Education Contents

Page Paragraph Heading

1 Introduction

1 1 Definition

5 2 Programme Approval

6 3 Admissions

6 4 Registration, Enrolment and Withdrawal

7 5 Online Faculty Recruitment and Development

9 6 Monitoring of Learning, Teaching and Assessment

10 7 Board of Studies

11 8 Board of Examiners

14 9 Transcripts, Award Certificates and Graduation Arrangements

15 10 Student Representation

15 11 Evaluation From Students

16 12 Reasonable Adjustments for Disabled Students

16 13 Student Support

17 14 Student Complaints

17 15 Professional Doctorates

18 16 Research Ethics Approvals 18 17 Internal Periodic Review

18 18 UoL Monitoring and Oversight of the Partnership

19 19 Information to Students

20 20 Changes to University of Liverpool Policies

20 21 Escalation

20 22 Amendment

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INTRODUCTION

The Institutional Agreement is between (1) the University of Liverpool (“UoL”) whose

registered office is at The Foundation Building, 765 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L69 7ZX, (2)

Laureate Online Education International, Haarlerbergweg 23C, 1101 CH

Amsterdam.(collectively called “Laureate”).

This document is The Quality Assurance Operational Framework and is an Annex to the Institutional Agreement and this Framework supersedes any appendices, annexes or supplementary agreements to the Institutional Agreement to the extent they cover the same or similar areas or matters included in this Framework. It sets out the principles by which the University of Liverpool is assured of the quality and standards of the programmes that are delivered in partnership with Laureate Online Education. The Programmes covered by this Framework are University of Liverpool Programmes (listed in Appendix 1) and therefore are subject to the requirements of the University framework for Quality and Standards. Where, for good reasons, there need to be different arrangements in place, these arrangements shall be approved by the University of Liverpool Academic Quality and Standards Committee. This Framework applies to taught postgraduate programmes, except in the specific areas where professional doctorates are referred to. 1. DEFINITION

AQSC University of Liverpool Academic Quality and Standards Committee

Board of Examiners University of Liverpool Board(s) of Examiners as set out in this Framework and includes their operation as Module Review Boards, Progression Boards and Final Boards of Examiners as set out in the CoPA.

BoS University of Liverpool Board of Studies

Collaborative Provision Committee (CPC) The University of Liverpool Collaborative Provision Committee, responsible to the UoL Senate for maintaining oversight of the quality assurance, monitoring and review of collaborative arrangements.

CoPA University of Liverpool Code of Practice on Assessment

Director of Studies This is a member of UoL academic staff who is responsible for a Programme, according to the requirements of the UoL Framework for Quality and Standards and the terms of this Framework.

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Honorary Lecturer This is an honorary status in UoL given to any individual who engages in teaching but who does not have a formal contract of employment with UoL.

Honorary Recognised Teacher This is an honorary status in UoL given to any individual who engages in teaching but who does not have a formal contract of employment with UoL.

Honorary Senior Lecturer This is an honorary status in UoL given to any individual who engages in teaching but who does not have a formal contract of employment with UoL.

Laureate The name used throughout this document to refer to Laureate Online Education.

Programme Director This is a member of Laureate academic staff who is appointed to Laureate to oversee the delivery of a Programme or Programmes.

Liverpool Online Joint Strategy Board A review of the business and commercial aspects of the UoL/Laureate partnership. This Board will have responsibility for developing, setting and overseeing the strategy and overarching objectives for Liverpool Online to include but not limited to products, markets, brand development and recruitment strategy; ensuring due alignment to the University’s 2026 Global Vision and strategic priorities.

Module This refers to a discrete component within a Programme, with a credit value, learning outcomes, learning and teaching opportunities to achieve those outcomes and assessment tasks to demonstrate achievement of the outcomes, as set out in and in accordance with relevant UoL ordinances, regulations, policies and the UoL Framework for Quality and Standards.

Module Specification This is a document, produced according to template set by UoL, which describes a Module.

Online Faculty These are academic staff appointed and employed by Laureate who are approved by UoL as Honorary Recognised Teachers, Honorary Lecturers or Honorary Senior Lecturers.

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OPOG Online Programme Operational Group, the operational group containing both UoL and Laureate colleagues. This group will ensure the implementation of University policies and procedures in respect of online programmes and develop appropriate guidance and protocols to ensure the consistent application of policies and procedures across online programmes.

PGR Postgraduate Research, used in reference to the Online Professional Doctorate Programmes.

PGR CoP The UoL Postgraduate Research Code of Practice

PGT Postgraduate Taught, used in reference to the Masters provision.

Programme A programme of study which, when successfully completed and assessed, leads to award of UoL as set out in and in accordance with relevant UoL ordinances, regulations, policies and the UoL Framework for Quality and Standards.

Programme Specification This is a document, produced according to a template set by UoL, which describes a Programme.

Self Evaluation Document This is a document produced by Laureate Online Education for the Annual Quality Monitoring Activity

SSLC Student Staff Liaison Committee

LENS The student portal.

Subject Matter Expert These are staff employed by Laureate with appropriate relevant expertise to develop the learning materials in accordance with the Module Specifications and Programmes Specifications for a Programme. Subject Matter Experts are approved as Honorary Recognised Teachers

UoL University of Liverpool

UoL Framework for Quality and Standards This includes all UoL quality assurance processes, procedures, practices and requirements for UoL programmes and awards.

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2. PROGRAMME APPROVAL1 2.1 Programmes that are to be delivered online in partnership with Laureate shall be

approved by the normal UoL programme approval process specified in the UoL Framework for Quality and Standards. No Programme may commence until it has been fully approved by the UoL. Each Programme shall be assigned to a UoL level 2 School/Institute and the Dean of that School/Institute shall be responsible for appointing a UoL Director of Studies to lead the Programme through the approval process. The UoL Director of Studies and each Module Leader shall be a member of UoL academic staff.

2.2 New programmes and revalidation of existing programmes shall be approved by the

normal process specified in the UoL Framework for Quality and Standards. The relevant UoL Director of Studies shall be responsible for leading the Programme through the approval process.

2.3 Modifications to Programmes shall be approved by the normal process specified in the

UoL Quality and Enhancement Framework. The relevant UoL Director of Studies shall be responsible for leading the Programme through the modification process. Definitions of what constitutes a revalidation and modification are specified in the UoL Approval Process and the UoL is responsible for the final decision when determining whether a proposal to change a Programme constitutes a revalidation or a programme modification.

2.4 New modules and modifications to existing modules shall be approved via the UoL

Approval Process, with the relevant UoL Director of Studies having responsibility for leading the module through the modification process.

2.5 When a new Programme or Module is proposed for delivery under this Agreement, the

UoL shall identify the School/Institute that will be responsible for the Programme/Module and a UoL Director of Studies shall be appointed. As part of the development process Laureate shall liaise with the Director of Studies to deliver collaborative workshops known as “Programme Summits” and “Module Summits”. These collaborative workshops will be held under the jurisdiction of the UoL and shall bring together UoL academics, identified by the Director of Studies, with experts from Laureate in marketing, online learning, Academic Quality and Standards and other relevant areas as identified in the UoL Framework for Quality and Standards. The aim of these collaborative workshops, which can be either a physical or virtual meeting, shall be to inform the production of documentation for approval and development of learning materials for the online classroom.

2.6 During programme development Laureate employs a Subject Matter Expert (SME) to

develop learning and assessment materials in accordance with the Module Specification and the Programme Specification. The SME shall be approved as an Honorary Recognised Teacher of the UoL and approval shall be by the normal UoL procedure. All learning materials produced by Laureate shall be approved by UoL before they are placed in the online classroom. To approve the learning materials, the Director of Studies (referring to the Chair of the relevant Board of Studies if necessary) must be satisfied that they meet the requirements of the relevant Module Specifications and Programme Specification that have been approved by UoL in accordance with the requirements of the UoL Framework for Quality and Standards. This may require

1 No longer applicable to this partnership as of October 2018

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consultation with the team in UoL responsible for the Programme. A Module must not commence until the learning materials for that Module have been approved.

2.7 A proposal to withdraw or suspend an online Programme that is delivered in

partnership with Laureate shall follow the procedure specified by the Programme Withdrawal and Suspension Approval Process Guidance and Flowchart. An initial proposal to withdraw or suspend a Programme may come from UoL or from Laureate and a decision to follow the withdrawal or suspension process will normally be taken at the Liverpool Online Joint Strategy Board after appropriate consultation with the relevant School/Institute.

2.8 For Programmes that are approved and delivered under the Institutional Agreement

and this Framework, Laureate and UoL shall mutually seek to develop appropriate relationships with relevant international bodies and Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies for recognition of UoL awards achieved upon successful completion of the Programmes covered by this Framework.

3. ADMISSIONS2 3.1 The University is responsible for defining the admissions criteria for each programme

including academic, work experience and other requirements including English language ability.

3.2 Laureate shall be responsible for the administration of all programme admissions in

accordance with the Online Postgraduate Taught Programmes Admissions Policy. [Link to UoL website]

3.3 Such administrative responsibility shall also include the provision of a customer

relationship management system (e.g. Salesforce or alternative solution as agreed between Laureate and the University) by Laureate, with the functionality to be agreed between Laureate and the University.

3.4 Laureate shall review all applications against the Admissions Framework, accepting

those which meet or exceed the required standards and deferring all other applications to the University DoS for Academic Review within five working days unless there are exceptional circumstances.

3.5 The University is responsible for monitoring a 5% sample of applications accepted by

Laureate. If the monitoring identifies persistent concerns regarding the quality of applications that have been accepted then the University reserves the right to review all applications for a period of one intake.

3.6 All admissions decisions regarding the on-line professional doctorate programmes

must involve at least two members of University academic faculty who have received training and guidance for the selection and admission of research degree students. Laureate remain responsible for the administration of applications to such programmes including the recording and subsequent communication of admissions decisions.

2 No longer applicable to this partnership as of October 2018

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4. REGISTRATION, ENROLMENT AND WITHDRAWAL 4.1 Laureate shall be responsible for enrolling students3 and ensuring that they receive:

i) appropriately detailed information about their programme of study;

ii) clear information about the registration period associated with the award registered for;

iii) information on the support available;

iv) access to information about the relevant policies and procedures.

4.2 Laureate shall be responsible for the tracking and management of student progression including:

i) the enrolment of students onto appropriate modules;

ii) the provision of registration period reminders to students on a six-monthly basis

for the Masters programmes;

iii) management of suspension periods, with particular regard to the maximum registration periods available to students;

iv) tracking of students and presentation to the Board of Examiners (Progression

Board) of those who have reached the end of their registration period / those who have failed to make adequate progress.

4.3 Laureate shall provide the University with regular (monthly) updates of the following:

i) Programme enrolments;

ii) Module enrolments;

iii) Suspensions of studies and returns from suspensions;

iv) Programme withdrawals – including, but not limited to, students who enrolled on a programme but pulled out in the initial withdrawal period;

v) Information required by the University for external progression reporting (e.g. UK

Student Loans Company).

4.4 Laureate shall provide any other data required by the University in order to comply with the requirements of the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) or other statutory body or accrediting organisation. Such requests shall be responded to within five working days unless there are exceptional circumstances or the volume of data/complexity of the request requires additional time.

4.5 Any requests for the provision of data that is not explicitly referred to elsewhere in the

Operational Framework shall be reasonable in terms of timescale versus scope and the associated workload shall be proportionate to the value of the data to the partnership. Any concerns arising from such requests should be raised with the Chair of OPOG (University) or the Academic Dean (Laureate) or their respective representatives.

3 The registration and enrolment sections are no longer applicable to this partnership from November 2018.

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4.6 Where possible, the University and Laureate shall strive to eliminate manual / double

processing of data and maximise the use of electronic data interchange.

5. ONLINE FACULTY RECRUITMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

5.1 Laureate are responsible for recruiting Online Faculty. All Online Faculty must be approved as honorary members of the UoL, with Honorary Recognised Teacher status being the minimum level of approval. The UoL shall provide Laureate with the confirmed details of the documentation and information requirements for the Honorary approvals on an annual basis, incorporating requirements from the UoL Human Resources team. Laureate should ensure that UoL Directors of Studies are consulted before making any decision regarding Online Faculty renewal or termination.

5.2 Laureate shall be responsible for providing to UoL all the application documentation,

required information and evidence for the UoL approval process for honorary status. UoL Directors of Study shall sign off the application to confirm that the applicant has the requisite skills, knowledge, experience and appropriate education, qualifications and employment history. Where a Programme is subject to professional or statutory body accreditation, there may be additional criteria applied to the appointment of an instructor for that Programme.

5.3 Laureate are responsible for the induction of Online Faculty and all Online Faculty must

complete the Laureate induction programme before commencing teaching or supervision. Following the completion of the Online Faculty induction programme Laureate shall ensure UoL are informed of the applicants successful completion, the UoL will then be responsible for processing the Honorary status with the UoL Human Resources department.

5.4 Online Faculty who teach and supervise on the Online Professional Doctoral

Programmes shall meet the usual UoL requirements for appointment as a postgraduate research (PGR) supervisor (according to the University of Liverpool PGR Code of Practice). In addition, each member of the supervisory team shall undergo an induction programme jointly agreed by UoL and Laureate.

5.5 The content and details of the induction programme for new Online Faculty shall be

provided by Laureate to UoL for approval. Laureate shall ensure that all changes to the generic Online Faculty training materials are approved by OPOG, whilst the subject specific element of Faculty training will be approved by the relevant Board of Studies in advance of their usage.

5.6 UoL shall be responsible for updating Laureate on new or revised UoL polices,

regulations and requirements that are relevant to the Online Faculty’s role and approving the revisions made to the induction programme as a consequence.

5.7 Online Faculty who are appointed as dissertation advisers on the postgraduate taught

(PGT) Programmes shall be required to undertake specified additional training before they shall be allowed to supervise PGT dissertations.

5.8 Laureate are responsible for the continuing professional development of instructors. A

report of CPD activities as well as any changes to the induction programme and training materials, for all programmes, shall be reported in the Self Evaluation Document that informs the Annual Quality Activity. The quality of the online learning experience, adherence to UoL policies and procedures and the maintenance of standards in assessment shall be monitored by UoL during this Visit.

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5.9 When there are changes to UoL policies and procedures UoL shall have responsibility,

via the Board of Studies, for overseeing the training of Online Faculty and other relevant Laureate staff, to ensure the smooth operation of these policies and procedures.

5.10 Where possible, there shall be CPD activity arranged jointly between UoL and

Laureate that is recognised by the UoL, and with the aim of enhancing the student experience. Engagement with the UoL School/Institute in areas such as research and staff development may be specified by a School/Institute where there are professional or statutory body accreditation requirements.

5.11 Laureate are responsible for informing UoL of changes in the appointment of the Online

Faculty staff on quarterly basis as required.

6. MONITORING OF LEARNING, TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT 6.1 Assessment of all Masters taught modules, Masters final research projects and Online

Professional Doctorate pre-thesis modules shall be carried out by Laureate in

accordance with the University Code of Practice on Assessment and other relevant

requirements.

6.2 Assessment of all Masters taught modules and Online Professional Doctorate pre-

thesis modules shall be moderated by Laureate in accordance with the University Code

of Practice on Assessment.

6.3 All classes shall be available for review at any time by the University.

6.4 Laureate shall provide a Module Report containing:

(i) Student evaluation;

(ii) Student performance;

(iii) Online Faculty performance;

(iv) Online Faculty feedback;

(v) Moderation Report;

(vi) Placeholder for Monitoring Report (reference section 6.5).

6.5 Each Module shall be subject to sample monitoring by the relevant School/Institute that is named on the Module Specification. Monitoring shall be conducted by a member of academic staff employed by the University. The sample will normally comprise a minimum of 20% of all activity that is submitted to each BoS and BoE. The purpose of monitoring is to ensure that:

(i) The Online Faculty are delivering the learning aims and outcomes as defined in

the Module Specification and Programme Specification;

(ii) University policies and procedures are being applied consistently and

appropriately;

(iii) Moderation of assessment is being carried out according to the University Code

of Practice on Assessment and other relevant requirements;

(iv) Appropriate academic standards are being maintained.

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6.6 The University Director of Studies shall be notified of any issues identified during the

moderation that require follow up action. The Director of Studies shall alert the

Laureate Programme Director who shall, in turn, confirm what action has been taken.

The monitor shall record any actions taken as a result of monitoring on the report.

6.7 If the issue is not resolved to the satisfaction of the University then details of the

concerns and Laureate’s response shall be considered at the next BoS for that

Programme. In such cases Laureate will be required to submit a development plan

and the outcomes of that plan will be reviewed at the next BoS. If there are still

concerns about any issue that has been identified through monitoring, the BoS may

refer the issue to OPOG. If there is an issue regarding students being able to graduate

the issue may need to be dealt with external to the BoS with Chair’s Action being taken

and it being reported to the BoS at a later date.

6.8 A monitoring report shall be submitted by the University monitor to each BoS.

6.9 Each School/Institute shall be responsible for proposing the schedule of monitoring in

that School/Institute and this schedule shall be reviewed and approved annually by the

BoS.

7. BOARD OF STUDIES

7.1 The Boards of Studies (BoS) shall be run by UoL in accordance with the approved BoS

terms of reference, with the ordinances and regulations affecting the particular

programmes of study under consideration and in accordance with the CoPA. The BoS

conducted in partnership with Laureate for the online programmes should operate

either twice or three times a year, as agreed by the Faculty and reported to the BoE.

7.2 The membership of the BoS shall include both UoL and Laureate staff, with the

membership and Terms of Reference being agreed on an annual basis in line with UoL

BoS membership requirements.

7.3 The BoS shall receive reports from the external examiners for the programmes and

modules covered by the Board and shall recommend to the relevant FAQSC any action

to be taken as a consequence and each response to the external examiners’ reports.

7.4 The BoS shall ensure that effective monitoring and evaluation procedures are in place

for obtaining feedback from students on the provision covered by the Board and

determining any action to be taken as a consequence and fed back to students, in

accordance with the University policy.

7.5 The BoS shall ensure that effective mechanisms are in place for staff/student

consultation for the provision covered by the Board, in accordance with University

policy. The BoS shall receive the minutes from the relevant Student Staff Liaison

Committees (SSLC). The Board shall agree any action to be taken as a result of issues

raised at the SSLC. The BoS will provide a summary report, suitable for a student

audience, which will highlight responses to student queries and feedback and detail

resolutions and actions put in place as a result of the feedback. This summary report

shall be shared with students via the SSLC and also via the student portal. The Board

shall also report any actions or any recommendations to any or all of the following as

appropriate: the relevant level 2 Dean of School/Institute, the relevant Faculty AQSC,

other Boards of Studies if applicable.

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7.6 The BoS shall keep under review the continuing need for the provision covered by the

Board and, as appropriate, making recommendations and/or endorse to the Dean of

School/Institute for the withdrawal or suspension of a programme covered by the Board

in accordance with the relevant University process.

7.7 The BoS shall ensure that there are appropriate moderation and monitoring

arrangements in place for assessments in the provision covered by the Board, in

accordance with the requirements of the CoPA.

7.8 The BoS shall ensure, through monitoring and review, that there are appropriate and

effective assessment strategies and practices in place, as set out in the CoPA, and

receive reports to support this from the appropriate Assessment Officer.

7.9 Laureate shall be responsible for submitting the following information to each BoS:

• Summary Grade Distribution;

• Grade Distribution Data by Instructor;

• Grade Distribution Data by Module;

• Summary of the Non-Academic Fails;

• Student Survey Data by Online Faculty;

• Student Survey Data by Module.

7.10 The BoS shall ensure the requirements of PSRBs or other external stakeholders are

both monitored and addressed.

7.11 The BoS shall advise on any resource issues which have a direct impact on the

programmes of study or other taught provision for which the Board of Studies is

responsible.

7.12 The BoS shall monitor the number of applications and admissions to programmes of

study or other taught provision for which the Board of Studies is responsible.

7.13 The BoS shall receive reports from the Staff Student Liaison Committees (Reference

section 10).

8. BOARDS OF EXAMINERS Academic Integrity Sub Committee

8.1 Each Board of Examiners shall receive recommendations about allegations of

plagiarism, copying, collusion or fabrication of data from an associated Academic

Integrity Sub Committee (AISC).

8.2 The University shall be responsible for the academic conduct and management of each

AISC whilst Laureate shall be responsible for all administrative elements including, but

not limited to, the communication of Board of Examiners decisions relating to

allegations of plagiarism, copying, collusion or fabrication of data, as described in

Academic Integrity Tracking System Final Reporting Process. (Available on the LOE

Sharepoint site)

8.3 Such administrative responsibility shall also include the provision of an online system

for the management of cases (e.g. the Academic Integrity Tracking System – AITS) by

Laureate, with the functionality to be agreed between Laureate and the University.

8.4 The recommendations of the AISC and decisions of the Board of Examiners relating

to allegations of plagiarism, copying, collusion or fabrication of data shall be in

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accordance with Appendix L to the Code of Practice on Assessment: Academic

Integrity Policy.

Extenuating Circumstances Committee

8.5 Each Board of Examiners shall receive recommendations and / or decisions as to the

action to be taken in relation to extenuating circumstances reported by students from

an associated Extenuating Circumstances Committee (ECC).

8.6 The University shall be responsible for the academic conduct and management of each

ECC whilst Laureate shall be responsible for all administrative elements as described

in Extenuating Circumstances Claims Handling Process (Available on the LOE

Sharepoint site).

8.7 Such administrative responsibility shall also include the provision of an online system

for the management of claims and supporting documentation by Laureate, with the

functionality to be agreed between Laureate and the University.

8.8 The recommendations and decisions of the ECC and the Board of Examiners relating

to extenuating circumstances reported by students shall be in accordance with

Appendix M to the Code of Practice on Assessment: Policy on Extenuating

Circumstances in Relation to Performance in Assessments and Examinations.

Boards of Examiners: Operating Principles and External Examiners

8.9 Laureate shall be responsible for all administrative elements of the Boards of

Examiners whilst the University shall be responsible for the academic conduct and

management in accordance with sections 13 to 17 of Appendix D to the Code of

Practice on Assessment: Regulations for the Conduct of Examinations:

13 - Constitution, Responsibilities and Operation of Boards of Examiners;

14 - Module Review Boards;

15 - Progression Boards;

16 - Final Board of Examiners;

17 - Roles and Responsibilities.

8.10 The University shall be responsible for the appointment of External Examiners in

accordance with Appendix H to the Code of Practice on Assessment: External

Examiner System for Taught Provision.

8.11 The University shall be responsible for the induction of External Examiners, with

Laureate supporting and / or delivering part of the induction process relating to the

operation of the online systems if requested to do so by the University.

8.12 External Examiners shall have access to all online classrooms and all pieces of

assessed work so that they are able to carry out their role in accordance with Appendix

H of the CoPA.

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Boards of Examiners: Operations - Pre Board

8.13 Laureate shall maintain accurate records of the registration and progression of

students which shall be used to inform which students are presented to the Board of

Examiners:

Student has Student presented to

Completed a taught module or pre-thesis module within the assessment period for the particular Board of Examiners

Module Review Board for consideration of the provisional mark

Submitted the final research project within the assessment period for the particular Board of Examiners

Module Review Board for consideration of the provisional mark and determination of the re-assessment option (where applicable)

Failed to submit the final research project by the deadline within the assessment period for the particular Board of Examiners

Module Review Board for confirmation of the fail (zero) grade and ratification of the re-assessment option (where applicable)

Potentially completed all required elements for the academic award on which they were registered within the maximum period of registration

Final Board of Examiners for consideration of award

Failed to successfully complete all required elements for the academic award on which they were registered AND exhausted all applicable re-assessment opportunities

Final Board of Examiners for consideration of exit award

Exceeded the maximum period of registration AND failed to complete all required elements for the academic award on which they were registered

Progression Board for confirmation that student is required to terminate studies Final Board of Examiners for consideration of exit award (where applicable)

Failed to have made satisfactory progress in their studies

Progression Board for consideration whether student should be required to terminate studies Final Board of Examiners for consideration of exit award (where applicable)

Reported extenuating circumstances, with the Extenuating Circumstances Committee having made a recommendation of what action to take

Progression Board for consideration of the ECC recommendation

Been accused of breaching the Academic Integrity policy, with the Academic Integrity Sub Committee having made a recommendation of a Category C, D or E incident

Module Review Board to confirm / determine the appropriate penalty following the AISC recommendation

If the student is deemed to have failed the final research project at the first sitting then, subject to sufficient time remaining within the registration period, the student will be allowed to choose between being considered for an exit award or presenting themself for re-assessment in the final research project.

8.14 Laureate shall publish the ‘Admin Grades’ spreadsheet four weeks prior to the Board

of Examiners, with this containing all of the taught module marks for students who

are due to be presented to the Final Board of Examiners for consideration of an

award.

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8.15 Laureate shall publish the following lists to the Laureate SharePoint site three weeks

prior to the Board of Examiners:

Spreadsheet of students for consideration by the Progression Board due to having either exceeded the maximum period of registration or failed to have made satisfactory progress in their studies [‘Deemed Withdrawn List’];

Cumulative spreadsheet of students who failed to submit the final research project at the first sitting, with the re-assessment option having previously been approved by Chair’s Action on behalf of the Board of Examiners [‘Non Submission List’];

Spreadsheet(s) of students for consideration of an award by the Final Board of Examiners [‘Grade List’], with the first tab containing student data, taught module marks, dissertation marks, ‘dissertation status’ field (pre-populated with ‘NS’ for any dissertations having a zero mark for non-submission) and calculated averages (taught and overall). This spreadsheet shall enable the University to determine the award and, where applicable, the level (e.g. Pass, Merit, Distinction), with the grouping of students clearly identifying those being considered for an exit award.

Boards of Examiners: Operations - Post Board

8.16 The University shall publish final versions of the following lists to the Laureate

SharePoint site within five working days of the Board of Examiners

Spreadsheet of decisions regarding Academic Integrity cases

Spreadsheet of decisions regarding Extenuating Circumstances claims

Spreadsheet(s) of decisions regarding final awards [‘Pass List(s)’], with this consisting of an extract from the ‘Grade List’ including the following fields: Name / School ID / Spider ID / Specialisation / Intake Date / Dissertation Grade / Dissertation Status / Award / Notes

8.17 Laureate shall record the taught module, pre-thesis module and final research project

marks once approved by the Board of Examiners, with any adjustments having been

made in light of related decisions by the Board (e.g. academic integrity cases). The

approved marks shall be provided to the University in an electronic format suitable for

uploading into the University Student Record System.

8.18 Laureate shall communicate all decisions of the Board of Examiners including, but not

limited to, module results, awards, academic integrity cases and extenuating

circumstances claims, using a series of communication templates developed and

approved collaboratively.

8.19 Laureate shall communicate individual feedback on the final research projects to all

students.

Academic Appeals

8.20 Students of online taught postgraduate programmes may submit an assessment appeal against individual module marks or against a decision of the Board of Examiners in accordance with Appendix F to the Code of Practice on Assessment: Assessment Appeals Procedure for Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate Programmes. This procedure is also applicable to the pre-thesis modules for students of online professional doctorate programmes.

8.21 The University shall have academic responsibility for the assessment appeals process

whilst Laureate shall be responsible for all administrative elements.

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8.22 Students may submit a faculty progress appeal against a decision of the Board of

Examiners acting as a Progression Board in accordance with Appendix E to the Code

of Practice on Assessment: Guide on the Progress of Students on Taught Programmes

of Study.

8.23 The University shall have academic and administrative responsibility for faculty

progress appeals process, Laureate shall complete a summary form for each student

presented to the Faculty Progress Committee as per Faculty Progress Committee

Summary Form (Available on the LOE SharepointSharePoint site).

9. TRANSCRIPTS, AWARD CERTIFICATES AND GRADUATION ARRANGEMENTS

9.1 UoL shall be responsible for transcripts, certificates of qualification and graduation arrangements. All qualifications are awarded by the UoL, the UoL has responsibility for convening, leading and concluding the necessary Board of Examiners to make this possible.

9.2 UoL shall be responsible for producing the Higher Education Achievement Record

(HEAR). The HEAR shall be a comprehensive record of all university achievements, including academic results and co- and extra-curricular activities that a student took part in during their academic studies at Liverpool.

9.3 The HEAR shall be a digitally signed document that contains detailed information about

learning outcomes and achievements and, along with the award certificate, supports any applications for employment and further study. UoL is responsible for emailing each graduate with a PDF version of the HEAR approximately one week after their graduation ceremony date.

9.4 Laureate shall have responsibility for sending a confirmation of studies letter to a

student if they request this prior to completing their programme of study, the student may request that this is with or without the grades. The student should receive the letter (a PDF version) approximately one week from the time of their request.

9.5 UoL shall have responsibility for the organisation and delivery of all graduation

ceremonies. The development of the graduation schedule and timetable, and its

communication to potential graduands is the responsibility of the UoL. Laureate shall

ensure that all required information regarding potential graduands is supplied in line

with the timeframes identified by the UoL Graduation Team.

9.6 UoL shall produce a document, on an annual basis, identifying key dates when

information should be shared between the organisations to facilitate the organisation

of the graduation.

9.7 Laureate shall provide a confirmation to the University on whether any graduands

have outstanding fees owed to Laureate. The University will ensure that these

graduands are not included in the graduation ceremonies and are informed that they

are not financially eligible to graduate.

9.8 The content of communications regarding graduation, whether sent by the University

or Laureate, will be agreed between the partners. UoL shall have responsibility for

contacting potential and actual graduands however Laureate may send reminders to

help prompt graduands to register for a ceremony or to remind them to pay

outstanding fees.

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9.9 The UoL graduation website shall be the primary reference point for potential

graduands for information about the graduations, all communications to potential

graduands will reference this webpage.

10. STUDENT REPRESENTATION

10.1 Students shall have formal representation in accordance with the UoL Code of Practice on Student Representation.

10.2 Students shall be governed by the UoL protocols for student representation and shall

be entitled to Associate Membership of UoL’s Guild of Students. 10.3 Laureate shall be responsible for holding Staff Student Liaison Committees that report

to the BoS. 10.4 Laureate shall have responsibility for facilitating the course representative nomination

and election process. Laureate shall provide the required course representative training, in accordance with the UoL Code of Practice on Student Representation and provide the necessary tools for the Course Representatives to gather feedback from the student population.

10.5 Laureate shall provide a copy of the training documentation to UoL on an annual basis. 10.6 The Student Staff Liaison Committee shall provide a forum for evaluative comment or

to raise any issues of concern and enable staff to consult with students on changes to curriculum, methods of assessment, policies and procedures, as appropriate.

11. EVALUATION FROM STUDENTS

11.1 Laureate shall ensure that students have the opportunity to provide evaluation on their Programme of study via module evaluations in accordance with the UoL policy on Module Evaluation as set out in the UoL Framework for Quality and Standards.

11.2 The UoL have responsibility for approving any changes to the module evaluation

questions. 11.3 Laureate shall provide to the UoL full, unedited copies of all students’ evaluations of

their Modules and/or Programme via the BoS. 11.4 The UoL shall inform Laureate of its response to matters raised in the students’

evaluations that relate to the content of the Modules or the Programmes and Laureate shall be responsible for communicating this to the students.

11.5 Laureate shall agree with the UoL the response to students on matters raised in the

students’ evaluations that relate to the delivery of the Modules or the Programmes. Laureate shall be responsible for communicating this to the students.

11.6 Laureate shall determine its response to students on matters raised in the students’

evaluations that relate to support or other, non-academic services provided by Laureate. Laureate shall be responsible for communicating this to students and shall report its response to the UoL.

11.7 The normal mechanism for receiving student feedback and the response to it is through

the End of Module Reports that are submitted to each BoS. The BoS will provide a

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summary report, suitable for a student audience, which will highlight responses to student queries and feedback and detail resolutions and actions put in place as a result of the feedback. This summary report shall be shared with students via the Student Staff Liaison Committees.

12. REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS FOR DISABLED STUDENTS

12.1 Laureate shall be responsible for ensuring that appropriate support and/or reasonable adjustment for students with a disability are put in place via the Disability Centre and that there is a Disability Policy to govern practice. The Disability Policy shall outline the scope of the policy, all permitted reasonable adjustments, and the process for applying to the Disability Centre. Responsibility for writing the Disability Policy resides with Laureate, any amendments to either the Disability Policy or the reasonable adjustments permitted for students should be approved via Online Programmes Operational Group (OPOG). An annual report containing usage of the Disability Centre should be submitted to OPOG for information.

13. STUDENT SUPPORT

13.1 Laureate shall allocate appropriate levels of online support, this includes staff and any online or physical resources used to support the students. Any systems or technological components used either to assist students with their online programmes or used by staff to facilitate support will be determined by Laureate, following discussion with UoL to ensure limited impact to students and to ensure it is in accordance with UoL requirements.

13.2 Laureate shall have responsibility for determining the roles and responsibilities of

Laureate support staff. For those staff who liaise with the University, including advice given around formal University processes will be discussed and agreed through formal partnership operational meetings.

13.3 Where appropriate, the level of support that Laureate provides for online students

should at the minimum, reflect the level of services that students studying on campus receive.

13.4 The UoL shall be responsible for providing the support for the online library and

associated resources. 13.5 Laureate shall have responsibility for dealing with student enquiries regarding student

finance and fees. 13.6 Laureate shall provide online students with access to the Global Careers Advisor

Network.

14. STUDENT COMPLAINTS

14.1 Laureate shall provide a student complaints procedure that has been approved by OPOG. The procedure outlined in this document will be in accordance to the UoL Students Complaints Policy and Procedures document.

15. PROFESSIONAL DOCTORATES

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15.1 The Online Professional Doctorate Framework, and any accompanying appendices,

set out the operational detail for Online Professional Doctorate programmes.

15.2 Students on online professional doctorate Programmes may make an assessment

appeal in accordance with the Regulations for Research Degree Appeals Procedure

(Appendix 10 of the PGR Code of Practice).

15.3 Each research student shall have a supervisory team containing a primary supervisor

who is the clearly identified point of contact.

15.4 One member of the supervisory team should normally be a member of academic staff

employed by the UoL.

15.5 The progress of each student shall be reviewed in accordance with the PGR Code of

Practice Appendix 3, Policy and Procedures on the Academic Progress of

Postgraduate Research Students, with the requirement that progress will be reviewed

on a biannual basis by a progress review panel that shall be independent of the

student’s supervisors. The progress review panel shall consider a written report from

the student and the primary supervisor and will decide whether the student’s progress

is satisfactory, and if not will take steps to support the student until they reach a

satisfactory level of progress or make a decision to terminate a student’s studies. All

decisions and recommendations made by the Progress Review Panel will be made will

be in accordance with the PGR Code of Practice Appendix 3, Policy and Procedures

on the Academic Progress of Postgraduate Research Students.

15.6 The UoL Director of Studies for each professional doctorate Programme shall produce

an annual monitoring report to the relevant BoS, detailing the progression and

completion information for the Programme benchmarked against appropriate internal

and external indicators and where possible benchmarked against national data. The

report shall also comment on the quality of the research outputs from the Programmes

in the context in which the Programme is being offered and on the quality of the

supervision.

15.7 Laureate shall provide a forecasting of the number of supervisors required for the

Online Professional Doctorates on an annual basis to the Board of Studies, with the

timing of the report agreed with the Chair of the Board of Studies. The report should

include projections and a risk assessment of capacity.

15.8 Following the submission of the thesis a viva voce examination will be held at which

the candidate will be required to defend the subject of the thesis. The UoL has

responsibility for the organisation of the viva voce, in accordance with the Remote Viva

Policy detailed in Appendix 9 of the PGR Code of Practice. The candidate will receive

informal feedback from the examiners regarding the viva outcome on the day of the

examination, followed by formal notification in writing of the preliminary outcome from

the UoL PGR Student Administration Team. Once the candidate has satisfactorily

completed the actions determined by the examiners, they will be advised of their final

examination outcome in writing by the UoL PGR Student Administration Team.

16. RESEARCH ETHICS APPROVALS 16.1 For each Online Professional Doctorate Programme, there shall be a process for UoL

to approve research proposals and to ensure that projects have appropriate research

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ethics approval and which operates within the University’s policy on Research Ethics

and will be overseen by the Committee for Research Ethics within the University.

16.2 For each Masters Programme, there shall be a process for UoL to approve research activity to ensure that the activity has the appropriate research ethics approval and which operates within the University’s policy on Research Ethics and will be overseen by the Committee for Research Ethics within the University.

17. INTERNAL PERIODIC REVIEWS 17.1 Each UoL Department will undertake an Internal Periodic Review (IPR) every six year

cycle for all taught programmes and every five years for PGR provision in accordance

with the requirements of UoL policy. Where the School/Institute has an online

provision provided by Laureate, Laureate will be asked to be involved in the

preparation of data, evidence and the production of a Self Evaluation Document. In

addition to the preparation of the IPR documentation the School/Institute may ask for

key Laureate colleagues to attend to represent the partnership.

18. UoL MONITORING AND OVERSIGHT OF THE PARTNERSHIP 18.1 There shall be a written and legally binding agreement, the Institutional Agreement,

between UoL and Laureate that sets out the rights and obligations of each of the parties to the partnership. It shall be signed by the Vice Chancellor of UoL and a senior representative of Laureate with appropriate authority to sign a legally binding agreement.

18.2 The UoL will conduct an annual monitoring activity each year to ensure that the terms

of the Quality Assurance Operational Framework are being met and to discuss the implication of any changes to UoL policies or procedures.

18.3 In advance of the annual monitoring activity, Laureate shall submit a Self Evaluation

Document showing how the terms of the Quality Assurance Operational Framework are being met. The UoL may specify additional areas to be covered by the document.

18.4 A review of the business and commercial aspects of the UoL/Laureate partnership

shall be held four times a year. It shall be attended by appropriate senior staff from each organisation.

18.5 The UoL shall run the committees and groups listed below in 18.8. The UoL will ensure

that sufficient and appropriate members, are appointed to the committees and groups to satisfy the quoracy requirements and to conduct the business of the boards or group. The chair and secretary to the committees and groups will normally be staff from the UoL and the UoL will be responsible for scheduling and hosting the committees and groups on the UoL campus.

18.6 Laureate shall provide to UoL such information, data and reports as required to

conduct the business of these committees and groups. 18.7 Laureate shall ensure there are sufficient and appropriate Laureate staff able to attend

and contribute to the business of these committees and groups. 18.8 The partnership committees and groups are:

(i) Liverpool Online Joint Strategy Board; (ii) Online Programmes Business Support Group;

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(iii) The Online Programmes Operational Group; (iv) Boards of Studies; (v) Boards of Examiners.

18.9 Laureate shall provide to the UoL information and data about the Programmes,

modules and students on the Programmes as required by the UoL for its annual subject review process as set out in the UoL Framework for Quality and Standards.

18.10 Laureate shall provide to the UoL information and data about the Programmes,

modules and students on the Programmes as required by the UoL for its internal periodic review process as set out in the UoL Framework for Quality and Standards.

18.11 Laureate shall provide to the UoL information and data about the Programmes, the

students on the Programmes and the relationship between UoL and Laureate, and shall provide all other reasonable requests for support for the UoL to meet its obligations in respect of any review of the UoL conducted by the external bodies.

19. INFORMATION TO STUDENTS

19.1 The UoL is ultimately responsible for all information that is given to students or is

available to students on the Laureate or UoL website, but Laureate shall undertake to make every effort to ensure that the information that it provides or makes available to students is fit for purpose, accessible and accurate.

19.2 The UoL is responsible for all information about the UoL, its Programmes, Modules

and all relevant policies, regulations and requirements that are given to Laureate employees or is available to them on the Laureate or UoL website, but Laureate shall undertake to make every effort to ensure that the information that it provides or makes available to students is fit for purpose, accessible and accurate.

19.3 The following documentation and communications that are provided to online students

shall be approved by the UoL:

Admissions letters

BoE related communications including; - Academic Integrity Sub Committee Letters - Extenuating Circumstances Committee letters and communications - Appeal Outcome Letters

19.4 The UoL shall regularly monitor information that is available to students on the

Laureate websites and advise if there are any areas where information does not accurately represent UoL policy or procedure.

20. CHANGES TO UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL POLICIES 20.1 The UoL is responsible for notifying LoE of any changes to its policies relating to the

delivery of the online programmes. The standard implementation date for policy

changes is the 1st of September of the following academic year, unless indicated

otherwise. Where policy amendments have been made late in the academic year and

there would be operational difficulties in a September implementation date, it may be

possible to delay the date of implementation to the 1st January, subject to the approval

of the Chair of OPOG.

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21. ESCALATION 21.1 The normal reporting line for issues via the Board structure is from OPOG to the

Collaborative Provision Committee.

21.2 If any issue, surrounding the operation of the online programmes and its processes

and procedures, that is deemed to be of great significance or urgency and is unable to

be dealt with through the normal escalation routes can be escalated to the PVC

Education for resolution and action as appropriate.

22. AMENDMENT 22.1 This Framework shall be reviewed on an annual basis by the OPOG, any amendments

shall be with the agreement of both UoL and Laureate. Any such amendment shall be

certified by the signatures of the Chair of OPOG and a senior representative of

Laureate with appropriate authority to sign an operational framework.