Good Practice in Institutional Oversight in a Post-Covid world
14 May 2021 at 10.00 am
Robust oversight of partner institutions is a very important part of the risk management and quality assurance of partnership provision. This session reviewed approaches to institutional oversight, with particular attention to the constrictions imposed by the travel limitations of a post-Covid and low-Carbon policy world.
TOPICS/SPEAKERS
Business as (un)usual: a sector’s perspective on changes to TNE partnering after covid / Eduardo Ramos, Head of Transnational Education, Universities UK International
UUKi presented the latest data analysis on UK TNE pre-covid partnerships trends, advanced some thoughts on how these have been altered by the pandemic and proposed a series of questions on how systemic change caused by covid can be used to better respond to the needs of existing and newer TNE partner countries.
Developing a new partnership in a post-Covid world – the University of York’s Europe campus / Amy Middleton, Global Partnerships Officer, University of York
The Europe Campus of the University of York CITY College is the physical presence of the University of York in Europe and the region. The main Campus will be in Thessaloniki, Greece, with satellite activities in 8 other countries and aspirations to go beyond. Partnering with an institution like CITY College is a first for the University of York. This presentation will provide an insight into the implementation project ahead of enrolment in Autumn 2021.
Establishing UAL’s first international validated partnership in the context of a global pandemic – new approaches, lessons learnt, ways forward / Jayne Knowles, Interim Dean of Performance Arts and Foundation, and Izzy Blackburn, Quality Manager, University of the Arts London
A case study of University of the Arts London’s new partnership with Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore was presented.
Premonition or Good Planning? How Leeds Beckett University approached questions of sustainability and risk management pre-pandemic and adjusted the mechanism for institutional oversight of international collaborations from 2018 / Dominic Ramsden, Quality Assurance Manager, Leeds Beckett University
The presentation outlined the change in strategy to ensure institutional oversight of international collaborative activity from 2018 to present, highlighting the key drivers that led to the changes and the lessons learnt. The session also described some of the changes implemented to this system as a result of Covid-19 and how they envisaged processes developing in the future.
Managing Student Experience in Partnerships
23 April 2021 at 10.00 am
OfS’ Regulatory Framework and the UK Quality Code apply equally to an awarding body’s students on its own campus and its students registered throughout the rest of the UK and the world (i.e. its students registered on programmes delivered by collaborative partners). And so ensuring that our students in partnership arrangements are receiving a good student experience is the central duty of every university delivering collaborative provision.
How do we ensure that we are getting this right? This seminar considered the challenges faced in working in partnership with collaborative provision students, to effectively monitor and improve their student experience. It also revealed how some institutions have overcome those challenges.
TOPICS/SPEAKERS
How might QAA QE TNE explore the TNE student experience? / Alison Felce, Accreditation, Partnerships and Policy Manager – QAA Global
Managing student feedback through partnership surveys / Kirsty Donnelly, Acting Partnership Development Manager, Queen Margaret University
The marks are in! – the impact of marking and moderation inconsistencies on the student (and tutor) experience / Julie Barnaby, Course Director Trans-National Education, Leeds Beckett University
Hearing Voices: Listening to Students in Collaborative Partnerships / Ian Willcock, Principal Lecturer in Interactive Media, University of Hertfordshire
Managing Student Experience in Partnerships – A Collaborative Approach / Charlotte Haffenden-Gale, HE Co-ordinator, West Herts College and Helen Hall, Key Account Manager, University of Hertfordshire
The Pain of Parting: Exiting & Closing Partnerships
12 March 2021 at 10.00 am
The closure of partnerships can be a period of high reputational and possibly financial risk for the partnering university. This session included some salutary tales and cover a range of risk mitigation approaches.
TOPICS/SPEAKERS
The good, the bad and ugly of exiting partnerships / Phil Berry, Director of Academic Quality, Middlesex University
Exiting partnerships even on the best terms can still bring unexpected challenges for all those involved and when they do end badly those challenges can extend well beyond those originally anticipated. This session looked at the lessons learnt from exiting a range of partnerships and what can be done to protect the student experience.
Navigating the way out – a case study / Jan Bowyer, Associate Director of Academic Quality Assurance and Solomon Papadopoulos, Associate Director (International Partnerships), University of Hertfordshire
This presentation used a case study approach to outline experience of terminating a collaborative partnership. It covered the planning of an exit strategy and some of the unique challenges encountered, including the impact on the student learning experience and the requirements for institutional and regulatory oversight.
An amicable divorce: How to terminate a partnership and continue to enhance the student experience whilst creating new opportunities /
Dr Anne Harbisher and Sophia Harding, Collaborative Academic Partnership Managers, Staffordshire University
This presentation shared Staffordshire University’s experience of managing the teach-out period for two long standing partnerships overseas that were recently terminated. The speakers talked about how they attend to the practical and operational elements of a termination over a long teach-out period and at the same time develop the positive aspects of collaboration and partnership to create new opportunities and develop existing strengths for the benefit of the current students and for the institutions as a whole.
From ‘Take a Chance’, through ‘Knowing Me Knowing You’ to ‘When All is Said and Done.’ / Maureen McLaughlin, Director of Education Policy and Standards, University of Warwick
A light-hearted observation of the journey of academic partnerships from the early days of courtship, the settled years of fruitful development, through to exiting with dignity.
Embedding exit / termination arrangements within Collaborative agreements and effective documentation to manage transition / Dominic Ramsden, Quality Assurance Manager, Leeds Beckett University
This presentation focused on the preparatory work undertaken to ensure that exit / termination is clearly articulated in Collaborative Agreements, with a mutually understood framework for teach out and closure of academic partnerships, including a clear set of documentation for the University and Partners.
The Importance of “Link Tutors” in Partnerships
15 January 2021 at 10.00am
The role of the frontline academic staff in collaborative provision is one of critical importance to the maintenance of quality assurance and high quality student experience. However, it is also a potential weak link in the chain, due to the reliance on single individuals. The workshop explored how institutions manage their oversight of link tutors and how they support the function to ensure it is successful.
TOPICS/SPEAKERS
Approach to Managing the Role of Academic Link Tutors / Dr Anne Harbisher and Robin Oldham, Staffordshire University
Link Tutors: Shared Perspective and Experiences / Becky Hopkinson, Leeds Beckett University and Dr Priya Essoo and Jeevesh Augnoo, Rushmore Business School
Link Tutors: The Strongest Link in Enhancing Academic Partnerships / Veronica Earle, Herminia Alonso-Bote, Joel Carlton and Michaela Cottee, University of Hertfordshire
Risk & Due Diligence in Partnerships
4 December 2020 at 10.00am via Zoom
Assessing risk in partnerships and new partners is always critical for universities and the cost of making mistakes can be high. In the current environment the risks may be higher and some processes more challenging. Universities are therefore developing risk-based frameworks to work within, directing resources to areas where there is most perceived risk.
This CVU webinar will identify important factors that must be considered whilst identifying and managing the risks involved in working with both potential and existing collaborative partners, consider good practice in due diligence and risk management and will consider approaches to mitigate the current constrictions.
TOPICS/SPEAKERS
How to know your partner / Nick Thorley, Director, Corporate Intelligence Team, S-RM Intelligence and Risk Consulting
Due diligence for academic collaborative partnerships / Alex Hall, Director of Legal & Compliance Services and University Solicitor, University of Hertfordshire
Managing academic risk and driving enhancement at a distance / Hannah Kingman, Collaborations & Partnerships Team Leader, Nottingham Trent University
Keep Calm and Manage Risk / Suzanna Tomassi, Deputy Director (Partnerships – Quality and Relationships), Robyn Corcoran, Deputy Director (New Business and Operations), Open University Validation Partnerships
Staffordshire University – Our approach to Risk and how this applies to Due Diligence in the approval and management of collaborative academic partnerships / Diane Glautier, Director of Collaborative Academic Partnerships, Staffordshire University
Working in Partnership: A new approach to Transnational Education review / Alison Felce, Head of Accreditation & International Services, QAA and Rowena Pelik, International Higher Education Consultant
Partnerships in a Post-Covid World
6 November 2020 at 10.00am via Zoom
The impact of Covid-19 on global higher education has been immense. This webinar will explore how institutions and regulatory bodies have responded to the ongoing challenges and consider how effective oversight and high quality student experience can be maintained in the current environment.
TOPICS/SPEAKERS
QAA: Supporting Partnerships in UK Higher Education / Douglas Blackstock, QAA
Current issues facing the sector and their implications for university partnerships / Smita Jamdar, Shakespeare Martineau
Partnerships, reciprocity, policy and politics / Dean Machin, University of Portsmouth
Student mobility and collaborative partnerships: challenges and opportunities / Phil Cardew, Academic, Leeds Beckett University
UK transnational education before and after Covid-19: where, how and why? / Eduardo Ramos, Universities UK International
All information for CVU past seminars including the PowerPoint slides are available for CVU members in the Members Portal section. Alternatively, you can send an email to cvu@the-bac.org and ask for copies.