Progression and articulation agreements approval

An articulation agreement is a formal partnership through which the University of York will guarantee a place on a programme to a student - usually from an overseas higher education institution - when the student has attained a particular level or award at their first institution. Undergraduate students will join the University of York programme ‘with advanced standing’, that is, part-way through the York degree by recognition of their earlier learning at the partner. Articulation may involve a student graduating only with a York degree or with dual degrees from both York and the partner through mutual credit recognition. To facilitate articulation and consideration of appropriate awards, an Articulation Agreement includes academic programme ‘mapping’ that demonstrates the fit and feasibility of the applicant’s original programme of study with the University of York programme they will enter. Where a dual degree will be offered, the mapping also ensures the stages of the York degree will meet the requirements of the partner institution’s degree they will contribute towards.

A progression agreement is also a formal partnership, usually with an overseas higher education institution. However, there is no guarantee of admissions and students follow standard admissions routes and entry criteria. Students complete a degree/programme at the partner institution before being considered for admission to the start of a UoY degree course, e.g. a student completes a four-year UG course at the home institution before being considered for admission to a PGT UoY degree.

Overall aims:

• To identify opportunities for new partnerships and agreements.  
• To conduct a rapid, initial assessment/triage of new proposals and opportunities. 
• To conduct a rapid, initial due diligence assessment of the proposed partner institution.
• To enable a ‘fail/fast’ approach with an early assessment of whether to proceed or not with the proposal.

Responsibilities/contacts

• Coordination lead: Global Partnerships Team in International Recruitment, Partnerships and Mobility (IRPM).
• Collaborative provision advice: Academic Quality Team - advice on collaborative provision models, quality assurance, and curriculum mapping.
• Department/school: Designated articulations contact (academic member of staff).
• Oversight and approval: Associate Dean for Partnerships, Engagement and International.

Summary:

• Opportunities for new partnerships and agreements are likely to be generated primarily through either i) the international development work undertaken by the IRPM team in target markets, or ii) through new or existing academic links maintained by staff in departments/schools. Whichever route the initial idea comes from, academic involvement and ownership is required to ensure successful delivery of the taught programme(s) to all students. 
• When an opportunity is identified by academic staff, an email should first of all be sent to the Global Partnerships Team (GPT) in IRPM for an initial discussion. The GPT will also initiate an email discussion with the relevant departmental contact when they become aware of a new opportunity.
• If the initial GPT/department assessment is positive, the proposer (ie the academic lead) should complete the Partnership Triage Google Form which asks for information about, for example, the proposed partner institution, the York programmes involved, potential student numbers, timescales and potential future growth opportunities. 
  Submitted triage forms are tracked through a central spreadsheet monitored by the Global Partnerships team in IRPM to ensure that timely and efficient progress is made for all proposals. 
• An initial assessment of the proposal is made by IRPM and the relevant Associate Dean for Partnerships, Engagement, and Internationalisation (AD PEI). The AD PEI will lead on any initial consultation with the relevant HoD(s) that they may feel is necessary. Assessment will be based on i) alignment with institutional and faculty international priorities; ii) the nature of the partnership model, its market fit and level of potential risk; and iii) an IRPM recommendation on the scope and scalability of the business opportunity.
• If this initial assessment is positive, the proposer will be informed by the GPT team, who will then undertake an initial due diligence assessment of the proposed partner institution. If the triage decision is to decline the proposal, then no further work will be undertaken on it.
• The IRPM initial due diligence assessment will be carried out. If a risk is flagged, the initial escalation route is to the Director of IRPM and PVC Global Strategy. If the risk relates to a security sensitive subject area (e.g. if the subject area is subject to export licence controls), IRPM will direct the proposer to discuss the matter with the Research Policy, Integrity and Performance (PIP) Team in RIKE.
• If both the initial triage and due diligence assessments are positive, the proposal can progress to Stage 1. The AD PEI will authorise this in the ‘tracker’ spreadsheet and this will automatically trigger emails to the proposer as well as the faculty-aligned Strategic Planning Partner (SPP) who will oversee the progress of the agreement through the next stages. 
• In addition, a new Progression & Articulation Agreement Approval Form will be automatically created in Google (see a blank template of the form) and this will be completed and used to take the proposal through the following stages. The form will also be pre-populated with all the information from the Partnership Triage Form.

Timescales:

10-15 working days

Approval(s):

Associate Dean for Partnerships, Engagement and International

Overall aims:

• To define key ‘business case’ parameters for the proposal (academic and resource implications etc).
• To record comments on the proposal from relevant teams.
• To approve the proposal within the relevant department and faculty.

Responsibilities/contacts

• Coordination lead: Strategic Planning Partner.
• Department/school: Designated articulations contact.

Summary:

• Using the Progression and Articulation Agreement Approval Form, the SPP will coordinate with the proposer and other stakeholders specified in order to complete the Stage 1: Business Case tab.
• The questions in this section aim to record key ‘business case’ parameters associated with the proposed partnership and academic as well as a range of information about practical details, resource implications and potential student intakes.This section also includes space for the lead department/school to highlight any potential operational/resourcing implications required to successfully deliver the partnership from their point of view. More specifically…
• IRPM will comment on the viability and benefit of the proposal, based on a review of (i) market intelligence, local transnational education (TNE) regulations and competitive context, (ii) scholarship/agent recommendations, and (iii) outputs of initial due diligence checks. The comments will also cover the operational impact for IRPM of servicing partnership over time as well as any recruitment or marketing considerations for the faculty.
• The UG/PG admissions teams will comment on (i) whether or not they support the proposal and why, (ii) any significant issues/risks and, if applicable, iii) how these might be controlled.
• The Faculty Leadership Team (FLT) will comment on whether or not they support the proposal and why, any particular concerns, issues or risks, along with potential control measures. They will also highlight any additional resources that might be required (eg staffing, facilities, or equipment) and explain how these needs might be met, particularly if the proposal impacts on existing capacity or operations. Each FLT member's input will contribute to evaluating the overall feasibility and resource implications of the business case.
• When the Stage 1 tab has been fully populated, the SPP will ensure that it is signed and dated by the relevant HoD(s) and Dean (with delegated authority to the AD PEI if required) to confirm that the information is correct and that the proposal can proceed to Stage 2. The SPP will notify all relevant parties by email that Stage 1 has been completed.
• Following this stage of work, the faculty will have a clear understanding of the strategic and resourcing implications of the proposal, and these can - if the proposal is finally approved - be integrated into annual strategic and budget planning.

Timescales:

• All comments to be made by the IRPM, admissions and faculty teams should be completed within 10 working days.

Approval(s):

• HoD(s), on behalf of the relevant department(s)/school(s)
• Faculty Executive Board - or the Dean, taking chair’s action on behalf of the FEB.

Overall aims:

• To collate detailed information about the proposed partner institution (supplementing the details already recorded in Stage 0) to provide assurance to UoY about, in particular, the partner’s governance, legal and quality assurance arrangements.

Responsibilities/contacts

• Coordination lead: International Recruitment Team faculty contact.

Summary:

• Following the Stage 1 approvals, the SPP will notify the Global Partnerships team, asking them to progress the completion of the Stage 2 ‘Partner Information’ - liaising with the intended partner institution as required.
• The information required includes a range of information about key contacts and points of authority, governance, relevant learning and teaching policies and strategies, teaching quality and resources, legal authority, existing partnerships, timelines and approvals, objectives of partner and support they will require.
• When all the relevant information has been collected and verified, this will be signed and dated by an appropriate member of IRPM and the SPP will be informed. The SPP will notify all relevant parties by email that Stage 2 has been completed.

Timescales:

Partners will be requested to return the form within two weeks but response times may vary depending on the institution and quality of the response.

Approval(s):

Academic Quality team.

Overall aims:

• To ensure that the curricula already taken by the articulation students at their ‘home’ institution map appropriately onto the programmes of study they will take at the University of York, such that they will be able to complete their studies at York successfully and have a positive academic and student experience. Where articulations involve dual awards, mapping will also be needed to provide the partner with information about the fit of the York programme to their own.

Responsibilities/contacts

• Coordination lead: Department/school designated articulations contact
• Academic Quality Team: AQ Faculty contact

Summary:

• When the appropriate prior approvals are in place (this might be straight after Stage 0, or after Stage 1 - see note above), departments/schools will undertake a curriculum mapping exercise with their proposed partner following the guidance developed by the Academic Quality (AQ) team. This process will provide an assessment of the specific academic feasibility and fit of the proposed articulation agreement. 
• The results of the curriculum mapping exercise should be documented by the department/school and relevant information and links added to the Stage 3 tab in the Progression and Articulation Agreement Approval Form. The information will detail any implications for students' studies or measures likely to be required by York and/or the partner to maximise the potential for students to successfully engage in the programme and achieve their intended outcomes.
• When all relevant information has been added to the proforma, the department should notify the AQ team, so that they can review the information. 
• Following that review, and when all comments and questions have been addressed, the AQ team should record their recommendation about the overall feasibility and fit of the relevant curricula at the bottom of the Stage 3 tab and inform the SPP that this has been done.
• Any significant issues - ie those likely to impact on the overall feasibility of the proposed agreement - should be highlighted for the SPP so that appropriate further discussions can take place as rapidly as possible.
• When any curriculum mapping issues have been resolved, the SPP will notify all relevant parties by email that Stage 3 has been completed.
• Note: the Academic Quality Team can provide examples of curriculum mapping undertaken for articulation agreement proposals and can support proposers completing mapping. Please contact academic-quality-admin@york.ac.uk to request examples.

Timescales:

• 10-15 working days

Approval(s):

• Academic Quality team

Overall aims:

• To confirm the approval of the proposed articulation agreement at faculty level and by University Teaching Committee.

Responsibilities/contacts

• Coordination lead: Strategic Planning Partner.

Summary:

• When Stages 1 to 3 are all complete (whether in parallel or sequentially), the SPP will take forward the proposal for faculty approval by the Dean. [NB: This is the final approval point for Progression Agreements; UTC approval is required for articulations]
• SPPs to take the proposal forward for UTC Chair’s action (or delegate) - for formal reporting to the committee as Category 2 business.
• SPPs will notify IRPM by email when these two approvals are in place and record correctly on the approvals tab of the proforma.  

Timescales:

Within five working days (approvals can be done through chair’s action).

Approval(s):

• Faculty Dean
• PVC for Teaching, Learning and Students (or Associate PVC for TLS) - on behalf of UTC

Overall aims:

• To draft and negotiate the legal agreement relating to the partnership between UoY and the partner institution.

Responsibilities/contacts

• Coordination lead: Global Partnerships Team in IRPM

Summary:

• With the new progression or articulation partnership fully approved by the University, IRPM will forward the information/proforma to the University’s  legal team and liaise with them as required to develop the partnership legal agreement.
• IRPM and the legal team will also liaise with the partner institution as required in order to confirm the legal agreement.

Timescales:

Dependent on the nature of the specific partnership.

Approval(s):

Not applicable - See Stage 6

Overall aims:

• To confirm the final sign-off of the legal agreement relating to the partnership.

Responsibilities/contacts

• Coordination lead: Global Partnerships Team in IRPM

Summary:

• When the legal agreements and associated documentation are ready for signing, the IRPM team will liaise with the partner institution and with the PVC-TLS for University sign-off of both articulation and progression agreements. 
• When the agreements have been signed, the IRPM team will notify all parties involved that the new partnership is fully approved and that all relevant legal agreements are in place, sending emails as required from the global-teaching-partnerships@york.ac.uk email address.

Timescales:

Within five working days (approvals can be done through chair’s action).

Approval(s):

PVC for Teaching, Learning & Students (or Associate PVC for TLS).

Handbook

An Operational Handbook will be created by the Global Partnerships Team for each specific partnership as a shared document to be used by UoY stakeholders and the partner to manage the partnership once the agreement has been signed. This will cover practical issues such as admissions, programme changes, marketing coordination, and review.

Student Recruitment

Once the agreement has been signed, the relevant International Recruitment Manager (IRM) will be informed by the Global Partnerships team. The IRM in collaboration with the departmental leads will develop a Student Recruitment Action Plan, including required resources to deliver expected student numbers. The Action Plan will be tailored to meet the needs of each agreement and will outline at least the following: i) Annual recruitment activities, ii) required resources (staff time and budget); iii) associated marketing activities.