The Sub-Committee Chair usually considersand approves minor modifications to existing programmes outside of the Sub-Committee meetings. Major modifications to existing programmes are normally considered for approval at a full Sub-Committee meeting.

The relevant Sub-Committee Secretary will be able to advise on specific proposals.

Examples of modifications to programmes

changes to paper numbering: this could arise from programme restructuring or from course modifications, such as withdrawals and suspensions;
changes to selection lists: new courses might be added, or removed from selection lists;
withdrawal or suspension: to suspend or withdraw a programme in a given year, please discuss this with the Secretary in the first instance. He/she can advise you on what is required for the withdrawal/suspension to be approved.

Timing of changes

It is important to remember that programme regulations are specific to a student's year of entry.
In order to make significant changes to programme regulations that students are currently taking, all students must approve the change before the change can be put to the sub-committee for formal approval.
If the changes affect students who have signed up for the programme but have not yet started, you should as a matter of courtesy make reasonable efforts to notify them of the changes.
Changes to programmes that will affect students already registered and studying the programme ('in-year' changes) will not usually be approved unless the change positively affects the students' learning experience i.e. the addition of an optional course.
Where an in-year amendment is requested, the Department will need to consult with students registered on it and provide them with a reasonable opportunity to respond to the proposed change. If no objections are raised, it might be possible to make the change for that year. But even if only one student objects the amendment will need to be deferred to the following year.
Please seek advice from the relevant Secretary when making amendments to programme regulations. They can advise on the implications of the proposed change.

Approval procedure

Departments should email requests for modifications to the Secretary and provide:

all details of the modification, including the year it is to be applied;
the reasons why you wish to make the change; and
any change to the programme's learning outcomes.

The revised programme regulations also need to be submitted: Copy and paste the current programme regulations from the Calendar into a Word document and use 'track changes' show the proposed modifications. This will allow the Sub-Committee Chair to see the difference between the current version of the course and the proposed version.

The Chair will consider your request and the Secretary will inform you of the outcome.

The Secretary will also make the required amendments to the programme regulations (and where applicable course guide information) in the Calendar, and inform relevant School officers that the changes have been approved.

Departments should also review the programme specification for the programme. Depending on the extent of the programme modification, the specification may also require amendment. Please send any changes required to the programme specification to the Secretary (showing the amendments in 'track changes', as described above).

Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) sets out the consumer rights of students. The consumer rights issue which is directly affected by course and programme modifications relates to ‘information provision’ and the need for universities to provide up front, clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information for students.Changes made to courses and programmes may affect ‘material information’ which according to the CMA is information which allows students to make “an informed choice about which universities and courses to apply for”. This includes information such as programme title, core modules, programme composition and assessment. Please keep in mind the impact of the CMA guidelines on any proposals which are submitted for course and programme changes. Changes which do not provide students with sufficient time to consider their options, namely those proposed outside of the School’s established timelines for the proposal and modification of taught provision, will only be considered in exceptional circumstances.

Full details of the CMA guidance can be found in the Higher education: guide to consumer rights for students.

Updated programme information

A summary of approved course and programme updates is available for students. It is intended to give them an overview of new and changes to existing provision:

As the Calendar holds information for the current session only, there are also pages providing information for the following years:

For Undergraduates - 2017/18 and 2018/19
For Taught Master's - 2017/18 and 2018/19