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Academic Board 22 September 2016
Termination of Courses
Summary
Under the Termination of Courses Policy, Academic Board is asked to approve proposals to
permanently or temporarily close courses.
The proposal to terminate the following postgraduate courses is prompted by both poor
recruitment and the non-continuation of the UAL validation under the new agreement for
2016-2019.
MA Animation Futures
MA/ MSc 3D Stereoscopic Media
MA/ MSc Broadcast Futures
MA Visual Effects*
Risk:
Student satisfaction and achievement adversely affected by course closure.
Failure to follow the correct process may result in an adverse judgement on this aspect of
Ravensbourne’s quality assurances procedure by the TDAP Assessors.
Action required
To Approve
Responsibility for progress
Head of Postgraduate Courses
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ACADEMIC BOARD
September 2016
Rationale for the permanent closure of
Introduction
Under Ravensbourne’s validation agreement with University of the Arts London, all courses
come up for review on a three yearly cycle. The first of these reviews took place at the end
of 2015/2016. Postgraduate awards which had not recruited or had very low recruitment
were not considered for revalidation and are therefore not approved for delivery from
September 2016. To complete the process of termination, Academic Board must formally
approve the terminations.
A checklist to ensure the following considerations has been addressed:

The strategic consequences of the closure including the impact on other course
and/or collaborative projects.

The impact of the closure on the staff and students.

How the quality and standards of the student experience will be maintained until the
completion of the termination process.

The process of consultation with or notification of students where the delivery of the
programme will materially change.

Progression of students who may need to repeat units.

The strategy for on-going delivery and support (including areas such as external
examiner arrangements, revalidation requirements, etc.) during the phasing-out
period.

The implications regarding professional body registration (where applicable).

Notification of prospective students (where applicable).
This paper confirms that that consideration has taken place and provides the rationale for
the proposed closures using the criteria outlined in the Policy.
The courses which are put forward for closure have not recruited for September 2016 and
any remaining students will complete by November 2016. The organisation and
management of the postgraduate awards i.e. common units with differentiated assessment
means that the impact of closing individual awards is minimal. The staff involved in the
leadership and delivery of each distinct award are employed on sessional contracts which
have not been offered for courses which did not recruit.
Academic Board is asked to approve the closure of the courses and to ensure the
consequences have been considered.
*NB Courses continuing are as follows:
MA Communication Design
MA Environment Design
MA Fashion
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MA Interactive Digital Media
MA Interactive Product Futures
MA Moving Image
MA Visual Effects
MA Wearable Futures
MSc Applied Technologies: Rapid Prototyping and Digital Technologies
MSc Interactive Digital Media
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