Changes to the Course and Programme Approval Process for Session 2026-27
The following changes have been introduced to simplify processes, improve consistency, and provide clearer guidance for Boards of Studies and colleagues managing course and programme approvals.
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1. New Deadlines
New/Amend
From 2026-27 the University will move to an annual cycle in which any regulatory changes are developed and approved through the Senate Committee structure by March. This will include the addition of new programmes, programme title changes, and any new regulation variations, or changes to existing variations.
This means that the deadline for Schools and Colleges to approve any new/amend proposals in PIP will be changing, and Schools and Colleges should be aware that the new deadline will be significantly earlier than it was previously. Further information on the new deadline will be communicated in due course.
Where a programme may require a variation to the University's Degree Regulations, approval must be sought by the Academic Regulations Committee (ARC) in advance of programme approval. The Regulations Data Input Form has therefore been retired.
Withdrawals
The deadline for programme withdrawals has been brought forward to ensure that no applicants are adversely affected by late programme withdrawal and to bring the University’s practice into alignment with Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) expectations and sector wide norms.
New deadline: 31 July in the year preceding programme delivery
This means approximately 13 months' notice for September-start programmes, and longer for January-start programmes.
Example: To withdraw a programme for session 2028-29 onwards, the withdrawal proposal would need to be approved in PIP by 31 July 2027, during the 2026-27 session.
Only under exceptional circumstances will a later programme withdrawal be permitted. Early planning is therefore essential when considering programme withdrawals.
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2. Definitions of 'Major' and 'Minor' Changes
To provide greater clarity on when formal consultation with students and an external examiner is required and to streamline the process for minor amendments, the distinction between ‘major’ and ‘minor’ amendments has been revised. The new approach reinforces the importance of consultation as a meaningful and reflective process, rather than just a compliance exercise.
Course Changes
New guidance now distinguishes between major and minor course changes.
Only major changes require consultation with students and an external examiner
Programme Changes
To ensure consistency across the approval framework, the definitions of major and minor programme changes have also been revised.
As with course changes, only major changes require consultation with students and an external examiner.
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3. Guidance on Withdrawals
When to Withdraw (courses and programmes)
To ensure that the procedure for withdrawing programmes is undertaken correctly and to protect the integrity of the University’s Programme Specification database and Course Catalogue, new guidance has been introduced to clarify in what circumstances a course or programme must be withdrawn on PIP.
Consultations (programmes)
The blanket requirement for student and external examiner consultation for programme withdrawal has been replaced by consultation requirements that are proportional to the circumstances surrounding the withdrawal. New guidance is available to help colleagues determine what consultations may be appropriate when withdrawing a programme.
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4. Changes to Consultation Documentation
To streamline documentation requirements and make consultation evidence easier to locate, the way consultations must be recorded and evidenced in PIP has changed.
For new and amended courses and programmes
Details of consultations undertaken and responses to those consultations should now be included directly within the relevant Support Document. There is no longer a need to use the consultation proformas or to upload these documents to PIP.
Course-level consultations must be recorded in section A6 of the Course Proposal Support Document, and programme-level consultations must be recorded in section A7 of the Programme Proposal Support Document.
For withdrawals
For course and programme withdrawals, the need for a separately uploaded consultation document remains. A Withdrawal Consultation Proforma has been introduced and must be completed when consultation is undertaken for a withdrawal of a course or programme. The completed proforma must be uploaded to PIP.
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5. ‘Quick PIP’ renamed, and new guidance
The functionality previously known as ‘Quick PIP’ has been renamed ‘Non-Standard Portfolio Change (NSPC)'.
Use of NSPC must be limited to non-compulsory, non-credit bearing or externally awarded credit. New guidance has been published to clarify the acceptable uses of NSPC.
Colleagues should refer to the updated guidance before submitting non-standard portfolio change proposals.
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