LEARNING AND TEACHING COMMITTEE GUIDANCE TO DEPARTMENTS ON DUAL DEGREES
1 Introduction
The following guidance has arisen from work undertaken by the Dual Degrees Working Group, a joint Academic Development Committee and Learning and Teaching Committee Working Group, which was established to consider the University's dual degrees provision. The group made a number of recommendations for action to be undertaken by departments and the University which were approved by the Senate. This paper highlights a number of issues which are for the attention of departments.
2 General Issues
2.1 The strategic importance of dual degrees
The Senate has endorsed the strategic importance to the University of dual degrees. Departments are encouraged to consider their markets and to undertake competitive analysis in order to stimulate the development of new and innovative subject combinations that respond to current and future demands.
2.2 Encouraging flexibility within the curriculum
Departments are encouraged, wherever possible, to develop their first year programme structures to allow for maximum flexibility for students to develop their programmes of study in a variety of directions.
2.3 Modifications to dual degree programmes
Departments wishing to modify their dual degree provision in a way that will impact on the structure or delivery of the degree as a whole should negotiate, in advance, these modifications with the other department(s) involved. Such modifications would include both changes requiring formal University approval (e.g. changes to aims and learning outcomes which would require approval via the University's Programmes Sub-Committee) and also any changes that would impact on the structure or delivery of programmes and that may, therefore, have implications for the department(s) teaching the other half of the degree(s).
2.4 Good Practice guidelines
The following good practice guidelines should be actively considered by departments in order to help create a stronger sense of an institutional identity for some dual students, and for greater integration between elements of their programmes, where appropriate:
- Measures could be introduced to increase a sense of identity in a given cohort, such as an initial meeting at the beginning of the programme with possible follow-up meetings.
- The cohort could be assigned to a specific personal tutor, where numbers permit.
- Departments could consider putting in place measures to enable students to get to know each other and to foster a sense of belonging, for example considering teaching in seminar groups together to encourage cross-discipline thinking.
- Students could be encouraged to make creative links between their chosen disciplines, either through their choice of approved modules, or in the area of the dissertation.
3 An enhanced role for Dual Degree Co-ordinators
There should be an enhanced role for Dual Degree Co-ordinators to cover all issues relating to the organisation of dual degrees and, in particular, to facilitate discussions between departments regarding their dual degree provision.
Teaching Committee issued guidance on the role of the Dual Degree Co-ordinator in 1999, namely that in addition to the requirements of the Policy Statement on Personal Support for Students, each department should appoint a dual degree programme co-ordinator(s). The programme co-ordinator(s) will be responsible for liaison with his/her counterpart in the other department of the degree. Deans of Faculties should ensure that suitable arrangements are in place in each department. Where programmes span two faculties, the Deans of each should liaise to ensure that the management of the programme is appropriate.
There are concerns, however, that the role may not have been successfully adopted by all departments. Therefore, the following principles have been agreed to enhance the role of the Dual Degrees Co-ordinator.
3.1 Appointment and identification of Dual Degree Co-ordinators
Where they have not already done so, all departments offering dual degrees provision should appoint a Dual Degrees Co-ordinator. The Dual Degrees Co-ordinator should act as the first port of call for all issues relating to the academic organisation of dual degrees (e.g. timetabling issues, etc.). The Dual Degrees Co-ordinator should be clearly identified on departmental websites and noticeboards and in departmental handbooks.
3.2 Ensuring effective communication on dual degrees
The Dual degrees Co-ordinator should be responsible for checking that there are no clashes of core units within dual degree programmes and should provide details of departmental handbooks and assessment deadlines to his or her counterpart(s) in the department(s) providing the other half of the degree(s). When setting deadlines for the submission of coursework, the difficulties of completely avoiding coinciding dates across departments are recognised, but departments should make every effort to manage student workloads in a reasonably distributed way throughout the academic year.
It is recommended that the Dual Degrees Co-ordinator be the person responsible for discussing any modifications to dual degree programmes, in advance, with the other department(s). If no agreement can be reached, the proposed changes should be referred to the respective Dean(s) in the first instance and, thereafter, should the issue still not be resolved, to the Quality and Standards Sub-Committee.
3.3 Other duties
It is suggested that the Dual Degree Co-ordinator might also be the person responsible for the dual degree component of the departmental response to the annual review of programme regulations and might also act as personal tutor to students on dual degrees programmes, where numbers permit.