New^/Collaborative* Programme Development

Faculties/Schools should submit EOIs (proforma) for new/collaborative programmes to the Academic Development Committee (ADC) for approval. The Task Force established by ADC is responsible for the initial review and prioritization of the proposed programmes.

Once the ADC’s approval is sought, the respective Programme Planning Teams (PPTs) will need to submit a planning proposal, duly endorsed by the Faculty/School Board, to the ADC for approval.

Planning proposal should be submitted to the ADC for approval at least 18 months before the formal launch of the programme to safeguard the due completion of programme accreditation and the required approval process. A shorter timeframe is only accepted for special circumstances such as programmes proposed in the Planning Exercise Proposal which need the UGC’s approval.

Upon approval of the EOIs by the ADC, the respective PPTs will need to submit a planning proposal (i.e., Part I of the proforma) to the ADC for approval.  Prior to submission to the ADC, the planning proposal has to be endorsed by the Faculty/School Board^.  For self-financed (SF) programmes, a budget proposal should also be submitted to the Finance Office for budget review prior to submission and be submitted to the ADC along with the planning proposal.  The planning proposal should include the following:

1. general programme information
2. rationale for offering the programme
3. programme aims, objectives and the Programme Intended Learning Outcomes (PILOs)
4. admission requirements and medium of instruction (MOI)
5. an outline of the curriculum 
6. proposed tuition fee (for SF programmes only)
7. an operating budget (for SF programmes only)

^ “Faculty/School Board” also includes the Transdisciplinary Undergraduate Programme Board (TUPB).  Mutual endorsement of the relevant Faculty/School Boards is required for collaborative programmes across HKBU Faculties/Schools prior to submission.

QF Level 4 or above programmmes are required to follow the full accreditation process currently applied to HKBU degrees / associate degrees / higher diplomas.

For QF Levels 4 and 5 programmes of 15 units or less, only the General Framework (of programmes sharing similar structure and admission/graduation requirements) together with the planning proposal of the first programme to be offered under the Framework will be subject to the approval of the ADC and the subsequent full approval procedures.  Upon approval of the General Framework and the first programme, the Sub-degree Providing Unit (SDPU) will be delegated the authority to approve new programmes developed under the approved Framework.  The General Framework of Levels 4 and 5 programmes of 15 units or less should include the following:

1. award title (e.g. Professional Diploma)
2. QF level
3. programme intended learning outcomes (PILOs)
4. admission requirements
5. mode of delivery
6. duration of the programme and unit requirement
7. number of contact hours / QF credits
8. General Level Descriptors
9. articulation path
10. proposed tuition fee
11. an operating budget 

To initiate new programmes pitched at QF Levels 1-3, only the General Framework (of programmes sharing similar structure and admission/graduation requirements) together with the planning proposal of the first programme to be offered under the Framework will be subject to the approval of the Sub-Degree Programmes Steering Committee (SDPSC) and the subsequent full approval procedures.  Once the approval is granted, SDPUs will need to submit a full programme proposal to the Quality Assurance Sub-Committee on Sub-degree Programmes (QASC) (QF Levels 1-3) for approval of programme offering.  To close the quality loop, SDPUs are required to submit annual reports on major QA activities and plans for improvement to the QASC (QF Levels 1-3) for scrutiny.   The reports will be attached to the Summary Report of QASC (QF Levels 1-3), which will be presented to the Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) and the Senate for information.

Courses not requiring registration on Qualifications Register (QR)

SDPUs would need to submit the detailed course proposals to the Programme Management Committee (PMC) for approval of offering.

Courses requiring registration on QR

Detailed course proposals should be submitted to the SDPU Board via PMC for approval of offering. A summary report should be submitted to QASC (QF Levels 1-3) and SDPSC regularly for information.

Please click here for the detailed QA protocol.

Following the approval of the ADC, the full programme proposal endorsed by the Faculty/School Board, should be forwarded to the QAC Secretariat, which will confirm with the PPT for onward submission of the full programme proposal to:

1. Taught Postgraduate Studies Committee (TPSC) (for TPg programmes) / QASC (QF Level 4) (for SD programmes) for review and endorsement for external programme accreditation; or
2. External programme accreditation (for Ug programmes); or
3. QAC for consideration and advice on the next step. 

(Please click here for the approval process and click here for the typical timeline)

The purpose of external programme accreditation process is to ensure that the proposed programme:

1. is consistent with and contributes to the University's mission and strategic plan;
2. is at the appropriate standard for the level of the award proposed and comparable with similar programmes offered in other recognized institutions; and
3. has been thoroughly thought out and adequately documented on the provision of a valuable educational experience to students and that the PPT is genuinely committed to it.

An on-site or postal accreditation exercise will be arranged.  Postal accreditation would be subject to the approval of the QAC Chairman, which should normally be restricted to (1) new programmes with the discipline or area of study not new to the University, or the Department/Academy or programme has already had the required expertise and experience; or (2) existing programme(s) undergoing major revamp or curriculum restructuring.

An on-site accreditation exercise will normally last for two days (click here for a typical accreditation visit programme).  Depending on the complexity and nature of the programme, the duration of the accreditation may vary.

1.       Composition of the Panel 

1. The size of the panel and the number of external members shall be determined by the complexity of the programme and the expertise available in the academic unit offering the programme. 
2. The panel shall comprise a minimum of three to a maximum of five members including both internal and external members; the number of external members shall be a maximum of three, one of whom should be from a non-local institution.  
3. Panel members should be academics at the rank of Associate Professor or above, or professionals/practitioners at a senior level with substantial relevant scholarly background or experience.  To ensure impartiality, the panel members should not have close affiliation with the academic unit under review in the past three years, e.g., they should not have served on the advisory committee of the academic unit under review in the past three years.  
4. The University has fully adopted Outcomes-Based Teaching and Learning (OBTL). As such, the Director of Centre for Holistic Teaching and Learning (CHTL) will be co-opted on the accreditation panel by default, providing written input to ensure compliance with OBTL practices in the proposed programme.

2. Chair of the Panel

The Panel Chair shall be an external member appointed by the QAC Chairman.

3.      Appointment Procedures

1. The  PPT  should recommend  panel  membership  to  the QAC Chairman for approval. Curriculum Vitae (CV) should be collected to ensure appropriateness of the nominees to serve on the panel. Endorsement of the Dean(s) concerned is required prior to submission of the panel membership nomination.
2. Following approval of the panel membership, the QAC Secretariat will issue the appointment letters. 

The full programme proposal should provide the essential information on the proposed programme in the following areas:

1. general programme information
2. rationale for offering the programme
3. programme aims, objectives and programme intended learning outcomes (PILOs)
4. admission requirements and medium of instruction (MOI)
5. an outline of the curriculum
6. programme structure and content
7. general regulations and exemption policy
8. QA implementation
9. programme administration and management
10. staff development and research
11. facilities and resources
12. course syllabi
13. faculty CVs

The above is by no means exhaustive.  Depending on the nature and complexity of the programme and the subject matter, the PPTs are encouraged to add extra information as deemed appropriate.  The full programme proposal, duly endorsed by the Faculty/School Board^, should reach the QAC Secretariat at least two months before the scheduled accreditation visit for dispatch to the accreditation panel for perusal and preparation.

After the accreditation visit, the accreditation report, along with the PPT's response to the report and the revised programme proposal, duly endorsed by the Faculty/School Board^, should be submitted to the QAC for consideration and recommendation to the Senate for approval.

 ^Mutual endorsement of the relevant Faculty/School Boards is required for collaborative programmes across HKBU Faculties/Schools prior to submission. 

Programmes to be offered in BNU-HKBU UIC should also go through the approval procedures in BNU-HKBU UIC, and approval from the Ministry of Education (MoE) of the Mainland should be sought.

Please click here for the protocols for different scenarios of programme development at the BNU-HKBU UIC.