From the 2024/25 academic session, sections of the Quality Manual are being reformatted to align with the new University of Nottingham Policy Management Framework. Where substantive changes are made alongside reformatting, these will be listed below.
Contingency Regulations
The University has reviewed and updated its contingency regulations, the purpose of which are to mitigate against risk to student classification and progression where University business has been significantly disrupted.
Contingency Regulations
Student Engagement and Attendance
Following approval of the Student Engagement and Attendance Policy by ESEC, the regulations governing Student Engagement and Attendance - UK Campus page has been rewritten to remove any duplication and to reference the new Policy document.
Regulations governing attendance and engagement - UNUK
Extenuating Circumstances
There have been a handful of updates made to the EC Regulation in the Quality Manual in time for the next academic year
- Re-introduction of first sit outcomes permitted for coursework reassessment where students will sit it in the next reassessment period and will require a new assignment
- Some clarification on wording related to Postgraduate Research progression reviews and reports
- Re-numbering of the Recommendations of Outcomes section (4.4.3)
- Expansion of self-certification for exams to assessments held within term time.
Extenuating circumstances
School Assessments Responsibilities (Including Examinations Officer)
Updates to the Examination Paper Template and also an update to examination rubrics for dictionaries, calculators, multiple choice question papers and open book exams.
School Examinations Officer role
Policy on marking and grading
A change has been approved for coursework marking. Anonymous marking is now required where possible and appropriate
Policy on marking and grading
Academic Appeals
In the 2024/25 academic year, the academic appeals policy and procedure will be replaced by a single code of practice. This will apply to all students and staff at the UK campuses. UNNC and UNM will continue under the existing academic appeals policy and procedure until codes of practice for their respective campuses are available.
Academic Appeals Code of Practice
Student Complaints
In the 2024/25 academic year, the student complaints policy and procedure will be replaced by a single code of practice. This will apply to all students and staff at the UK campuses. UNNC and UNM will continue under the existing student complaints policy and procedure until codes of practice for their respective campuses are available.
Student Complaints Code of Practice
Policy on Feedback to Students
The maximum time for return of feedback for the qualifying year (Year1) UNUK is being extended to 20 working days
Feedback to students
Examinations Officer Role
A simplification and clarification of School Assessment Responsibilities including the Exams Officer Role. The changes made are intended to ensure that the Assessment Responsibilities owned by Schools are more reflective.
School Examinations Officer role
Quality Manual Overview
As part of ongoing work to improve the clarity of the Quality Manual, the landing page of the Quality Manual has been updated to provide an overview of and additional information about the purpose of the Quality Manual. Further information has also been added to the ‘Governance’ pages, with a separate section about how to request changes to the Quality Manual and about how to submit an exceptional case to the Quality and Standards Committee. Some items have been reorganised to better locate them.
Quality Manual Landing Page
Periodic Assurance and Continuous Enhancement Review (PACER)
The University’s Educational Enhancement and Assurance Review process has been reviewed and from the 24/25 academic year will be replaced by the Periodic Assurance and Continuous Enhancement Review (PACER). Details of the new process, supporting templates and timelines can be found here:
Periodic Assurance and Continuous Enhancement Review
Regulation on Conflict of Interest
The university’s current conflict of interest policy has been reviewed to ensure continued compliance with OfS and IfATE requirements of the University as an end point assessment organisation for integrated apprenticeship provision. Changes have been made to the scope of the regulation to ensure independence of the assessment from the programme team. Changes in format are also included to ensure compliance with the University Framework on polices
Regulation on Conflict of Interest
UNM Staff Student Fora 
The revised process for the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus sets out to provide further guidance and clarification on the conduct of SSFs and its associated processes applicable for Foundation, UG and PGT
UNM Staff Student Fora
Apprenticeship End Point Assessment Process
The EPA process document has been refreshed for the 2024/25 academic year.
Apprenticeship End Point Assessment Process
Disabled Support Plans
Changes made following a review encompassing the following:
- Providing a definition, taken from the Disability Support website, to explain who is included under the term ‘Disabled Student’. Thereafter using only ‘disabled student’ to provide consistency.
- Provide relevant information for UNM and UNNC
- Updating links
- Textual changes
Disabled students
Teaching and timetabling arrangements for disabled students
Examination arrangements for disabled students
Curriculum pages
Pages have been reformatted to align with the new University Of Nottingham Policy and Management Framework. Additionally the following updates have been made:
- Changes have been made to explain the timelines which are now in operation to update programme and module specifications. The changes were made to ensure there is in built compliance with Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) guidelines, specifically around timeliness of material information for students and prospective students.
- Clarifies when additional approval is required for changes to programme and module information and circumstances where student consultation is required.
- Minor update to provide clarity on process to close or suspend a programme.
- Minor change to process and timing of submitting external advice
- Minor updates to the information about process and criteria for submitting a new module. An additional module criteria has been added to confirm student mobility as a reason to introduce a new module.
- Minor update to the guidance to provide clarity, particularly around target students and mobility measures.
- Clarifications around Learning outcomes and Curriculum maps.
- Addition to the key principles section to clarify the situation in relation to free speech and academic freedom to align with guidance from Universities UK and Office for Students.
- The University has introduced principles that should underpin the design of programmes. These should be considered when designing changes to programmes or modules or in the design of new programmes and modules. In advance of these being formally adopted into regulations, colleagues are asked to note these
Programme and module design and approval
Personal Tutoring - Academic Guides
A new page has been created for the role of an 'Academic Guide' within the Personal Tutor pilot in the in the Schools of Psychology (UK & UNM) and Law
High Performance Athlete academic flexibility
Changes have been made to the High Performance Athlete regulations to both update it in terms of changes to the EC regulation, and to make the interaction with the visa and immigration rules clearer.
Senior Tutor surveys
Addition of the requirement on Senior Tutors to annually survey all students in their school about the tutoring system. This is for ongoing QA, and enhancement work.
Policy on Academic Misconduct
Due to feedback indicating misunderstanding of the earlier update, the Policy on Academic Misconduct (2.1.2) has been updated to clarify use of translation and paraphrasing software can be permitted by schools or assessment guidance. Where appropriate and permitted by relevant Units/Schools, students’ can continue to use this to improve their writing. Students should check locally as to what is permitted.
The role of the PGR supervisor
Changes have been made to the role of the PGR supervisor:
- The role of the PGR supervisor has been updated to add in that supervision occurs until submission of the thesis and during any subsequent period of corrections.
- The number of supervisory meetings per annum has been increased (from 10 to 12 pa) and these must be at least monthly (pro rata for part time).
- If the required minima meetings are not possible, the supervisor is responsible to ensure that a written report is still prepared which records the reason for the missed meeting. These reports will be reviewed on a case by case basis to see if additional support is needed.
- The definition of what constitutes a supervisory meeting has been clarified and that these must be formally recorded. It is important that at these meetings the PGR’s progress to date and/or the future direction of their research or thesis writing is discussed.
- These meetings need to be principally in person (and always in person where the PGR is in the UK on a student visa).
The thesis pending period (including policy on extension)
Minor amendments to reasons that do not warrant an extension to the thesis pending period for postgraduate research students have been made.
The role of the PGR supervisor has also been updated to add in that supervision occurs until submission of the thesis and during any subsequent period of corrections. The changes made to ‘Responsibilities of supervisors’ apply here too.
Regulations for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD and Master of Philosophy (MPhill)
The role of the PGR supervisor has been updated to add in that supervision occurs until submission of the thesis and during any subsequent period of corrections. The changes made to ‘Responsibilities of supervisors’ apply here too.
Programme and module design and approval
This change is to limit new modules (and modules within new programmes) to restrict the length of in person exams to 1, 2 or 3 hours and of ‘at home’ exams to 1, 2, 3 or 24 hours. It is also intended that existing programmes/modules comply with these exam durations, unless there are necessary reasons why not (e.g. PSRB requirements).
Voluntary interruption of study
Change made to clarify the position regarding compulsory breaks in learning for apprentices. A new form has been introduced for this purpose.
Responsibilities of the School Postgraduate Student Advisor
To clarify the scope of the SPSA role and make corrections to incorrect Professional Service names
Degree outcomes statement
A revised version of the University's degree outcome statement has been published.
QSC case request
The QSC procedure for cases outside of regulations has been updated to provide more clarity on roles and responsibilities. New online forms have been created to replace word documents for UG/PGT and PGR cases. The updated process and guidance on completing the forms will be communicated to Schools/Departments shortly.
QSC membership
QSC membership has been extended to include a representative from the student wellbeing team and additional faculty representation from UNM and UMNC.
Supplementary regulations for the Professional Doctorate in Education
Clarification that, due to local context, the MA in Education Research and Postgraduate Diploma in Education Research are not applicable to University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) for applying as a degree/award nor as a result of Viva examination.