Research degrees documentation 2010/11

Dear Colleagues,

Research Degrees Webpage

All the information attached referred to below is now available via the following webpage:

Research Degrees|

Please note that the webpage will be regularly updated with additional documentation and information as it becomes available. I will notify colleagues as soon as additional information is available.

MPhil/PhD Regulations:

Available via the webpage above are the regulations governing students who began their studies on or after the 1 September 2010. The existing regulations for students who began their studies before the 1 September 2010 are also available via the webpage.

MPhil/PhD Code of Practice:

Available via the webpage above is the Code of Practice which now applies to all research students. Collaborative Centres with research students who began their studies before the 1 September 2010 are required to ensure that they adhere to the requirements of the Code of Practice for these students.

Annual Course and College Review Research Degrees (ACCR):

At its meeting on the 28 September the University of Wales’ Research Degree Committee took the decision whereby Collaborative Centres with research provision will not be required to complete and submit an ACCR during the current academic session for the delivery and operation of their research provision during the previous academic year (2008/09). RDB took the view that with all Collaborative Centres having to undergo Periodic Review during the current academic year, the information that would normally be considered as part of an ACCR should be subsumed into the wider periodic review Self Evaluation Document (SED).

Please note: Where Collaborative Centres deliver both research and taught degrees, ACCRs for each taught programme must be completed. Colleagues within your respective centres with responsibility for this will already have received an email from the Validation Unit notifying them of the availability of the ACCR template and submission date. It should also be noted that the decision of RDB with respect to research ACCRs does not set a precedent with regard to the submission of the taught ACCRs during a Quinquennial Review year.

Professional Doctorates:

The University is currently reviewing its regulations for Professional Doctorates. The intention is to have a new set of regulations and Code of Practice in place early within the new calendar year. At the moment, the existing regulations governing Professional Doctorates remain in place. Please refer to your existing documentation or the website above.

Periodic Review:

Centres will be notified of the dates for the forthcoming periodic reviews very shortly. The final template and guidance notes for the SED will also be available shortly also. Centres will be emailed individually with the date of their review and the SED template. The template and guidance will also be available via the webpage above.

Please note: I have, as far as possible, scheduled the reviews in accordance with the preferences expressed by colleagues in previous emails. Broadly, I have been able to schedule reviews for the months that have been indicated as preferred options and on occasion even specific sets of dates. However, I need to warn colleagues that the availability of Review Panel members for two consecutive days is extremely limited. Therefore, there will be no room for negotiation of the dates once you have been informed of them. If you have indicated a preferred month for the review, then the dates chosen within that month will be the date of the review.

Related links and other documents:

The webpage above contains related links to a number of guidance documents and notes (e.g candidate submission pack). We are now in the process of revising these documents and would hope to have new documents in place before the end of the current calendar year. In the meantime, please continue to use the existing documents in conjunction with the new Code of Practice.

Should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Best

N

Dr Neil Strevett

Swyddog Dilysu/Validation OfficerUned Ddilysu/Validation Unit

Prifysgol Cymru/University of Wales

Cofrestrfa'r Brifysgol/University Registry

Rhodfa'r Brenin Edward VII/King Edward VII Avenue

Parc Cathays Park

Caerdydd/Cardiff CF10 3NS

Tel / Ffôn: +44 (029) 20 36 77 08

www.cymru.ac.uk/www.wales.ac.uk|