Educational Partnerships Committee

Educational Partnerships Committee

The Educational Partnerships Committee has delegated authority from Academic Board to approve major educational partnerships in the UK and overseas recommended to it, and the academic programme developments arising from these, and to set and monitor the quality, standards and student engagement, experience and success measure for these, and the policy requirements enabling them. The scope of the Committee includes all TNE partners, the University’s branch campus in Hong Kong, UK Partner Colleges and Collaborative Provision, and pathway provision through ONCampus Sunderland, and Sunderland Online, as well as being kept up to date on other strategic educational relationships, such as the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.  

Out of scope of the Committee: 

The following bodies and groups feed into the University Executive, either directly or indirectly, or under the auspices of a member of them or the wider Senior Leadership Board (SLB), and do not report into Educational Partnerships Committee. This is on the basis that they oversee ‘international’ and ‘TNE’ recruitment, resources or specific aspects of compliance or operations, as opposed to the UK and TNE student experience, engagement, success and academic quality, standards and enhancement matters:

• TNE Strategy Group  
• TNE Steering Group has a primary role to address recruitment, resourcing and operational matters related to TNE (although it says it also deals with quality assurance and management/academic regulation issues related to TNE) 
• MRAC (which advises on the delivery of a coordinated approach to the University’s student planning, outreach, recruitment, marketing and admissions activity in line with the University’s Strategic Plan, with particular focus on University recruitment activities across the academic programme portfolio for Home, EU and International)
• UKVI Steering Group
• Due Diligence Group, although there may be information flows to and from the Group and the Committee
• Apprenticeships Sub-Committee, unless there is an explicit apprenticeship element in the educational partnership
• Civic and partnership relationships with regional bodies which are not primarily educational in focus are outside the scope of the Committee, e.g., Sunderland City Council, Sunderland Culture, plus wider business and community engagement or outreach activities.

Strategic Development and Performance Monitoring

1) To input to the strategic direction and development of educational partnerships from the perspective of the quality of provision and student, and in the context of the Student Success Plan 2030 and Student Recruitment Plan 2030

2) To periodically monitor performance against objectives and KPIs in the University Strategy, Student Success Plan 2030 other Strategic Delivery Plans and key documents in relation to educational partnerships as a whole, and specific TNE or UK Partners. This includes for continuation, completion and good degree outcomes.   

3) To receive an overview of Centre Development Plans from Global Partnership Leads, and escalation of significant academic quality, standards, student experience, engagement and success implications arising from these.  

4) To review and monitor the implementation of the following: 

a) Partner Annual Reports (TNE and UK) 

b) Annual Monitoring Reports for University of Sunderland in Hong Kong, Pearson provision in HK, CEG: ONcampus Sunderland, HEP (Sunderland Online) 

c) Articulation Agreements Annual Report. 

5) To receive periodic updates on the effectiveness of University-led learning resources, tools, and technologies that support TNE and UK partners, including Canvas and refer issues of good practice and concern to relevant bodies to action.  

6) To oversee staff training and development as required in relation to TNE quality and standards.  

7) To provide a wider perspective on the internalisation of the University’s academic programme development and curricula, and cultural implications of:

•  partner-based students’ sense of belonging to the University community
•  the mix of overseas and UK students on-campus

Regulation and Policy

8) To periodically monitor the impact of national policy recommendations, principles and guidance in relation to TNE quality enhancement and UK-based collaborative provision, including OfS, QAA in its UK Quality Code for HE, UUKI, British Council and other external bodies.  

9) To approve new TNE and UK-based partnerships, their reapproval and termination on the recommendation of the relevant Academic Dean(s)/Faculty Education Committee and MRAC. 

10) To approve all policy related to satisfy academic quality, standards and enhancement for TNE and UK based partners, and including for validated and supported validation, dual awards, joint and full franchise and articulations on behalf of Academic Board.  

11) To approve and review the collaborative partner approval and review schedules, and significant actions arising from them which have major policy or compliance implications. 

12) To advise on implementation of the Programme Enhancement Planning (PEP) process for educational partnerships. 

13) To consider specific policy and regulatory implications for student complaints, appeals, academic integrity/misconduct, general misconduct and fitness to practise as these relate to TNE and UK based partners. 

14) To monitor the impact of in-country accreditation requirements for the University operating overseas. 

15) To monitor the outcomes and implications of external returns or reports produced for TNE and UK Collaborative provision and other educational partnerships (e.g., HESA Aggregate Offshore Record). 

16) To consider any significant academic quality and student experience implications of major amendments to the Academic Regulations which affect TNE and UK-based partners ahead of Academic Board approval. 

17) To review the headline findings and seek assurance on progress in delivery of the outcomes of any internal partner and site visits, external audits, accreditation outcomes and inspections on any aspect of academic quality, standards and student success. 

18) To seek assurance that response plans are lessons learned are effective for any material events our outcomes, including non-compliance, or ‘adverse’ OfS reportable events related to educational partnership.

The Educational Partnerships Committee meets up to six times per year.

Published: 31 July 2025