Updated quality management guidance
Academic Registry is pleased to announce publication of the 2025-26 iterations of the university’s quality management guidance.
What’s new
All guidance has been updated to ensure that references and terminology remain up to date. In addition, colleagues are asked to note the following key changes and enhancements that have been introduced for 2025-26, onwards:
Validation and Periodic Programme Review
- Enhancements have been made to the self-evaluation document to support academic colleagues illustrate the alignment between their evaluative judgements and proposed programme changes.
- Programme teams who operate or wish to operate blended delivery now have clearer opportunities to discuss and evaluate areas such as, but not limited to, the pedagogical rationale for their decisions and resource requirements.
- A student panel member is no longer required for the validation of a new CPD, which is comprised from a single existing module.
- Changes to the criteria governing the selection of external and student panel members. Specifically:
- Validation and Periodic Programme Review panels considering a programme or programmes that aim to or already has obtained PSRB accreditation, must now normally contain at least one external academic who is actively involved in the management and delivery of a UK higher education programme that is accredited by the applicable PSRB.
- External members of Validation and Periodic Programme Review panels considering apprenticeships are now normally required to satisfy eligibility criteria that confirms their experience with, and expertise of, higher education apprenticeships.
- Where an alumnus is proposed to act as student panel member they should have completed their LJMU programme normally no more than two years prior to the date of the Validation or Periodic Programme Review event.
- Should a programme wish to recruit international students, programme teams are now required to confirm they have consulted with university’s UKVI Compliance Officer to establish that the programme’s proposed design satisfies UKVI requirements.
Programme and module amendments
- Streamlined and clearer approval routes have been introduced.
- For programmes that operate blended delivery, adjustments to the blend of online/in-person delivery are now categorised as a programme amendment.
- For amendments to apprenticeships, proposals must now either include updated learning plans, which have been verified by the university apprenticeship team or confirm that the apprenticeship team have advised that the change or changes do not impact upon the learning plan.
Link tutors
- New questions have been added to the link tutor report to capture changes or planned changes to the delivery sites used by collaborative partners.
Academic partnerships
- All applications for partners to use new or additional sites for the delivery of an award of LJMU must now be accompanied by photographic evidence showing the proposed facility. This is intended to further inform the decision whether an in-person visit to the proposed site or sites is required before it is considered by the Validation and Review Oversight Panel.
- Where collaborative provision is subject to approval by an in-country body, students will not be allowed to enrol, and delivery will not be allowed to commence until evidence has been provided that the necessary approval has been obtained.
As applicable, the updated guidance also confirms the deadlines for the 2025-26 quality management cycle.
Colleagues are encouraged to review the guidance to inform their engagement with these key quality management mechanisms this academic year. These enhancements have not only been driven by operational need and external drivers but have also been informed by colleagues’ feedback.
More information
You can view the updated quality management guidance and the academic partnerships operational guidance.
If you have any questions regarding the university’s approach to quality management, please don’t hesitate to contact the Academic Quality and Standards Team via LJMU Assist.
