Approval, Monitoring and Review of Partnership Activity

The University’s procedures for the approval, monitoring and review of partnership activity (the Partnerships Handbook) provide a risk-based framework for engagement in partnership activity, both within the UK and internationally.

Approval of New Partnerships

• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
• Progression or articulation agreement
• Delivery of a University of Suffolk module at a partner institution
• Flying faculty partnership arrangement
• Co-delivery of a course in partnership with a professional organisation
• Validation arrangement
• Franchise arrangement
• Dual, multiple or joint award
• Exchange agreement (including Erasmus)

Existing partner institutions are subject to review at institutional level on a maximum of a five year cycle, in accordance with the institutional review procedure of the University of Suffolk's partner institutions. The review process serves to ensure that the partner institution remains suitable for the conduct of higher education programmes leading to University of Suffolk awards. It also provides an opportunity for both the University and the relevant partner to reflect on whether the partnership continues to operate effectively and whether there is scope for future enhancement of collaborative working.

Find out more about institutional review:

• Partner self-evaluation document (SED) template
• Sample institutional review event agenda
• Guidance notes for institutional review panel members
• Guidance notes for student representatives on institutional review panels
• Guidance notes for students at an institutional review event

The University's procedure for the validation of new courses at partner institutions outlines our approach to the approval of new partner courses. More information (including forms and templates) can be found on the course validation page.

Partner courses are subject to review and re-approval on a maximum of a five year cycle, in accordance with the University's procedure for the re-approval of existing courses. More information (including forms and templates) can be found on the course re-approval page.

The University of Suffolk adopts a continuous, risk-based approach to monitoring the quality and academic standards of provision within the University and its partner institutions, as outlined in the Procedure for Risk-Based Monitoring and Enhancement (or RiME). More information can be found on the RiME page.

To support University monitoring activity, partner institutions are normally required to complete an annual monitoring report (AMR) for each course or groups of cognate courses delivered in partnership with the University (see Annual Monitoring Report (AMR): Partner Institutions), which is submitted to the relevant Partnership Management Group and the University's Quality Committee for consideration. Regional partner colleges (East Coast College, Suffolk New College and West Suffolk College) alternatively complete an annual college RiME report. 

The University normally appoints a link tutor to act as the primary point of academic contact with the partner institution. The link tutor works closely with the Partnerships team to manage and support the partnership arrangement. More information on the link tutor role is available within the Partner Link Tutor Guide.

You can find out more about how the University manages partnership provision in our framework for operational management of partnership provision.