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Introduction
Per our People, Place, and Partnership Strategy, Ulster University is committed to enhancing students' learning experiences as well as ensuring compliance with relevant legal and regulatory standards. The work of the Learning Enhancement Directorate is integral to this, including through embedding compliance with consumer protection into curriculum approval and enhancement procedures.
According to UK legislation, Higher Education Institutions interact with current and prospective students as consumers and as consumers, certain rights are afforded to current and prospective students. Ensuring we do not deny students their rights as consumers means we need to comply with our consumer protection obligations. To address our consumer protection compliance obligations, we have developed a Consumer Protection (Curriculum) Policy, and developed a range of resources that can be accessed at the links below.
On this page you will find links to the Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) Guidance for Higher Education Institutions on complying with their consumer protection compliance obligations, information about Ulster University's Consumer Protection (Curriculum) Policy, a link to a sharepoint site hosting guidance, resources, and videos.
In addition, we have provided some information on how consumer protection intersects with our curriculum enhancement procedures (such as our curriculum modifications process (CA3s) and revalidations). Finally, there is a section on Consumer Protection for Partner Institutions.
External Links
Resources for UU Staff
Further Information
Making Curricula Changes
Ensuring students have access to accurate and up-to-date information prior to accepting an offer of a place on a course is central to complying with our consumer protection compliance obligations, yet we expect to enhance the composition of our curricula on a regular basis to ensure we deliver, in the words of the People, Place, and Partnership Strategy "an outstanding university experience." The timeframe within which we update and enhance our curricula is vital. We routinely enhance curricula through one of two avenues.
Revalidation generally involves a root and branch review of the curriculum offered as part of a programme along with engagement with industry, partners, and students to enhance the curriculum offering. An iterative process, it can involve making substantial changes to a programme. As such, the university's position is that revalidated curricula should be implemented with a year-lag period by default. If, however, there is a necessity (for example due to a professional body mandate), then revalidating provision can enter an exceptional revalidation stream which fast-tracks the approval and involves a specific disclaimer added to that course's webpage so that prospective students can apply in full knowledge of what changes are likely to that course of study.
Specific curriculum modifications can be made in line with our policy, however making certain changes to the material information advertised about a course will necessitate a year-lag implementation date by default.
Where new courses are approved and advertised late in the recruitment cycle, there is likely to be little consumer protection implications since there is no change to the advertised information.
Staff Title
Dr Mark McGahon
Academic Policy & Standards Manager
