University College Governance

In September 2007, BPP University College made history by becoming the first publicly owned private company in the UK to obtain degree awarding powers.

This process involved making a detailed application to the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education, which acts on behalf of the Privy Council. This application covered all aspects of BPP University College's governance, management, educational provision, resourcing and quality assurance.

The Privy Council's approval of our degree awarding powers and our subsequent status as a University College confirmed that BPP had achieved the standards of good practice which the QAA referred to in its evaluation (see report below).

Our governance structures are set out below.

Mechanism of governance

BPP University College is governed and managed through:

  • The General Academic Regulations and sub-regulatory instruments
  • The Committee Structure
  • The Executive

Our principles and philosophies are governed by the standards of our committees and our Academic Council. Together we decide any actions and how to communicate them.

 

General Academic Regulations

The General Academic Regulations are the most senior rules governing the academic operation of BPP University College:

They are supported by four further levels of regulation and guidance which make up our regulatory framework:

The regulatory framework is intended to ensure that:
  • The aims set out in our mission statement are pursued effectively
  • There is public confidence in the quality of our programmes and scholarship, and in the standards of our academic awards and other distinctions
  • Students and staff have a robust framework for the management of academic award programmes
  • The framework is also flexible in design. This means that we can respond to the changing needs of society while safeguarding the University College as an academic community.

Committee structure

Our committee structure is designed to combine business efficiency with innovation and best practice. The main committees are:

  • The Academic Council – the most senior body with responsibility for our academic governance and policy, standards and quality
  • The Board of Directors – operates in partnership with the Academic Council on matters relating to academic provision
  • The Education and Training Committee – the engine room of the University College's committee structure and its most senior internal academic committee
  • The Learning and Teaching Committee – acts as a cross-University College forum for capturing, developing and disseminating best practice
  • School Boards – the main conduit for our academic voice, central to monitoring standards and quality
  • Programme Committee, Module Teams, Staff Student Liaison Committee – an important triumvirate that reviews and previews delivery and acts upon any immediate initiatives or issues.