Dr Kate Clarke

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Dr Kate Clarke

• Director
• Open University Validation Services (OUVS)

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The Open University in 2005

• Over 2.5 million students since 1971
• 200,000 students
• 45,000 outside UK
• Students currently registered for validated
  awards
• 25,000

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OUVS the present
There are 45 accredited institutions There are
25,666 students currently registered for OU
Validated Awards In 2003-4, this figure was 17,
427 In 2002-3, this figure was 12,879 In 2001-2,
this figure was less than 10,000 Smallest AI 16
students Largest AI 8,360
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The OU in a global market

• In 2002-3 a total of more than 25,000 students
  were studying with the OU outside the UK
• More than 18,000 students currently registered
  for validated awards outside UK

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Institutions new to accreditation (last 3
years)

• Singapore Institute of Management (SIM)
• Arab Open University (AOU)
• Association of University Administrators (AUA)
• Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore
• New Bulgarian University
• Manchester College of Arts and Technology
  (MANCAT)
• Solihull College

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Other kinds of collaborative provision
Curriculum partnerships Licensing learning
materials Direct teaching Collaborative
teaching   Credit-rating Validation Services
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OUVS Characteristics

• Independent Quality Assurance Body
• Peer Review
• Institutional Accreditation and Course Validation
• Promote Institutional Responsibility for Quality
  Assurance
• Partnership with Accredited Institutions
• Promote Innovative Developments

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Institutional Requirements for Accreditation

• Provision of an appropriate learning environment
• Independence of Institutional ownership from the
  exercise of Academic Authority
• Effective Academic Organisation
• Effective and robust Quality Assurance
  Intellectual ownership
• External Academic relations
• Financial security

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Typical Process for Accreditation 1

• Initial meeting supported by brief documentation.
  Mutual agreement to proceed
• Production of outline institutional (and course)
  documents for consideration. Formal agreement to
  move to next stage
• Visit from OUVS officer and peer over 1 - 2 days
  to advise on the submission and the further work
  needed

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Typical Process for Accreditation 2

• Production of final submission documents
• Accreditation / validation visit from peer group
  panel and recommendation as to approval
• Endorsement of accreditation and course approval
  by OU Validating Committee

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2004 / 2005 VQ activity

• VQ awards
• Advice, Guidance Counselling
• Management
• Learning and Development
• A and V Units
• Policing
• Health and Social Care
• Registered Manager
• Engineering
• Transportation
• Intelligence Analysis
• Democratic Services
• Customised cluster qualifications
• Approved VQ Assessment Centres 34

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Foundation Degrees
There are 7 OUVS accredited Colleges delivering
validated Foundation Degrees There is a total of
13 validated Foundation Degrees
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Our approach to Foundation Degrees
In advance of QAA qualification benchmark we have
developed OU precepts, defining an OU
F.Deg Progression to OU level 3 for honours
Membership and leadership of national groups on
F.Deg development (CVU)_
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Adding value

• A community of institutions offering higher
  education
• Access to developmental opportunities such as
• - Active participation in OUVS activities
• Receive regular communications and updates on
  relevant HE news
• Creating an extended family for institutions
  and students

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HE in FE Issues

• Widening participation synergy with OU mission
• Critical mass of HE provision can the College
  demonstrate that it can met accreditation
  requirements?
• Academic Networking for those delivering HE in FE
• FE Employment contracts
• Planned development of OUVS model