Establishing a Collaborative Partnership with the University of Gloucestershire 

Thank you for your interest in establishing a partnership with the University of Gloucestershire.

We have a well established process to ensure that partnerships are appropriate and mutually beneficial from the outset, and this process is more fully explained within the Handbook for Collaborative Provision, available electronically at http://resources.glos.ac.uk/quality/collabprovision/collaborative-provision-handbook.cfm

To work through the process can take some time, but we are confident that as a result our collaborative partnerships are well-focused and viable from the start. The process can be divided into three stages.

STAGE 1

In order to consider any proposal effectively we require the following information. We are happy to expand further on any proposals that you bring to us, but in the first instance would need the following:

1. Name of proposed partner institution.
2. Address of proposed partner.
3. Website of proposed partner.
4. Date of foundation.
5. Contact person(s) and role(s).
6. Basic description of facilities, and student capacity.
7. Description of resource facilities (learning centre, IT)
8. Partnerships you already have, or have had, with any other Institutions in the UK (please note that we will seek verification from partners listed here).
9. Current and recent partnerships with any other Higher Education Institutions outside the UK.
10. Current validation / accreditation of your degree / diploma.
11. Details of your current and recent registration with local Ministry of Higher Education, or equivalent, authorities.
12. UKBA rating.
13. Type of partnership requested (e.g. recognition of advanced standing for direct entry
    of students to UoG awards, franchise of UoG awards, validation by UoG of partner
    awards)
14. Courses being requested for franchise.
    Please visit the following links to select which courses you would be interested in requesting as franchised provision:
    http://resources.glos.ac.uk/currentstudents/undergraduate/courselist.cfm
    http://resources.glos.ac.uk/currentstudents/postgraduate/courselist.cfm
15. Background of staff expected to teach on required programmes.
16. Brief market analysis, including competitor analysis, and your rationale for running these courses. 
17. Projection over five years of student recruitment numbers for each course being requested.
18. Recruitment calendar.
19. Timescale for introduction of courses.

Once we have received the above information the University will make a decision as to how to proceed, and then we will progress your request to the second stage of development.

STAGE 2

The second stage is to follow the due diligence process, and for this we would require:

1. Three years audited accounts.
2. A business plan containing:
   a. Introduction to the partner institution.
   b. All information requested above.
   c. Projected revenue over a five year period based upon expected student numbers and the negotiated fee level (to be negotiated with the faculty offering the provision).
   d. Proof of governmental accreditation (where required).

Due diligence is undertaken by the University’s Department of Finance and Planning, and you will be notified of its outcome. In the happy circumstance that it is successful we will progress to the third stage of development, the Institutional Approval Visit.

STAGE 3

The International Approval Visit (IAV)

The visit will take place at a mutually convenient time, and will follow the process detailed on pages 14-17, section B3, of the Handbook for Collaborative Provision, at the link above.

Please note that the IAV will entail a cost to the proposed partner as follows:

International (beyond the EU zone): 8,000 pound sterling
International (EU zone): 7,500 pounds sterling
UK : 5000 pounds sterling

I hope the above helps to clarify the process and look forward to receiving the information required for stage 1. Please do not hesitate to ask for any further clarification or explanation that you may require. We look forward to working with you to establish a strong link which will work effectively for both of us.

With best wishes.

Dr. Michael Pinfold BA (Hons.), MA, PhD
Head of Collaborative Provision
University of Gloucestershire
Fullwood FW204
The Park, Cheltenham
GL50 2RH, United Kingdom
 
01242 714481
mpinfold@glos.ac.uk