The Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (June 2012) has now been enhanced (October 2014). The revised Framework sets out the core educational principles for all of our educational provision from foundation programmes up to and including postgraduate research programmes. This is an important part of our drive to enhance the quality of student learning opportunities and to provide distinctive and innovative programmes of study that will enhance the employability of our students. Importantly the Curriculum Framework details the University of Bradford’s Graduate Attributes which are mapped to our nine employability capabilities detailed in the University’s Employability Strategy (2012-2015) and our three key graduate domains:
- Domain 1: Academic Development and Critical Thinking.
- Domain 2: Employability and Professionalism.
- Domain 3: Inclusivity.
My thanks go to Curriculum Development Fellows, Simon Tweddell and Mark Goodliff, and others in the Centre for Educational Development for taking this work forward. Their work will soon be supported by the appointment of Faculty Curriculum Development Associates, initially reporting to Dr Sean Walton, Head of Centre for Educational Development, but working closely with the Faculty’s Associate Deans for Learning and Teaching and academic programme development teams within the Faculty.
Curriculum innovation is a key theme in the University’s Learning & Teaching Enhancement Plan (2012-2015) and the implementation of the Curriculum Framework represents a significant paradigm shift in the expectation of the design and quality of our educational programmes. All new programme development teams should be engaging with Simon and Mark now so that programme design workshops and final approval events can be completed by the end of September in the year before implementation, eg approval September 2015 for implementation 2016. All undergraduate programmes need to be comprehensively reviewed and aligned with the curriculum framework for final approval before the end of September 2016. Review and alignment of postgraduate programmes with the curriculum framework will follow the usual programme review process.
I would like to thank staff from the Academic Quality and Partnerships Office and programme development teams for their positive engagement in programme design workshops and programme review processes so far. Such engagement is key to enhancing the learning experience and success of our students.
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