Terms of Reference

Establishment and Purpose

The CIT-UCC Joint Board is a joint Board of the Academic Council of the Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and the Academic Board of University College Cork (UCC)[1]. The Joint Board supersedes the Joint Academic Standards Board [JASB] following a review of the governance of Joint Programmes during 2016.  (See Appendix 1 – Joint Governance Flow Chart)

Its primary purpose is to ensure that the academic standards and procedures applying to collaborative and joint programmes delivered in partnership between CIT and UCC satisfy the requirements of both institutions.

Terms of Reference

The Board shall:

1. Recommend for ratification by the appropriate authorities in both institutions the academic regulations, marks and standards and credit framework of all collaborative and joint programmes ensuring fair and equitable treatment of all students.
2. Manage the validation of new collaborative and joint programmes in a manner compatible with the academic procedures and statutes of both institutions, including the establishment of independent Validation Panels; and shall report the outcomes of such validations to each institution as appropriate.
3. Maintain a register of collaborative and joint programmes and ensure that each programme is managed by a Joint/Collaborative Programme Board operating in conformity with the relevant Consortium Agreement.
4. Consider recommendations for the appointment of external examiners and the membership of examination boards and if approved, submit them for ratification by the appropriate authority in each institution.
5. Oversee and monitor the effective delivery of all joint and collaborative programmes and report as required to each institution; including consideration of programme board monitoring reports and external examiners’ reports.
6. Manage and conduct the periodic review of collaborative and joint programmes at intervals of no more than five years, and report as required to each institution.
7. Consider proposals from Colleges/Faculties for new programmes and minor changes in advance of the relevant Academic Board meeting.
8. Oversee joint programme issues with resource implications on the proviso that these matters follow the appropriate process with regard to consultation with Departments, Schools, Faculty and/or College within the relevant institution, prior to submission to the Joint Board.
9. Receive minutes from all Joint Boards of Studies meetings.
10. Ensure that graduation ceremonies, parchments and other matters related to the making of collaborative and joint awards are properly conducted in accordance with the requirements of both institutions.
11. Ensure co-operation in relation to external and internal institutional review processes and with national and international accrediting and standards bodies including the QQI.
12. Make recommendations to the two institutions on matters appropriate to the purpose of the Board including equitable arrangements for cases where the procedures of the two institutions may differ; and amendments to the Memorandum of Co-operation and Consortium Agreements as necessary.
13. To advise both institutions on the implications for collaborative and joint awards of internal or external policy changes. 

Composition of the Joint Board

The following shall be members of the Board:

• The Registrars of CIT and UCC [2]
• The Academic Secretary of UCC and the Dean of Academic Quality Enhancement of CIT [2]
• Bursar UCC and Vice President for Finance & Administration CIT (or nominees) [2]
• Two academic representatives of Academic Council of CIT and the Academic Board of UCC from among their members [4]
• The Student Union Education Officers of CIT and UCC [2]

The Board may co-opt up to two further members to assist in its work as required from time to time.
A Chairperson, being one of the Registrars, shall be elected for a period of one year by the members of the Board; the position to rotate annually between the institutions*. The Academic Secretary of UCC and the Dean of Academic Quality Enhancement of CIT shall be the Vice-Chairpersons. 

Conduct of Business

The Board should meet at least three times per year, at least once meeting in each semester and otherwise as required for the conduct of its business.
A properly convened meeting shall be considered quorate when at least two representatives from each institution [6] are present. In cases where the Chair of the Board is absent, one of the Vice-Chairpersons shall be elected Acting Chairperson for the duration of the meeting.
The Board shall be administratively supported by the secretariat of the home institution of the Chairperson except as otherwise agreed by the Board.
The term of office of the Joint Board is one year and will be reviewed in December 2017. 

Reporting & Communication

The Board shall report by way of minutes to the Academic Council of CIT and the Academic Board of UCC in the case of programmes issues.
The Board shall report issues relating to resources by way of submission of relevant document(s) and Joint Board minute(s) to the CIT Institute Executive Board, UCC Academic Council and/or UCC University Management Team (Operations).
The Board shall be kept informed by the appropriate Officers and management bodies of the institutions of strategic and policy issues relevant to collaborative and joint programmes.
The CIT-UCC Joint Board Operations Group will report to the Joint Board.

CIT UCC Joint Board Governance Structure (graphic)

CIT-UCC Joint Board reporting and communications (graphic)

CIT-UCC Joint Board Operations Group Terms of Reference

[1] References to “the institutions” shall be construed as referring to Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and University College Cork (UCC), their respective Governing Bodies and Academic Councils as required.

*Agreed by CIT-UCC Joint Board: 27-06-2017 Chair (and admistrative support) to rotate every two years

CIT  2017-’16 and 2017-’18;
UCC 2018-’19 and UCC 2019-’20
CIT/MTU 2020-2021 and MTU 2021-’22
UCC 2022-’23 and 2023-’24
MTU 2024-’25 and 2025-‘26