Student Protection Plan

Our plan has been approved by the University’s Academic Enhancement and Standards Committee (currently constituted as the Quality and Learning Infrastructure Committee) and will be reviewed on an annual basis. Student views are represented by Oxford Brookes University Students' Union in the approval process..

A Student Protection Plan is a document that is approved by the Office for Students (OfS) that every University is required to have in place. It explains what actions the University would take in the event that a risk to the continuation of your studies materialises.

The plan may need to be utilised in some of the following example situations:

• the discontinuation of a subject or discipline;
• unanticipated changes which may affect our ability to provide the course (e.g. Pandemic, rapid technological changes affecting course relevance or government changes to Higher Education)
• department, location, or campus closure
• termination of a partnership arrangement

The Plan is available to all current students and applicants holding an unconditional offer via the University website. It covers undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research activities where working towards a recognised qualification from the University.

The University’s Quality and Standards Handbook effectively describes all of the steps that need to be taken, and effectively operates as the instruction manual for how the University would protect students in the event of any material changes that needed to be made. Rather than repeat sections of the handbook within this overarching Student Protection Plan, the relevant sections of the handbook are referenced where applicable.

We believe that risk can be categorised in two ways. The first relates to overarching sustainability and the University’s ability to operate in its capacity as a Higher Education provider. The second categorisation of risk relates to the University’s ability to deliver individual activities in an appropriate manner based on what could reasonably be expected by our students. Our protection plan will deal with both types of risk in turn.
A more detailed risk register can be found in Appendix 1.

Overarching Institutional Risk

The risk that Oxford Brookes University is unable to operate as a whole entity is very low because our financial performance is sufficiently stable.

The University’s external auditors concluded that the Board of Governors’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements was appropriate. This review is conducted annually, the following is quoted from the Independent Auditors’ Report in the 2023/24 financial statements presented to the Board of Governors on 10th December 2024:

“Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Group’s and University’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.”

Oxford Brookes University has property insurance and business interruption insurance (to a total of £45m) and a University wide major incident plan, a major incident team and a range of business continuity plans at faculty/directorate/function level, which are designed to mitigate risk of disruption to, or loss of, our ability to continue to operate (examples would include issues such as data breaches, industrial action and/or damage or disruption to services and facilities). Our Business Continuity Plans are reviewed and scenario tested on a regular basis.

Risks to individual Activities and Student Experiences

In this section, we focus mainly on the delivery of taught activities, as per the request to assess the “range of risks to the continuation of study for your students”. For the avoidance of doubt, the principles outlined also apply to Research Students.

The University has robust processes and protocols designed to protect student interests through the design of our activities, and the University’s Quality and Standards Handbook details all of the measures required to ensure that our activities are reviewed appropriately and subject to appropriate scrutiny when new activity is proposed. We believe that by having such robust planning processes, we minimise the risk of introducing activity into our portfolio that is not sustainable.

The risk that we are no longer able to deliver material components of our courses (those fundamental to the delivery of the learning outcomes of the programme) is low because we design our modules to be taught by integrated teams of academic staff. Detailed strategic planning at programme approval stage (as evidenced in the quality and standards handbook and including scrutiny by the Learning Partnerships Advisory Group (LPAG) wherever collaborative partners are concerned), plus robust annual and periodic programme review, means that we have a very detailed view of the health of our portfolio and are not likely to be subject to unforeseen circumstances for which we cannot plan, and respond to, appropriately. We do not build programmes that we do not believe (through strong empirical evidence bases) will succeed, and we modify programmes wherever necessary (e.g. changes to content and / or assessment) to improve their performance (with due regard to student input into such decisions) - See specifically the section on Programme Changes and Revalidation of the Quality and Standards Handbook.

The University also has clear and detailed plans for responding to any circumstances, however rare, where there is a need to make a modification to our provision, including the closure of any activities. All of the responses are detailed within the University’s Quality and Standards Handbook. Examples of actions include, but are not limited to:

Putting in place arrangements to “teach out” the provision, which may include recruiting temporary staff or finding alternative providers to fulfil the commitment 

• Offering appropriate alternative provision
• Transfer to a suitable alternative course
• Transfer to a suitable alternative provider
• Source suitable alternative premises

The University takes an equally detailed approach to any provision that is delivered in partnership with any of our third party providers, referred to from this point on as “Collaborative Provision”.

The Collaborative Provision section of the Quality and Standards Handbook outlines all of the relevant protocol for establishing, monitoring, reviewing, and if appropriate – taking action, where activity is delivered through a collaborative or franchised arrangement. There are specific sections that deal with taking action to improve, and closure of, collaborative arrangements (e.g. Improvement action plans and closure of activity).

The improvement action planning process has been introduced in order to address instances, however rare, where the quality of collaborative provision falls significantly below the expectations set out in the Operations Manual, which is the primary reference point relating to the management and delivery of a collaborative programme. This process provides an opportunity to resolve the problems in a collaborative way before a suspension notice is issued. It is intended to enable a dialogue between the Brookes Faculty and the Partner, in order to agree on an appropriate and timely course of action and hence to protect the interests of students on the programmes involved. The process was originally designed for use within the Associate College Partnership, but may be adapted and applied to any partnership, as appropriate.

If a faculty decides to terminate a partnership agreement, support for the decision must be sought from the Vice-Chancellor’s Group in good time to give formal notice; and a more detailed plan for the withdrawal must be drawn up before the period of notice expires. If possible, the exit plan should be negotiated with the partner - in the case of international partners, all Brookes staff travelling out to meet with partner staff to agree the exit plan must be made aware of all factors affecting the termination of the arrangement.

NOTE: The standard survivorship provisions of the Brookes legal agreement normally suffice in the case of planned closures at the expiry of a current contract, and further detail is only required if the exit arrangements differ from the normal requirements set out in the existing contract.

The University retains overall responsibility for the remaining students on the programme(s), and for enabling them to complete their studies, regardless of the willingness of the partner to work with Brookes staff to protect the interests of students. Where there is a significant teaching out period for a collaborative arrangement, a review of the provision to be closed should be undertaken by a University panel – following the University’s periodic review process as set out in the Quality & Standards Handbook chapters on collaborative provision and periodic review - in order for the University to ensure that appropriate quality management arrangements will remain in place to enable the remaining students to complete their programme of study and achieve the award for which they are registered (NOTE: a review is not necessary where no students remain on the programme/s). These arrangements should be approved by the Quality Learning Infrastructure Committee (QLIC) , a sub-committee of the University’s Academic Board, upon receipt of the review report, and monitored by the appropriate Faculty QLIC or Faculty Executive group; and, where deemed necessary, the Vice-Chancellor’s Group.

We do not believe that there are any significant risks that are reasonably likely to crystallise, but we do accept that it is prudent to have in place systems and protocols to protect students and applicants, if we are required to make a material change to any of our provision.

We have detailed above the processes that must be fulfilled if any provision is materially changed or ceases to be delivered, and we believe that these processes, along with the University’s overall sufficient financial sustainability means that all of our students are adequately protected against risk to the continuation of study.

Some examples of mitigating actions that could be taken in the event of risks materialising are listed below. The actions available will depend upon the specific nature of what has materialised, and the most appropriate actions would be determined on a cases by case basis through the mechanisms outlined in the Quality and Standards Handbook: The risk register in appendix 1 offers some further details of example mitigations

Teach out

The University would always try to ‘teach out’ in the first instance. This means that we would continue to teach your course until the currently registered students on that course have finished their studies. During this period, courses remain subject to all normal quality assurance processes.

Where teaching is usually undertaken by a partner, the University will work with the partner to continue teaching, which may include Oxford Brookes staff taking a lead in the completion of teaching delivery and assessment.

Where a teach out arrangement may not be possible, then alternative arrangements may include:

Transfer to a suitable alternative course

The University may offer suitable alternative Oxford Brookes programmes of study which may be of interest to impacted students and/ or applicants.

Transfer to a suitable alternative provider

The University would facilitate, where possible, a transfer to a similar course or courses at an alternative provider. Facilitation would include discussions with academic colleagues at alternative providers, transfer of information and bespoke confirmation of credit details and learning and assessment mapping (if required) to ensure smooth and successful transfers. Given the likely bespoke nature of transfers, these would need to be structured and implemented on a case by case basis and with full support of the University working closely with any impacted students.

Advice and Guidance

The University commits to offering students advice and support in the event that any of the risks to the continuation of study crystallise and/ or if students have any concerns about the potential for any of the risks to materialise

All of the above measures are exemplars of actions that may be taken, but It is important to note that the University will take into account the diversity of our students and their individual needs, including, for example, considerations of mobility, educational need, parity of course content or financial consequences, as well as any obligations under relevant legislation, such as the Equality Act 2010 and all public law principles.

Refunds

View the University’s Refund policy. This information is also cross referenced in the University’s Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. The University’s Refund policy makes provision for: a. Refunds for students in receipt of a tuition fee loan from the Student Loans Company (see Section 7) . b. Refunds for students who pay their own tuition fees.(see Section 4) c. Refunds for students whose tuition fees are paid by a sponsor (see section 5) .

Complaints

The refund policy makes specific reference to financial compensation for students who believe that they have been negatively affected by the University's failing, in the student’s view, to provide an appropriate experience. The University’s complaints process makes provision for students seeking financial compensation, and this is the direct route through which such compensation can be sought.

The refund policy does not reference specific circumstances in which the University may wish, voluntarily, to make payments by way of financial compensation should it not be able to preserve completion of study because this will likely need to be considered on an individual, case by case basis. This will, however, always be considered as part of any closure process or material programme changes, and will be in line with consumer rights legislation and the processes outlined within the Quality and Standards Handbook.

As detailed above in the University’s assessment of risk, it is considered highly unlikely that the University would not be in a position to be able to provide such compensation should it prove necessary or desirable to make such payments.

Sections of the Quality and standards handbook dealing with the processes for modifying and closing programmes  respectively make specific reference to the requirements for notifying students (and applicants) who may be affected as the result of any material changes – including programme closures, specifically detailed in Route B: Programmes with remaining students and/or current applicants.

These sections also detail the extent to which students and applicants must be involved in the decision to modify or close a programme, and the methods and timeframes for communicating decisions (and impact) for any affected parties.

The Quality and Standards Handbook is made publicly available and staff and students have access.

This Student Protection Plan, is available directly via the University website homepage, but also through a dedicated webpage.

The plan is also placed as a link on applicant terms and conditions of acceptance pages to alert prospective students to protections afforded by the University to its students. The formatting will be modified from that outlined in this template to be more in line with other Oxford Brookes publications, and will be made available in alternative formats if required.

The Student Protection Plan is a document that is approved by the Office for Students (OfS) that every university is required to have. It sets out what measures we have in place to protect you, as a student at Oxford Brookes University, should a risk to the continuation of your studies arise and details how we would communicate with you about this.

The plan can only be amended with approval by the OfS and the most recent version of our plan was approved by Office for Students in 2024, following revisions approved by the University’s Vice-Chancellor’s Group in November 2024. From January 2025, the University’s Quality and Learning Infrastructure Committee (which includes Student representation) is the body through which the University reviews the need for any changes that may need to be made (for onward consideration by the OfS). The Committee will ensure that the risk assessment remains current, and that the mitigating measures remain practicable, relevant and effective.

If you have any immediate views, concerns or feedback in relation to this plan, please contact the Academic Registrar (jkirk@brookes.ac.uk) or speak to Oxford Brookes University Students' Union.

Alternatively, if you have a complaint regarding this plan (or if you have not been able to resolve any concerns having contacted the Academic Registrar) you can raise the issue through the procedure detailed in the University's Student Complaints Procedure. Students dissatisfied with a decision relating to a complaint they have raised may be able to complain to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA).

The latest version of the Student Protection Plan has been scrutinised by student Officers at the Student Union, and is based on feedback from focus groups involving student course representatives and students with experience related to a range of change processes that have occurred across the University.

Students will be involved in the review of the Student Protection Plan through the student representative members of the University’s Quality and Learning Infrastructure Committee (QLIC)

All students have the opportunity to feedback on the effectiveness of the Student Protection Plan, which can help shape future risk assessments, mitigation plans and actions.

The Students Union Officers are, at the time of writing this plan, designing a framework for early student engagement in decision making - “The Student Consultation Framework” and this will be reviewed, and if appropriate, referenced alongside the Student Protection Plan.

The University is committed to setting high academic standards, and to providing learning opportunities that will enable students to achieve academic success, and prepare them for graduate-level employment. The University Regulations for Study (section 2.3) set out the institutional and national frameworks for quality assurance. The Quality & Standards Handbook contains the associated procedural requirements for the quality assurance of taught programmes leading to Oxford Brookes awards (including those delivered through partnership arrangements).

These processes are managed by the Academic Policy & Quality Office (in partnership with Faculty quality teams) and are overseen by the Quality & Learning Infrastructure Committee.

The sections that relate to Programme Changes can be found on the Programme Changes and Revalidation page.

The sections relating to Programme Closures and suspensions can be found on the Programme Closure or Suspension page.