Major strategic collaborations may be initiated and agreed by the University Executive Board and Senate and will be subject to the University’s standard quality assurance procedures. These collaborations with a strategic academic partner may include more than one collaborative arrangement. Schools/Faculties should ensure that, regardless of the wider arrangement, Academic Affairs is made aware of all arrangements to ensure that they are implemented and recorded appropriately.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) can be used to initiate a relationship with an identified partner. Requests for signature should be endorsed by the Faculty, in the first instance, for consideration by the Chair of the Collaborative Provision Group (CPG) for approval to sign. Requests to CPG should include background information on the partner (eg standing/ranking) and a rationale for the link, including any details of any developments under discussion and the extent of any previous dealings with the proposed partner. International Office can provide information on the suitability of a partner.
The authorised signatory for an MOU is the Vice-Chancellor or an Institutional Pro-Vice-Chancellor. It is not a legally binding document. A template can be found here. Please liaise with Academic Affairs or the Research and Enterprise Directorate if there are any proposed changes to the standard template or the partner proposes an alternative template for signature.
There are various types of collaborative arrangements as outlined below: