Academic Partnerships Policy

1. Purpose

This policy outlines NCI’s approach to forming formal agreements with academic institutions for the design, delivery, and/or admission of students to validated programmes. It ensures all institutional partnerships linked to specified programmes of study are academically robust and meet institutional, national, and international quality assurance standards, including the Lisbon Recognition Convention. The policy defines NCI’s governance, management and risk mitigation structures to achieve academic and strategic goals while safeguarding academic integrity, the quality of learner and faculty experiences, and institutional reputation.

2. Scope and Definitions

This policy applies to all formal academic partnership arrangements between NCI and any other Irish, European or international partner institution through: 

• The validation of a programme of study co- designed and/or co- delivered with one or more external partner institution whose roles and responsibilities are outlined in the following documents:
   
  • Memorandum of Understanding (MoU): A non-legally binding statement of intent outlining broad cooperation aims between institutions. The signing of an MoU does not in itself authorise programme delivery, learner recruitment, or academic commitment.
  • Memorandum of Agreement (MoA): A legally binding agreement defining rights, responsibilities, and obligations for collaborative academic programme delivery.   Sometimes referred to as a cooperation, collaboration or consortium agreement. 
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA): A legally binding document specifying when one institution provides defined services to the other.
• An Articulation Agreement (AA): A legally binding structured pathway agreement where learners from NCI or from a partner institution are guaranteed to be admitted into a later stage of a specific validated programme, subject to meeting defined academic and procedural conditions specified in the Agreement. The pathway is based on academically mapped module and programme learning outcomes between the partner institutions.

This policy does not apply to:

• Transnational delivery (currently outside of NCIs Scope of Provision with QQI). 
• Dual or joint awards (currently outside of NCIs Scope of Provision with QQI).
• Erasmus+ mobility or student exchange agreements, which are governed under the Erasmus+ Student Mobility Policy and related procedures.
• Individual admissions decisions under approved articulation agreements are operationalised through NCI Admissions and RPL Policies.
• Programmes developed and delivered against government contracts
• Research, innovation, or strategic institutional partnerships that do not directly relate to the design, delivery, or quality assurance of academic programmes.
   

3. Principles

• Scalable, sustainable and strategic academic partnerships will be sought to advance NCI’s mission, vision and strategic objectives.
• NCI will partner with institutions of good standing that enhance the experiences, knowledge and impact of NCI’s learners, faculty, and graduates.
• The College retains ultimate responsibility for the academic standards of its QQI validated programmes, regardless of delivery location or partner involvement.
• The roles and responsibilities of NCI and its partners will be clearly defined, formally agreed, consistently implemented and regularly reviewed.
• All partnerships will operate with transparency in relation to academic integrity, management, governance, decision-making, and learner-facing information.
• Learners studying through formal partnership arrangements or articulated pathways will be treated fairly and equitably.
• Differences in mode, location, or partner context will not compromise academic quality, integrity, learner supports or the ability to achieve learning outcomes.
• All collaborative academic partnerships and formal articulation arrangements are subject to relevant national, European and international legislation.

4. Policy Statements

• The College will undertake formal due diligence to evaluate any potential academic partner’s suitability prior to entering into a formal agreement.
• Academic Council, supported by the Academic Programmes and Quality Committee (APQC) will approve and monitor all proposed and existing academic partnership programmes and articulation agreements.
• No collaborative academic programme will be delivered without a MoA (or equivalent legally binding document) signed by the NCI President.
• All academic partnership arrangements will be specified in programme validation documents and reviewed through structured annual programme monitoring, review, and reporting processes.
• Any material changes to delivery, staffing, or learner supports will be identified, reviewed and mitigations applied where appropriate to minimise risks.
• Partnership risks and the effectiveness of risk mitigations will be monitored by the NCI Senior Leadership Team and Governing Body.
• Learner progression, achievement data and feedback will be regularly reviewed and used to inform decision making at a programme, School and College level.
• An accurate and complete Register of Academic Partnerships will be held and maintained by the QIE Team and be accessible as a reference point internally.
• The Academic Partnerships Manager shall be the key point of contact for new and ongoing partnerships with contact details published on the NCI Website.
• The outcomes of partnership monitoring will be reported to Academic Council, Governing Body and QQI through NCIs Annual Quality Report.  
• Learners will receive clear, accurate information on collaborative partnership programme structures, partner roles and responsibilities, examination, award and graduation arrangements, and supports. 
• Agreements must clearly specify responsibility for handling learner complaints, appeals, and academic misconduct.
• All formal learner facing communications relating to partnership structures, delivery, awards, progression, or institutional responsibilities must be jointly approved and consistent across all institutions involved in the formal partnership.
• Agreements must include data protection and data sharing provisions compliant with GDPR and institutional data governance policies.
• Where programmes are subject to professional, statutory or regulatory body requirements, partnership arrangements must support continued compliance.
• Agreements must include clear triggers, escalation and dispute resolution structures in the case of the termination or breakdown of a partnership arrangement, aligned with QQI requirements for learner protection and programme teach-out. 
• Every 5 years as part of programme review in preparation for revalidation or retirement, the collaborative programme and any associated MoAs, SLAs, AA or will be reviewed and refreshed.

5. Procedures

This Policy is delivered across the following two phases captured in the separate Academic Partnerships Procedure:

6. Roles and Responsibilities

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