Board of Executive and Professional Education (BEPE)

The Board of Executive and Professional Education was set up by the General Board of the Faculties in 2010 to develop a University-wide approach to executive and professional education and support the promotion and publicity of this activity, interacting with the Colleges with interests in this area, while safeguarding the quality, standards, and reputation of the University.

BEPE reports formally on its University business, to the General Board via that Board's Education Committee.

Membership

The Board's membership is as follows:

  • Chair
  • six members, appointed by the General Board, of institutions that are engaged directly in the delivery of E and PE programmes (to include representatives of ICE, JBS, IfM, CISL, the Faculty of Education and the Clinical School)
  • six members appointed by the General Board, one to be nominated by each Council of the Schools
  • two representatives of the Colleges appointed by the Colleges' Committee
  • the Pro-Vice-Chancellors for Education and International Strategy
  • up to two members co-opted by the Board.

The term of membership is three years.

Terms of reference

A. University provision

  1. To promote Executive and Professional Education (E and PE) as integral to the scholarship and research of the University. To encourage cross-departmental and School provision, designed to the highest standards and in keeping with the University's commitment to teaching excellence based on a research-led pedagogy.
  2. To develop and maintain clear and proportionate mechanisms for recommending the approval of non-credit-bearing E and PE programmes offered by University institutions, with (where applicable) appropriate partners, which results in them being able to use the University name (and related names such as Cambridge Executive Education). Approval criteria for University provision will take into account:
    1. the activity has the support of cognate Faculty Boards (or equivalent body);
    2. where provision involves the significant use of services of a member of another University institution, the consent of the Head of that institution is secured;
    3. if offered overseas, the activity falls within the international interests of the University;
    4. the financial aspects of the University institution’s activity comply with the University Financial Regulations; and
    5. The legal aspects of the project have been agreed with University Legal Services and appropriate Memoranda of Understanding are in place.
  3. To develop and maintain strategic principles to ensure quality control, for example on the basis that:
    1. there is a significant input (in terms of course design and delivery) by University staff;
    2. processes should exist to ensure that their quality is commensurate with the course goals;
    3. the terms and risks of the activities are properly assessed; and
    4. the cognate Faculty Board will play its part in monitoring the activity.
  4. To develop and maintain common guidelines to avoid inappropriate internal competition where different internal providers are approached by the same potential partner.
  5. To develop and maintain measures to ensure the protection of the University name and brand, including use of trading names and trademarks.
  6. To respond to requests from the Education Committee concerning proposals for new accredited programmes where they raise strategic precedents in terms of subject fit or have a significant international dimension.
  7. To ensure that mechanisms are in place for reviewing approved provision through MOU’s and the General Board’s programme of departmental reviews. Where more urgent review is required, BEPE will determine, in consultation with the relevant Faculty Board (or equivalent authority), the means of review.
  8. To review regularly the Memoranda of Understanding for wholly owned University companies which are engaged in relevant educational provision.

B. College provision

  1. To agree a protocol for working with the Colleges in this area.
  2. To consider endorsement of joint Faculty Board and College provision which seeks such endorsement (for promotional and other purposes), subject to the Board considering such endorsement to be appropriate.
  3. To consult the appropriate intercollegiate body as appropriate.
  4. To develop and maintain common guidelines to avoid inappropriate internal competition where different internal providers (collegiate and University) are approached by the same potential partner.

C. General

The review the strategic and financial rationale for the University of Cambridge Executive and Professional Education on a five-year cycle and to make recommendations to the relevant University or intercollegiate body.

Meeting dates

The meetings in 2016–17 will take place on:

  • Wednesday, 16 November 2016, at 2.30 p.m.
  • Thursday, 23 February 2017, at 2 p.m.
  • Wednesday, 17 May 2017, at 2.30 p.m.

Contact

For further information, contact the Secretary of the Board.

Published papers

A paper about the establishment of the Board can be downloaded in PDF format:

A discussion paper setting out the future strategy of the Board can be downloaded in PDF format: