Read our latest news bulletin
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1. Upcoming Deadlines
Early December - TEIs asked to circulate information on the Common Awards Management Board (CAMB) Student Representative nomination/election process
11th December – Common Awards Webinar - ‘Knowledge is Power: Justice and Theologising in the "Global South"’ hosted by Dr Selina Stone, with Dr Eve Parker and Dr Carlton Turner.
4th January - Winter Congregation for 2023 graduates
8th January - TEIs to ask Common Awards students to send any feedback for the Management Board to the CAMB student representatives
19th January - Deadline for TEIs to submit all continuing student module marks following 2023 Exam Boards
26th January - Deadline: TEIs to submit Curriculum Development documents for new programmes and modules
30th January - Common Awards Management Board (CAMB)
2. Upcoming Events
Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Webinars
Common Awards Webinar: Knowledge is Power: Justice and Theologising in the "Global South"
11 December 11.30 - 13.00
Tickets are available here: WEBINAR: Knowledge is Power: Justice and Theologising in the "Global South" Tickets, Mon 11 Dec 2023 at 11:30 | Eventbrite
Dr Selina Stone is joined by Rev Dr Carlton Turner and Dr Eve Parker to discuss theologies from India and the Bahamas. Dr Eve Parker is Lecturer in Modern Christian Theology at the University of Manchester. She also researches abuse in religious contexts as part of an AHRC-funded project through the University of Kent. Her recent publications include: Trust in Theological Education: Deconstructing ‘Trustworthiness’ for a Pedagogy of Liberation (London: SCM, 2022) and Theologising with the Sacred ‘Prostitutes’ of South India: Towards an Indecent Dalit Theology (Brill: 2021).
Rev Dr Carlton Turner is a Caribbean Contextual and Practical Theologian working at the Queen's Foundation, Birmingham. He is the author of the upcoming book Introduction to Caribbean Contextual Theology (SCM, January 2024) and Overcoming `Self-negation: The Church and Junkanoo in Contemporary Bahamian Society (2020).
Dr Selina Stone is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Theological Education at Durham University with the Common Awards team. She is the author of the upcoming book The Spirit and the Body: Towards a Womanist Pentecostal Social Justice Ethic (Brill/Schöningh: 2023).
Theological Education and the Environmental Crisis Conference Webinars
At the 2023 Common Awards Annual Conference we explored the roles that theological education can play in enabling churches and wider society to face the multiple overlapping crises, including the climate crisis, that form the environmental crisis. We explored:
As the conference was face-to-face, we committed to providing future webinars for students and staff and we are delighted to confirm the following webinars. Tickets will be released soon.
The Annual Conference for Theological Educators 2024
We’re delighted to confirm that the 2024 Annual Conference for Theological Educators will be taking place on 10-12 July at Durham University. The theme of the conference will be: ‘Theological Education and Mental Health’.
More information and bookings will open soon. Please save the date in your diaries.
3. Curriculum Development
TEIs are required to submit Curriculum Development documents for changes to TEI programmes by 26th January 2024. There are three main types of changes to programmes which can be considered at this deadline:
Further information on the approvals process for these changes is available here.
Smaller changes to what is already being delivered at a TEI (e.g. introducing or withdrawing a module, changing the assessment pattern for a module, or proposing learning hours which fall outside of the guidelines) can be submitted at the May curriculum development deadline.
4. CAMB Student Elections 2023/24 (for 2024/25 academic year)
The Common Awards Management Board (CAMB) is a committee with responsibility for and oversight of the quality and standards of the overarching Common Awards partnerships and programmes. The membership of the Board includes students from TEIs who represent the whole of the Common Awards student body. Student representatives are able to contribute to Common Awards decision-making, policy development and the ongoing monitoring and development of Common Awards on a national level.
TEIs will shortly be sent a communication for students on how they can nominate themselves for a CAMB representative position. Please ensure all communications are circulated to students. The deadline for student nominations for is 26th January 2024.
5. Staff Development
The University Teaching: Core Skills staff development programme provides participants with the opportunity to work through interactive online content in their own time, to discuss their learning with colleagues across the UK and with facilitators from Durham University’s Centre for Academic Development. (DUCAD).
Successful completion of the Account of Professional Practice confers Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (now known as AdvanceHE) and the post-nominal letters AFHEA.
An introductory session was held on 5th December and the programme will start on 22rd January 2024. Those attending the intro session will be sent information from DUCAD regarding how to complete registration for the full programme.
If you didn’t register for the Introduction Day but would still like to join this programme please contact the Common Awards team directly before the 12th January 2024, and provide us with your Durham user name and email address.
More information about the programme is available on our website.
6. Invoices and Census
Following the 2023/24 census process, TEIs are reminded that any new registration changes sent to us after 1st December won’t be actioned until the census numbers are finalised. Thank you for sharing your census snapshots with the team on 1st December.
As per the Standard Validation Contract, the University intends to increase the validation and per capita student fees in line with inflation. We will confirm with the fees for 2023/24 as soon as we receive details from the University.
7. Winter Congregation
Students
Students eligible for graduation should now have been invited to attend the graduation ceremony at 10am on 4th January 2024, at Durham Cathedral. Registration closes on 8th December 2023.
TEI Staff
Members of staff in TEIs are also welcome to attend the Common Awards graduation ceremony; the staff attendance registration form is available at the following link: https://forms.office.com/r/LX1GrkY3Rn. Registration closes on 8th December 2023.
Academic Procession
Members of staff in TEIs who hold an undergraduate degree are eligible to participate in the academic procession for the Common Awards students. If you are interested in this please indicate on the staff attendance registration form.
Common Awards Celebration Event
There will be drinks and canapés for students and staff at St John’s College following the ceremony. Students and staff can register their attendance via the registration process.
8. Transcripts and Parchments
Transcripts and parchments for Common Awards students who were considered by the Summer Overarching Board of Examiners (September 2023) and not eligible for congregation have been produced, packaged, and posted. TEIs have been contacted regarding this, and should have received these documents.
The Common Awards team will be in touch with TEIs regarding when then can expect to receive parchments for the students being considered at the Winter overarching Board, and for the students eligible for congregation.
9. Entry Requirements 2024-25
The standard entry requirements for all approved Common Awards programmes for 2024-25 have been approved by the Quality and Standards Sub-Committee.
No changes have been made from the 2023-24 requirements, but as updates have been made in recent years please ensure that TEI Admissions Policies refer to the latest version, which can be found here.
10. Christmas Office Closure
TEIs are asked to note that the Common Awards Office will close on the afternoon of Friday 15th December and reopen on Tuesday 2nd January. TEIs are strongly advised to flag any urgent queries before 15th December.
We'd like to take this opportunity to thank our colleagues across all TEIs for their hard work throughout the year and to wish you all a Merry Christmas.
11. Further Information
The full 2023/2024 academic calendar is available here.
With thanks,
The Common Awards Team
