SG UK EU Governance
Study Group Limited (UK and Europe) Governance
Study Group Limited is a private limited company operating in the UK and Europe (company number 02325576) delivering RQF level 3, 4 and 6 provision via its network of International Study Centres/Colleges (ISC), which are operated in partnership with universities.
Study Group Limited is regulated in the UK by the Office for Students (OfS).
Governance
Boards and Committees
Study Group’s academic governance and management structure has been designed to hold true to the ethos, principles and requirements of good governance in higher education.
Therefore, the arrangements (described below) have been designed to ensure that:
- There is appropriate, effective oversight of education and training delivered at Study Group as well as academic services delivered in partnership;
- There is proper separation between commercial and academic decision making;
- The standards of education delivered by Study Group meet the levels described in relevant national regulations and frameworks; and
- Partners, external stakeholders and regulators receive appropriate assurance that quality standards are being maintained.
In addition to this, the model of academic governance has been designed to enable Study Group to fulfil its strategic objectives, to ensure it continues to be professionally managed and that it remains transparently accountable to its stakeholders.
Council
Council succeeded Study Group Limited Board as the governing body of Study Group in the UK (and those academic services provided in other countries but overseen from the UK). Council is responsible for determining the educational character and mission of Study Group with accountability for financial, regulatory and legal matters. Chaired by Sir Keith Burnett, Council is made up of members of the Executive Committee, independent members from the higher education sector, a member of Study Group staff and a student. As Council is accountable for the academic services we provide it holds the executive, and in particular the Provost, to account to assure itself that Study Group continues to deliver high-quality education and ensure that our students are provided the opportunities they need to succeed.
Purpose & Remit
Council has been established to discharge legal and regulatory responsibilities as:
- the governing body of the provider which delivers education through International Study Centres (ISC) located in the UK;
- the responsible body for educational services provision (e.g. admissions services or campus provision) delivered either in partnership or directly by Study Group; and
- the body responsible for oversight of any Study Group entities operating outside of the UK as delegated to it by Study Group TopCo.
The remit of Council comprises the following:
- discharging the responsibilities as a provider of education and educational services, and for the oversight of education delivered in partnership, in areas including but not limited to: organisational strategy; effective governance; academic quality and assurance; the student experience; the student experience; the staff experience; student welfare; ensuring the protection of enrolled learners; safeguarding and protection; and compliance with the regulatory requirements and conditions of registration;
- to refer matters to Senate, as appropriate, for guidance and advice in relation to those areas of responsibilities set out above and consider that advice;
- to delegate responsibility to Senate for matters of academic policy;
- to receive, review and consider quarterly reports from Senate in and to review, consider and approve the Senate’s Annual Monitoring Report;
- to engage with relevant statutory and regulatory bodies including, but not limited to, the Office for Students (OfS) in England, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; and
- to discharge its responsibilities and obligations as the governing body of Study Group Limited. Including, but not limited to, the responsibility for financial sustainability; raising issues of operational and contractual risk (by way of regular reporting to Study Group TopCo.); providing effective management and governance; and fulfilling statutory obligations in relation to areas such as health and safety, data protection, prevent/safeguarding, UKVI visa and immigration policy and academic regulatory issues.
Senate
Council (the governing body) has determined that Senate is the principal academic authority of Study Group with responsibility to oversee all aspects of academic activity across all activities within the United Kingdom (UK), and online.
Purpose & Responsibilities
As such, Senate is responsible on behalf of the governing body for the following:
- Determining Study Group’s overall scholarly and research strategy. This includes setting objectives for the organisation that ensure that strategic objectives are realised;
- The setting and maintenance of academic standards in line with Study Group expectations and any regulatory requirements relevant to the region(s) in which Study Group is operating;
- The assurance of the quality of any Study Group academic provision regardless of where any programme or service is being delivered including when that provision is partly being delivered by a partner institution;
- Ensuring that the non-academic student-facing services that support students to access, succeed in, and progress from their programmes is contributing effectively to Study Group meeting its strategic academic and research aims and objectives;
- Ensuring that Study Group programmes of study, their delivery, and the provision of student-facing services and information meet all applicable regulatory requirements; and
- The identification and management of areas of potential risk in connection to those areas within its remit. This includes areas of potential risk in relation to academic provision and the student experience.
Compliance Governance Group and Risk and Performance Group.
Responsible for ensuring top grade in key areas of compliance and risk, these forums provide key stakeholders with the opportunity to report on and review matters relating to compliance and risk. Material risk and compliance matters are escalated, as warranted, to the global Study Group TopCo Board, which is part of the Group’s governance framework.
If you have any questions relating to Study Group Limited’s governance arrangements, including agendas and minutes, then please contact ukeugov@studygroup.com.
Management
Leadership Team for the UK and Europe
Leadership responsibility for UK/EU operations is primarily vested with the Managing Director, University Partnerships, who is a member of the Group Executive Committee. Reporting to the MDUP is a team of senior executives with deep expertise in the education sector who are responsible for the day-to-day performance of all operations related to academic performance, and student experience and success. In addition, UK/EU operations are the beneficiary of Group support for all finance, legal and compliance, human resource, and IT matters.
Student Protection Plan
View the Student Protection Plan, prepared as part of Study Group’s application for registration with the Office for Students. This policy applies to all Study Group students studying within the UK and EU.
Study Group HE UK Student Transfer Policy
View the student transfer policy, which outlines the mechanisms and controls that are in place to facilitate progression to an undergraduate or postgraduate course at a partner university, as well as the process for a student to transfer onto another pathway programme partway through their study.
Study Group Student Transfer Policy
Financial Statements for Study Group Limited
Click below to view the financial statements for Study Group Limited, the legal entity operating in the UK and Europe. Please note that prior to 2020, the legal name for Study Group Limited was Bellerbys Educational Services Limited.