Quality Assurance Handbook

Dublin Business School Policies & Procedures

The current Quality Assurance Handbook is to provide guidance and information to all participants in quality assurance and enhancement across the college - this includes students and staff. This Handbook includes all college policies and regulations, and is the core text for students to familiarise themselves with these processes and systems.

The Quality Assurance Handbook is a DBS document, developed by DBS, for DBS staff and learners. It cannot be copied or replicated outside of the College, or for DBS staff or learner use, without written permission.
This page is the definitive source for the most current DBS policies. Policies duplicated on other pages, websites or in print may not be the most current version.

Revised Privacy Statement 

From 25th May 2018 a new data protection regulation came into effect. Consequently, DBS has revised its privacy statement which outlines how we manage the data we hold on you, as a student, as well as your rights and our responsibilities in relation to that data. You can find our new Privacy Statement at this link.

Table of Contents

• Amendments to the 2019 edition
• A.1 Governance
• A.2 Overarching Policies
• B.1 Learner Admissions
• B.2 Learner Supports
• B.3 Learner Conduct, Appeals and Complaints
• B.4 Programme Participation
• B.5 Assessment Regulations
• B.6 Examination Boards and Award Classifications
• C.1 Learning and Teaching
• C.2 Programme Development and Review
• C.3 Transnational Collaborative and Joint Awards
• QAH Feedback and Suggestions
• Re-Engagement

Quality Assurance Handbook (2019) and Amendments

As a result of the restructure of the Quality Assurance Handbook, in order to be more approachable and accessible, a Contents Guide has been set out: QAH Contents Guide.

A quickguide reminder of key assessment regs for students is available here: QAH Assessments & Regs Reminder, or through our Assessments & Regs Induction artefact.

The Handbook is a live document, requiring updates and amendments over time, subject to developments in the academic and professional environments, as well as local, national and global developments. Individual policies may be amended over time to reflect these developments, following approval by the College's governance bodies.

Edits, updates, and amendments are tracked, and the Change Trackers record these changes, for full transparency for all stakeholders.
QAH Change Tracker 2019 edition
QAH Change Tracker 2023 edition   

The last amendment was made on: 19/12/2023

Part A - Governance & Policies

Part A Section 1 - Governance

1.1 Introduction to DBS and the Quality Assurance Handbook
1.2 DBS Governance and Organisation
1.3 Terms of Reference for Governance Boards and Committees
1.4 DBS Leadership Structure and Roles
1.5 Faculty Roles
1.6 Management and Support Roles
1.7 Staff Communications
1.8 Other Parties Involved in Education and Training

In 2022-23, a review of the Committee structure of the Academic Board was undertaken. This review resulted in the restructuring of a number of subcommittees. The evolution of these bodies is set out in the Appendix A.1 HERE.

Part A Section 2 - Overarching Policy

  QAH Part A Section 2 Overarching Policies (PDF)

2.1 Policy on Policy
2.2 Quality Assurance Policy
2.3 Self-Evaluation and Monitoring Policy
2.4 Risk Management Policy
2.5 Student Records and Data Retention Policy
2.6 Child Protection Policy
2.7 Learner Garda Vetting Policy
2.8 Learning Analytics Policy
2.9 Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy
2.10 Conflict of Interest Policy for Programme Delivery
2.11 Sexual Harassment and Sexual Consent Policy

Supporting Documents to A.2:

Student Guide to Learning Analytics (PDF)
DBS Child Safeguarding Statement (PDF)
Form A.2 Policy Template (Doc file)

Part B - The Learner Journey 

Part B Section 1 - Learner  Admissions

1.1 Information for Applicants Policy
1.2 Admission of Learners to Academic Programmes Policy
1.3 Admission Procedures
1.4 Applicants’ Responsibilities

Part B Section 2 - Learner Supports 

2.1 Information and Support for Learners
2.2 Premises and Facilities
2.3 IT Facilities
2.4 Online Learning Supports
2.5 Student Experience
2.6 DBS Library
2.7 Digital Wellbeing Policy

Part B Section 3 - Learner Conduct, Appeals and Complaints 

3.1 The DBS Learner Charter
3.2 Learner Code of Conduct Policy
3.3 Academic Integrity Policy (formerly Academic Impropriety  Policy)
3.4 Complaints Policy
3.5 Appeals Policy
3.6 Disciplinary Policy
3.7 Cameras On Policy

Supporting Documents to B.3:

DBS Learner Charter (extract poster)
Academic Impropriety Invite FAQ (PDF)
Academic Impropriety Form (Online) - For Lecturer Use ONLY
Appeals Form (Results appeals - PDF)
Appeals Form (Decision) (Decision appeals - PDF)
Student Complaint/ Feedback Form (Online Form)
Appendix B.3.3 Policy Statement on Generative AI (GAI) - updated 14/07/2023

Part B Section 4 - Programme Participation 

4.1 Attendance Policy
4.2 Deferral Policy
4.3 Personal Mitigating Circumstances (PMC) Policy
4.4 Support for Learners with Additional Needs (Need Extra Provisions) Policy

Supporting Documents to B.4:

PMC Form (Ticketing System)
Additional Requirement(s) for International Students seeking stage-deferrals (Doc file)
NB: This relates to stage deferrals (semester or year deferrals), not single sitting deferrals (e.g. exam sittings)
Appendix B.4.4 Extra Provision for Specific Disabilities and Additiional Needs (PDF file)

Part B Section 5 - Assessment Regulations 

5.1 Assessment Overarching Policy
5.2 Continuous Assessment Policy
5.3 Examination Policy
5.4 Repeating a Failed Module Policy
5.5 Progression with ECTS Deficit (Trailing) Policy
5.6 Feedback on Examinations Policy
5.7 Access, Retention & Destruction of Examination Scripts Policy
5.8 Verification of an Assessment Result Policy
5.9 Assessment Marking, Feedback and Moderation Policy

Supporting Documents to B.5:

Assignment Extension Request Form (Ticketing System)
Application to Sit Repeat Postgrad Module Early Request Form (PDF)
Additional Requirement(s) for International Students undertaking Repeats (without Attendance) (Doc file)
The Verification and View Script Request Forms can be found on the Exams Page of the website. These can be submitted once the relevant Policy has been read carefully and understood.

Part B Section 6 - Examination Boards and Award Classifications 

6.1 External Monitoring of Programmes Policy
6.2 Examination Boards Policy
6.3 Progression and Classification of Awards
6.4 Academic Board and the Confirmation of Grades

Supporting Documents to B.6:

QAH Appendix B.6.3 Degree Classification Thresholds

Part C - Programme Quality

Part C Section 1 - Learning and Teaching 

1.1 Staffing of Academic Programmes Policy
1.2 Learning and Teaching Policy
1.3 Academic Research Policy
1.4 Blended Learning Policy
1.5 Recording Learning Activities Policy
1.6 Group Work Policy

Supporting Documents to C.1:

Ethical Guidelines for Research with Human Participants 2019 (PDF)
Research Ethics Application Form (word doc)
Sample Ethics Information Sheet and Consent Form - Anonymous survey  (word doc)
Sample Ethics Information Sheet and Consent Form - Experiment involving Deception (word doc)
Sample Ethics Information Sheet and Consent Form - Experiment (word doc)
Sample Ethics Information Sheet and Consent Form - Study with Under 18s (word doc)
Sample Ethics Information Sheet and Consent Form - Qualitative (word doc)
Appendix C.1.3 SLATE2

Part C Section 2 - Programme Development and Review

2.1 Design and Approval of New Programmes Policy
2.2 Programme Review and Revalidation Policy

Part C Section 3 - Transnational Collaborative and Joint Awards 

3.1 Collaborative National and Transnational Provision and Joint Awards Policy

Quality Assurance Handbook - Feedback & Suggestions

We invite all stakeholders to offer feedback regarding our Quality Assurance Handbook. If you believe there are areas that need further review, are not fit for purpose, or that we have not included, you can provide this feedback to us through the brief online form linked here:

QAH FEEDBACK [ONLINE FORM]

Re-Engagement

The majority of programmes delivered by DBS are accredited by Quality & Qualifications Ireland (QQI), and those programmes not accredited by QQI are managed under the same broad Quality Assurance principles. The Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012 ensures that QQI’s relationships with providers (such as DBS) were maintained until replaced by new quality assurance (QA) arrangements with QQI. They use the term 're-engagement' to describe this transition. DBS has undertaken the Re-Engagement process with QQI, and in doing so, has taken the opportunity to review and enhance our earlier Quality Assurance Handbook.  

Dublin Business School's Provider page on QQI's website is available HERE.

The Quality Assurance Handbook set out above is the current version of what DBS views as a living document, subject to changes in order to ensure it remains fit for purpose, and addresses the growing and changing needs of a higher education institute in modern Ireland. We invite all stakeholders to review and provide feedback through the link above if there is anything they wish to raise to our Quality Assurance team's attention.