Academic Standards
Institutional Documents
The documentation an established university is expected to hold — and an honest account of how far ICOF Global University has come in producing it.
- 17
- Documents in the register
- 6
- Readable now
- 9
- In preparation
- 8
- Not yet written
On this register
Why this page shows what is missing
An accreditation body, a partner university and a prospective student are all better served by a register that states plainly what exists and what does not, than by a shelf of impressive-looking documents whose contents were never adopted.
Statutes, degree classifications, examination regulations and quality assurance procedures are instruments of governance. They take effect when a Senate, an Academic Board or a Board of Trustees adopts them — not when they are written well. Each is listed here with the body that must adopt it, and with the specific decisions required, so the work of producing it is a short list rather than a blank page.
The Register
The register, in the order the university set
- 1In preparation
Academic Catalog
The university’s official academic handbook — the single document a student downloads before applying, and the first document an accreditation body asks for.
Contents
- Welcome from the Chancellor
- Welcome from the Vice Chancellor
- University History
- Vision, Mission and Core Values
- Governance Structure
- Faculties and Schools
- Academic Calendar
- Admission Requirements
- Tuition & Fees
- Scholarships
- Student Regulations
- Examination Regulations
- Graduation Requirements
- Degree Classifications
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Research Ethics
- Student Services, Library and ICT
- Quality Assurance
- All programmes and course descriptions
Required from the university
- Academic calendar — term dates, registration windows, examination periods
- Examination regulations — entry, conduct, absence, resit and appeal
- Graduation requirements — credit minimums and residency by award
- Degree classifications — the grade bands and their names
- Research ethics procedure and the committee that approves applications
- Library and ICT service descriptions
- Quality assurance framework
Adopted by: Academic Board / Senate
- 2In preparation
Programme Handbooks
One handbook per award — the document a registered student works from all year. Diploma, Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral.
Contents
- Programme aims and outcomes
- Course descriptions with credit values
- Assessment scheme and weightings
- Progression and award rules
- Reading lists
- Placement and practicum requirements
Required from the university
- Course lists, credit values and durations for the eleven awards written up in 2026 — see docs/FACULTY-PAGES.md
- Assessment weightings per course
- 3In preparation
University Prospectus
The recruitment publication — designed to be read online or printed and kept.
Contents
- Why ICOF?
- Campuses
- Online Learning
- Faculties
- Degree Programmes
- Student Life
- Accommodation
- International Students
- Admissions
- Scholarships
- Alumni
- Research
- Contact Information
Required from the university
- Accommodation detail beyond the monthly rent already published
- Alumni profiles the university is willing to name
- Current photography for print resolution
- 4In preparation
Student Handbook
What a student may expect of the university, and what it expects of them.
Contents
- Student Rights
- Student Responsibilities
- Code of Conduct
- Attendance Policy
- Academic Misconduct
- Dress Code
- Student Government
- Clubs & Societies
- Complaint Procedures
- Graduation Process
Required from the university
- Attendance policy — minimum attendance and the consequence of falling below it
- Whether a dress code applies, and its terms
- Whether a student government exists, and its constitution
- Complaint procedure — stages, timescales and who hears an appeal
Adopted by: Academic Board
- 5Not yet written
Quality Assurance Manual
How the university assures the standard of its awards. The document an accreditation body reads most closely.
Contents
- Academic Standards
- Programme Approval
- Course Review
- External Examiners
- Student Evaluation
- Lecturer Evaluation
- Curriculum Review
- Graduate Attributes
- Assessment Moderation
- Continuous Improvement
Required from the university
- The approval route a new programme actually follows, and who signs it off
- Whether external examiners are appointed, and their terms of reference
- Review cycle length for courses and curricula
Adopted by: Senate / Quality Assurance Committee
- 6In preparation
Graduate School Handbook
The rules of research degree study, for Master’s and doctoral candidates.
Contents
- Admission
- Coursework
- Thesis Proposal
- Research Methods
- Supervisor Responsibilities
- Viva Voce
- Thesis Formatting
- Graduation Requirements
Required from the university
- Supervisor responsibilities and the supervision record expected
- Viva voce procedure — panel composition and possible outcomes
- Thesis formatting standard and word limits by award
- 7Not yet written
Research Handbook
The university’s research standards, including its position on generative AI.
Contents
- Research Philosophy
- Ethics Approval
- Thesis Guidelines
- Citation Standards
- Publication Policy
- Plagiarism Policy
- AI Use Policy
- Open Access Policy
- Intellectual Property
Required from the university
- Which citation standard the university requires, by faculty
- The ethics approval route and the committee that grants it
- The university’s position on generative AI in assessed work
- Who owns intellectual property created by staff and by students
Adopted by: Senate / Research Ethics Committee
- 8Not yet written
University Statutes
The governing instrument — the document from which every other authority in the university derives.
Contents
- Chancellor
- Board of Trustees
- University Senate
- Academic Board
- Faculties
- Schools
- Appointment Procedures
- Financial Governance
- Degree Award Powers
Required from the university
- The statutes as adopted. These cannot be drafted here: they are a legal instrument, and their authority comes from the Board of Trustees adopting them, not from their wording.
Adopted by: Board of Trustees
- 9Not yet written
Strategic Plan 2026–2035
Where the university intends to be in ten years, and how it will get there.
Contents
- Vision
- Growth Targets
- New Campuses
- Online Expansion
- Research Growth
- Digital University
- International Partnerships
- Financial Sustainability
- Community Impact
- Infrastructure Development
Required from the university
- Current enrolment, staffing and financial baselines — a growth target without a baseline is not a plan
- The university’s own targets. These are decisions, not drafting.
Adopted by: Board of Trustees
- 10In preparation
Policies and Procedures Manual
Every operational policy in one place, each with an owner and a review date.
Contents
- Code of conduct and disciplinary process
- Due process and appeals
- Admissions policy
- Fees, refunds and financial hardship
- Data protection and student records
- Safeguarding
- Equality and non-discrimination
Required from the university
- Refund policy
- Data protection and records retention policy
- Safeguarding policy and the designated officer
- 11Not yet written
Research Journals
Peer-reviewed journals published by the university, establishing it as a producer of scholarship rather than only a teacher of it.
Contents
- ICOF Journal of Theology and Biblical Studies
- ICOF Journal of African Theology and Mission
- ICOF Journal of Education
- ICOF Journal of Business and Leadership
- ICOF Journal of Engineering and Technology
- ICOF Journal of Interdisciplinary Research
Required from the university
- An editor and an editorial board per journal — a journal is its board, not its title
- ISSN registration
- A peer review policy and a submission route
- 12Not yet written
ICOF University Press
The university’s publishing imprint for books, monographs and proceedings.
Contents
- Textbooks
- Academic Journals
- Monographs
- Conference Proceedings
- Student Research
- Faculty Books
Required from the university
- A director, an imprint name registration and an ISBN prefix
- 13Not yet written
Research Centres
Named centres giving the university’s research a public profile and a home for postgraduate supervision.
Contents
- Faculty of Theology — eight proposed centres
- Faculty of Education — four proposed centres
- Engineering & Technology — five proposed centres
- Business — four proposed centres
Required from the university
- Confirmation that each centre exists, and who directs it. Twenty-one centre names were proposed; a centre with no director and no researchers is a heading, and publishing it as though it were a research unit would not survive scrutiny.
- 14Not yet written
International Office
A single office owning international admissions, exchange and partnerships.
Contents
- International Admissions
- Student Exchange
- Faculty Exchange
- Visiting Scholars
- Joint Degrees
- Erasmus-style Partnerships
- Visa Support
- Global Recruitment
Required from the university
- The officer responsible and a contact address
- Existing partner institutions, if any — an exchange page with no partners deters the applicants it is meant to attract
- 15In preparation
Faculty Handbooks
One handbook per faculty, covering what is common to all its awards. Five published.
Contents
- Dean’s Welcome
- Faculty History
- Academic Calendar
- Programmes
- Course Descriptions
- Practicum
- Ministry Requirements
- Chapel Requirements
- Research Expectations
- Graduation Requirements
Required from the university
- Practicum hours and how placements are approved and supervised
- Ministry requirements — what a theology student must do outside class to qualify
- Chapel requirements — whether attendance is compulsory, and how it is recorded
- Faculty history and founding dates
- 16In preparation
Digital Campus
The online platform through which a distance student experiences the university.
Contents
- Learning Management System (LMS)
- Online Library
- Student Portal
- Faculty Portal
- Research Repository
- Digital Transcripts
- Degree Verification
- AI Academic Assistant
- Online Examinations
- Alumni Portal
Required from the university
- Online library — a catalogue or a subscription the university actually holds
- Research repository — where theses are deposited
- A decision on whether an AI academic assistant is wanted, and on what terms
- 17In preparation
Alumni Association
A constituted alumni body, with officers and a programme.
Contents
- Career Networking
- Mentoring
- Continuing Education
- Annual Alumni Conference
- Alumni Awards
- Fundraising
- Student Scholarships
Required from the university
- A constitution and named officers
- Whether the annual conference has been held
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