Module Caps and Ballotting

Guidance for requesting caps on modules

Caps to restrict student numbers on modules should only be applied where there is robust reason to do so and when this has been fully considered by the School in advance of the module selection process. Module caps and the student experience is a careful balancing act; some groups of students view them positively as securing smaller group teaching, others view them negatively if they perceive that choices are not available to them or are being taken away from them.

The decision on whether to cap will be applied is made by the School Director of Teaching and Learning (SDTL) and then implemented through the Support Centres/HBS. Following this process allows for consistency in decision making, improves the way caps are applied to modules, manages staff expectations on what should or should not be capped and to allow decisions to be made and implemented in good time. It will also allow us to manage student expectations when they come to make module choices.

Approval of capping will be managed by the SDTL, except for requests to ‘roll over’ capping beyond one academic year for reasons of staffing issues, which will be considered by the relevant Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience) (APVC).

Module capping will only be acceptable in following circumstances:

Modules containing field trips and placements (i.e., due to capacity, logistical or safety issues) (NB where field trips are only available to a limited cohort, this should be made clear in admissions/marketing information).
Modules reliant on specialist rooms/facilities (e.g., laboratories or studios) (NB Schools should, in the first instance, look at other options rather than capping; for example, sharing equipment with other Departments/Schools).
Modules affected by unplanned staffing issues (unexpected, short-term insufficient resource to deliver larger or duplicate sessions).

Capping requests are managed through the Support Centres/HBS School office alongside module diet entry and ahead of module selection for returning students.

The Balloting Process

Colleagues in the Support Centres/HBS School Office will work with relevant Programme Directors during the module selection period to agree the process for deselection for affected modules, giving due regard to any module which is a constrained option, a named option or a module required to follow a route within a particular programme. The usual process to be applied to deselection of students from their selected modules is randomised deselection.

The process for randomised deselection is as follows:

Oversubscribed capped modules will require balloting once module selection has closed.

Colleagues in the Support Centres/HBS School Office will consult with SDTLs and Programme Directors, to agree which students should be deselected from randomised lists to ensure decisions are appropriate.

Decisions could take into consideration the following possible criteria and any pedagogical imperatives to prioritise access for a randomised deselected student to access the modules, for example:

pathway programmes,
students on constrained options,
‘home’ school provision,
students on joint programmes with few module choices,
students already deselected from multiple modules.

Any decisions made need to be transparent to avoid any student perceptions of unfairness which can (and does) lead to complaints. Any questions from students relating to decisions made will be forwarded to Programme Directors so that they can address any concerns from their students directly.

In certain circumstances when a module is oversubscribed by a small number of students, or where other modules have had to be withdrawn (for example, due to staff illness etc), Schools may wish to discuss whether exceptions might be made and the cap can be relaxed to allow all enrolled students to undertake this module, or to absorb additional students who have been removed from modules which have been withdrawn. Support Centres/HBS School Office will consult with the Timetabling teams to make sure these changes to caps are feasible, although at this stage in the process it is unlikely to impact on teaching rooms allocation.