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  • The Online Approval Tool
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The Online Approval Tool Home Page

The Online Approval Tool is used for creating new and editing existing units and programmes. The Tool replaced the previous paper based approval process in June 2011 and is now the primary way to manage unit and programme information held in the Programme and Unit Catalogue.  It is essential to ensure that the information stored in the Catalogue is kept up-to-date as is used to inform many other systems, including SITS, Syllabus+, Hobsons and the new online unit registration system.

For further information on the approval process including the definitions of major and minor changes,  please see our Programme and Unit Approval Guidance pages.

Please click on one of the following links for further information on the Online Approval Tool:

• The Online Approval Tool - Login and Guidance Notes

• Hints and Tips for using the Tool   *NEW*

• Training

• Frequently Asked Questions

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The Online Approval Tool – Login and Guidance Notes

Before using the Online Approval Tool, please read the guidance on approval and ensure that you have gathered all of the relevant information required for your proposal.

Please login using your normal UoB username and password to the Online Approval Tool at: https://www.bris.ac.uk/esu/approvalprocess

Before using the Tool we recommend that you read and follow the guidance notes below which provide a step by step guide:

Unit Updating [PDF 507KB]	Programme Updating [PDF 584KB]	Committee Processes & Approval Workflow [PDF 784KB]
Setting Up a New Unit [PDF 400KB]	Setting up a new programme [PDF 381KB]	SITS Coding Structures (new webpage)
Withdrawing a unit [PDF 434KB]	Withdrawing a programme [PDF 563KB]

Once your proposal has been approved via the Online Approval Tool, the new unit and programme information will be pulled across into SITS and the Catalogues automatically and you should be able to see your changes after one working day.

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Hints and Tips     

ESU have highlighted the following hints and tips to help make using the Tool simpler and more effective.

General Tips

• Only click 'Save' once! Double clicking 'Save' will cause an error and you might lose your work. You will be able to tell if you have already clicked 'Save' as the timer indicator will be moving on your web page tab.
• Avoid using the 'back' arrow on your browser. This could take you to an older version of the item you are trying to edit and you may lose your work.
• Within the proposal, search for programmes and units that require editing by entering the programme/unit code in the Tool search bar (top right corner). You will be able to see if a unit/programme is already being edited elsewhere.
• Try to avoid keeping programmes/units sitting in a proposal for too long as the version you were working on could have been superceded by another user meaning that you are no longer editing the current version.
• It sounds daft, but it is possible.... remember to submit your proposal!

Annual Unit Updates

• Within the proposal, search for units that require editing by entering the unit code in the Tool search bar (top right corner). Using this method for finding the unit (as opposed to the A-Z search) will show you if the unit is already open for editing in another proposal folder.
• Try to avoid mixing Annual Unit Updates with minor/major changes in a proposal. Minor/Major changes will need to be approved through the committees but Annual Updates can go straight to the Catalogue.
• Only open up the units that actually need to be changed. If no changes are required the unit will rollover automatically to the next year.

Editing Programme Structures

• If you are editing programmes with Joint Honours, let the administrator from the other school know in case they are trying to edit the programme at the same time
• Check whether a programme is already being edited elsewhere by clicking 'included in proposals'.
• Set a unit to ‘not in use’ by removing its Teaching Block allocation instead of deleting it from the options list (unless it really will not be taught on that programme again)
• When adding or removing units, make sure you are editing the correct version of the programme. If a later version has already been created then you may need to edit more than one version until you get to the latest version which will state e.g. 14/15 'onwards'.

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Training

From May 2013 ESU will be contacting schools to discuss specific training needs and arrange visits as and where required.

ESU are continuing to hold bi-weekly open drop in sessions at 8-10 Berkeley Square. Please come by to speak to us about any specific issues or training needs you might have. If you are not able to make any of the listed dates, please call Sophie on 14203 or email us at approval-help@bristol.ac.uk to arrange a more convenient time.

If further training is required more generally,  we can offer more focused School level demonstrations and training. Please email approval-help@bris.ac.uk to arrange this.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Please see our page of Frequently Asked Questions.

 

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