Association of Colleges

The Charter Award Process - How can my College apply to be a member of the Charter?

Applying for the Charter is a straight-forward process.  We recommend that you follow the steps below.

1    Refer to the four key commitments of the Charter (these can be found in the Charter guide) and assess whether the College currently meets the commitments or whether further preparation is needed.  The International Charter team will happily advise you if you require additonal support to meet the commitments.

2    When your internal assessment concludes that the College meets the commitments, please complete the Charter review application form and email it to Ayesha Williams.

3     Upon receiving your Charter review application form, Ayesha will contact you to arrange a suitable time for the  review to take place and a suitable time for a member of the AoC Charter team to provide your review preparation session.  This session is included in the cost of the review and it is your oportunity to seek AoC's advice on your preparation for the review.  AoC is happy to conduct this session in your College or if it is more convenient for you, this can take place via telephone.

4    The College undergoes the Charter review over the course of two consecutive days.  At the end of the second day, the review team informs the College whether it has met the commitments and will be awarded the Charter.  If the College does not meet the commitments and cannot be awarded the Charter, AoC will offer support to the College if it decides to reapply for the Charter in due course.

5   When the College acheives the Charter, it will receive formal confirmation of its Charter status which will include a summary of key strengths and areas for development.  At this stage, the College can access all of the benefits of Charter membership.

6    The College decides whether it would like to recieve its Charter wall plaque, which certifies its membership of the Charter,  at the AoC Annual Conference or the AoC International Conference.