Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA)

Scope and Content

Note that this collection only includes administrative records of the CNAA. It does not contain any student records or copies of qualification certificates. Former students wishing to obtain these should contact the Open University (http://www.open.ac.uk/cicp/main/validation/awards-and-aftercare/cnaa-pro-forma-verification).

Administrative / Biographical History

The CNAA was founded by Royal Charter in 1964, with the object of advancing education, learning, knowledge, and the arts by means of the grant of academic awards and distinctions. The Council did this by approving courses at educational institutions other than universities and granting degrees to persons who carried out research under conditions approved by the Council. Boards of studies, later committees, ensured that the degrees were comparable to those granted by universities. The Council ceased to exist in 1993.

Access Information

This collection is available to researchers by appointment at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick. See http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/using/

Acquisition Information

These records were deposited in the Centre by the Council for National Academic Awards in 1993, except for the reports (references beginning MSS.322B) which were deposited in 1999.

Other Finding Aids

Conditions Governing Use

There are no restrictions on the use of this archive, apart from the requirements of copyright law.

Appraisal Information

This collection has been weeded for duplicates.

Accruals

Further deposits are expected.

Related Material

Further papers of the CNAA are located at the Modern Records Centre in the papers of Qualidata (MSS.371/CNAA). The CNAA's minutes, 1964-85, and annual reports, 1964-89, are available in the National Archives (ref. DB 3 and DB 2). Later minutes and reports will be added to these deposits.

At the time of the deposit of these records, the course validation material was still wanted for administrative purposes. It was transferred to the Open University's Validation Services.

In addition to its own archives, the CNAA has deposited the archives of the National Council for Diplomas in Art and Design and the archives of the National Council for Technological Awards at the Modern Records Centre.