An Coiste Feabhais Acadúil
The Committee on Academic Quality Improvement
The Academic Quality Assurance Programme 2007-2008
Report to Údarás na hOllscoile
Review of
Higher Diploma in Business Studies
Self-Assessment
Review Group Visit
Follow Up Meeting
February 2008
10th March 2008
1st July 2008
This Report was compiled for members of Údarás na hOllscoile, NUI Galway and its
committees as a readily accessible but comprehensive source of information on the above
review, its context and its outcomes.
Quality Office, September 2008
Report to Údarás – Review of Higher Diploma in Business Studies 2007–2008
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1. Overview of Programme
1.1 Aims and Objectives of the Programme
Since the Higher Diploma in Business Studies Programme began it has concentrated on giving
students a basic grounding in all of the core disciplines in the Commerce Faculty while allowing
students to gain expertise in one of the disciplines in the second semester should they wish.
The overall aim has been to prepare students for entry level positions in the business world.
A secondary objective has been to allow students to proceed to further academic or professional
study, such as a Masters degree in Management or Marketing, or professional exams in
accounting.
The Programme is run over four departments in the Commerce Faculty. Each department is
responsible for its own approach to the courses that it teaches and there isn’t any attempt to
develop an overall teaching philosophy.
1.2 Background
The Diploma in Business Studies was developed in 1989/90, in conjunction with a Diploma in
Management; both Programmes were run for the first time in the academic year 1990/91. The
Diploma in Management was devised as a mechanism to aid in meeting the education/training
needs of one of Galway’s major employers at that time, the Digital Equipment Corporation
(DEC). The Faculty decided that it would be appropriate to create a parallel Programme open to
graduates of Faculties other than Commerce. When DEC discontinued its participation the
Diploma in Management ceased, but the increase in the number of graduate applicants ensured
the Programme could continue through the Diploma in Business Studies.
1.3 Student numbers
The number of students registered in the Programme was 39 in the year 2006/07, representing a
decrease of 27.8% in the four years since 2002/03.
1.4 Accommodation and Facilities
The Diploma in Business Studies is a Faculty Programme and as such is not based in any
particular department. The Directorship of the Programme rotates among the four core
Departments in the Faculty of Commerce. The Academic Departments of the Faculty of
Commerce are located in the Cairnes Building.
2. Review Group Visit and Report
The report arises from a visit by a review group to the Higher Diploma in Business Studies (HDBS) Programme on
10 March, 2008. The Programme Board had already prepared and submitted a 'Self Assessment Report' that, with
other documentation, was made available to the Group in advance of the visit.
The Review Group consisted of: Mr Sean Hamil, Management Department, Birbeck College, London (Chair); Ms
Carmel Brennan, Business Studies, GMIT; Mr Donal Flynn, Bank of Ireland, Galway; Ms Pat Byrne, Department of
Information Technology, NUI Galway; and Dr Kathryn Moore of the Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences,
NUI Galway acting as Rapporteur.
Report to Údarás – Review of Higher Diploma in Business Studies 2007–2008
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2.1 Summary and Main Recommendations from Report
Summary
The DBS is essentially a strong Programme, which for a variety of reasons, has lost focus and
this is reflected in declining student recruitment in recent years. However, the Review initiated
by the University, of which this Panel review is a part, offers an opportunity to re-focus and reinvigorate the Programme. Critically, it is the Review Group’s view that any such re-focusing
calls for the development of a written strategic plan for the Programme, and a move towards a
much more formalised system of Programme management and administration. This is
particularly important in the context of a Programme such as this where there are a number of
departments involved and therefore a greater need for pro-active co-ordination between the
lecturers in the various departments delivering the Programme, in addition to a significant
number of external lecturers. Major concerns of the Review Group, in addition to those of
course co-ordination and long-term direction, are the issues of class identity and status: access to
resources and recognition of HDBS students as postgraduate students.
Main Recommendations
The Review Group feels that many of the challenges faced by the Programme can be met at the
level of local management and recommends that:
1. One member of fulltime academic staff should be responsible for both the direction and
co-ordination of the Programme, with clear defined responsibilities.
2. It is necessary to clarify the relationship between the Director and the Dean’s Office, and
to establish who is ultimately responsible for academic quality assurance and resources
on the HDBS. The issue of Programme ownership and accountability is currently
unclear.
3. A Programme Board should meet regularly (once a semester) to provide a regular
internal review process and produce a strategy to invigorate the HDBS, involving
Programme development. The Programme board should also review input from an
annual student evaluation.
4. Procedures for reviewing examination results should be formally established and
external examiners reports should comprise part of the ongoing internal review process.
5. Staff-student liaison should occur on a more formal basis.
6. Minutes should be produced for all the above feedback mechanisms to inform the
decision-making process.
7. Clear and comprehensive course documentation should be provided each year at the start
of the Programme and should include clear aims and objectives, learning outcomes and
generic skills, and progression paths through courses and potential careers.
8. The identity of the HDBS student cohort can be reinforced by a more formal
Programme-wide tutorial scheme.
9. The provision of more site-visits and guest lectures specifically for HDBS students
should be investigated.
10. There should be proactive recruitment of non-Commerce graduates within NUI Galway
with a clear strategy to develop fourth level education, in line with the University’s
Strategic Plan and based on research of the target market. This will require specific
attention from the faculty in the next few years in order to restore the class size.
11. A two-year Masters course be established which comprises the DBS and extant Masters
Programmes that complement the optional courses taken in semester II of HDBS.
Report to Údarás – Review of Higher Diploma in Business Studies 2007–2008
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3. Action Plans
Follow up Meeting Thursday 2nd July 2008
at 2.30p.m. in Room C219, Árus de Brún
Present: Professor Jim Gosling (Chair), Professor Jim Ward (Registrar), Mr Brendan Kennelly, Ms
Mairead MacKenzie, Dr Kathryn Moore (Review Group), Ms Pat Byrne (Review Group), Ms Maureen
Mescall, Dr Tom Acton, Ms Julianna McDonnell, Ms Deirdre Ruddy, Ms Maureen Linnane (in
attendance)
Apologies: Dr Geraldine Robbins, Mr Ronan Kennedy, Ms Joan Feeney, Ms Alison Herbert, Ms Orla
Higgins, Ms Anna Louise Hinds.
Action Plan for the Programme Board:
1. The current contributors to the programme will meet in July 2008 to establish a new
Programme Board:

The majority of Board members will be contributors to the programme with at least
one from each of the core disciplines plus the programme director and co-ordinator.

Class representatives will attend as full members for a portion of each meeting,
including when reports from the Student/Staff Committee, other student feedback
and proposed consequential changes are discussed.

Board meetings will be minuted to include actions and matters arising from the
minutes will be the first agenda item at each meeting.

The Board will agree by October 2008 a method by which external advice can be
obtained regularly, either via a dedicated advisory board with representatives from
local industry or via a School advisory board.

The first agenda item of the new Board will be these Action Plans.

The Board will meet at least once a semester to maintain strategies for an invigorated
HDBS and provide a regular internal review process.
2. The Director and Board will initiaite consultitative and planning processes to develop a
new revised Programme by December 2008, including:

A review of existing courses in the light of revised Programme objectives,

Learning outcomes for the programme and all its constituent courses, and

A unifying project or skills-based module, a programme-wide tutorial scheme, and
more site-visits and guest lectures specifically for HDBS students, to promote
integrated learning and reinforce the identity of the HDBS student cohort.
3. The Director and Board will also revise or devise procedures and activities to:

Require student-staff meetings, with minutes and reports of actions implemented, at
least once a semester

Review examination results prior to examination board meetings and implement
recommendations in external examiners reports,
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Report to Údarás – Review of Higher Diploma in Business Studies 2007–2008

Communicate regularly with external contributors to the programme.

Promote programme marketing and student recruitment.
4. The Director and Board will also act to ensure that students on the HDBS programme,
who pay fees comparable to other postgraduate students, are provided with comparable
service and resources.
5. The Director will ensure that a programme handbook is available to incoming students in
September 2008. This will include comprehensive programme and module descriptions,
progression paths through the courses and information on possible further postgraduate
qualifications and/or potential career paths.
Action Plan for the University:
1. The Registrar agreed that there is the need for more clarity within the current
promotional schemes for academic staff, particularly with respect to credit for carrying
responsibilities and exercising initiaitve for directors of study programmes such as the
HDBS, particulaly in contexts where deans and heads of school find it difficult to find
volunteers for such responsibilities.
2. The Dean of the Faculty of Commerce will appoint a new Director for the Programme in
July 2008, who will continue to be supported by a full time coordinator. The respective
responsibilities of the Programme Director, the Head od School and the Dean of the new
College of Business, Economics and Law will be clarified to ensure effective lines of
accountability and responsibility.
3. The School of Business and Economics will consider ways in which students of the
HDBS may be able to proceed to a Masters qualification over two years.
4. The School of Business and Economics is considering the appointment of a ‘skill
development facilitator’ for a 5 year period, with the objective that this person will
support programmes like the HDBS.
Approved by: Programme Director, Mr Brendan Kennelly, 18 July 2008
Approved by: Registrar, Professor Jim Ward, 24 July 2008
Approved by: Interim Head of School of Business and Economics, Professor Michael Keane, 18
September 2008
Approved by: Director of CELT, Dr. Iain MacLabhrainn, 22 July 2008
Approved by: Director of Human Resources, Mr Chris McNairney, 20 August 2008
Director of Quality,
Finalised: 22 September 2008