An Coiste Feabhais Acadúil
The Committee on Academic Quality Improvement
The Academic Quality Assurance Programme 2003-2004
Report to Údarás na hOllscoile
Review of
B. Comm. Programme
June 2005
Self-Assessment
Review Group Visit
Follow Up Meeting
Sept 2003 to Jan 2004
1st – 3rd March, 2004
15th October 2004
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.
Professor Jim Gosling, Director of Quality, June 2005
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Report to Údarás – Review of B. Comm. Programme 2001–2002
1. Overview of Programme
1.1 Background
The present review of the B.Comm. Programme is the latest in a sequence of quality assurance
reviews involving the Faculty of Commerce. Each of the four core departments of Accountancy
& and Finance, Economics, Management and Marketing have been reviewed in recent years and
in 2002–03 the faculty as a whole was reviewed. The M.B.A. Programme was reviewed in
2000–01.
1.2 Goal and Objectives of the Faculty of Commerce
Goal
To provide our undergraduates and postgraduates with a broad education which is of
international standard. This education will equip them with an understanding of their
disciplines in the global and community context; the critical, analytical and communication, and
technical skills which enable them to operate in the contemporary world of business and public
service; and a commitment to lifelong learning.
Objectives
1. To ensure that the teaching programmes provide the personal intelllectual development, the
communication and technical skills and characteristics required for the current world of
business and public service, and inculcate a commitment to lifelong learning.
2. To ensure courses are delivered using effective learning and teaching techniques.
3. To encourage and advance excellence in teaching.
1.3 Student numbers
The majority of students in the Faculty are undergraduates taking the B. Comm. Programme.
The number of fulltime equivalent (FTE) students in the FacultyDepartment was 1587 in the
year 2002/03, representing an increase of 33% in the four years since 1998–99.
1.4 Staff to Student ratio
In 2002–03, the number of fulltime equivalent (FTE) academic staff in the Faculty was 56.1,
giving a student: staff ratio of 28.3 in year ending 2003. This ratio was 24.5 in 1998–99. (The
ratio improved to 25 in 2003–04.)
1.5 Accommodation and Facilities
The academic departments of the Faculty of Commerce are located in the St Anthony’s College
building and in adjacent temporary buildings and converted premises. Facilities are generally
poor and the project to greatly extend these facilities is a top priority for the University. (The
new 4,750 sq. m. building will be occupied in September 2005).
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Report to Údarás – Review of B. Comm. Programme 2001–2002
2. Review Group Visit and Report
The Review Group consisted of: Ms. Mary Kenny, Director-Human Resources, Thermo King
Europe, Galway (Chair), Prof. Dennis Hanno, Isenberg School of Management, University of
Massachusetts, Amherst, Prof. John A. Murray, Professor of Business Studies, TCD, Dr.
Seamus Grimes, Dept. of Geography, NUI Galway, Dr. Annette Harte, Dept. of Civil
Engineering, NUI Galway (Rapporteur).
2.1 Summary, and Main Recommendations from Report
The review process convinced the Review Group of the vital and central role of the B. Comm.
degree in the Faculty, the University and the Region. The Programme represents a very
significant proportion of the whole student body of the University. It is noted that, in the context
of the recent expansion of the Faculty and the absence of dedicated whole-programme structures
and management, the Programme has not received adequate attention and development.
Based on its review of the Programme and its meetings, the Review Group is fully
confident that the capability, motivation and creativity exists within the Faculty and available
support services to complete these recommendations on time and with success. It wishes the
Faculty success in its development of the B. Comm. and in securing its place as the underlying
foundation of the Faculty’s work and as a flagship programme of the university.
Recommendations:
Aims and Objectives
ƒ The Faculty and the university should agree a clear vision for the programme.
ƒ An agreed set of aims and objectives for the B. Comm. degree programme should be
developed collectively in terms of educational outcomes by all of the contributing
departments. This process should be informed by input from external sources and from
students and graduates.
ƒ Individual courses should be assessed in term of how they contribute to the aims and
objectives of the degree Programme and all course outlines should demonstrate how they
support programme goals.
ƒ The courses should be reviewed collectively to ensure that all of the aims and objectives of
the programme are met and that there is consistency across the programmes. A cohesive
and balanced approach to programme design is essential.
ƒ These aims and objectives should inform all decisions in relation to individual course
development and assessment.
ƒ These aims and objectives should be widely disseminated by means of a student handbook
and on the Faculty website.
Organisation And Management
ƒ Ultimate responsibility for programme management and governance rests with the Dean.
The Dean should take responsibility for the process of redesign of the B. Comm.
Programme. A programme director should be appointed who reports directly to the Dean.
The Director should have primary responsibility for working with the faculty to develop a
process of governance and review for curriculum and policy issues related to the
Programme.
ƒ The Programme Director should establish a temporary Programme Review Committee,
whose immediate goal should be the review and redesign of the current curriculum and
delivery of the B. Comm. Programme. (Seven sub-recommendation)
ƒ The Programme Committee should have faculty representation from all departments
involved in the Programme, and its responsibilities should include: (Six subrecommendations).
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The Programme Director should work with the faculty to further increase the connection
between the students and the Programme and to enhance the interaction among students.
Specific initiatives might include: (Three sub-recommendations)
Programme & Instruction
ƒ Considerable thought should be given to curriculum development. At present, it reflects the
accumulation of incremental adjustments by departments and lecturers over many years.
Despite the excellent efforts of many individuals across the faculty, the Programme as a
whole lacks integration and an overall student centered focus.
ƒ The redesigned curriculum must focus on:
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the overarching authority of a statement of B. Comm. Programme philosophy and objectives, stated in
terms of educational outcomes
the necessity for each year cumulatively, and each course, to demonstrably and measurably support
achievement of these objectives
the need to engage students fully and on a full-time basis in the Programme and in the broader
university experience
the need for, and role of, an appropriate integrative element running through the Programme’s three
years. A required course in management in each of the three years with a specific objective of
integrating learning across each year and between years is recommended
the appropriate balance of learning / coursework between each of the three years and between
subjects within year. The workload in the first year appears to be relatively light in comparison with
the later years. At present, the curriculum has a much larger number of compulsory subjects in
Economics than in any other subject area and this should be reviewed
rationalisation of the number of courses on offer
the provision of a broad base of business skills to students, which can be applied generally.
Learning outcomes must be specified for all courses and course objectives must be informed
by the agreed set of learning objectives for the Programme and for each year. These
objectives should include a broad set of intellectual, technical, social and professional skills.
An appropriate range of teaching methods should be incorporated in each year in order to
ensure an active learning experience for the student. While acknowledging the fact that it
will be necessary to continue to use large group teaching for many courses, the students
should be exposed to small group learning experiences in each year. Particular effort should
be paid to such experiences in First Year.
The specialist services of CELT should be drawn on to facilitate the Faculty process of
curriculum redesign and innovation in pedagogy. The University and CELT should provide
the resources necessary for these initiatives.
Review of the Programme must continue with appropriate annual and periodic review
processes. These processes should include inputs from students, alumni, employers and the
business community to ensure continuing relevance and an empirical grounding.
The lack of consistency of grades between different courses must be addressed. The
proportion of students being awarded first class honours should be reviewed in conjunction
with external examiners.
Effective and consistent methods of assessing group projects must be developed. Such
methods should be communicated to student groups for transparency and understanding.
Both at departmental and Programme level, effective use should be made of external
examiners to ensure overall consistency in examination.
A range of assessment methods must be used to evaluate the learning objectives.
The Programme Board should continue the process of tracking and analysis of grading
policy.
Timely feedback from continuous assessment should be provided to students.
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Feedback should specify deficiencies or good performance in relation to criteria and
requirements.
ƒ The student handbook should specify the Programme policy in relation to assessment and
feedback.
External Relationships and Contributions
ƒ Develop a formalised and integrated approach to building business and industry
relationships for the B. Comm. Programme. These relationships can provide invaluable
support for the Programme in addition to building a positive image of the Programme and its
graduates.
ƒ Use industry and business links for plant visits, tours, guest lecturers to build a greater
understanding among undergraduates of business issues and challenges.
ƒ Work to identify opportunities for graduates to work with business and industry on research
opportunities. Review the opportunity to support post-graduate research with
undergraduates in order to foster a research interest at an early stage.
ƒ Investigate the possibility of a limited co-operative placement programme supported by the
Programme Director over summer months both locally, nationally and internationally.
ƒ Build a sense of identity for undergraduates with the Commerce Faculty and particularly
with the B. Comm. Programme, which in time can facilitate contact with B. Comm. alumni
– email listings, “give something back initiatives”
ƒ Review the possibility for using past B. Comm. graduates as external guest
speakers/presenters for Management Skills programme specifically.
3. Action Plans
Follow up Meeting Friday, 15th October, 2004
at 3.00 p.m. in Boardroom A132
Present: Professor Jim Browne - Registrar, Professor Jim Gosling - Director of Quality (Chair), Professor Roy
Green (Dean), Mr Keith Warnock, Ms Mary Kenny (Review Group), Dr Seamus Grimes (Review Group), Ms
Caroline Kennedy, Mr Tom Acton, Mr Murray Scott, Ms Mary Quinn, Ms Julianna McDonald, Mr John Curry, Ms
Maureen Linnane (in attendance).
Apologies: Dr Iain MacLaren
Action Plan for the Dean and Faculty:
1. A Bachelor of Commerce Progamme Committee has been established to develop a
radically revised programme and curriculum for the B. Comm. degree (full-time and
part-time) with the aim of having important elements in place for the first year cohort of
2005/2006 and the reforms fully complete for the first year cohort of 2006/2007.
• The advice and assistance of CELT will be sought at all appropriate stages.
• The new curriculum will include formal definitions of how all constitutive courses
contribute to predefined overall learning objectives.
• Learning objectives and assessment criteria for all important elements will be widely
disseminated by means of a student handbook and on the faculty website.
• To promote and ensure active learning, an appropriately wide range of teaching
methods will be incorporated in each year and students will be exposed to small
group learning experiences in all years.
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•
There will be a radically different course in the first year of the programme, focusing
on the learning process rather than on content, and this would involve members of
Faculty working with small groups of students.
• A parallel review will take place of the Evening B. Comm. which will result in a
more flexible, ‘blended learning’ part-time B. Comm. based on use of the internet as
well as class contact.
2. As part of the above revision process, all methods of student assessment will be
reviewed with respect to accuracy, consistency and the proportions of students attaining
each separate grade.
•
More effective use will be made of external examiners to ensure overall consistency
in examination.
•
Methods for assessing group projects will be revised. Such methods will be
explained to each student group to ensure transparency.
3. The Faculty will consult its members and then make proposals for a 4-year B. Comm.
Degree Programme to the Registrar, so that the case for an extended programme can be
made better to the Department of Education and Science. Pursuit of agreement to a 4year programme will not distract from the above revision process.
4. The Faculty will undertake the initial stages of the above programme review through the
above Committee with the intention of appointing a Programme Director (reporting to
the Dean) and a permanent programme committee, after the fundamental aspects of the
programme review are completed.
5. The Programme Director will work with the Dean and the Faculty to enhance
interactions with and among students. Specific initiatives will include:
• Creating formal and informal opportunities for the collection of student feedback,
such as regular course evaluations and open fora of targeted groups of students,
fostering the development of and support for student societies, exit surveys and/or
interviews.
•
Improving existing communication vehicles with students, such as enhancing
existing web site content, creating a printed and/or electronic student handbook and
creating a periodic student newsletter.
• Providing opportunities for student interaction and leadership development, such as
creating a mentoring relationship between selected third-year students and first-year
students.
7. Effective, consistent and timely feedback from continuous assessment will be provided
to students, where feedback will specify deficiencies or good performance in relation to
criteria and requirements. Programme policy in relation to assessment and feedback will
be specified in the student handbook.
6. Review of the revised Programme will be continuous with appropriate periodic review
processes that include inputs from students, alumni, employers and the business
community, to ensure continuing relevance and an empirical grounding.
9. As a result of the earlier review of the Faculty of Commerce itself, the establishment of
an external liaison group is in progress. This will help also with the B. Comm.
Programme. Together with the Director and the Progamme Committee, this group will
help:
•
Develop a formalised and integrated approach to building business and industry
relationships with the B. Comm. Programme.
•
Facilitate plant visits, tours, guest lecturers to build a greater understanding among
undergraduates of business issues and challenges.
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Report to Údarás – Review of B. Comm. Programme 2001–2002
•
•
•
•
Work to identify opportunities for graduates to work with business and industry on
research opportunities, in order to foster a research interest at an early stage.
Investigate the possibility of developing a limited professional experience placement
programme over summer months both locally, nationally and internationally.
Facilitate contact with B. Comm. Alumni.
Facilitate B. Comm. graduates acting as external guest speakers/presenters, e.g. for
the Contemporary Issues and Management Skills programmes.
Action Plan for University Management:
1. The Registrar will work with the Dean to facilitate the revision process outlined in
Action Point 1 in the above list, and will seek to provide any ‘once-off’ resources
required for this strategically important initiative.
2. The Registrar recognises the strategic importance to the Faculty of Commerce and to the
University of the Faculty obtaining accreditation by AACSB and EQUIS, and will
support this exercise.
3. The Registrar also recognises the crucial role of a part-time variant of the B. Comm. for
non-traditional students, and will support the development of this programme as a
replacement for the current Evening B. Comm.
4. The Registrar acknowledges that, as compared with other faculties of commerce
nationally, the Faculty of Commerce has a high baseline student to staff ratio. The
Registrar will work with the Dean to identify ways to improve this ratio.
Approved by: Dean of Commerce, Professor R Green, 3 June 2005
Approved by: Registrar, Professor J Browne, 7 June 2005
Finalised: 7 June 2005, Jim Gosling, Director of Quality
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