An Coiste FeabhaisAcadúil
The Committee on Academic Quality Improvement
The Academic Quality Assurance Programme 2002 - 2003
REVIEW OF
FACULTY OF COMMERCE
Final Report
09 April 2003
Faculty of Commerce: Review Group Report
This report arises from a visit by a review team to the Faculty of Commerce on 10th-12th March, 2003.
The Faculty had already prepared and submitted a 'Self Assessment Report' that, with other
documentation, was made available to the review team well in advance of the visit. The summaries of
the recently completed ‘departmental summary review reports’ were made available and evaluated
during the visit.
The review team consisted of: Ms HANNAH KIELY, H-C Financial Services Group (Chairperson);
Professor TONY CUNNINGHAM, University College Dublin; Professor VINCENT MUNLEY,
College of Business & Economics, Lehigh University; Professor CON CUNNANE, Dept. of
Engineering Hydrology, cognate; and Dr DAVID O’SULLIVAN of the CFA acting as rapporteur.
The report is structured to cover the following main topics:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Aims and Objectives
Organization and management
Programmes and Instruction
Scholarship and Research
The Wider Context
Summary and Concluding Remarks
The reviewers were warmly welcomed and hosted by the Faculty for the three days of this review.
Excellent documentation was provided. Indeed the documentation was extremely helpful in making the
review process very efficient. The Faculty is clearly making a major contribution to the University’s
aims and objectives and clearly providing first quality service to students. There is strong spirit of
collegiality within the Faculty. The reviewers were very impressed by promotional videos. Particular
thanks are due for the detailed internal quality issues presented in the self-assessment report. Many of
these issues were discussed at the open meeting but the reviewers felt it was inappropriate to make
judgment on the many issues raised. However, some of these issues may have been repeated or
adjusted in the recommendations that follow.
1.
Aims and Objectives
There are excellent plans for development and clearly stated aims and objectives. The reviewers
believe that there is a sincere aim to raise the status of the Faculty and its programmes in the national
and international academic communities and that the academic staff is doing everything possible to
achieve this aim within limited resources available. The Faculty is encouraged to continue to aim
towards a world class standard in this activity.
Recommendation
1.1 There is an urgent need for the Faculty to continue to deliberate on its current and future position
as a Faculty and/or school within the spectrum of business/commerce organisations nationally.
2.
Organization and management
There is a very strong organisation structure and proposed development for new Faculty and
administration posts. There is excellent co-operation between dean, heads, vice-deans and all Faculty
and administrative personnel. Virtually everyone appeared to be involved in the organisation and
management processes either through formal roles such as dean, vice deans, programme directors, etc.
or on its various committees.
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Faculty of Commerce: Review Group Report
Recommendations
2.1 Establish in as timely a manner as possible a Faculty level ‘advisory board’ drawn from key
players in the business community. Their aim should be to advise on strategic development,
curriculum development, placement, seminars, speakers, etc.
2.2 Appoint a ‘post graduate officer’. This position should be in place no later than Sept. 2003. The
reviewers feel the University and Faculty should pay serious attention to the role and
responsibilities of this senior post.
2.3 Work with the University to address the issue of age profile and develop a strategy for bringing in
more senior academic staff as needed to achieve the aims and objectives of the Faculty (Section 1
above).
2.4 Identify appropriate partners and engage in active benchmarking activities
2.5 Establish stronger linkages with alumni.
3.
Programmes and Instruction
There is evidence of serious attention to programme development, the pedagogy used across the
Faculty and the course offerings available to students including cooperation with CELT in the delivery
of courses. A recent initiative to focus on the examination process and its outcomes is to be
commended.
Students were highly complementary of staff, programmes, courses and in particular the tutorials on
offer. Students have high regard for members of the academic staff and welcome the opportunity for
interaction outside the classroom. Students were particularly appreciative of the help provided on a
day-to-day basis by the Faculty office. The proposed review of the B.Comm. degree is very timely and
is welcomed.
The Faculty is undertaking plans to develop formal partnerships with North American universities to
provide programs for third year students in Commerce disciplines. Such plans build on an existing
NUI Galway strength in the area of hosting international students and are to be commended. In
developing such partnerships it is important to recognize the degree of heterogeneity that exists in the
academic reputation and perceived quality of the multiplicity of North American institutions of higher
education. Within the North American academic community the NUI Galway Commerce Faculty will
be, in a substantial way, judged (rightly or wrongly) by the quality of the institutions with which it
partners. It should thus give serious consideration to this reality in determining with which universities
it wishes to forge relationships. Two other characteristics of North American undergraduate business
programs are also important to consider in this planning effort. First, virtually all North American
universities operate uniformly on semester or trimester calendars. As a result most students prefer to
study abroad for a single semester rather than an entire academic year. Second, North American
undergraduate business programs require a high degree of breadth in student course selection –
typically about 50% of a four year program comprising coursework outside the disciplines of
business/commerce. Thus students, perhaps especially those from more highly regarded universities,
studying for a semester at NUI Galway will likely prefer to enrol in a mixture of commerce, humanities
and social science courses, with a consequent effect on the Faculty's additional FTE's.
Recommendations
3.1 Undertake a detailed evaluation of the number of programme offerings, including any overlap,
and work proactively with the Registrar to develop a common understanding of how the
responsibility for staffing these programmes will be implemented.
3.2 Continue to pursue international accreditation of post-graduate degrees.
3.3 Work with the Vice Presidents Office to identify appropriate North American universities with
which to develop appropriate linkages.
3.4 Develop a mentoring system for undergraduate students that will also provide more information
and guidance for them.
3.5 Continue the active relationship with CELT in developing teaching excellence and pedagogy at
Faculty level.
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Faculty of Commerce: Review Group Report
3.6 Encourage further consideration of the examination and grading process.
3.7 Work with the University to develop techniques to award excellence in teaching and redress the
perception of using research as the predominant discriminator in promotion decisions.
4.
Scholarship and Research
There has been a remarkable improvement in the overall research standing of the Faculty. The
appointment of the vice-dean for research is indicative of this progress. The establishment of the CISC
research institute was built on a strong and unique approach to collaboration between various
departments within the Faculty and across the University. Courses on research methodology and
training in research, which are to be provided, are a very positive development. There is also strong
co-operation between young Faculty members in the sharing of information and research results. The
reviewers feel it is very important that Faculty continue to measure research productivity along all
appropriate dimensions, e.g. individual publications as well as joint funding initiatives.
Recommendations
4.1 Continue to develop cross Faculty Research Initiatives.
4.2 Introduce an orientation and induction day for post-graduate researchers where, for example, their
rights and responsibilities and question of ethics, etc. would be considered.
4.3 Establish a Faculty newsletter highlighting research, teaching and professional accomplishments
of the academic staff.
4.4 Establish a Faculty wide working papers series.
4.5 Institute public displays (show case) of books, monographs and refereed journal articles.
5.
The Wider Context
The reviewers noted the rapid expansion in the Faculty’s activities that has created significant stress
within the Faculty and on an already over-stretched central administration – in particular Admissions,
Examinations, and Placement. The reviewers noted a state of change in almost every academic and
administrative unit that was investigated. There are a number of projects currently underway which
will alleviate much of this stress in the area of new buildings, examinations and admissions
information systems and student record systems. Clearly, there is an urgent need to execute these
projects without delay.
Recommendations
5.1 Ensure that both 1st and 2nd phase of the new building take place simultaneously. In this regard
pursuit of a donor, and/or PPP arrangements is to be encouraged, leaving fee income for the
activities that are more difficult to fund from external sources. This building will benefit the
entire Faculty and we encourage the Faculty to engage in an extra measure of co-operation with
regard to short term space allocation.
5.2 Encourage the Quality Office to engage proactively with the Faculty to develop more efficient
working relationships and information systems with the offices of central administration (e.g.
Admissions, Examinations, Placement, Student Records Office, etc.).
5.3 Work to develop a strong partnership with the Placement Office to provide effective placements
for students. Where appropriate re-evaluate carefully and continuously the need and feasibility of
placement in the different programmes.
5.4 Develop Faculty policy and guidelines regarding internal Faculty publications and marketing
activities availing as appropriate of the services available through ‘Aras Failte’ for brochure
design and content proofing.
7.
Summary and Concluding Remarks
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Faculty of Commerce: Review Group Report
In summary, the overall impression of the Faculty was one of highly motivated staff moving in an era
of rapid change. As with all such rapid change, it is imperative that a clear vision of where the
collective is going is urgently dealt with and communicated to all involved. The priority must be to
have a clear strategy for the Faculty that clarifies the areas addressed in our review.
We saw evidence of obvious lack of space and resources, which can hamper such enthusiasm and can
distract from the job people have to do. While this is being addressed, we would encourage that the
Faculty enlist as much external support as possible and that it utilise the ‘positive image’ that prevails
regarding both NUIG and the Faculty itself.
Those outside the Faculty with whom we spoke hold the Commerce staff in very high esteem,
indicating that maintaining – and improving when possible – relationships with external stakeholders is
a critical dimension of the quality process. The reviewers were extremely impressed with the Faculty,
in particular its genuine commitment to enhancing the national and international reputation of its
people and programs, and wishes it every encouragement in its continued quest for excellence.
Ms. Hannah Kiely (Chair)
Professor Tony Cunningham
Professor Vincent Munley
Professor Con Cunnane
Dr. David O'Sullivan (Rapporteur)
(9th April 2003).
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