An Coiste Feabhais Acadúil
The Committee on Academic Quality Improvement
The Academic Quality Assurance Programme 2001-2002
Report to Údarás na hOllscoile
Review of
MA in Culture and Colonialism Programme
Self Assessment
Review Group Visit
Follow Up Meeting
Sept 2001 to Jan 2002
11–12 March, 2002
31 May 2002
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, October 2002
Report to Údarás – Review of MA in Culture and Colonialism Programme 2002
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1. Overview of MA in Culture and Colonialism Programme
1.1 Aims and Objectives of the Programme
• To further a scholarly understanding of the meaning of ‘colonialism’, ‘imperialism’, ‘postcolonialism’, and neo-colonialism’ across a range of disciplines.
• To assist students in the development of advanced skills in critical analysis, research and
effective communication.
• To contribute to and enhance the postgraduate culture of the University.
• To promote and encourage interdisciplinary scholarship, and methodology.
• To assist and encourage talented students in preparing for further study at doctoral or diploma
levels.
To provide a forum for staff to test and apply findings arising from their own research.
1.2 Recent changes
The Programme Director, Dr Seán Ryder, has just finished his term of office (September 1999 to
August 2002) and Dr Lionel Pilkington now Director.
1.3 Student numbers
Year
First
Second
1998
15
14
Number of Students
1999
2000
8
15
18
9
2001
13
3
1.4 Costs
All cost are calculated on the basis of departments and the costs of individual programmes are not
available.
1.5 Accommodation and facilities
At the time of the Review visit the Programme had no dedicated room.
2. Review Group Visit and Report
The review team consisted of: Professor Lyn Innes, School of English, University of Kent at
Canterbury (Chairwoman); Mr. Piaras Mac Éinrí Director, Irish Centre for Migration Studies,
University College Cork; and Mr. Rod Stoneman, CEO, Irish Film Board; Ms. Ann Lyons,
Women’s Studies Centre, National University of Ireland, Galway and Dr. David O’Sullivan, of the
CFA acting as rapporteur.
The Group visited the University and met the Programme Director and contributing staff on
11 and 12 March, 2002. The Programme Board and contributors had already submitted a 'Self
Assessment Report' that, with other documentation, was made available in advance of the visit.
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2.1 Summary, and Main Recommendations
The review team was impressed by the exceptional dedication of the programme team members
who have, over and above their normal teaching and administrative duties, given large amounts of
time and energy to the creation and support of this very successful MA. In comparison with similar
MA programmes in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe, it recruits well, both in terms of
numbers and the quality of the students, and it has given NUI Galway an enviable international
reputation. However, the reviewers believe that this effort cannot be sustained without support in
terms of dedicated staffing and some restructuring of the Faculty and allocation of resources.. We
believe that such restructuring will benefit not only this particular programme, but also others like
it, and the morale and research productivity of the Faculty as a whole.
Recommendations from Report (reordered)
•
The programme board (comprising all the main contributors) should ideally also include the
Heads of the main contributing departments and the Dean of Arts.
•
The director of the programme should continue to be a rotating position and held by a major
and senior academic contributor to the programme.
•
That the programme team seek further collaboration from the relevant heads of departments
and the Dean of Arts in developing future aims and objectives for the programme.
•
Closer liaison with other M.A. programmes in the Faculty of Arts to both increase the
variety of options available to Culture and Colonialism students and possibly to allow
students on other programmes to pursue a number of the dedicated courses on offer.
•
That the University appoint a new staff member who would be specifically attached to this
programme, and that for the time being the new staff member is affiliated to an existing
department. However, in the longer term we believe that the University must give urgent
attention to rethinking the way multidisciplinary programmes are organised and managed
within the University.
•
Adjustments should be made to staff’s workload in their home departments in recognition of
their contribution to this programme.
•
A dedicated room should be made available for the programme.
•
That a formal induction programme be developed at the start of the academic year to
address in particular:
the orientation of non NUI Galway students to campus life
detailed discussion of learning objectives and outcomes for each of the courses
•
That the syllabus and structure of the seminars be revised to encourage greater cohesion and
integration within and between courses, such that the interconnections within and between
courses are made clear
•
That the programme devote more attention to analysis of concept of culture, and that more
material be included on topics related to Irish colonialism and post-colonialism, with
interrogation of these terms in relation to Ireland.
•
Consideration is given to reducing the number of courses to 2 compulsory courses plus 2
options and increasing the length of the essay requirement in each course to 4,000-5,000
words.
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•
Consideration is given to designing courses that are more sharply focused, address
contemporary issues, particularly Irish issues, and incorporate contemporary material into
course content.
•
More productive use of and earlier start to the research methods modules so that they
operate on a more sustained and substantial basis and formal guidance to students towards
further studies (PhD) and other career options.
•
•
In the event that essays are not sent to externs, blind double marking should be carried out.
That all students discuss and agree an appropriate dissertation topic and are assigned
supervisors before the end of the first term; and that a nagreed dissertation supervision
schedule for the summer months to be agreed in advance with students.
•
The programme must arrange formal and anonymous student evaluation of the individual
courses and of the programme as a whole.
•
More resources should be allocated to the library requirements of students, in particular the
availability of multiple copies of core texts.
•
That the University begin the process of setting fees for postgraduate students early in the
calendar year.
•
That there be a more equitable transfer of economic fees to the units that create them
•
That the Arts Faculty includes Internet access on the PCs managed by faculty.
•
That the Arts Faculty considers collaborating with computer services in the management
and maintenance of the Arts PC suite.
•
That the University consider its policy on library opening hours, in particular access at
weekends.
•
That the University design a flexible staff-loading model
•
The University must lighten the teaching load of junior members of staff in to order to
facilitate their research activity.
3. Follow up Meeting
10.00 a.m. Friday, 31 May 2002
Present: Professor Jim Browne Registrar, Professor John Marshall Dean of Arts, Dr Sean Ryder, Ms Ann
Lyons Review Group Cognate, Mr Rod Stoneman Review Group, Dr Su-Ming Khoo, Professor Jim Gosling
Director of Quality (Chair), Ms Maureen Linnane of Quality Office in attendance.
3.1 Action Plan for the Programme Board:
1. The Programme Board will carry out a thorough re-evaluation of its membership and operations
and will work with the Dean of Arts and the relevant heads of department to ensure that the
work of contributing staff is given appropriate and proper recognition.
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2. The Programme Board agreed that the overall M.A. programme should be revised in line with
the recommendations in the Review Report, including greater emphasis on the colonisation of
Ireland, Irish post-colonialism and contemporary issues of culture and politics in Ireland.
3. The Programme Board will introduce a formal student induction programme at the start of each
academic year to discuss in detail the learning objectives and outcomes for each course, and to
help orientate students, who are new to Galway, to campus life.
4. The Programme Board will continue to seek a new appointment in the Arts Faculty with
competencies appropriate to the expanding needs of the Programme. Even after such an
appointment, the directorship of the programme will continue to be a rotating position.
5. The Programme Board will revise the ‘special seminar programme’ so as to encourage greater
cohesion and integration within and between the individual courses.
6. The Programme Board will revise arrangements for the allocation and supervision of
dissertations.
7. The Programme Board will arrange formal and anonymous student evaluation of the individual
courses and the programme as a whole, starting with the class graduating in December 2002.
3.2 Action plan for University Management:
1. The Registrar will support the provision of additional administrative help in the Arts Faculty
Office to assist in the routine administration of postgraduate programmes, with a view to easing
the load on academic programme co-ordinators.
2. A dedicated room (Room 203, Arts Millennium Building) has been allocated by the Buildings
Office to the MA in Culture and Colonialism Programme for the use of its students. It will be
available when the Centre for Human Settlement and Historical Change moves to its new
building. The management of the room will be the responsibility of the Culture and
Colonialism Programme Board.
3. An Arts Faculty Postgraduate Programme Committee has been set up to deal with issues in
relation to all taught M.A. programmes.
4. The Registrar and Dean of Arts will work together, in the context of increasing devolved
resource management, to evaluate and consider new approaches to the management of, and
provision of resources to, multidisciplinary programmes. This will recognise the importance of
programmes that attract ‘economic fee’ students.
5. The Registrar assured the Programme Board that the ongoing review of Computer Services will
take into account the needs of the Arts Faculty and the Programme.
6. The Director of Quality will support activities aiding the implementation of the above measures
by the Programme Board.
Approved by: Course Director, Dr S. Ryder, 23 June 2002
Approved by: Dean of Arts, Professor J. Marshall, 4 July 2002
Approved by: Registrar, Professor J. Browne, 3 July 2002
Finalised 4 July 2002, Jim Gosling, Director of Quality,
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