University of Fort Hare Policies and Procedures

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DRAFT 3

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
& REVIEW
POLICY

UNIVERSITY OF FORT HARE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

TITLE: Curriculum Development and Review Policy

POLICY NUMBER: / TLC. / APPROVED BY:
DATE: / MINUTE:
EFFECTIVE DATE: / NO. OF PAGES:
REVISED DATE: / MINUTE:
REFER QUESTIONS TO: Director: Teaching and Learning Centre

This proposed Curriculum and Review Policy supersedes any previously existing policies.

1.  Preamble

Over the past two decades a number of factors have been impinging on the design of curricula in Higher Education (HE). These include globalization; massification of HE; regulation of the HE environment; internationalization; distance and e-learning; the concern for greater responsiveness; shifts in knowledge production and the need to promote lifelong learning.

In South Africa, recent curriculum restructuring has also been shaped by the implementation of the NQF, and the insistence by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) from 2000 onwards on the use of an out-comes format for the design and interim registration of all HE qualifications. (HEQC, 2003:35).

The university’s approach to Curriculum Development is in line with the vision of the White Paper 3: A Programme for the Transformation of Higher Education of a single, coordinated higher education system and consequently embodied in the procedures of the DoHET and the CHE (HEQC : Framework for Programme Accreditation; 2004). The evaluation of new programmes is carried out by the HEQC itself or through partnerships with other statutory ETQAs in higher education on the basis of memoranda of understanding (MoUs).

1.1 New Programmes

The HEQC defines a new programme as one that is:

·  offered for the first time; and/or

·  substantially different to the original by virtue of 50% or more of the credit value of the content being new, or the exit level outcome differing from those of the original qualification; and/or

·  offered on a new site of delivery (though there is special dispensation for merged institutions, as an existing programme may be offered on a new site without the programme being considered new); and/or

·  offered through a new mode of delivery; and/or

·  assumes a new title.

From 2004 onwards, all new programmes have been required to meet the HEQC’s minimum threshold standards for accreditation. New professional programmes are, in addition required to meet the required statutory licensing requirements of their relevant Education and Training Quality Assurer (ETQA). The process for programme accreditation for new programmes is set out in Section 3 below.

This policy is informed by and should be read in conjunction with:

·  The HEQC Institutional Audit Framework (HEQC, April 2004);

·  The CHE Improving Teaching and Learning Resource No. 1 and 2 (CHE, 2004); and

·  The University of Fort Hare Vision, Mission, Corporate Goals and Strategic Objectives (UFH General Prospectus, 2004:3).

·  UFH: Standing orders for Faculties

It is assumed that, over and above statutory and procedural requirements, programme developers will consider regional and student needs, national HE objectives and aspects of sound teaching and learning principles in the development of new learning programmes.

2. Principles on which the policy is based:

This policy is based on the principles that:

·  the programme and curriculum are clearly aligned to the mission and vision of both the host department, and the University

·  programme design and development has been informed by thorough research into needs identified in the region served by the UFH

·  the curriculum addresses or is cognizant of the broader objectives outlined by the 1997 White Paper, and the wider national policy of human resource development in South Africa.

·  the overarching philosophy informing curriculum design and development is that of a humanizing pedagogy, a student-centred approach based on processes of interaction and recognition of existing knowledge, aimed at developing in students core values and critical thinking abilities, so that they are able to contribute meaningfully and creatively to society

These principles encompass the following notions:

·  the accommodation of ‘best practices’ for a particular discipline and context;

·  inclusion of teaching and learning practices based on findings of current research:

o  academic literacy acquisition;

o  learning is achieved in authentic context for authentic purposes;

o  the curriculum provides the most viable and appropriate manner for students to gain understanding.

Notwithstanding the underpinning philosophy, certain technical aspects are critical in order to ensure the quality of the programme and its delivery, including:

·  development of programmes will adhere to the quality cycle;

·  all new programmes will be developed within the existing institutional framework and the external framework for funding approval, registration and accreditation of new programmes;

·  programme design and development will conform to the general qualification standards laid down in the current HEQF(2004);

·  programmes will be developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders (current and past students, other academics, professional bodies and employers in both the private and public sector);

·  outcomes and assessment criteria will be explicitly stated for each course and will be integrated by the outcomes of the programme as a whole, forming the basis for development and review;

·  programmes will have clearly stated learning outcomes which include the corresponding knowledge, values and skills required;

·  outcomes will be linked to related assessment criteria and will inform the assessment of competencies at the end of the learning experience;

·  teaching and learning activities and assessment methods will support the specified learning outcomes;

·  qualifications, programmes and courses/modules will be listed on the institutional quality management information system;

o  outcomes are expressed in terms of competencies;

o  outcomes include critical cross-field outcomes where appropriate

o  outcomes correlate with assessment criteria.

o  assessment and outcomes are aligned for validity of assessment processes.

o  assessment criteria indicate clearly how the learner will demonstrate competence.

o  assessment plan and timetable are possible to implement and rational;

o  assessment is used to develop as well to measure learning, though inclusion of opportunities for formative assessment, as well as the usual continuous and summative assessments.

3. Procedures for Implementation

Note that this section of the policy focuses mainly on the technical process of new programme development.

3.1 Process

·  The following forms are completed by the programme developer with assistance from the Faculty Quality Committee representative and in consultation with QMA, where necessary and submitted to the department of Quality Management and Assurance, when complete:

-  Internal: new programme approval application template; new module registration forms

-  External: DoE funding approval form; SAQA Qualification Registration Form;

·  QMA checks completed forms for correctness and completeness of information and endorses the process to begin;

·  A peer review of the new modules is invited from 2 peers (other Higher Education institutions);

·  All forms and Clearance Certificates are submitted for review and signed off by the Faculty Quality Assurance Committee;

·  Clearance Certificates are signed off by the Teaching and Learning Centre, Library, Quality Management Assurance Unit and Finance.

·  The completed forms are tabled at Central Academic Planning Committee (CAPC) for internal institutional approval;

·  The chairperson of the CAPC, the DVC Academic, submits the report to Senate.

·  Subsequent to Senate approval, the Registrar requests the SAQA and, DoE forms and the internal programme approval template from QMA

·  The Registrar submits the DoE form to the DoE for funding approval and inclusion on the University PQM;

·  After DoE approval has been secured, the Registrar’s office seeks (where applicable) approval from the relevant professional body;

·  the online HEQC application is completed by the Registrar’s office [;]

·  After HEQC’s provisional accreditation has been received, an application for SAQA registration for the qualification to be registered on the National Qualification Framework is completed by the Registrar’s office.

·  Once the programme is registered on the SAQA web-based database, the required ITS forms for the registration of Academic Structure is completed by the Registrar’s office.

(See Appendix 1 for Process Map)

3.2 Existing Programmes

Where changes to a programme result in less than 50% such a programme will follow the route as set out below:

o  Proposed changes to an existing programme are tabled at the Faculty Teaching and Learning and Quality Assurance committees

·  The programme developer completes new module registration forms;

·  All forms and Clearance Certificates are submitted for review and signed off by Dean of the Faculty, , the Teaching and Learning Centre, The Library, The Quality Management Assurance Unit & Chief Financial Officer;

·  The completed forms are tabled at Central Academic Planning Committee (CAPC) for approval;

3.3 Frequency of Review Procedure

The regular review of curricula should be standard practice in every department. Given the rapid pace of change, it is suggested that curricula should be reviewed every three years and that at six year intervals a comprehensive review be undertaken.

In developing and reviewing curricula wide consultation should take place with students, key stakeholders, role-players, potential employers and academics from other institutions. This enables data from a number of perspectives to be triangulated in order to gain a holistic understanding.

A variety of review instruments should be used, depending on the size of the group from whom an opinion is sought and the nature of the questions being asked. Review instruments could include questionnaires, focus group interviews, individual interviews, and other data collection tools.

3.3.1  Internal Review

The internal review of courses and/or programmes is fundamental to the achievement and enhancement of curriculum quality. The HEQC does not scrutinize teaching and learning activities below the level of programme unless there is good reason to do so (ITL resource No. 2, 2004:56). Institutions of Higher Learning are encouraged to do so through a process of self review and student evaluation.

Examples of self evaluative questions are available in the ITL resource No. 2, 2004:62.

3.4  Continuing Education Courses

For the purposes of this policy, five categories of CE courses are covered:

3.4 .1 Courses which are taken for personal enrichment.

3.4.2 Courses which are taken to meet the requirements of continued professional registration, or continuing professional development.

3.4.3 Courses which are designed to enable learning to obtain credits towards whole qualifications, or which would enable learners to obtain exemption from parts of a programme included in the university’s Programme and Qualification Mix (PQM)[1].

3.4.4 Courses which are based on unit standards registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) within the higher education band (NQF 5 and above), but not aligned with any programme in the university’s PQM.

3.4.5 Courses that are designed as a response to identified community needs, which the University will be offering as part of its community engagement.

CE courses may be offered by Schools, Departments, Divisions, Centres and Institutes, on any one, or a combination of, the Alice, Bhisho and East London campuses. As a guiding principle, all continuing education courses will be offered through a designated faculty.(see University Policy on Continuing Education for further details)

3.5 Curriculum from professional examining bodies

The policy acknowledges that certain degreesare accredited by certainregulators that have jurisdiction outside the University and have their own quality assurance mechanisms (such as the South Africa Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA)). These regulatorsprovide outlines for the course content that should be covered by the University in order to be recognised and qualify for accreditation with the Regulator.

4.  Related policies (if applicable)

The draft policy on Curriculum Development and Review should be read in conjunction with the under mentioned institutional policies.

·  Assessment and Moderation of Student Learning Policy (2009)

·  Plagiarism Policy (still to be drafted)

·  Recognition of Prior Learning Policy (2006)

·  Evaluation of Teaching and Courses Policy (2009)

·  Teaching and Learning Policy (2007)

·  Policy on Continuing Education(2008)

5.  Office of accountability

The monitoring of the implementation of this policy will be the responsibility of the Executive Deans and their respective academic staff.

The evaluation and review of this policy will be undertaken by the Teaching and Learning Centre on a three-year cyclical basis with wide consultation with stakeholders.

The policy will be available on the university and Teaching and Learning Centre websites, the QMA website (under Teaching & Learning policies) and will be disseminated to academic staff through the Faculty Teaching and Learning Committees and other appropriate university committees.

ANNEXURE:

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND REVIEW POLICY

Definition of terms

Accreditation – Recognition status granted to a programme for a stipulated period of time after an HEQC evaluation indicates that it meets minimum standards of quality.

Assessment - The process of gathering evidence and making judgments about students’ achievements in relation to stated learning outcomes, and recording and reporting on these judgments.

Benchmarking – Within a programme context, a process by which a programme is evaluated and compared against internal and external, national and international reference points, for the purpose of standards setting, accountability and improvement.

Candidacy status – Status granted to a provider that demonstrates capacity or potential to meet the minimum standard of provision determined by the HEQC for the intended programme and qualification. The provider can begin to offer the programme to the first cohort of students.

Clearance certificate – an internal quality assurance form attached to every proposal for a programme or module. The original form with all comments are must accompany the module/programme outcomes at all times.

Course/module review - refers to the internal self-evaluation procedure that a Higher Education Institution undertakes to monitor and reflect on the outcomes of the education it provides through its courses/modules. The findings of course reviews should feed into the reviews of the programmes of which they form a part.

Credits - The value assigned to a given number of notional hours of learning which may be accumulated until conditions have been met for the award of a module/course/programme/qualification.

Critical Outcomes - Broad, generic cross-curricula outcomes that underpin all learning recognized by SAQA.