Approved Partner Programme. Professional, Practical, Proven.

Transcription

1 Approved Partner Programme Professional, Practical, Proven

2 Professional, Practical, Proven Approved Partner Programme Accounting Technicians Ireland Approved Partner Programme Accounting Technicians Ireland s new Approved Partner Programme will recognise and assure quality in the delivery of Accounting Technicians programmes. It aims to approve academic providers who successfully support students through Accounting Technicians Ireland s qualifications. Approved Partners will enjoy a range of additional benefits such as lecturer online supports, free Sage software and formal recognition as a Sage Training centre. Once you become an Approved Partner approval will be renewed on an annual basis. You will be required to carry out an annual review and evaluation of your compliance with the conditions of recognition and submit an overall statement of compliance to Accounting Technicians Ireland. Accounting Technicians Ireland will conduct quality assurance visits annually and will work closely with any colleges requiring support in meeting the conditions. Approval at a glance Non active Partner Approval If an academic provider is non active (no registrations/certifications on any of its Accounting Technicians Ireland qualification provision) for a period of two years or more, then approval will automatically lapse and the academic provider will need to re- apply for Partner approval. 1

3 Approved Partner Programme Professional, Practical, Proven Partner Approval granted When you are formally notified that Partner approval has been granted, Accounting Technicians Ireland will:- ü Recognise you as an approved Accounting Technicians Ireland Partner ü Issue an annual certificate of Partner Approval for display at your college ü Issue an annual Sage Training certificate for display at your college ü Issue KnowledgePoint access logins to your tuition team ü Allocate a college number, which you can use in all communications with Accounting Technicians Ireland ü Allow registration of students for the qualification(s) approved At the beginning of the academic year as an Approved Partner you will:- ü Submit registration listings to Accounting Technicians Ireland ü Notify Accounting Technicians Ireland of any change to the approved tuition team and student intake Non compliance If you fail to continue to meet the criteria for approval, monitoring will increase and continuing noncompliance may lead to the withdrawal of Approved Partner certification. Accounting Technicians Ireland may also withdraw approval by written notice at any time:- If the academic provider has not complied with the conditions of recognition, or with any of Accounting Technicians Ireland s policies, regulations, requirements and procedures. With immediate effect, if Accounting Technicians Ireland has been notified of any equivalent sanctions placed on a provider by another Awarding Organisation. Accounting Technicians Ireland may however decide not to withdraw approval immediately but to discuss the problem with the provider and give a grace period within which to put it right. Benefits of Approval As an approved Accounting Technicians Ireland Partner you will enjoy the following benefits: 2 1. Tuition team support Your tuition team will have annual unlimited access to KnowledgePoint, Accounting Technicians Ireland s Blended Learning programme (RRP c1,200 / 1,023) which offers supplementary learning supports in key course areas. It brings together the best of both face-to-face and online learning. There are currently a total of 69 online tutorials available with video, audio and slides all synchronised in real-time. Lecturers can download expertly produced notes which accompany each topic. In addition workshops which take place in March and April are recorded each year so that students and the tuition team can access them after each live session. Accounting Technicians Ireland will provide annual Examiner liaison days in Belfast and Dublin each autumn which provide an opportunity to hear from the Chief Examination Moderator and subject Examiners. Chief Examination Moderator and subject Examiner reports will be made available to both students and lecturers after each exam session.

4 Professional, Practical, Proven Approved Partner Programme 2. Sage Campus Licence Accounting Technicians Ireland trains its students on Sage Accounts software as part of the Integrated Accounting Systems module within the Diploma programme. The key objective of the module is to provide students withpractical experience of effectively using standard software packages used in the business world, particularly those commonly used by accountants. Accounting Technicians Ireland s new Campus Licence Agreement with Sage will provide you and your students full access to Sage software (RRP c1,800 / 1,534) for educational purposes. The annual campus licence provides: the latest version of the relevant Sage Accounts and Payroll software. an official Sage Certificate describing the Educational Partnership status. This award details the agreement between Sage Ireland, Accounting Technicians Ireland and the Approved Partner. use of the Sage Training Brand & Logo Each Approved Partner will have full access to the new Sage Training Logo. full student access to each suite of software for home practice. compliance with Sage Software Licensing Agreements. This agreement ensures that all Approved Partners falling under the agreement are annually fully compliant and up to date regarding the licensing of Sage software. a dedicated Sage Account Manager and support for each Approved Partner. 3. Marketing Tools You will receive an annual certificate of approval from Accounting Technicians Ireland and you will have use of our Approved Partner logo for your marketing materials. You will receive an annual Accounting Technicians Ireland Sage Training Certificate which will certify you are as Sage Training centre under the terms and conditions of Accounting Technicians Ireland s Annual Sage Campus licence. This will give you permission to use the Sage Training logo on promotional materials. 4. Promotion by Accounting Technicians Ireland You will have up to 100 words of promotional text and your logo on Accounting Technicians Ireland s website and your logo will be included in Accounting Technicians Ireland s annual diary. 3

5 Approved Partner Programme Professional, Practical, Proven Becoming an Approved Accounting Technicians Ireland Partner In order to be eligible for approval you must be delivering the Certificate for Accounting Technicians (year 1) or the Diploma for Accounting Technicians Ireland qualification (year 1 & year 2) in a part-time or full-time capacity. An annual license administration fee in the amount of c650/ 554 has been introduced starting from this year. The fee will cover the issuing of certification and the administration costs of the Approved Partner Programme. The fee will be invoiced to colleges with a due date of 31 December When applying for recognition, you are assessed against Accounting Technicians Ireland s conditions of recognition, detailed below. You are responsible for establishing and maintaining quality assurance procedures which promote internal monitoring, evaluation and continual improvement of Accounting Technicians Ireland s programmes. In reviewing a programme, Accounting Technicians Ireland will take into account: the duration of the course the timing of the course in relation to the exams the standard of tuition the suitability of the tuition team the quality assurance processes undertaken Condition Assessment Element Outcomes 1 Annual statement of Compliance 2 Terms and Conditions Confirmation of full compliance with the conditions at the date of the statement; Confirmation that there is no cause to believe that it will be likely to fail to comply with any of the Conditions of Recognition during the period of 12 months immediately following the date of the statement; Description of each instance of non-compliance and the date by which it will be rectified. All students are issued with the institution s terms and conditions of enrolment, including refund and deferment policies. 3 Equality There is an equality policy in place to address all forms of discrimination, to promote equality of opportunity and accommodate diversity. All students are issued with the institution s student charter promoting equality of opportunity, treatment, consultation and access to facilities, the avoidance of unfair practice, and respect for and courtesy towards others, in accordance with the Equal Status Act, (2000) Northern Ireland/Equal Status Act ( ) Republic of Ireland. 4 Lecturer absence Acontingency plan is in place for staff cover in the event of lecturer absence/unavailability so that appropriate measures are taken to minimise disruption to students. Continued... 4

6 Professional, Practical, Proven Approved Partner Programme Condition Assessment Element Outcomes 5 Cessation of course Course cancellations occur only in circumstances beyond the academic provider s control, and students are advised upon enrolment of any factors that may prevent the course from running. A Policy Statement is in place which outlines procedures following cessation of the programme. 6 Protection of the student It is the policy of Accounting Technicians Ireland to endeavour to provide an alternative learning opportunity to students in the event of any programme being terminated early. Accounting Technicians Ireland should be informed in advance of any proposed cancellation of a course so that students can be offered a course place in a nearby Approved Partner college. 7 Financial Viability Academic provider is financially viable. 8 Continual improvement course delivery The institution demonstrates a commitment to innovation and continuous improvement in course delivery, including the use of technology. 9 Progress monitoring Student progress is reviewed throughout the course and, where applicable, counselling is offered to students who fail. 10 Continual improvement student support Study support methods have been designed to meet the needs of the students; use of student portal for notes and assignments for example. The institution demonstrates a commitment to innovation and continuous improvement in student support. 11 Programme administration staff 12 Attendance/ participation and retention A dedicated programme manager/co-ordinator is charged with administering, monitoring and promoting the course. The performance of programme administration staff is monitored and, where appropriate, plans are in place to develop knowledge and customer service skills. An Attendance Policy is in place and action is taken where students persistently fail to attend class. Action is taken where students persistently fail to complete assignments. Student retention figures are documented and reviewed and the reason for student losses are investigated. 13 Complaints procedure Aformal transparent complaints procedure or charter is in place and made available to students. Complaints received are investigated thoroughly and promptly by the programme manager/co-ordinator and acted on accordingly. Continued... 5

7 Approved Partner Programme Professional, Practical, Proven Condition Assessment Element Outcomes 14 Premises and facilities There are permanent premises for administration and tuition. Premises are fit for purpose and and well-maintained. Lecture rooms are of an appropriate size for the number of students in a class. A library or private study area is available to students within class hours. Premises and facilities are appropriate for the types of courses offered and their mode of delivery. Students and lecturers have access to modern IT equipment, including web access. Appropriate measures are in place to minimise disruption to students in the event of system failure. 15 Lecturers Lecturers have access to course reference materials e.g. Syllabi, course textbooks, past papers, Knowledgepoint and reports. Lecturers are knowledgeable and experienced in their chosen field and hold qualifications appropriate to the subjects they teach. In the case of Further Education and Training providers, lecturers should be members of the Teaching Council of Ireland in accordance with Section 30 of the Education (Amendment) Act 2012 and abide by the Teaching Council of Ireland s Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers (2nd Edition) Student feedback Regular student feedback is actively sought, reviewed and acted upon where appropriate. Formal student feedback is sought within 6 weeks of the beginning of term in order to resolve any initial concerns. Accounting Technicians Ireland is kept informed of any tuition issues that may arise and of any resulting resolutions put in place. Student feedback questionnaires are 360 degree in nature and include questions on administration, facilities, lecturer performance, course content and delivery. 17 Teaching/Study programme A structured teaching programme of 40 hours minimum per subject is delivered over approximately 26 weeks and is communicated to students at the beginning of the academic year. This includes time allocated to assessments and mock examinations. A structured study skills programme is delivered at the beginning of the academic year. Accounting Technicians Ireland s online study skills programme is available for use if required. A structured class scheme is in place for each subject, kept up-todate and communicated to students regularly. Regular homework assignments are set, reviewed and returned, with constructive comments on content and style, within a specified turnaround. Mock examinations and timed practice tests are set, reviewed and returned, with constructive criticism on content and style, within a specified turnaround time. Students are actively encouraged to complete/attend mock exams and timed practice tests. Continued... 6

8 Professional, Practical, Proven Approved Partner Programme Condition Assessment Element Outcomes 18 Support materials Students are provided with a course prospectus containing up-to-date essential information on the course and Accounting Technicians Ireland. Students are provided with guidance on their programme of study, including a detailed breakdown of their course into modules or study sessions and advice on any assignments, mock examinations and practice tests. The format of programmes of study is consistent across subjects. Students are advised on the use of Accounting Technicians Ireland s website to access programme resources and the student portal Touchpoint, to access important information and services. 19 Student support and advice Students are offered appropriate pre-enrolment advice on entry requirements to the Accounting Technicians Ireland qualifications and advised of available study routes suited to their needs. Students are offered advice on Accounting Technicians Ireland s progression rules, exam entry rules and exemptions. Staff are fully aware of the work based learning requirements of the Diploma qualification and are able to provide students with support and guidance in achieving them. Students are offered advice on the most appropriate study material for their course. Tutorial support on technical course content is available to students. Students are provided with lecturer contact details. Students receive responses to any queries within a reasonable, specified and published time frame. Students are able to access an Accounting Technicians Ireland programme manager/coordinator at specified times. 20 Administration staff Customer-facing administrative staff are appropriately trained to respond to queries about Accounting Technicians Ireland s qualifications and college procedures. 21 Course review meetings Course review meetings are held regularly to review: course structure and delivery student performance, retention and feedback. 22 Promotional material Online and hardcopy promotional material contains accurate information regarding Accounting Technicians Ireland. Promotional material contains accurate information regarding the academic provider and makes no unsubstantiated or potentially misleading claims. 23 Induction An induction session is offered to new students prior to the commencement of a course. Continued... 7

9 Approved Partner Programme Professional, Practical, Proven Condition Assessment Element Outcomes 24 Access policy Accounting Technicians Ireland are members of AHEAD, the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability. AHEAD promotes full access to and participation in further and higher education for students with disabilities and strives to enhance their employment prospects on graduation. Approved Partners are required to publish an Access Policy which promotes access to and participation in education for students with disabilities. In accordance with best practice the following supports should be in place: ü a one-to-one advisory service to students with a disability ü needs assessment evaluation ü learning and technological supports ü support for funding applications from the European Social Fund for students with Disabilities ü Reasonable examination accommodation/adjustment arrangements with Accounting Technicians Ireland Ongoing Review and evaluation process diagram The programme Manager/Co-ordinator reviews and considers the level of risk for each condition Risk Table completed Plan the review and evaluation activity Plan completed and agreed Carry out review and evaluation activities to confirm level of compliance Compliance level accepted by Head of Department The Programme Manager/Co-ordinator to prepare the annual statement of compliance on behalf of the college 8 Statement signed by Co-ordinator and Head of Dept. and forwarded to Accounting Technicians Ireland by the agreed date.

10 Accounting Technicians Ireland Dublin Pearse Street, Dublin 2 Tel: Fax: Belfast The Linenhall Linenhall Street Belfast BT2 8BG Tel: Fax: info@accountingtechniciansireland.ie Professional, Practical, Proven