04 Programme Reviews and changes

4.1 National Reviews 4.2 Local Changes 4.3 Maximum Variation in a Programme of Study

4.1 National Reviews

The CBC/DipBC/NDBC will be completely reviewed at least once every two years. These reviews will be undertaken by the National Advisory Committee on Computing Qualifications (NACCQ) and will seek the opinion of both industry and Polytechnics offering the programme. The process of such reviews will, where possible, be as follows: 4.1.1 The NACCQ will advise Local Advisory Committees of Polytechnics currently offering the programme that a review is imminent (approximately early February). 4.1.2The NACCQ will request a submission from each Local Advisory Committee of suggested changes. The Advisory Committee should agree to these changes after seeking feedback from local industry, about current industry requirements and available jobs, and tutors (submissions to be forwarded approximately late March). 4.1.3The NACCQ will also consider recommendations by moderators for changes to prescriptions and will then collate these recommendations and submissions, together with any feedback it may have sought directly from industry, and will produce a document of suggested changes. (This should be sent to Advisory Committees for discussion, by late April, and for any final feedback, required approximately late May). 4.1.4The proposed changes will be discussed at the NACCQ Forum Annual Conference in June/July and final agreement reached. In the event that agreement cannot be reached the NACCQ executive will make the final decision. The NACCQ will then be responsible for: > updating the course prescriptions in the New Zealand Polytechnic Qualifications in Business Computing book (Blue Book) > submitting it for NZQA approval > printing an updated version > distributing the Blue Book in printed and electronic form > notifying Polytechnics when NZQA approval has been received These activities take time and are subject to delays by outside agencies over which NACCQ has no control. However, it is expected that the new and revised course prescriptions will be available no later than November 1st. In view of possible delays the NACCQ will prepare a final list of actual changes and send this to each Programme Controller by mid September. It is the responsibility of the Programme Controller to ensure that all tutors involved in the delivery of CBC/DipBC/NDBC modules are informed of changes. A major concern is that tutors must not continue to teach out-of-date prescriptions simply because they do not know that a change has occurred. For this reason every prescription carries an expiry date.

4.2 Local Changes   top

4.2.1 In recognition of the fact that there are variations in the computing industry requirements for CBC/DipBC/NDBC skills, on a local basis, each Polytechnic may elect to offer local variations of the national programme prescriptions. 4.2.2Polytechnics may vary the content of any individual module by up to a maximum of 10% without requiring it to be re-approved, provided that: > the Local Advisory Committee or the appropriate body agrees to the new prescription. > the new prescription is published for the students. 4.2.3 Polytechnics may also wish to change more than 10% of a given module or create a new module. The process for doing this is as follows: > The Polytechnic obtains the agreement in principle of the appropriate body (e.g. Local Advisory Committee) to prepare a new prescription. > The new prescription is prepared, according to the standard layout (i.e. as for other prescriptions). > The prescription is discussed by the appropriate body and agreed to in terms of relevance of content and standard. > It is strongly recommended that at this point the prescription is submitted to an external body for ratification of its educational standard and how it fits within the programme. The external body could be staff of another Polytechnic, members of a regional tutor’s meeting or the NACCQ. > The Polytechnic who prepared the prescription may wish to copyright the prescription. 4.2.4 When an individual Polytechnic has produced such a new prescription it is deemed to be "owned" by them. They may choose to give or sell the prescription to others if they wish. 4.2.5 If, after developing a new prescription, the Polytechnic wishes it to be included in the programme prescription book, they may submit it to the NACCQ. In doing so they must agree to the copyright being transferred to the NACCQ (it would then come under the copyright for the whole set of prescriptions). In return the NACCQ undertake to: > make the prescription available to all offering the programme. > arrange that the prescription be approved. > maintain the updating of the prescription in future to keep it in line with industry and programme developments.

4.3 Maximum Variation in a Programme of Study   top

4.3.1 It should be stressed that a great deal of value is seen in maintaining national programme prescriptions, thus avoiding fragmentation of programmes and standards which has been a past concern. 4.3.2 In order to ensure that CBC/DipBC/NDBC qualifications do maintain that national flavour, while still allowing some local variations, there is a limit of 21 placed on the number of credits a student may count towards any one qualification that come from prescriptions not contained in this book.