ACE Self Evaluation Report Quality Review 2019
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Table of Contents Foreword Part 1: Overall Analysis - page 4 Part 3: Overview of ACE’s Operations- page 20 1.1 Executive Summary 3.1 ACE’s budgeting and financial arrangements 1.2 Brief History and Introduction to ACE at UCC Budgeting arrangements in ACE 1.3 ACE Mission for UCC Overview of Fee Income 1.4 Key Goals for ACE Income Forecast Part 2: Overview of ACE’s Activities page- 10 3.2 ACE’s Academic Standards and Quality Assurance Mechanisms 2.1 Overview of ACE ACE Academic Standards Board ACE in Numbers Feedback Policy and Module Evaluation 2.2 Overview of ACE’s Academic Programmes Composite External Examiners’ Report Adult and community education programmes Programme Committees Continuing education programmes Impact of Professional/Regulatory Bodies Enterprise engagement programmes 3.3 ACE’s Programme Delivery and Curriculum Planning Procedures Springboard+ programmes 3.4 ACE Marketing Strategy Short Courses 3.5 ACE’s Collaborative Relationships UCC’s Connected Curriculum ACE in the Community 2.3 Overview of Current ACE Initiatives Industry Links Free University Internal Collaborations Skellig Crí Legal Agreements 2.4 Overview of Research in ACE Case Study: Certificate Mental Health in the Community RPL Project Part 4: Overview of ACE Student & Staff Experience- page 28 Carrigtwohill Project 4.1 Student Learning Experience UNESCO Approaches to Teaching and Learning Learning neighbourhoods Assessment Strategies Individual staff research Learning Resources 2.5 Overview of ACE’s Key Achievements in 2018 Work Placement Opportunities AONTAS shortlisting Communicating with Students Pfizer Award Student Testimonials Cork Prison Initiative 4.2 Staff Experience Academic Conferences and Workshops Staff Profile Credit Union Summer School ACE Staff Structure Library Lecture Series Staff Development Objectives Bertram Windle Award Staff Communication Alfred O’Rahilly Lecture Part 5: Self-evaluation Process- page 33 Diploma in Local and Regional Studies 5.1 Benchmarking Exercise 2.6 ACE and the National/International Lifelong Learning Agenda 5.2 Lightning Decision Making Session HELLIN EUCEN Part 6: Conclusions -page 38 ESREA AAACE PASCAL Conference 2019 UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning 2 Foreword Foreword he underlying vision inspiring the direction of this self-evaluation report (SER) is the recognition of Adult Continuing Education (ACE) at University TCollegehe underlying Cork (UCC) vision as inspiring an academic the direction department of thisthat self-evaluationoffers a distinctive report educational(SER) is the recognitionexperience for of part-time Adult Continuing adult learners Education through (ACE) promoting at University both TlifelongCollege and Cork life-wide (UCC) learning. as an academic Currently, department ACE is an administrativethat offers a distinctive unit that sits educationalwithin the Office experience of the for Vice part-time President adult for learnersLearning throughand Teaching promoting (OVPLT). both ACElifelong is very and different life-wide learning.to a mainstream Currently, academic ACE is an department. administrative We offerunit that and sits deliver within programmes the Office in of collaborationthe Vice President will all for four Learning of UCC’s and Colleges Teaching (Medicine(OVPLT). &ACE Health; is very Arts, different Celtic to Studies a mainstream & Social academicSciences; department.Science, Engineering We offer and and Food deliver Science; programmes Business in and collaboration Law) in addition will all to four collaborative of UCC’s Colleges courses (Medicine with- ex ternal& Health; organisations Arts, Celtic (e.g. Studies the Health& Social Service Sciences; Executive Science, (HSE); Engineering Mental andHealth Food Ireland Science; (MHI)) Business as well and as Law)bespoke in additioncourses withto collaborative numerous industry courses partners. with- ex Asternal such, organisations while in many (e.g. instances, the Health the Servicesubject Executiveexpertise rests(HSE); with Mental the relevantHealth Ireland disciplines, (MHI)) programmesas well as bespoke are enhanced courses by with ACE numerousexpertise industry in pedagogies partners. of adultAs such, learning. while inWithin many the instances, ACE model the of subject programme expertise delivery, rests we with mix the adult relevant education disciplines, approaches programmes with flexible are enhanced part-time by ACEcourse expertise provision. in pedagogies of adult learning. Within the ACE model of programme delivery, we mix adult education approaches with flexible part-time course provision. In embarking on this quality review journey, we are coming from a place of strength, upon which we will continue to build. ACE has been offering part- timeIn embarking education on thisprogrammes quality review to Cork, journey, Munster, we areand coming beyond fromsince a 1946place andof strength,is proud toupon celebrate which weover will 70 continueyears of educational to build. ACE services has been to theoffering community. part- Wetime are education a team of 29programmes core staff tomembers Cork, Munster,based in and a former beyond period since residence1946 and isof proudhistoric to significance,celebrate over ‘The 70 yearsLaurels’, of educationalon the Western services Road to(pictured the community. below), whichWe are is a adjacent team of to,29 corebut not staff on themembers main Universitybased in a campus.former period residence of historic significance, ‘The Laurels’, on the Western Road (pictured below), which is adjacent to, but not on the main University campus. Reopening of the Laurels 2017 Reopening of the Laurels 2017 Providing educational opportunities for adult learners is ourrais raisonon d’etre. d’etre. Our ethos of equality, diversity and inclusion for all is evident in our leading role Providing educational op opportunitiesportunities fo rfor ad ultadult le arnerslearners is is ou ourr raison d’etre. Our Our ethos ethos of ofequality, equality, diversity diversity and and inclusion inclusion for for all all is isevident evident in inour our leading leading role role in dedevelopingveloping fafairir acaccesscess to hihighergher ededucationucation fo forr ad adultult le learners.arners. De Despitespite a ade decadecade of of re recessioncession an andd ec economiconomic tu turmoil,rmoil, AC ACEE ha hass do doubledubled it itss fe feee in incomecome in in thatin developing period and fair our access student to highernumbers education have grown for fromadult 1,856learners. in 2010/11 Despite to a 2,701decade in 2017/18of recession with and a peak economic of 3,102 turmoil, in 2014/15. ACE hasAs ofdoubled January its 2019, fee income we have in ththatat peperiodriod anandd ouourr ststudentudent nunumbersmbers hahaveve grgrownown frfromom 2,1,856107 iinn 22010/11010/11 ttoo 22,701,831 iinn 22017/18017/18 wwithith a ppeakeak ooff 33,102,251 inin 2014/15.2014/15. AAss ooff JJanuaryanuary 22019,019, wwee hhaveave 2,2,612612 ststudentsudents reregisteredgistered acacrossross ouourr susuiteite of papart-timert-time pr programmes,ogrammes, wi withth fu furtherrther in intakestakes to to co comeme du duringring th thee re remaindermainder of of th thisis ac academicademic ye year,ar, wh whichich wi willll bring2,612 enrollmentstudents registered to approximately across our 2,800. suite of part-time programmes, with further intakes to come during the remainder of this academic year, which will brbringing eenrollmentnrolment t too a approximatelypproximately 2 2,800.,800. ACE adult education courses provide access to higher education by actively engaging with non-traditional learners and removing barriers to participation. WeACE provide adult education an accessible courses route provide into higher access education to higher toeducation those who by activelymight not engagingotherwise with access non-traditional such programmes learners due andto any removing number barriers of factors to participation.including negativeWe provide previous an accessible experiences route intoof formal higher education; education socio-economic to those who mightbarriers; not family,otherwise community access such and programmespersonal factors; due togeographic any number and ofcultural factors remoteness including fromnegative university; previous motivation, experiences confidenceof formal education; and awareness socio-economic of potential barriers; benefits family, and community opportunities. and personal The culture factors; of ACEgeographic programmes and iscultural to break remoteness down these barriersfrom university; by providing motivation, support through confidence community and awareness outreach, of academic potential development benefits and and opportunities. pastoral care. Equally,The culture the promotionof ACE programmes of wellbeing is to is break core todown our these missionbarriers andby providing philosophy, support underpinning through ourcommunity learning outreach, objectives academic and outcomes. development and pastoral care. Equally, the promotion of wellbeing is core to our mission and philosophy, underpinning our learning objectives and outcomes. With our commitment to grassroots and community delivery, our programmesWith our commitment reach out toto communitiesgrassroots and across community the country, delivery, and ourcon- nectprogrammes with a diversity reach out of adultto communities learners. We acrossoffer theprogression country, opportuni and con- tiesnect towith adult a diversity learners of through adult learners. the provision We offer of qualifications