PResident's RePORt 2009/2010 - University College Cork

Foreword
UCC at a Glance
Academic Developments
Teaching and Learning
Research
College Reports:
Arts, Celtic
Studies and Social
Sciences
Business and Law
Medicine and Health
Science, Engineering and
Food Science
Events
Student Experience
Sports and Recreation
Buildings and Estates
Cork University Press
Finance
Governing Body
IRIS Appendix
9
programme. ACMS students will spend half of their pre-clinical
education studying at UCC/NUIG, with the remaining half of their
clinical education in Malaysia. A memorandum of cooperation was
signed in 2009. An academic oversight body will be put in place
in Malaysia, and will include representatives from each of the
universities. A UCC representative is already in place overseeing
the initial phases. ACMS will recruit suitably qualified, experienced
and registered clinical staff in conjunction with the universities –
these appointees will be employees of ACMS.
Collaboration between University College Cork, the National
Universities Commission, Nigeria and the Federal Government
of Nigeria.
A memorandum of cooperation was signed on 27th August, 2010
to facilitate a relationship in which UCC will facilitate the national
Universities Commission, Nigeria to build capacity in learning
and teaching in third-level education in Nigeria. As required, each
specific area of collaboration established within the framework
of this agreement will be subject to separate Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) which will be signed by the participating
parties and will annexed to the MOC.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Occasional Non Degree – Flexi-Options CPD Modules in the
School of Nursing and Midwifery: a range of CPD modules is
offered by the School of Nursing and Midwifery in response to
the growing demand among the professions. It is a feature of
imminent changes for continuing competence to practise from
the regulatory body in new legislation governing nurses and
midwives, and professional funding requirements, that CPD is
flexible and allows for an incremental approach to learning so
students build up credits over time.
Occasional Non Degree – Flexi-Options CPD Module in the
School of Medicine: ‘A Holistic Approach to Palliative Care’
is an interdisciplinary module taken on a part-time basis over
a minimum of one academic year. The module is designed to
develop the learner’s palliative care knowledge, attitudes and
skills and to apply these to clinical practice to improve the quality
of life of palliative care patients and their families. The module is
offered to healthcare professionals working with palliative care,
oncology, and long term chronically ill patients in acute, long-stay
and community settings.
Occasional Non Degree - Flexi Options CPD Modules in the
School of Pharmacy: four CPD modules, which are pharmaceutical
care based and incorporate Medicines Use Review, a growing
aspect of pharmacy in Ireland. In this process, the pharmacist
reviews the medicines patients are taking, considers their
therapeutic effectiveness, compliance issues, potential side
effects, and how issues arising may be resolved. These CPD
modules are designed to provide the healthcare professional
with the necessary knowledge and competence to carry out this
process with confidence when working with relevant patients.
Developments in the Languages Centre
Erasmus Modules
The Languages Centre has developed two new modules in the area
of English for academic study. While available to all students whose
first language is not English, the modules are particularly aimed
at Erasmus students. Students, other than Erasmus students,
registered for UCC programmes of study may also take these
modules outside their prescribed-credit workload for the year
for their chosen programme.
External Agencies
Teaching Council
A review of UCC’s engagement with the Teaching Council
(formerly Teacher’s Registration Council) is currently underway.
In future, the documentation governing approval of new academic
programmes or major changes in existing academic programmes,
will prompt academic units to signal implications of the proposal
for registration of subjects on the Teaching Council’s register of
recognised subjects for teaching purposes.
Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB)
Representatives of the IUQB visited UCC in November 2010 as
part of its quality enhancement initiative (QEI) to produce national
guidelines of good practice for the approval, monitoring and
periodic review of programmes and awards in Irish universities.
National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ)
All current* awards have been positioned on the National
Framework of Qualifications. Work is ongoing with NQAI and
IUA in relation to the positioning of ‘legacy’ awards.
*The Postgraduate Diploma in Education will be positioned on the
NFQ as a level 8 award once final agreement on a revised title for
this award has been agreed.