APPROVED LEARNING PARTNER STUDENT TUITION

Transcription

1 APPROVED LEARNING PARTNER STUDENT TUITION [SECTION TITLE]

2 CONTENTS 1 Introduction 2 Levels of approval 3 Your benefits 4 Fees 5 Progression to Platinum level 6 Annual renewal, re-approval and monitoring 7 Platinum pass rate targets and results analysis 8 Student complaints 9 Advertising regulations 10 Suspension and removal

3 introduction ACCA s Approved Learning Partner Student Tuition programme gives formal recognition to leading tuition providers of the quality tuition and support that they offer to ACCA students. It is the platform from which we can develop a mutually beneficial relationship, increasing the global availability of effective and innovative ACCA course delivery and first-class student support. ACCA s Approved Learning Partners demonstrate that they meet challenging performance targets, representing global best practice in the provision of ACCA course tuition and support. The aims of ACCA s Approved Learning Partner Student Tuition programme are to: approve the highest quality ACCA tuition providers, who have demonstrated their success in supporting students through the ACCA qualifications support our learning partners in providing students with the opportunity to succeed. introduction

4 levels of approval The levels of approval are: Gold Platinum Approval is given to tuition providers who demonstrate that they have met the challenging performance targets set by ACCA. Gold and Platinum approval is granted only to high-quality tuition providers that ACCA are confident to recommend to students. Gold Gold approval is the first level of the programme and requires tuition providers to have met a range of challenging performance targets covering the institution s overall management and, more specifically, its ACCA course management and delivery. In determining a tuition provider s eligibility for Gold approval, tuition providers have the flexibility to demonstrate how they meet the performance targets. Gold approval is given to tuition providers who are teaching any of ACCA s qualifications ACCA Qualification, CAT, DipFM and DipIFR either through faceto-face tuition or by distance learning. As part of the approval process, all tuition providers undergo a pre-approval site visit by a representative of ACCA. Once a tuition provider becomes an Approved Learning Partner Student Tuition, approval is renewed on an annual basis and ACCA will conduct an annual visit to ensure that performance targets continue to be met and to identify any areas in which ACCA can work more closely with the Approved Learning Partner. Platinum Platinum approval is the highest and most prestigious level of the programme and available for both face-to-face and distance learning providers. In working with Platinum-approved learning partners, ACCA aims to provide students with the tuition access and support they need to become ACCA members. For this reason, Platinum approval is given only to those who teach the ACCA Qualification as part of their course delivery. To be considered for Platinum approval, tuition providers must already have achieved Gold approval and in addition to the challenging performance targets that have been demonstrated to attain Gold approval, the tuition provider must also meet ACCA s Platinum performance targets and Platinum pass-rate targets over two consecutive sets of results. Platinum approval lasts for three years. During this time, ACCA will conduct monitoring, including site visits, to ensure that performance targets and Platinum pass rates continue to be met and to identify any areas in which ACCA can work more closely with the Approved Learning Partner. levels of approval

5 Approval at a glance Gold Platinum Approval prerequisite Teaching any of ACCA s qualifications ACCA Qualification, CAT, DipFM or DipIFR Teaching at least the ACCA Qualification plus already achieved Gold approval Delivery Face-to-face or distance learning Face-to-face or distance learning Approval requirements Performance targets Performance targets plus Pass-rate targets Approval period One year Three years Renewal fee Annual Annual Monitoring Annual Annual Support Continuous Continuous levels of approval

6 your benefits As an Approved Learning Partner Student Tuition at Gold and Platinum level, you benefit from the following: Best practice certification: in becoming an Approved Learning Partner Student Tuition you have been assessed against ACCA s widely recognised and highly-regarded global best-practice benchmarks. This provides you and your students with unequivocal assurance about your ACCA tuition and student support frameworks. Brand enhancement: by becoming an Approved Learning Partner Student Tuition you demonstrate to students and their employers that you are committed to providing high quality tuition and student support, and so are enhancing your own reputation. Continuous improvement: you have access to a range of development opportunities, tools and tuition provider events provided by ACCA to help support you in improving your tuition, including free results analysis reports at each examination session, for paper-based and computer-based examinations. Dedicated contact and customer service: you are provided with excellent account management and support through ACCA s head office and national office network. Promotion by ACCA: you have priority entry on ACCA s online database of tuition providers, with up to 100 words of promotional text plus advertising opportunities on ACCA s website, in student accountant and through ACCA Access, our direct mailing service. Online services: you have online access to your account, including the facility to maintain your details, apply to upgrade your approval, apply for re-approval, use our results analysis service, and access past results analysis reports. In addition, your online account allows you access to a host of exclusive ACCA resources, such as the Knowledge Library, ACCA s online Professional Ethics module and regular updates on developments at ACCA. Marketing tools: you will have received a certificate of approval from ACCA and, based on your level of approval, you have the use of the Gold or Platinum approved title and distinctive logo. You also have ACCA s latest display merchandise to help you signpost and promote your courses. Gold With your Gold approval you also benefit from ACCA s recommendation of you as a quality tuition provider and will receive tailored support to help you become Platinum approved. Platinum As a Platinum Approved Learning Partner you are actively promoted by ACCA to our Approved Employers and partners as a highest-quality tuition provider. You also benefit from priority booking at ACCA s teachers conference and have the opportunity to comment on ACCA examinations by providing written representation at ACCA s Examination Review Board. Furthermore, you are provided with ACCA market information packages, details of which are below: On 30 April and 31 October each year, ACCA will provide details of registered student numbers and numbers of students entered to sit ACCA examinations, analysed by examination centre for their country of operation. Upon renewal of approval each year, ACCA will provide a list of the names of ACCA approved employers at Gold and Platinum for their country of operation. Upon renewal of approval each year, ACCA will provide details of student satisfaction data compared with global/country comparators (where applicable). your benefits

7 fees The following fees apply per site: Gold 650 a year plus 50 initial application fee (non-refundable) Platinum 750 a year Payment should be made in sterling to ACCA and sent directly to the learning partnerships department in Glasgow. Progression to Platinum Applications for Platinum approval are invited from existing Gold Approved Learning Partners who: meet the Platinum pass rate targets at two consecutive examination sessions demonstrate that they meet all the Platinum performance targets. In your application you will be asked to detail the ways in which you are able to demonstrate the additional performance targets required for Platinum approval, and to submit any supporting documentation that can be used as evidence. No additional fee is required to apply for Platinum approval. Making the application Applications may be made online, once your eligibility to apply for Platinum has been confirmed, by following the myacca link on and loggingin using your username and password. Paper-based versions of the application form and guidelines are also available from the learning partnerships department. Platinum pre-approval visit Once your application is complete, a pre-approval visit will be arranged with an ACCA representative. This may be combined with your annual Gold re-approval visit if it has not already been conducted in the year of the Platinum application. fees progression to platinum

8 annual renewal, re-approval and monitoring Gold approval is given for one year only. Platinum approval is given for three consecutive years. Annual renewal All Approved Learning Partners are required to complete the renewal process annually. This requires you to: update the details displayed on ACCA s Tuition Provider List pay the appropriate annual fee advise ACCA of changes and new developments within the institution, with supporting documentation where appropriate. You may complete the renewal by following the link to myacca on and logging-in using your username and password. A paper-based form will also be made available to you. Invoices for the following year s annual fees will be issued to you in the last quarter of the preceding year. All outstanding accounts must be settled by 30 November to ensure that approval is carried forward to the following year. You will receive a new set of promotional materials, including a certificate for the renewed period and will be able to download the updated logos by following the link to myacca on and logging-in using your username and password. Re-approval All Gold institutions and any Platinum institutions that are due for re-approval in any particular year will receive a re-approval visit in addition to completing the annual renewal process. Information provided on changes and new developments within the institution as part of the renewal will be reviewed as part of the re-approval visit. For further information about re-approval visits, please see the Monitoring section. Monitoring ACCA monitors Approved Learning Partners on a continuous basis in the following ways: analysis of performance against ACCA s worldwide pass rates annual visits. Worldwide pass rates Approved Learning Partners performance is measured against ACCA s worldwide pass rates at each examination session. Please see the section entitled Platinum pass-rate targets and results analysis for further information. Visits All Approved Learning Partners will receive an annual visit from an ACCA representative. In a re-approval visit, you will be required to demonstrate that all relevant performance targets continue to be met. Before the visit, you will receive an information pack explaining what will happen on the day and what you should do to prepare. For Platinum institutions that are not due for re-approval, the visit will focus primarily on the support that ACCA can provide to the institution, and identify areas for potential development. Confirmation of re-approval Your re-approval will be confirmed to you in writing by the learning partnerships department shortly after the visit has been carried out. This will include details of any conditions or recommendations upon which the renewed approval is based. annual progression renewal, to platinum re-approval and monitoring

9 platinum pass rate targets and results analysis ACCA sets pass-rate targets for Platinum Approved Learning Partners, based on ACCA s worldwide pass rates. Monitoring and analysis of an institution s performance against the Platinum pass-rate targets is carried out through ACCA s results analysis. Gold Approved Learning Partners are not required to meet pass-rate targets but, as a benefit of Gold approval, ACCA analyse the results of all Gold institutions and provide this analysis as a valuable source of performance feedback. At each session, ACCA will provide analysis for all levels of the ACCA Qualification and CAT, benchmarked against ACCA s worldwide pass rates. This will include details of results for paperbased and computer-based examinations. Platinum pass-rate targets Platinum pass-rate targets are based on ACCA Qualification papers only, excluding the Knowledge module, and must be achieved as follows: You must run a minimum of eight papers annually, which must include all Essentials papers and two Options papers in the Professional level, and teach at least 50 candidates 1 across these papers per session You must meet or exceed worldwide pass rates for at least 75% of the papers taught per session where five or more candidates have sat including all three Essentials papers in the Professional level. The following sliding scale will apply: No of papers taught (excl. Knowledge) Sliding scale No of papers required to meet or exceed worldwide pass-rate The Platinum pass-rate targets and how they apply to your ACCA course provision will be discussed with you as part of ACCA s site visits. 1 One candidate is the equivalent of one examination entry platinum pass rate targets and results analysis

10 platinum pass rate targets and results analysis [continued] Results service Gold and Platinum The results service can be accessed by following the link to myacca on and logging-in using your username and password. Full instructions and guidelines are available to download within the results service application, including the requirements for CBE analysis. This service is only available online, and no paper-based alternative is available. At the start of each teaching period (ie when classes begin) you must enter details of the number of students on each of your courses. The deadlines for entering this information are: June examinations December examinations 15 April 15 October Near to the closing date for each examination session, you will be asked to enter the details of individual students studying at your institution. As an Approved Learning Partner Student Tuition you are confirming that you comply with all relevant data protection laws and regulations. Your course enrolment forms must include a clause informing your students that you will be obtaining their results from ACCA in order to monitor your pass-rate performance. All student details must be entered before the first day of the examinations. Under no circumstances can student details be entered after this deadline. Any tuition provider found to be deliberately excluding candidates from its submission or consistently failing to meet deadlines may have its approval removed. When entering student details, tuition providers may only select a paper if they have provided tuition to the student for that paper. After the results have been released, you will be able to access a listing of all your own students entered into the system, and their results for the papers for which they received tuition from your institution, by following the link to myacca on and logging in using your username and password. Results analysis Gold and Platinum Analysis is conducted on a paper-forpaper basis and is measured against ACCA s worldwide pass rates. Visit for details of the worldwide pass rates for previous examination sessions. Where applicable, analysis will be conducted against the pass rates for local law and tax variant papers. Target pass rates for each paper are set for students who have received the tuition provider s overall tuition. Revision-only students are not included in the pass-rate targets, but are provided in the results analysis report for information. 10 platinum pass rate targets and results analysis

11 Gold institutions do not have to meet the pass-rate targets to maintain their approval. Analysis of performance against the pass-rate targets is offered as a useful benefit of Gold approval, and is essential to identifying potential eligibility for progression to Platinum. All Gold institutions are therefore required to use the results service at each session as a condition of approval. Platinum institutions must continue to meet or exceed the pass-rate targets to maintain their approval. Although Platinum approval is granted for three consecutive years, performance against the pass-rate targets will be monitored during the approval period, and any decline in performance will be reviewed at the annual visit. Release of results analysis report and arising actions Once the worldwide pass rates have been finalised for each session, ACCA will review the performance of all Approved Learning Partners against the pass-rate targets. The review will identify, in particular, Gold institutions meeting the pass-rate targets and Platinum institutions failing to meet the pass-rate targets. Shortly after the review, you will be contacted with confirmation of your performance against the pass-rate targets. You will be able to access the results analysis reports by following the myacca link on and loggingin using your username and password. ACCA will not publish the pass rates achieved by Approved Learning Partners. Platinum approval signifies that the pass-rate targets set by ACCA are being met consistently. You may refer to your pass rates within the parameters of the advertising regulations for Approved Learning Partners. Performance report Platinum institutions failing to achieve the pass-rate targets for an extended number of examination sessions may be required to submit a performance report to ACCA. The report should be submitted to the learning partnerships department within one month of receiving the initial request from ACCA. It will then form the basis of discussion at the next annual visit. The report should be in two parts, a review of the course to identify reasons for decline, and an action plan. Further details of the format that the report should take will be sent to you if you are required to submit a report. Decline in performance against targets ACCA awards Platinum approval for three years but, following submission of a performance report, Platinum institutions teaching for both June and December examinations that consistently fail to meet pass-rate targets may lose their Platinum approval after three consecutive examination sessions. Those teaching for the June or December session only and that consistently fail to meet pass-rate targets may lose their Platinum approval after three applicable examination sessions. platinum pass rate targets and results analysis 11

12 student complaints All Approved Learning Partners are required to have formal, transparent and effective procedures in place to resolve student complaints. In the first instance of a complaint, and during the later stages of the complaints procedure, informal resolution should be an option available to students and tuition providers. Role of ACCA in student complaints Students are encouraged to follow the institution s internal complaints procedure fully before approaching ACCA with a complaint. Where a student has followed these procedures and the two parties have failed to reach a satisfactory outcome, ACCA reserves the right to investigate the measures taken by the institution to investigate and resolve the complaint. In such circumstances you will be required to report to ACCA regarding the complaint and how it was dealt with through your internal complaints procedures. You will be required to provide copies of any correspondence with the student concerned. ACCA may conduct a visit to the tuition provider to investigate further. Where it is felt that the outcome reached was not satisfactory, ACCA reserves the right to make a recommendation to the institution to resolve the complaint. Following investigation by ACCA, upheld complaints may be grounds for removal from the Approved Learning Partner Student Tuition programme, and from ACCA s Tuition Provider List. 12 student complaints

13 advertising regulations These regulations outline the acceptable and unacceptable content of advertisements, websites and promotional materials published or distributed by Approved Learning Partners. Approved Learning Partners may take advantage of the following methods of advertising available through ACCA: advertising opportunities in ACCA magazines including student accountant, finance matters, teach accounting and accounting link advertising opportunities in student accountant, potential, accelerate, teach accounting and accounting link e-zines advertising opportunities on direct mailings to students through ACCA Access promotional flyer insertions in student accountant. The content of any advertising done in this way must be approved by ACCA. We recommend that Approved Learning Partners consult us when preparing any other advertising or promotional materials, including website content. All information provided in promotional materials must be accurate, so if you are unsure about anything then we advise you to submit drafts to us before going to final print. Promotional materials will be looked at as part of the approval visit process. General unsubstantiated claims General unsubstantiated and misleading claims with regard to your own institution or any other tuition provider may not be included in advertisements, websites or promotional materials. An unsubstantiated claim is one which you can not prove is true by supplying evidence to support it. An example of an unsubstantiated claim is to say We have more qualified lecturers than any other institution. This is problematic in two ways; first it is not specific in terms of numbers, and second it is negative in relation to other tuition providers. An acceptable claim would be to say We have 10 qualified lecturers. This is a specific claim and could be backed up if questioned. Claims regarding pass rates Unsubstantiated claims regarding pass rates achieved by Approved Learning Partners may not be included in advertisements, websites or promotional materials. Approved Learning Partners may refer to pass rates supplied by ACCA on the results analysis report for qualifying papers only (five students or more). References to examiners/ examining body Any reference to close co-operation with the examiners/examining body may not be included in advertisements, websites and promotional materials. advertising regulations 13

14 advertising regulations [continued] Student quotes In order to publish student quotes, Approved Learning Partners must ensure they have permission from the student(s) in question for their quote to be used in promotional materials. This will be verified during the approval visit process. Claims regarding prizewinners Approved Learning Partners may only include statements in advertisements, websites and promotional materials regarding prizewinners if they are referring to official ACCA-awarded prizes. Approved Learning Partners must have gained permission from the student(s) in question. This will be verified during the approval visit process. Use of ACCA logo Gold and Platinum Approved Learning Partners may use the appropriate logo supplied to them by ACCA. Under no circumstances may ACCA s corporate logo be used. Approved Learning Partners using a logo other than the one supplied as part of the programme may have their approval withdrawn. A monotone logo will be supplied to Approved Learning Partners, and it should only be used in black. The logo may not be edited at all. Removal of the date from the logo is prohibited and may result in approval being withdrawn. Any advertisements, websites or promotional materials referring to ACCA s approval programme or displaying the Approved Learning Partner logo may only include details of campuses approved by ACCA. Approved Learning Partners with multiple branches must ensure that any promotional materials refer to the appropriate approval level and that the correct logo is displayed for each branch. Websites and addresses Approved Learning Partners may include hyperlinks from their website to relevant sections of the ACCA website. Approved Learning Partners may not copy sections of the ACCA website or lift content from it for display on their own website without prior approval from the learning partnership department. Approved Learning Partners displaying information copied from the ACCA website or using content which is subject to ACCA copyright without permission may have their approval withdrawn. Approved Learning Partners may not create, host or maintain either a website or address that is deemed by ACCA to have a similar domain name or design to the ACCA website or addresses or is felt to be an attempt to mislead students into thinking it is an official ACCA website or address. 14 advertising regulations

15 suspension and removal ACCA reserves the right to suspend or remove Gold or Platinum approval from any tuition provider, or to suspend or remove the tuition provider from the Approved Learning Partner Student Tuition programme. Grounds for suspension or removal include, but are not limited to: continued decline in performance against pass-rate targets over an extended number of examination sessions performance targets no longer being achieved upheld student complaints mishandling of fees non-payment of the annual fee or any other associated fee in respect of the Approved Learning Partner Student Tuition programme any breach of ACCA s advertising regulations for Approved Learning Partners failure to submit timely and accurate student registration numbers any actions or omissions by the tuition provider that are deemed by ACCA to conflict with, or are detrimental to, the interests of ACCA or its students or in any way impair the goodwill associated with ACCA. Suspension will cover the period in which any reasonable complaint relating to the administration and delivery of tuition or anything else that may affect the tuition provider s approval under the Approved Learning Partners Student Tuition programme is investigated. The determination of what constitutes a reasonable complaint shall be at the sole discretion of ACCA. ACCA will give notice to the tuition provider of any decision to suspend or remove approval. The tuition provider shall be obliged to co-operate with ACCA in any investigation of the circumstances or complaint(s) for which approval has been suspended or removed. For approval purposes, ACCA reserves the right to impose conditions on the tuition provider in order for the suspension to be lifted. Determination of whether or not the tuition provider has complied with the conditions shall be at the sole discretion of ACCA. Following the conclusion of any investigation, ACCA will give notice to the tuition provider of whether any suspension has been lifted or whether it is to be continued. If the tuition provider is suspended or removed from the Approved Learning Partner Student Tuition programme, it may also be removed from ACCA s Tuition Provider List and may not be promoted in any ACCA publication. The tuition provider may no longer be able to make any reference to its previous approval or use the Approved Learning Partner Student Tuition logo on any future promotional materials, student handbooks or websites. The tuition provider may be required to return to ACCA any materials that directly refer to its previous status. Platinum institutions that have their approval removed owing to unsuccessful pass rates will normally be automatically re-approved at Gold. In certain cases a re-submission may be required before Gold approval is awarded, or the tuition provider may be removed from the programme entirely. The decision to suspend or remove approval shall be at ACCA s sole discretion and shall be final. There shall be no appeal from any such decision. ACCA reserves the absolute right to alter or change the programme at its own discretion. suspension and removal 15

16 The information contained in this publication is provided for general purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate and up to date at the time of going to press, ACCA accepts no responsibility for any loss which may arise from information contained in this publication. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in any format, without prior written permission of ACCA. ACCA August 2007 Learning partnerships ACCA 2 Central Quay 89 Hydepark Street Glasgow G3 8BW United Kingdom +44 (0) tuition@accaglobal.com 16