UTech, Jamaica 2016-17 Annual Report

University of Technology, Jamaica ANNUAL REPORT 2016-2017 Page 13 Excellence Through Knowledge Office of Curriculum Development and Evaluation (OCDE) The Office of Curriculum Development and Evaluation (OCDE) is primarily responsible for the management of the University’s academic quality assurance system and provides oversight to the delivery of the curriculum, for continuous improvement. The functional areas under the OCDE are Quality Assurance (inclusive of academic advisement and student instructor-module evaluation), Academic Quality Audit, Accreditation, Co-operative Education, Curriculum, and Prior Learning Assessment. Key milestones The development and maintenance of a quality management system and the accreditation of the University’s courses of study y y During the period April 2016 to March 2017, the Accreditation Unit continued to provide support to the University’s Colleges and Faculties in their preparation for accreditation. The following courses of study were accredited: y y Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and Nutrition y y Bachelor of Science in Child and Adolescent Development y y UTech’s Internal Academic Quality Audit complements and amplifies the accreditation process and strengthens the University’s application for institutional accreditation. To date, 95% of all schools have now been audited. Schools will be re-audited every three years. The re-audit exercise commenced October 2015 and ten schools have been re-audited to date. Schools continue to use the audit reports to inform quality enhancement of the courses of study offered. y y Schools re-audited during the period under review were: y y Caribbean School of Architecture (April 2016) y y School of Building and land Management (October 2016) y y Joan Duncan School of Entrepreneurship, Ethics and leadership (February 2017) y y School of Mathematics and Statistics (February 2017) y y The Student Instructor- Module Evaluation was administered fully online beginning Semester 1, Academic Year 2015/2016. While there was a noted improvement in the turnaround time for reports to lecturers, the students’ response rate was very low. As a result, it was decided for the second semester to revert to the Dr. Winsome Russell Associate Vice President B.Ed in Industrial Technology student engaged in marine welding and other mechanical repairs to ships docked at the Kingston Harbour in Summer 2016.