by Dave Hull, PLATO
Report and recommendations of the Accreditation Panel to the South African Council for Professional and Technical Surveyors (PLATO).
The Professional and Technical Surveyors Act 40/1984 requires the SA Council of Professional and Technical Surveyors (PLATO) to accredit academic courses as qualifying graduates of those courses for registration in the PLATO categories of professional and technical practitioners. Under Section 19 of the Act there is established the Education Advisory Committee (EAC) one of whose functions is “to investigate the syllabus of instruction and the standard of training” provided by educational institutions. The purpose of this function is to ascertain if each syllabus under review complies with the requirements laid down by PLATO for qualifying courses.
An accreditation panel (“the panel”) of the Education Advisory Committee visited the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, University of Cape Town, Durban University of Technology, University of KwaZulu Natal, Tshwane University of Technology, University of Johannesburg and University of South Africa during May 2009. The Council for Higher Education had been informed of this visit. See Table 1 for the composition of the panel.
It was stated in the opening paragraph of this report that it is a function of the Education Advisory Committee “to investigate the syllabus of instruction and the standard of training” at academic institutions. The dictionary definition of “syllabus” is an outline of a course of studies, also “a list of the subjects studied for a particular course”. The process of accreditation when properly carried out requires a consideration of more than a mere list of subject names; the panel has concerned itself with the content of each module comprising the qualifying courses and the manner in which that content is presented to the student.
At each educational institute visited interviews were arranged with the head of department, members of staff of the department, staff responsible for providing service courses, and with groups of students. Opportunity was taken to examine course materials, class tests, continuous evaluation assessment tasks and scripts, examination papers, examination scripts, examiners’ reports and students’ work, and to visit the teaching and administrative facilities.
Executive summary of recommendations
The following summary of recommendations was made to PLATO with the approval of the EAC. A full report of each educational institution was attached to the unabridged report for approval of council.
Cape Peninsula University of Technology (6 to 8 May 2009)
- The BTech in Surveying be accredited as complying with the requirements for registration as Professional Engineering Surveyor.
- The National Diploma in Surveying. be accredited as complying with the requirements for registration as Surveying Technician leading to registration as Surveyor.
University of Cape Town (4 to 6 May 2009)
- The BSc (Geomatics) in Surveying degree be accredited as complying with the requirements for registration in the categories: Professional Land Surveyor, Professional Engineering Surveyor, and Professional Photogrammetric Surveyor.
- The BSc (Geomatics) in Geoinformatics degree be accredited as complying with the requirements for registration in the category: Professional Photogrammetric Surveyor.
- The BSc (Geomatics) in Planning degree not be accredited for not complying with the requirements for registration in any PLATO category
Durban University of Technology (11 to 13 May 2009)
- The BTech in Surveying be accredited as complying with the requirements for registration as Professional Engineering Surveyor.
- The National Diploma in Surveying is accredited as complying with the requirements for registration as Surveying Technician leading to registration as a Surveyor.
University of KwaZulu Natal (13 to 15 May 2009)
- The BSc in Land Surveying be accredited as complying with the requirements for registration as Professional Land Surveyor.
Tshwane University of Technology (18 to 20 May 2009)
- The BTech in Surveying be accredited as complying with the requirements for registration as Professional Engineering Surveyor
- The National Diploma in Surveying be accredited as complying with the requirements for registration as Surveying Technician leading to registration as Surveyor
University of Johannesburg (20 to 22 May 2009)
- The BTech in Mineral Resource Management be accredited as complying with the requirements for registration as Professional Mine Surveyor
- The National Diploma in Minerals Surveying be accredited as complying with requirements for registration as Mine Survey Technician leading to registration as a Mine Surveyor.
University of South Africa (25 to 26 May 2009)
- The National Diploma in Mine Surveying be granted accreditation as complying with the requirements for registration as Mine Survey Technician leading to registration as Mine Surveyor.
Mangosuthu University of Technology
- At the request of MUT the accreditation visit was postponed from May to October 2009 and subsequently to May 2010.
Major matters of concerns arising from the visits
Staffing
All the education institutes visited have staff vacancies and as highlighted in individual reports, this has reached critical proportions at some institutions affecting the future viability of the qualification offered. In addition this shortfall in staff has impacted upon the delivery of the B Tech programmes and the responsibility for these lectures is now almost entirely reliant on part time lecturers. This arrangement leads to a lack of consistency in the delivery of subjects, the absence of fully developed lecture notes, management of a coherent programme and reinforces the vulnerability of the long term sustainability of the qualification offered.
Teaching qualifications
The filling of staff vacancies with suitable qualified persons is exacerbated by the new HEQC requirement that insists on academic staff holding qualifications at least one level above that which they teach and a head of department is expected to hold a Doctorate. As the number of academics in South Africa with Doctorial Degrees in Geomatics are few in number it will remain difficult to insist that a head of a geomatics department be filled by a person so qualified
Although a number of existing staff have registered to upgrade their qualifications, this in reality, is proving difficult as the majority of staff have a lecturing load far above the norm resulting in no time being available to spend on research or study.
B.Tech Research Project
Although the B Tech surveying programme has elective modules in research methodology (the least popular choice) and project management surveying IV, no research dissertation on a survey related topic is mandatory. The panel strongly recommends that in addition to the two elective modules, a mandatory year-long research project be introduced at all technical universities to run concurrently with the theoretical studies. The absence of research projects and publications is a major area of concern at all universities and could lead to a lowering of international standing.
Survey practicals
The importance of exposing learners to all the practical aspects of Surveying in the reinforcement of theory cannot be over emphasised. The panel strongly recommends that all education institutions, in addition to the practical sessions around campus, add to their curricular, a mandatory annual survey camp, at least one week in duration, at which all registered students are exposed to and instructed in the use of state-of-the-art surveying technology.
Industrial liaison
The panel strongly recommends that all educational institutions establish and continuously maintain an industrial liaison group. This would facilitate communication between the survey industry and the universities with the specific purpose of assisting in maintaining the currency of the academic program and facilitate its support.
Recommendations to council
The panel would recommend the following actions to council.
Registration models
The EAC should be mandated to investigate and revise the existing professional registration models to reflect modern survey practice and trends. In addition registration models for the technical level should be implemented.
To assist this process the following observations are made in respect of the existing registration models.
- The panel suggests that the core course requirements of Mathematics and Physics be expanded for all models to include all Survey and Management related subjects and then add on the various options as specialist subjects, e.g. Cadastral, Photogrammetry, Mine and Hydrographic Surveying.
- Discrepancy between the number of lectures and content of items in each category.
- As the lecturing style between the technical and non-technical universities differs, maintain the concept of minimal lectures for each course and define “lecture”.
- Duplication between categories.
- Description of course item are too generic.
- Need to modernise items between categories.
- Need some cadastral in other models.
- Confirm GISc model before embarking on accreditation visits
Sustainability of survey qualifications
The strategic importance of survey qualifications to the future development of the profession and country cannot be over emphasised. However the lack of suitably qualified lecturers will place the sustainability of these qualifications at risk. The panel would place on record their support of PLATO introducing a system of continuous professional development as this has the potential not only to assist in the creation of more qualified lecturers but also as a means of combating the ever increasing technical and social changes we are currently experiencing.
Accreditation process
To assist future accreditation visits the panel would recommend the following process:
- Draw up budgets and gain council approval of accreditation visits and a mandate.
- Early warning notification of accreditation visit to be sent out 12 months before proposed visit indicating provisional dates.
- Gain acceptance for accreditation visit and proposed dates from the educational institutes.
- Final dates to be sent out nine months before visit with provisional timetable and self review document.
- Education institute to return self review document two months before visit. The panel noted that the quality of the returned document varies from excellent to very poor.
- Conduct visit to each education institute following the suggested timetable:
Meet with Dean, HOD and course facilitator. Peruse documents (course content, lecture notes, examination paper and scripts, experiential training, industrial committee minutes, staff CVs). Interview course facilitator and course service and part time lecturers. Interview students, year by year. Visit lecture halls, laboratories, equipment storeroom, areas for practical exercises, student support services, academic registration support services, examination sections and libraries. Make accreditation decision and write preliminary report. Discuss, review and finalise preliminary report. Provide feedback to course facilitator and staff. Presentation of findings contained in the preliminary report to the Dean and HOD.
- Write final report to EAC and council for acceptance.
- Dispatch report to education institute and HEQC.
Frequency of accreditation visits
In order to ensure that the qualifications offered meet modern standards and requirements of industry and council the panel would recommend that accreditation visits should be undertaken every five years.
To meet costing requirements for these visits the council should investigate accessing other sources of funding, such as the CHE, CETA or alternatively, in accordance with other registration bodies, charge each education institute per visit.
Accreditation of GISc courses
The panel noted in the individual reports to the education institutes offering GISc courses, that these courses should remain in accreditation until 2011 when the proposed accreditation visits are planned to take place. Should this accreditation visit not take place as planned a decision must be taken by PLATO as to the suitability for registration purposes of the many GISc courses on offer.
Conclusion
In conclusion I would like to thank, on behalf of the EAC and council, the invaluable contribution, dedication and professional expertise of the Accreditation Panel in undertaking this very important task. Thank you for your support.
Contact Dave Hull, PLATO, Tel 011 678-5631, dhull@mweb.co.za