Adult and Community Education (ACE)
A Guide to Running Short Courses
Background
Continuing Education is an important and valid University activity which operates under the policy guidance of the Summer School and Continuing Education Board of Senate.
The University’s Charter and Profile describe our longstanding commitment to Continuing Education, including Continuing Professional Development (CPD). Engagement in lifelong learning strategies forms part of our response to the Government’s priorities for the tertiary sector.
It is established practice for the University to access Government EFTS funding for those Continuing Education courses that are of a general community nature. However, this type of funding has become more regulated as the Government acts to curb excessive and in some cases unjustified growth in this area across the wider tertiary education sector (see the section on Government Funding for Adult and Community Education Short Courses below).
Purposes of the policy
- to ensure that the University claims and receives the VOTE Education income to which it is entitled for Adult and Community Education short courses;
- to ensure that short courses run by the University have the appropriate academic and financial approval to meet the requirements of the Education Act 1989 and other Government regulations;
- to encourage the development of Continuing Education (including CPD) and the delivery of short courses.
What is Adult and Community Education?
Adult and Community Education comprises a wide range of activities, including courses which may be either informal or assessed, but which do not lead to the award of a formally recognised qualification. These are courses that fall outside of the Ministry of Education’s other course classifications and are typically distinguished by their short duration, usually measured in hours.
Generally, Adult and Community Education (ACE) promotes and facilitates all or any of the following:
- targeting learners whose initial learning was not successful;
- raising foundation skills;
- strengthening social cohesion.
More particularly, Universities as institutes of higher learning may:
- provide specialised and research-informed higher level learning that contributes directly to the creation of an evolving knowledge society;
- contribute to the knowledge society through the preservation, dissemination and application of university-generated research;
- promote active and informed citizenship both locally and globally;
- facilitate pathways into and through university education
- contribute to and encourage lifelong learning.
Examples of ACE short courses that have been offered by the University of Otago are:
- Foreign Policy School
- Rare Book School
- The Remarkable Immune System
- Bridging Chemistry
- Dare to be Pacific
- Introduction to Fa’asamoa
- Drugs and Society
- Introduction to Health Economics.
The University must provide clear information for students about the purpose of the course and its relationship, if any, to other papers and short courses we offer. The University should also give students clear information about the relationship that any other participating organisation has in the course.
Government funding for ACE short courses
Tertiary Education Institutions (TEIs) have traditionally been funded for Adult and Community Education provided that the course gains academic approval and meets the ‘community education’ criteria.
The community education criteria are outlined in a series of Ministry of Education and Tertiary Education Commission documents. Although there is some room for interpretation in the criteria, to be eligible for funding such courses should have the following characteristics:
- they must be open to general public/community (as opposed, for example, to being arranged for a particular employer or professional group), and advertised in a manner consistent with this;
- they must be aimed at meeting the needs of the community and individuals within that community.
Health-related courses aimed primarily at health professionals for training or development purposes, and courses that constitute internal staff training and development are NOT eligible for Government community education funding.
Note: Funding is not normally available for students who are under the age of 16 years and are full-time secondary school students. Funding is also not available for international students. Australian students resident in New Zealand at the time of the course have the equivalent status of domestic students.
In order to be eligible for funding, courses that meet the above criteria must have received appropriate University quality assurance. This involves course approval from the appropriate academic Division, the maintenance of an attendance record and the gathering of a limited amount of statistical data from course participants.
ACE courses are funded from a special funding pool. The Government tuition subsidy (funding rate) for 2012 is $4,347 (excl GST) per EFTS.
The ACE funding schedule was reduced by Government in 2011, and the EFTS allocation for the University reduced by 46%. These and related other changes in Government policy may impact on the level of funding and/or the number of community education enrolments that can be supported by the University in any given year.
EFTS Values
The formula used to determine the EFTS value of these short courses is based on tutor contact time with students.
For courses up to 40 hours, each student contact hour is calculated at 0.0015 EFTS (e.g. 12 hours x 0.0015 EFTS = 0.018 EFTS).
For full-time short courses longer than 40 hours, the EFTS value is calculated as 0.03 EFTS units per week (e.g. 4 full-time weeks x 0.03 EFTS = 0.12 EFTS). “Full-time” is defined as 20 or more contact hours per week.
For part-time courses longer than 40 hours, the EFTS value is normally calculated at 0.0015 EFTS per contact hour.
Fees for ACE short courses
Course organisers should, in consultation with the Head of Department, set an appropriate tuition fee for the short course. This tuition fee should take account of the teaching costs of running the course, and should include a clearly stated GST component (15% on top of the basic fee).
A separate Accommodation Fee (also including GST) may also be charged to course participants where accommodation and/or meals are provided.
All intended fees must be included on Form A and be approved by Divisional Boards under authority delegated by Council.
Income received should be processed quickly through the University Cashiers Office.
Gaining academic and fees approval
Every short course must gain formal academic approval before it is run. Senate has given delegated authority to Divisional Boards to approve Adult and Community Education short courses. Without Divisional approval, the course is not academically sanctioned by the University, and is, therefore, ineligible for Ministry of Education funding. Moreover, tuition fees may not be charged for it.
Every short course must gain formal approval of its fees before it is run. Under authority delegated by Council, Divisions may set fees for Adult and Community Education short courses. Without Divisional approval, fees are not sanctioned by the University.
In order to obtain academic and fees approval for a proposed short course, Form A should be completed, signed by the Head of Department, and submitted to the appropriate Pro-Vice-Chancellor. Departments are advised to consult Summer School & Continuing Education, in advance, regarding the availability of EFTS in the pool and the eligibility of the proposed course.
Once academic and fees approval is granted, Form A should be sent to Summer School & Continuing Education.
Enrolment Information and Verification of Attendance
Ministry of Education regulations require a limited set of enrolment information to be gathered from participants and an attendance record to be taken of every short course. Attendee and attendance information should be sent to Summer School & Continuing Education once the event is complete. Summer School & Continuing Education will, on the basis of this documentation, process your funding claim.
Students who enrol in and pay for a course that they subsequently cannot attend will be entitled to a refund in accordance with University policy relating to short courses.
Notes
If attendance is not validated by complete data, Government funding cannot be claimed. Names and addresses of attendees should be recorded. A sample data collection form is available for download (in XLS format). Please request a copy from continuing.education@otago.ac.nz. Please amend this document to give the name and date of the public event.
The Tertiary Education Commission policy permits universities to claim a limited number of Notional EFTS for public lectures. Notional EFTS is a special category of claim allowed only to the Universities - for large events such as public lectures where the collection of attendee personal data is impracticable. Notional EFTS are strictly limited to 10% of the University's total ACE EFTS claim in the current year. Due to the 46% reduction in funding from 2011 the University will not normally be allocating Notional EFTS funding in 2012.
University accounting requirements
The host Department is required to record the income and expenses associated with each course in a separate “N” Activity Centre for Adult and Community Education (entitled “Community Education”).
Note: An “N” activity centre is used for all short courses which are not for credit, and are part of the University’s teaching outputs. This includes all lectures and short courses where tuition fees are charged and collected. VOTE Education funding should still be collected on these courses.
This is distinct from a “K” activity centre which is used for community service activities, counts towards the University’s objectives for community service and for which no fees are charged. VOTE Education funding should still be collected on these courses.
Where the teaching agent of a short course is Summer School & Continuing Education rather than an academic department, the Activity Centre established to record the income and expenses relating to it will be Summer School & Continuing Education's N03 cost centre.
Overheads
The income from tuition fees (dissection 1211) and government funding (dissection 1111) should be recorded directly in the respective activity from which 15% will be deducted for Central Overheads. Recovery of any Departmental Overheads (which would include Divisional and School overheads, where applicable) should be confirmed with the Form A approval.
Accommodation cost recoveries should also be credited to the activity, but no Central Overhead charge will apply to these.
Refunds
Where a refund policy particular to a non-credit short course has not been specified in course promotional/registration material, the following policy shall normally apply:
- for withdrawal up to seven working days before course commencement, an administration fee of 10% will be retained;
- for withdrawal less than seven working days before course commencement, a refund of 50% may be made at the discretion of the Course or Programme Director;
- once a course has commenced, no refund will be given;
- the University reserves the right to cancel a course due to insufficient enrolments or other unforeseen circumstances, in such cases, fees will be refunded in full.
Procedural guidelines for resolving problems.
These can be viewed on the Continuing Education website at:
http://www.otago.ac.nz/courses/continuingeducation/
A Checklist for setting up an Adult and Community Education short course
Before the course is run:
Establish the financial viability of the proposed course
Use Form A to:
- Confirm EFTS value of short course
- Estimate minimum and maximum enrolments
- Forecast Government income
- Propose Tuition Fee, where applicable
- Propose accommodation/meals fee, where applicable
- Discuss financial viability with relevant departmental manager.
Gain academic and fees approval
- Complete Form A, secure Head of Department sign-off, and forward to your Pro-Vice-Chancellor
- Send Form A with Divisional approval to Summer School & Continuing Education.
Then:
- Before or while the course is being run: Collect attendee details and verify attendance.
- When the course is complete: Send the above data to Summer School & Continuing Education together with Form B.
Forms
Contacts
Summer School and Continuing Education Board
Contact Dr Elaine Webster
Email elaine.webster@otago.ac.nz
Tel 03 479 5191
Robin Frame
Email robin.frame@otago.ac.nz
Tel 03 479 9181
Fax 03 479 4075
Funding Analyst
Contact Greg Murray
Email greg.murray@otago.ac.nz
Tel 03 479 3940
