Architectural Profession Act, 2000 (Act No. 44 of 2000)RulesRules for Accreditation26. Responsibilities of the Architectural Learning Site and the Accreditation Board |
| (a) | The costs incurred by both the ALS and the Accreditation Board are significant, so every attempt should made to ensure that the accreditation visit proceeds smoothly and that there is no reason for the termination of the accreditation visit. Therefore, the ALS must be well prepared, be familiar with the process, must have all the necessary role players available, on time, and must have all information available, in a legible and accessible format at the onset of the visit or on request. |
| (b) | The Accreditation Board must, similarly, be well prepared and familiar with the process, the ALS report and other documentation prior to the visit. |
| (c) | The Chairperson and members of the Accreditation Board are responsible for the quality of the accreditation report submitted to the Education Committee. The accreditation reports must provide sufficient detail for the Education Committee to make an informed accreditation recommendation to the Council. The accreditation report must clearly indicate matters that require remediation or that relate to programme improvement. |
| (d) | The Accreditation Board shall determine whether the graduates of the ALS meet the required standards. To this end the lowest standards allowing learners to qualify for graduation are of greatest concern. |
| (e) | The Accreditation Board shall evaluate whether or not the ALS’s strategic objectives and the tactical aims of each academic year are good, clearly defined, understood by staff and learners, and are effectively implemented. Including the content and coverage of the syllabuses and the relevance of lectures in relation to project work. |
| (f) | Design, technology, theory and history of architecture are the core subjects, therefore, the extent to which the courses develop skills and understanding in the learners is of particular interest: |
• The ability to analyse and synthesize;
• Creativity in design;
• The ability generally to portray technically accountable and sustainable buildings;
• Sensitivity to the relation between a building and its context;
• An adequate knowledge of the history and theory of architecture, related arts, heritage, technologies and human sciences;
• The skills of communication with clients, contractors and other members of the building team; and
• An adequate understanding of the legal, ethical, contractual and procedural aspects of professional architectural practice.
| (g) | The preparation meeting before the accreditation visit is extremely important. An outline agenda should include at least the following item: |
• Methodology, aim and objectives of the Accreditation Board;
• Evaluation of documentation;
• Review report of last visit and follow-up reports (if any);
• Discuss vision of the ALS and curriculum content;
• Review and identify matters to be clarified and investigated during the visit; and
• Allocation of tasks amongst the Accreditation members.
| (h) | The Chairperson of the Accreditation Board must ensure that the accreditation visit is effectively and effectively conducted and ensure that members of the Accreditation Board do not interrupt each other or act unprofessionally. |
| (i) | The Chairperson shall ensure that all members of the Accreditation Board fully participate and that the accreditation visit is conducted in an orderly and efficient manner. |