Architectural Profession Act, 2000 (Act No. 44 of 2000)RulesRules for Accreditation13. New Architectural Qualifications |
| (a) | No person or educational institution shall offer or provide any architectural education or training in which the provisions of the Act apply, unless such education or training has been considered by the Education Committee and approved by the Council. |
| (b) | Any educational institution wanting to offer or to provide architectural education or training shall, before offering or providing such education or training, apply to the Council in writing for its approval of such education or training and shall furnish such particulars regarding such education or training as the Council may require. The SACAP Education Committee must assess the applications of new programmes against the SACAP competencies and makes recommendations whether the proposed program is aligned with the SACAP Competencies. |
| (c) | Existing or new ALSs must submit documentation of the proposed qualification(s) to the SACAP Education Committee for recommendation and approval by Council prior to submission to the Council for Higher Education (CHE). The SACAP Education Committee reviews the submission and if the qualification(s) meets the required standards and Council approves - it will be supported and recommended. The qualification may then only be submitted to the CHE. |
| (d) | An ALS offering programmes with pathways at more than one site must indicate the sites of delivery; programmes delivered at each site; persons responsible for the programmes and sites; and the ways that the pathways are designated and identified on the qualification certificate and academic transcript. |
| (e) | In the case of an identically designated programme that is offered at more than one site, accreditation must be carried out for each site based upon the documentation and supporting evidence provided from each site, and the Accreditation Board must report and make recommendations on the programme at each site individually. If the ALS identifies the site of delivery on the qualification certificate or transcript, a separate accreditation decision must be made on each programme at each site by the Council. The decision may differ from site to site. |
| (f) | Online programmes must satisfy all accreditation criteria. When evaluating the programme, the Accreditation Board must consider: |
| (i) | the effectiveness of Learning Management System (LMS) and other online delivery platforms; |
| (ii) | whether there is adequate student engagement and access to necessary support when required; |
| (iii) | whether adequate physical or e-laboratory facilities as required have been provided; |
| (iv) | whether the ALS takes full responsibility for quality assurance of the programme, including activities at laboratory sites. |