Financial Planning Education Program Accreditation Guidelines

Australian Higher Education Curriculum and Accreditation Framework in Financial Planning

December 2017

Contents

FINANCIAL PLANNING EDUCATION COUNCIL................................................................................................1

ACCREDITATION FRAMEWORK ....................................................................................................................2

Benefits of accreditation

2

FPEC accreditation focus

2

Separate documentation

3

PART A ? FPEC APPROACH TO ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION .............................................................4

1. FPEC assessment and accreditation process ............................................................................4

1.1 General

4

1.2 Initial contact ? FPA Accreditation Manager

4

1.3 Assessment team

4

1.4 Site visit

5

1.5 Final recommendations

5

1.6 Accreditation cycle

5

1.7 Renewal and re-accreditation

5

1.8 Major changes to existing accredited courses

6

1.9 Offshore, remote campus and distance-based programs

6

1.10 Appeals

6

1.11 Fees

6

1.12 National Qualifications

6

2. Summary of assessment and accreditation process.................................................................7

3. Summary of responsibilities .........................................................................................................7

3.1 FPA Accreditation Manager

7

3.2 Assessment team

7

3.3 FPEC accreditation committee

7

3.4 FPE Council

8

3.5 Applicant

8

4. Accreditation Flow charts .............................................................................................................9

.1 Initial Accreditation process flow chart for accreditation of programs .....................................10

4.2 Reaccreditation process flow chart for accreditation of programs .........................................12

4.3 Accreditation of additional courses by an accredited provider process flow chart for accreditation of programs...................................................................................................................13

4.4 Annual Review of Accredited courses process flow chart for accreditation of programs ...14

4.5 Major Changes to subject and or course structure of accredited courses process flow chart for accreditation of programs.............................................................................................................15

PART B ? GRADUATE OUTCOMES .............................................................................................................16

5. Professional financial planner attributes, knowledge, skill and attitudes .............................16

5.1 The comprehensive and relational nature of professional financial planning

16

5.2 Attributes of financial planning graduates (Aligned to FPSB International Standards) 16

5.3 Core knowledge and understanding

17

5.4 Generic financial planning abilities and skills

17

5.5 Ethics professional attitudes and behaviours

18

5.6 Credit, RPL, Upgrades and Exemptions

18

PART C ? PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS ........................................................................................................19

6. General program requirements ..................................................................................................19

6.1 Mission

19

6.2 Student outcomes

19

6.3 Assurance of Learning

20

7. Financial planning curriculum ....................................................................................................21

7.1 Curriculum framework

21

7.2 Academic research in the curriculum

22

7.3 Opportunities for students to pursue choices

22

7.4 The continuum of learning

23

8. Teaching and learning .................................................................................................................23

8.1 Teaching and learning methods

23

9. Assessment ..................................................................................................................................24

9.1 Assessment approach and methodology

24

9.2 Assessment guideline requirements

25

10. Evaluation and review .................................................................................................................26

10.1 Ongoing monitoring

26

10.2 Educational exchanges

27

11. Aspirational components ............................................................................................................27

11.1 Research led teaching

27

11.2 Professional practice access for staff and students

28

PART D ? PROGRAM HOST .......................................................................................................................29

12. Context and scope .......................................................................................................................29

13. Program host requirements ........................................................................................................29

13.1 Program design, development and involvement of expertise

29

14.2 Professional interactions

30

14.3 Staff resources

30

14.4 Student support

31

14.5 Student representation

32

14.6 Physical facilities

32

14.7 Information technology

32

14.8 Student admission

33

14.9 Governance

34

15. Aspirational standards ................................................................................................................34

15.1 Active program of research

34

15.2 Staff management

35

ATTACHMENT 1 ? NATIONAL FINANCIAL PLANNING CURRICULUM ..............................................................36

Att. 1.1 Core body of knowledge ........................................................................................................36 Att. 1.2 Additional desirable financial planning knowledge areas .................................................51 Att. 1.3 Duration ...................................................................................................................................55

ATTACHMENT 2 ? APPLICANT CHECKLIST .................................................................................................56

Part C ? Program requirements including curriculum detail

56

Part D ? Program Host

57

ATTACHMENT 3 - GLOSSARY ....................................................................................................................60

ATTACHMENT 4 - ACRONYMS ...................................................................................................................61

Financial Planning Education Council

The Financial Planning Education Council (FPEC), was established as an independent body chartered with the responsibility of raising the standard of financial planning education and promoting financial planning as a distinct learning area and a career of choice for new students and career changers.

FPEC's major roles include:

? Drive the development of an Australian Financial Planning University Curriculum based on the FPSB global curriculum.

? Develop accreditation requirements for the range of `Approved Programs' ? Establish expectations of academic participation in the profession ? Channel research activity in Financial Planning ? Promote the value of University and Industry partnership in Financial Planning ? Promote the career of Financial Planning to University students

These activities are developed with the intent that from 1 July 2013, the Financial Planning Education Council will specifically have the power to approve individual programs that satisfy requirements for admittance to the CFP? certification program.

Since this time FPEC's activities have expanded to include a research grants program, the Financial Planning Research Journal, a student prizes program and various other outreach and engagement activities.

This is a challenging agenda in a competitive and busy University environment but it is the view of this academic and professional community that financial planning is a service of national public benefit, which is uniquely capable of supporting the resolution of national and personal financial challenges, and addressing financial inequality in Australian society.

In solving the personal and national financial dilemmas facing us the Financial Planning Education Council believes it is important that consumers are assured of the educational qualifications and competence of those people who hold themselves out to be financial planners.

Following broad consultation, the Financial Planning Education Council has endorsed the curriculum standards and produced separate guidelines to assist organisations seeking recognition of their courses.

On February 2017 the new legislation was passed that enshrined the terms Financial Adviser and Planner in Law and created a new regulatory body the Financial Adviser Standards and Ethics Authority (FASEA). This was the catalyst to a comprehensive review of the curriculum and accreditation framework in 2017 to ensure it supports the intent of the new legislation. In response to these changes FPEC has signed an MoU with TEQSA to allow for the facilitation of ongoing discussions in relations to the accreditation process.

Prof. Mark Brimble Chair, Financial Planning Education Council Head of Department Griffith University

Financial Planning Accreditation Guidelines ? December 2017

1

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download