About Varsity College Business School
About The Independent Institute of Education-The Business School at Varsity College
Get a professional edge with courses specifically designed for working adults.
Upskill your management, finance and information technology capabilities with convenient part-time study through The Business School at Varsity College.
The emphasis is on creating a vibrant adult education experience that students will find fulfilling – while minimizing the possibly daunting prospect of returning to a formalized learning environment.
For busy professionals already hard at work developing their careers, we offer three
course options:
- Short learning programmes to increase your workplace effectiveness.
Varsity College offers a variety of IIE-certified short learning programmes (SLP) which differ from our full qualifications. The goal of these courses is immediate
improved performance.
For a list of available SLPs, please contact any one of our campuses - Part-time support for select UNISA modules.
Enjoy the benefit of after-hours tuition support for certain UNISA courses at relevant VC campuses. Carry on working full-time, while attending lectures and networking outside of conventional business hours.
For more information, please contact any one of our campuses. - Part-time support for select IMM/GSM subjects.
Receive expert tuition support for select subjects that make up the highly sought-after Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing Management, and Diploma in Marketing Management, from the IMM Graduate School of Marketing. Revision classes conducted after hours at select campuses.
For more information, please contact any one of our campuses.
Additional study options and support for part-time study:
- Revision classes for select UNISA modules boost confidence in the lead-up to exams. For more information, please contact any one of our campuses.
- Short workshops (from half-day to two days) immediately and effectively answer the skills development needs of specific industries. For more information, please contact any one of our campuses.
- ICB Certified Junior Bookkeeper qualification for school-leavers (Grade 10 or equivalent), providing fundamental accounting knowledge. For more information, please contact any one of our campuses.
THE INDEPENDENT INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION
Get a professional edge with courses specifically designed for working adults.
Throughout this site and all our communication, you will see reference to The IIE.
So who is The IIE and why are they important?
The IIE is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education provider and is part of ADvTECH Ltd, a public company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
The IIE is responsible for the academic governance and quality assurance of all programmes delivered through the campuses of all its educational brands, including Varsity College.
So essentially, every Varsity College campus is an IIE campus.
Dr Felicity Coughlan, Director and Head of The IIE says, “The IIE is the most accredited private higher education institution in the country, which is testament to our commitment to quality and rigour.”
The diagram below illustrates the relationship between ADvTECH, The IIE and the various divisions and brands, including Varsity College.
WHAT EXACTLY DOES THE IIE DO?
The IIE’s responsibility is to ensure that the correct teaching and learning processes are implemented and adhered to by Varsity College.
These processes are set out by ‘The Senate’, the senior decision making body that determines the policies and regulations that govern all things academic at Varsity College.
The Senate is chaired by the Director, who is also the head of The IIE. The Director is assisted by the Registrar, who is the Secretary of Senate. The remaining seats on Senate are occupied, in the most part, by academics and include representatives from Varsity College.
Senate comprises a number of committees that variously manage standards, teaching, learning, curricula and assessment for over 50 accredited higher education qualifications. Varsity College is represented on each of these committees.
SENATE COMMITTEES
THE TEACHING AND LEARNING COMMITTEE
The Teaching and Learning Committee develops academic strategies, curricula and teaching methods. This allows Varsity College to evolve, innovate and continually improve upon the way things are done in the classroom.
FACULTY BOARDS AND PROGRAMME ADVISORY COMMITTEES
The IIE has four academic faculties: Information Technology, Business, Leisure and Applied Humanities. Each of these faculties has its own Faculty Board responsible for the development of curricula. Faculty Boards ensure that the curriculum for each programme meets external industry and academic standards by working with Faculty Programme Advisory Committees. These committees comprise academics as well as professional and business people who provide insight from the world of work. This ultimately ensures that what is taught at VC is relevant and up to date.
THE ACADEMIC ADVISORY COUNCIL
It is crucial that when making decisions, The IIE is aware of what is happening from a global education perspective. This is the responsibility of the Academic Advisory Council, a body of international and local academics and business people, that ensures that The IIE approach is in line with the best international trends and standards.
WHAT ARE THE AIMS OF THE IIE?
The IIE strives to ensure that all students will:
- Be employable
- Have a broad range of analytical skills, including work readiness skills
- Value diversity
- Have high ethical values
- Become innovative, entrepreneurial and creative
High on the list of priorities is that students are employable by the time they have completed their studies. The IIE uses an innovative graduate tracking study to monitor the employability of its graduates. This information is used to inform the relevant Senate committees and shape the way curricula and student support programmes – such as the Work Readiness Programme and Career Centres – are structured.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
The continual monitoring and improving of quality is of great importance to The IIE.
The quality of The IIE programmes is assured through evidence-driven reviews, lecturer peer reviews, student success tracking and intervention programmes for students in need
of assistance.