BSc (Hons) in Applied Accounting Mentoring News: January 2016 - We wish you a HAPPY and PEACEFUL NEW YEAR!

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IMPORTANT: TOPIC 8 - COMPARATORS The OBU BSc office have had a number of e-mailed questions about the need for comparators for Topic 8. This situation clearly needs to be clarified: Students undertaking Topic 8 are required to make a financial analytical comparison with a suitable comparator company (or an industry average) within their RAP. The minimum acceptable comparison is one year, however to obtain a higher grade pass it is necessary to include 2 or 3 year comparisons.

MENTOR QUALIFICATION CHANGES: We regret that due to continuing problems identified with some Mentors over recent submission periods, the original mentor categories are now required to be enforced. Oxford Brookes University has identified three categories of individuals from which students should choose their Registered Project Mentor. A new Project Mentor must be one of the following:

• A current qualified Chartered Certified Accountant – Full Member (ACCA) – [not part qualified or Affiliate Members]

• The student’s “Senior Colleague” at work e.g. line manager

• A lecturer or tutor at an Approved Learning Provider

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• A prospective mentor applying for registration who is none of these may not automatically act as a Mentor for BSc (Hons) in Applied Accounting students.

• Full members of other professional bodies may be permitted to Register at the discretion of the Programme Lead.

• Oxford Brookes University may permit existing Registered Mentors to continue to offer Mentoring, subject to review.

• if you select the category “Senior Colleague” we expect you to register a company email and that your mentees will be your colleagues only. You may have a maximum of 3 students per submission period. Mentors who defy this restriction and mentor other students will be suspended permanently.

NOTICE: we will be restricting the number of mentees each mentor may have

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bs-accamentoring@brookes.ac.uk

OBU INDUSTRY SECTORS 2016: Students submitting for the first time in 2016 or changing topic are required to use one of these categories: Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology

Biotechnology: Companies engaged in research into and development of biological substances for the purposes of drug discovery and diagnostic development, and which derive the majority of their revenue from either the sale or licensing of these drugs and diagnostic tools. Pharmaceuticals: Manufacturers of prescription or over-the-counter drugs, such as aspirin, cold remedies and birth control pills. Includes vaccine producers but excludes vitamin producers, which are classified under Food Products.

Airlines Companies providing primarily passenger air transport. Excludes airports, which are classified under Transportation Services. Mobile Telecommunications Providers of mobile telephone services; including cellular, satellite and paging services. Includes wireless tower companies that own, operate and lease mobile site towers to multiple wireless service providers.

NEW PROGRAMME LEAD FOR THE BSC: The BSc (Hons) in Applied Accounting team has been strengthened by the appointment of a new Programme Lead – Mr Geoff Heron. Geoff is an experienced lecturer and a Full Member of ICAEW

Important Note: Further to the article in the Dec 15 Newsletter that Mentors MAY NOT ALSO BE BSC

STUDENTS – i.e. still intending to submit a RAP. We have also stated for many years that a Mentor MUST NOT have FAILED to pass the BSc (Hons) in Applied Accounting.

MAXIMUM NUMBER OF MENTEES: It is proposed that the maximum number of mentees that a Mentor may supervise will be 50 per submission period. [This will be confirmed.] It is expected that all Mentors have permanent employment that keeps then grounded in current Accountancy practice. Therefore it is considered by OBU that Mentors cannot professionally supervise very large numbers. It is stated again that Mentors claiming to be Line Managers/Seniors may only have a maximum of three students per submission period.