The other advantage that emerged from the Course was that it enabled the
Society for the first time to decide just what it wanted archivists to
learn - without having to rely on the (very independent) Univesity courses.
That gave us a chance to set up the Recognition Panels to adjudicate the
quality of the their courses - and in a way, also led to us at least to
think that a Charter was a viable option. Without the Society's Diploma
Course and the hard work that David Robinson and other pioneers put in, none
of this would have been possible.
I do enjoy reminding colleagues how far we have come in the last 15 years -
and all with volunteer help!
Len McDonald
----- Original Message -----
From: Healy, Susan <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2001 2:06 PM
Subject: Re: Society's Diploma Course


> In order to dispel uncertainty and prevent incorrect rumours I will give
you
> the substance of a notice that will appear in a forthcoming Society of
> Archivists' Newsletter. All current students have been informed in a
letter
> sent last week.  My apologies to tutors who will not yet have received a
> letter from me on the subject - I would preferred not to have to inform
you
> this way but see no alternative.
>
> With much reluctance the Diploma Board of Studies has recommended to
Council
> that the Society should cease to recruit new students for its Diploma in
> Archive Administration. Council has accepted this recommendation with
equal
> reluctance.
>
> Why have we reached this decision? there are a number of reasons
> *       The fundamental one is although the demand is there, the Society
is
> not really equipped to deliver the kind of distance learning expected
> nowadays. We rely on voluntary spare time effort and have been well served
> by past and present authors and tutors. But we are having increasing
> difficulty in finding replacement tutors and also authors for much-needed
> revision of the course materials. The compulsory modules in particular
need
> urgent updating - if you look at the existing texts you will realise that
> good though they were, technology has transformed our professional
practice.
>
> *       External accreditation had been planned but educational
methodology
> in distance learning has changed so much in the last few years that
radical
> transformation of the course would be needed to secure it. It would
require
> a commitment of time and money that is simply not available. Even if we
> abandoned ideas of accreditation and went for some revision, that would
take
> at least two years to complete and the present moratorium on new students
> would have to continue.
> *       Finally, the universities are already in or are in the process of
> moving into the field and are probably better equipped to meet the need
than
> we are.
>
> The Society is not abandoning the field altogether. It remains committed
to
> ensuring post-appointment training to post-graduate level is available and
> Education Training and Development Committee will investigate alternative
> ways of ensuring this. We shall also contribute to the review of training
> Margaret Turner will be undertaking for the National Council on Archives.
>
> We all feel very sad about it. We believe that the Society's Diploma
course
> was a pioneer in providing a means of learning while employed - of
learning
> the theory and principles and applying/interpreting them in practical
> situations. We also believe that it produced some excellent practitioners
> who could offer their employers not only knowledge and skills but also
> proven stamina and determination (those who have done the university
courses
> may not realise just how demanding the Society's course is).
>
> The Society remains committed to seeing current students through the
course
> - for them it is business as usual.
>
> The Society will continue to offer Single Module Certificates in the
> optional modules - Business Archives, Palaeography and Diplomatic,
> Ecclesiastical Archives, Estate Archives, Records of Central and Local
> Government, Scottish Law Government and Records and Audio-Visual Archives.
>
> Susan Healy
> Course Director
> writing in a Society of Archivists not PRO capacity
>
> > ----------
> > From:         BAILEY, Steve[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> > Reply To:     BAILEY, Steve
> > Sent:         18 December 2001 13:23
> > To:   [log in to unmask]
> > Subject:      Society's Diploma Course
> >
> > Dear all,
> >
> > I have just read in the Film and Sound Group Newsletter No.15 that the
> > Society's Diploma Course is to be discontinued for new applicants,
though
> > there is no mention of this on the Society's website.  Can anyone
confirm
> > whether this is indeed the case and if so is it to be replaced by any
> > other
> > distance learning professional qualification - run either by the Society
> > or
> > by any of the archive schools?
> >
> > Many thanks
> >
> > Steve Bailey
> > Team Leader - Archives & Records Management
> > University of Gloucestershire
> >
>
>
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