RSK4801/101/0/2023

Tutorial Letter 101/0/2023

Operational Risk Management

RSK4801
Year module

Department of Finance, Risk Management, and

Banking

This tutorial letter contains important information about your module.

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 CONTENTS
Page

1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 3
2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES ........................................................................................................ 4
2.1 Purpose .......................................................................................................................................... 4
2.2 Outcomes ....................................................................................................................................... 4
3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION ............................................................................................ 4
4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS .................................................................................... 5
4.1 Lecturer(s) ...................................................................................................................................... 5
4.2 University ........................................................................................................................................ 5
5 RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................. 5
5.1 Prescribed book(s) .......................................................................................................................... 5
5.2 Recommended book(s) .................................................................................................................. 5
5.3 Library services and resources information……………………………………………………5
6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES ................................................................................................. 6
7 ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................... 6
7.1 Assessment criteria ........................................................................................................................ 6
7.2 Assessment Plan ............................................................................................................................ 7
7.3 Assignment due dates .................................................................................................................... 7
7.4 Submission of assignments ............................................................................................................ 8
7.5 The assignments ............................................................................................................................ 8
7.6 Submission of assignments ............................................................................................................ 8
7.7 The examination ............................................................................................................................. 9
8 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY .......................................................................................................... 10
8.1 Plagiarism ..................................................................................................................................... 10
8.2 Cheating ....................................................................................................................................... 10
8.3 For more information about plagiarism can be downloaded on the link below ............................. 11
9 STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES ................................................................................................ 11
10 IN CLOSING ................................................................................................................................. 11

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Dear Student

1 INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the module Operational Risk Management (RSK4801). You have enrolled for an
interesting but challenging module. To succeed in this module, you will have to devote at least
240 hours to reading, summarising the study material, and doing the assignments.

All study material for this module will be available on myUnisa. It is thus imperative that you
register on myUnisa and access the module site regularly. myUnisa will enable you to access
your learning material and assignment questions, submit your assignments and gain access to
various learning resources. It will also allow you to talk to your lecturer and fellow students about
your studies and the challenges you encounter and participate in online discussion forums.
Importantly, myUnisa contains the Lessons tool. You will be able to access the study material for
this module only if you have registered and have access to myUnisa. This tutorial letter
(TL101/0/2023) is also available online under Official Study Material. Please also go to Additional
Resources and Announcements for updates on the study material or other important messages.
These are available online only.

Do not hesitate to contact me (on myUnisa, by e-mail, or by telephone) if you have problems with
the content of this tutorial letter or any aspect of the module. I sincerely hope that you find this
module – as well as your online learning experience – exciting and rewarding, and I trust that you
will complete the module successfully.

Because this is a fully online module, you will have to use myUnisa frequently to study and
complete the learning activities for this module. Go to the website at https://my.unisa.ac.za and
log in with your student number and password. You will see the module site (RSK4801-23-Y1) in
the Site Navigation across the top of the screen. Here you can access the sites of all the modules
you have registered for. Select the Sites tab (right-hand corner) if you cannot find the module you
require or would like to organise your modules. You should provide Unisa with your cellular
number because we may send you important announcements via SMS. Also, check your myLife
e-mail address regularly for announcements.

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2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES

2.1 Purpose

Operational risk management is a dynamic discipline and lays a good foundation for any future
business leader employed as a risk management specialist, auditor, or general business
manager. This module will be a good learning experience because many of the topics we will
cover will be of great value in your day-to-day activities. All businesses, government departments,
and organisations are exposed to operational risk, whether it is caused by their employees, the
processes or systems they use, or external factors such as natural disasters, external fraud, or
the laws and regulations applicable to their industry. The purpose of this course is not only to give
you a sound theoretical background in operational risk management but also to challenge you
with the practical application of the principles of the discipline.

2.2 Outcomes

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

• interrogate multiple sources of knowledge in operational risk
• demonstrate a knowledge of the components of an operational risk management framework
and engage with it
• understand the complexities and uncertainties of selecting and applying the risk management
methodologies in a self-critical manner
• present and communicate operational risk control measures, ideas, and texts effectively to a
range of audiences, give creative insights, suggest rigorous interpretations, and come up with
solutions to problems

3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION

Unisa has implemented a transformation charter based on five pillars and eight dimensions. In
response to this charter, we have placed curriculum transformation high on the teaching and
learning agenda. Curriculum transformation includes the following pillars: student-centred
scholarship, the pedagogical renewal of teaching and assessment practices, the scholarship of
teaching and learning, and the infusion of African epistemologies and philosophies. These pillars
and their principles will be phased in at both programme and module levels. You will notice a
marked change in Unisa's teaching and learning strategy, and in the way, the content is
conceptualised in your modules. We encourage you to embrace these changes during your
studies at Unisa in a responsive way as part of transformation.

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4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS

4.1 Lecturer(s)

During office hours, direct any inquiries of an academic nature about this module (such as a query
about a specific chapter in the prescribed book) to the following e-mail address:

Year module: RSK4801-23-Y1@unisa.ac.za

I am Prof AT Mutezo, your lecturer for this module.

Always use your myLife e-mail address when you contact me, and please include your
student number and the module code.

4.2 University

To contact the university, follow the instructions in Study @ Unisa. Remember to have your
student number available whenever you contact the university.

5 RESOURCES

5.1 Prescribed book(s)

You must purchase the following book:

Blunden, T & Thirlwell, J. 2013. Mastering operational risk: A practical guide to understanding
operational risk and how to manage it. 2nd edition. Harlow: Pearson Education.

5.2 Recommended book(s)

The following book is recommended for this module:

Young, J. 2018. Operational Risk Management. 2nd revised or the latest edition. Pretoria: Van
Schaik.

5.3 Library services and resources information

The Unisa Library offers a range of information services and resources:

• For brief information, go to https://www.unisa.ac.za/library/libatglance

• For more detailed Library information, go to
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library

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 • For research support and services (e.g. Personal Librarians and literature search
services), go to http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-
services/Research-support

The library has created numerous library guides: http://libguides.unisa.ac.za

Recommended guides:

• Request and find library material/download recommended material:

http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/request
• Postgraduate information services: http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/postgrad
• Finding and using library resources and tools:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/Research_skills
• Frequently asked questions about the Library:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask
• Services to students living with disabilities:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/disability

Important contact information:

• Ask a Librarian: https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask
• Technical problems accessing Library online services: Lib-help@unisa.ac.za
• General Library related queries: Library-enquiries@unisa.ac.za
• For queries related to library fines and payments: Library-fines@unisa.ac.za

6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

The Study @ Unisa website is available on myUnisa: www.unisa.ac.za/brochures/studies

The website has all the tips and information you need to succeed at Unisa.

7 ASSESSMENT

7.1 Assessment criteria

Assignments are part of the learning material for this module. As you do the assignments, study
the reading texts, consult other resources, discuss the work with fellow students, or do research,
you are actively engaged in learning. The assessment criteria for each assignment will help you
to understand what is required of you.

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You must submit your assignments electronically via myUnisa. You may not submit assignments
by fax or e-mail. For detailed information on and the requirements for assignments, see Study @
Unisa.
7.2 Assessment plan

There are four assignments for this module. All of them contribute to your year mark. Your year
mark will be based on the marks you have obtained for the four assignments. Your year mark will
contribute 30% and your examination mark 70% towards your final mark.

In an open distance learning (ODL) environment, the importance of continuous assessment

cannot be overestimated. An analysis of student data has shown that the more assignments a
student submits, the better his or her chances are of passing the final examination. Therefore, all
Unisa students enrolled for honours and postgraduate diploma modules must obtain a year mark
of at least 40% to gain admission to the examination.

You have to submit four assignments. Your marks for them will be used to calculate your year
mark. Assignments that you have not submitted will count as zero towards your year mark. The
submission deadlines for assignments are non-negotiable. You will get 0% if an assignment is
late.

Your year mark will not be adjusted for you to have examination admission. If your year mark is
39% or less, you will not have examination admission.

The combined weighted average of your year mark and examination mark must be 50% or higher
for you to pass this module. However, you must obtain a minimum of 40% in the examination,
regardless of your year mark. If you obtain less than 40% in the examination, your year mark will
not be considered, and you will fail this module.

7.3 Assignment due dates

• No assignment due dates are indicated in this tutorial letter.

• Assignment due dates will be made available to you on the landing page of myUnisa for this
module. We envisage that the due dates will be available when you register.

• Please start working on your assignments as soon as you have registered for the module.

• Log on to the myUnisa module site for more information on the due dates of the assignments.

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7.4 Submission of assignments

• Modules offered by Unisa are either blended (meaning that we use a combination of printed
and online material to engage with you) or online (all information is available via the internet).
In all online engagements, we use myUnisa as our virtual campus.

• In 2022 the myUnisa virtual campus adopted a new learning management system. This is an
online system used to administer, document, and deliver educational material and support
engagement with you.

• Look out for information from your lecturer and other Unisa platforms on how to access the
virtual myUnisa module site.

• Information on the tools to engage with your lecturer and fellow students to support your
learning will also be communicated via various platforms.

• The university undertakes to communicate as clearly and frequently as necessary to ensure

optimum advantage in using the new learning management system.

• Additional information on the use of the myUnisa site for the module and features to engage
and communicate with your lecturer and fellow students will also be made available via the
online site for the module.

• Therefore, log on to the myUnisa site for your module to get information on where to complete
and upload your assignments and how to communicate with your lecturer.

7.5 The assignments

As indicated in section 7.2, you need to complete four assignments for this module. Details on
the assignments will be communicated to you via myUnisa on the module site.

7.6 Submission of assignments

To submit a written assignment on myUnisa:

• Go to myUnisa at https://my.unisa.ac.za.
• Log in with your student number and password.
• Select the module.
• Select Assignments from the drop-down menu.

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• Click on the number of the assignment you want to submit.

• Follow the instructions on the screen.

To do a SAMIGO MCQ assignment on myUnisa:

• Go to myUnisa at https://my.unisa.ac.za.
• Log in with your student number and password.
• Select the module.
• Select the Online Assessment tab.
• Click on the number of the assignment you want to complete.
• Follow the instructions on the screen, answer the MCQs and submit.

7.7 The examination

Examination information and details on the examination format will be made available on the
myUnisa site. Look out for information from your lecturer and e-tutors (where relevant) and
communication from the university.

Invigilation/proctoring

Since 2020 Unisa conducts all its assessments online. Given stringent requirements from
professional bodies and increased solicitations of Unisa’s students by third parties to unlawfully
assist them with the completion of assignments and examinations, the University is obliged to
assure its assessment integrity through the utilisation of various proctoring tools: Turnitin, Moodle
Proctoring, the Invigilator App and IRIS. These tools will authenticate the student’s identity and
flag suspicious behaviour to assure the credibility of students’ responses during assessments.
The description below is for your benefit as you may encounter any or all of these in your
registered modules:

Turnitin is a plagiarism software that facilitates checks for originality in students’ submissions
against internal and external sources. Turnitin assists in identifying academic fraud and
ghostwriting. Students are expected to submit typed responses for utilisation of the Turnitin
software.

The Moodle Proctoring tool is a facial recognition software that authenticates students’ identity
during their Quiz assessments. This tool requires access to a student’s mobile or laptop camera.
Students must ensure their camera is activated in their browser settings before their assessments.

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The Invigilator “mobile application-based service does verification” of the identity of an
assessment participant. The Invigilator Mobile Application detects student dishonesty-by-proxy
and ensures that the assessment participant is a registered student. This invigilation tool requires
students to download the app from their Play Store (Google, Huawei, and Apple) on their mobile
devices (camera enabled) before their assessment.

IRIS Invigilation software verifies the identity of a student during assessment and provides for
both manual and automated facial verification. It can record and review a student’s assessment
session. It flags suspicious behaviour by the students for review by an academic administrator.
IRIS software requires installation on students’ laptop devices that are enabled with a webcam.

Students who are identified and flagged for suspicious dishonest behaviour arising from the
invigilation and proctoring reports are referred to the disciplinary office for a formal proceeding.

Please note:

Students must refer to their module assessment information on their myModule sites to determine
which proctoring or invigilation tool will be utilised for their formative and summative assessments.

8 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

8.1 Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of taking the words, ideas, and thoughts of others and presenting them as
your own. It is a form of theft that involves several dishonest academic activities, such as the
following:
• cutting and pasting from any source without acknowledging the source
• not including or using incorrect references
• paraphrasing without acknowledging the source of information

8.2 Cheating

Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• completing assessments on behalf of another student, copying from another student
during an assessment, or allowing a student to copy from you
• using social media (eg, WhatsApp, Telegram) or other platforms to disseminate
assessment information
• submitting corrupt or irrelevant files
• buying completed answers from "tutors" or internet sites (contract cheating)

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8.3 More information about plagiarism can be downloaded on the link below

https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/myunisa/default/Study-@-Unisa/Student-values-and-rules

9 STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

The Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities (ARCSWiD) allows staff to
interact with new and returning students with disabilities.

• If you are a student with a disability and would like additional support or need additional time
for assessments, you are invited to contact your lecturer so that you can be assisted.
Year module: RSK4801-23-Y1@unisa.ac.za

10 IN CLOSING

Do not hesitate to e-mail me if you have problems with the content of this tutorial letter or any
academic aspect of the module. I wish you a fascinating and satisfying journey through the study
material and trust that you will complete the module successfully.

Enjoy the journey!

Your lecturer
Prof A Mutezo
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, RISK MANAGEMENT, AND BANKING

©
UNISA 2023

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