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Part A - Curriculum Management
(1) The University's curriculum is managed within the Curriculum Management Platform (CMP).
(2) Each unique Program, Field of Study and Subject is recorded within the CMP as a unique Curriculum Item.
(3) Curriculum Items can be created, varied or discontinued through a Curriculum Proposal (henceforth ‘Proposal’). Multiple, related Curriculum Items should be bundled within a single Proposal to ensure appropriate consideration is given to the impact of the Proposal on related Curriculum Items and students.
(4) Proposals must include evidence of consultation and collaboration with the owners of related Curriculum Items to ensure the impact is appropriately considered and managed.
Part B - Programs
New Program Development and Approval
(5) The development of a new program requires consideration of the rationale for the program, employment opportunities for students and graduates, professional accreditation details if applicable, and anticipated student demand.
(6) A new program requires the development of a Program Concept Proposal (PCP) and, if approved, a Full Program Proposal (FPP).
(7) The development of a new program, including any related Curriculum Items (e.g. Fields of Study or subjects), must include evidence of interdisciplinary collaboration where appropriate and socialisation with the Associate Dean, Education and Students or equivalent.
Program Concept Proposal (PCP)
(8) The PCP is developed by the School/Division after approval from the School Executive or equivalent, and in consultation with other Schools, University Research Institutes, offshore campus locations, and Western Sydney University - The College (The College) or other third-party organisation if required. It allows the Vice-Chancellor’s Management Board to consider how well the proposed program fits with the University's strategic plans and academic profile. The PCP must provide sufficient information for the relevant committees to assess financial viability and resources required to support delivery of the proposed program.
(9) A PCP must include an evidence-based business case, including consultation with either an External Advisory Committee or other industry and community stakeholders, and consultation with Future Students, Marketing and Communications for an assessment of anticipated employer demand for the program and graduate employability, including professional accreditation requirements if applicable.
(10) A PCP must include student demand and market research from a minimum of two sources, e.g. Data and Business Intelligence, Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Global Partnerships and Transnational Education, Future Students, Marketing and Communications, Office of the Provost, External Advisory Committee, independent market analysis.
(11) A PCP review by Future Students, Marketing and Communications is required to ensure that:
- any market demand data sources are appropriately referenced;
- any key differences in views on market demand and load projections are highlighted in the PCP; and
- the preliminary proposed structure aligns to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and relevant University policies.
(12) A PCP must include evidence of interdisciplinary and cross-School collaboration, including the Graduate Research School, where appropriate and socialisation of the program concept with the Associate Dean, Education and Students or equivalent.
(13) A review of the PCP by the relevant Senior Finance Business Partner, Student and Learning Support Manager, Deans and Executive Dean is required prior to submission to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Education and Students.
(14) The PCP is submitted by the Executive Dean or equivalent to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Education and Students for endorsement before submission to the Vice-Chancellor’s Management Board for approval.
Full Program Proposal (FPP)
(15) After approval of the PCP, a FPP is developed. The PCP will be attached to the FPP in the CMP prior to submission to the approving committees. The purpose of an FPP is to provide details of the delivery of the program and its components, and evidence of alignment with AQF requirements and the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021.
(16) The FPP should be developed by an appropriately qualified disciplinary lead/expert, who may be external to the University.
(17) The Faculty/Institute Academic Board will review the FPP and recommend proposals to the Coursework Program Committee (CPC) when it is satisfied with their academic quality. Following endorsement by CPC, the FPP will be referred to Academic Senate for final consideration and approval.
New Curriculum Items Taught by The College
(18) The approval process for Curriculum Items to be taught by The College, such as Foundation Studies, Undergraduate Preparation Programs, diplomas and associate degrees, is the same as for the approval of undergraduate curriculum as detailed in these procedures, with additional approvals through The College.
(19) Approval to develop new programs as preparatory programs and/or pathways into Bachelor degrees must be endorsed by The College's Academic Pathway Programs Academic Committee (APPAC).
(20) A FPP must be endorsed by The College's APPAC as well as by the relevant Faculty/Institute Academic Board and then CPC. Following endorsement by those academic committees, the FPP will be referred to Academic Senate for final consideration and approval. Academic Senate or CPC may seek further advice from The College's APPAC as required.
Field of Study Development and Approval
(21) A Proposal to vary or create a new Field of Study must be approved in accordance with the Delegations for Curriculum Changes.
(22) A new Field of Study can be developed as a unique Proposal or as a Curriculum Item bundled within a Proposal to vary or create a new program. The Proposal must include details of the Curriculum Items (including programs and subjects) related to the Field of Study, planned delivery, and evidence of alignment with AQF requirements and the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021.
(23) If a new Field of Study replaces an existing Field of Study, the Proposal must include the following details:
- The Field of Study to be replaced;
- Impact on related Curriculum Items (including programs and subjects);
- Impact on current students (including student numbers and degree of impact); and
- Teach out and transition arrangements.
(24) A Proposal for a new Field of Study (including approval to replace an existing Field of Study) must be endorsed by the relevant Faculty/Institute Academic Board and referred to CPC for final consideration and approval.
Discontinuation or Replacement of a Field of Study
(25) Proposals to discontinue or replace a Field of Study must take into consideration students in all programs where the Field of Study is offered and the impact on the learning outcomes and flexibility of these programs. The School/divisional unit that owns the Field of Study must consult with all providers of all related programs.
(26) Approval to discontinue a Field of Study that is being replaced by a new Field of Study will be included in the Proposal for the new Field of Study.
(27) A Proposal to discontinue a Field of Study (including where it is replaced by a new Field of Study) must be endorsed by the relevant Faculty/Institute Academic Board and referred to CPC for final consideration and approval.
(28) A Proposal to discontinue a Field of Study should be approved by CPC at least six months prior to the implementation term.
(29) Following approval to discontinue a Field of Study, the owning School must communicate with impacted students to provide relevant details, including:
- Teach out and transition arrangements (including recommended sequence for completion);
- Options to transfer to a replacement or alternative Field of Study (if applicable); and
- Any action required by the student (if applicable).
Variations to a Program
(30) The following changes to a program are not a variation and require a Full Program Proposal (see Part B):
- Program Name and/or Short Title;
- Award details (e.g. Award title);
- AQF Level (e.g. change from Bachelor degree to Bachelor (Honours) degree);
- Study Level (e.g. change from undergraduate to postgraduate);
- Total credit points and/or duration; and
- Volume of learning.
(31) A Proposal for program variation must be approved in accordance with the Delegations for Curriculum Changes.
(32) A Proposal for program variation must include all impacted related Curriculum Items and must address the potential impact to the following:
- Prospective and current students;
- Accreditation requirements;
- Pathways and partnerships;
- Legislative and/or compliance requirements; and
- Other Curriculum Items.
(33) A Proposal for program variation involving a program owned or delivered by multiple Schools must be considered and endorsed by all the relevant Faculty/Institute Academic Boards before proceeding to CPC.
(34) The School must ensure appropriate consultation occurs during the development of a Proposal for program variation that is likely to affect delivery of an equivalent or related Curriculum Item delivered by The College or other Third-Party or Partner institutions.
Program Suspension and Discontinuation
Suspension of Intake to a Program
(35) A program may be suspended for up to two years through a Proposal for program suspension.
(36) A Proposal for program suspension must include:
- Rationale for suspension;
- Implementation term;
- Impact to current students (including those in an approved pathway program or with a packaged offer); and
- Impact to related Curriculum Items.
(37) If transition details are required (for example, where an international student has a packaged offer to the suspended program), they must be endorsed by the relevant Faculty/Institute Academic Board and CPC and referred to Academic Senate for final consideration and approval.
(38) A Proposal for program suspension must be appropriately consulted with all relevant Schools, The College and other Third-Party or Partner institutions who own or deliver impacted related Curriculum Items.
(39) A suspended program will be automatically made available for the next offered term after the conclusion of the suspension period if there is no Proposal for program discontinuation and the suspension is not extended.
(40) The Provost may approve for a suspension to be lifted early or extended, in exceptional circumstances.
(41) A Proposal for program suspension must be endorsed by the Executive Dean (or equivalent) or Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Education and Students, and referred to the Provost for final consideration and approval. Approved Proposals for program suspension should be referred to the relevant Faculty/Institute Academic Board, CPC and Academic Senate for noting.
(42) A Proposal for program suspension should be approved at least six months prior to the implementation term.
Discontinuation or Replacement of a Program
(43) A Proposal to discontinue or replace a program must take into consideration students in all related Curriculum Items (including Fields of Study and Subjects) and the impact on the learning outcomes and flexibility of these Curriculum Items.
(44) Approval to discontinue a program that is being replaced by a new program will be included in the Proposal for a new program (Full Program Proposal).
(45) A Proposal to discontinue a program (including where it is replaced by a new program) must be endorsed by the relevant Faculty/Institute Academic Board and CPC before being referred to Academic Senate for final consideration and approval.
Teach Out and Transition Arrangements
(46) All Proposals involving the discontinuation or variation of a program must be accompanied by a teach out/transition plan for continuing students, which is approved by CPC.
(47) Transition arrangements must ensure students are able to continue their studies without disruption to their duration of study.
(48) Program owners are responsible for communicating transition details to affected students, in accordance with the approved teach out/transition plan.
Timing of Program Approvals
(49) When developing a timeline for program approval, the following should be taken into consideration:
- Administration – following approval, at least four weeks is required to allow for administrative processes to open a program for applications.
- Student experience – the shorter the timeframe between a program being approved and being offered, the greater the risk to the student experience, including misinformation (or no information) provided because program details are not available, and/or students need to be transferred from one program to another or to new subjects. Late approvals will require additional communication and increase the potential of confusion for the student, along with operational cost and reputational risk to the University.
- Marketing – in order to generate interest in a program, sufficient time is required for a marketing plan to be implemented in order to fully inform potential applicants and conversion to applications.
- International students – following approval, Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) approval of the program must be sought from Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) prior to marketing. Consideration should be made for students who may need to undertake academic pathways, including English language pathways, to meet conditions for entry. An indicative timeframe for international students offshore is six to 18 months. A shorter period may be feasible for international students who are onshore.
- The program approval process should take no longer than 12 months to ensure it remains relevant.
(50) New subjects associated with a new program are approved by the relevant Faculty/Institute Academic Board and should be approved at the same time as the new program. If the subjects are not ready at that time, a timeline must be included to ensure approval of all subjects in an acceptable timeframe.
Part C - Subjects
(51) Subject Proposals include information such as:
- the learning outcomes for the subject;
- subject content;
- assessment tasks;
- delivery mode;
- campus location;
- WIL and/or placement details;
- Special Requirements, legislative requirements and professional accreditation requirements; and
- facility requirements, e.g., laboratory space, tutorial rooms.
(52) Subject Proposals require a detailed resource assessment, and proposers must consult with supporting service areas such as the Library, Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Learning and Teaching, and Student Administration and Registrar's Office to ensure that the subject can be supported.
(53) All subjects must adhere to the provisions of the Assessment Policy.
New Subjects
(54) For the purposes of these procedures, a new subject:
- introduces curriculum content and related learning outcomes that are not currently offered by the University; and/or
- replaces one or more existing subjects and substantially changes their curriculum content and/or learning outcomes; and/or
- results from a change to the credit point value; and/or
- results from a change to the level of a subject; and/or
- results from a change to the discipline code to a new Field of Education.
(55) New subjects must be approved in accordance with the Delegations for Curriculum Changes.
(56) A Proposal for a new subject must be submitted through the CMP. The subject owner will be responsible for the academic content and quality of the subject including learning outcomes.
(57) CPC should be notified of new subjects following approval by the relevant Faculty/Institute Academic Board, via the CMP. This provides opportunity for CPC members to consider the fit of the subject in the academic profile and to ensure there is no duplication of content already offered by another School.
(58) Coursework subjects in research programs must be considered by Research and Research Training Committee prior to submission to the Faculty/Institute Academic Board.
(59) A regular review of the Faculty/Institute Academic Board approvals will be undertaken, with samples initially identified by the Division of Education and Students and endorsed or supplemented by CPC.
New Subjects Taught by The College
(60) New subjects developed in association with a new program or major to be delivered by The College must be first endorsed by The College's APPAC, then approved by the Faculty/Institute Academic Board of the School that teaches the equivalent University subject.
(61) New elective subjects to be delivered by The College must be first endorsed by The College's APPAC, then approved by the Faculty/Institute Academic Board of the School that teaches the equivalent University subject where applicable.
(62) The College's APPAC will approve all other new subjects (following endorsement by the Faculty/Institute Academic Board of the School that teaches the equivalent University subject where applicable) and report them for noting to the next CPC meeting via the CMP. This will provide opportunity for CPC members to consider the fit of the subject in the academic profile and to ensure there is no duplication of content already offered by another School.
(63) A regular review of the Faculty/Institute Academic Board approvals will be undertaken with samples initially identified by the Division of Education and Students and endorsed or supplemented by CPC. This review must include Special Requirements, legislative requirements and accreditation requirements.
Variations to a Subject
(64) Subject variations must be approved in accordance with the Delegations for Curriculum Changes.
Variations to a Subject also Taught by The College or Other Third-Party Provider
(65) The School/divisional unit that owns the subject must consult The College or other third-party provider during the development of the variation, if the subject or equivalent subject is delivered by them.
Discontinuation or Replacement of a Subject
(66) Proposals to discontinue or replace a subject must take into consideration students in all programs where the subject is offered and the impact on the learning outcomes of any programs where the subject is a core subject. The School/divisional unit which owns the subject must consult with all providers of the related program(s).
(67) A Proposal to discontinue or replace a subject should provide the arrangements for impacted students.
(68) Where a subject will be replaced by a new subject, the Proposal for discontinuation of the replaced subject should be included with the Proposal for the new replacement subject.
(69) Following approval to discontinue a core subject, the owning School must communicate with impacted students to provide relevant details, including:
- Teach out and transition arrangements (including recommended sequence for completion);
- Options to complete a replacement or alternative subject (if applicable); and
- Any action required by the student (if applicable).
Timing of Approvals for Subjects
(70) When developing a timeline for subject approval, the following items should be taken into consideration:
- Administration – following approval, up to four weeks is required to allow for administrative processes to open a subject for enrolment.
- Student experience – the shorter the timeframe between a subject being approved and being offered, the greater the risk to the student experience, including misinformation (or no information) provided because subject details are not available, and/or students need to be transferred from one subject to another or to new subjects. Late approvals will require additional communication and increase the potential of confusion for the student, along with operational cost and reputational risk to the University.
- The subject approval process should take no longer than 12 months to ensure it remains relevant.
Part D - Delegations and Associated Documents
(71) Refer to the Delegations for Curriculum Changes in the Associated Information.
(72) Refer to the Curriculum Approval Forms available in the Associated Documents to these procedures.
(73) Refer to the Curriculum Management Platform (CMP).