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Award Courses and Units Approval Policy

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Section 1 - Purpose and Context

(1) The Award Courses and Units Approval Policy is the third element in the UWS course and unit development framework:

  1. Curriculum Design: the principles and pedagogies for UWS courses and units (under development.) In summary this includes whole of course design related to course objectives and the attainment of UWS graduate attributes; formative sequencing of units; integration of assessment across the course; opportunities for community-engaged or work-integrated learning; and international experiences.
  2. Structure and Nomenclature of Awards
    1. Bachelors Awards
    2. Honours in Bachelors Awards
    3. Postgraduate Coursework
  3. Courses and Units Approval
    1. Data collection for course and unit approval (currently templates)
    2. Delegations

(2) The award courses of the University are the primary means by which the University obtains its students and funding and builds its reputation for the quality of its graduates. The quality of a course is critical to UWS and Academic Senate, as the key academic quality assurance agency of the University, must be able to assess the quality through the approval process and by monitoring course performance.

(3) The Award Courses and Units Approval Policy facilitates the development and approval of courses and units, taking into account the University's strategic plans for academic development, the academic quality assurance framework and the quality control delivered by the schools, colleges, college external advisory committees and supporting units across UWS.

(4) The information collected through the course and unit approval process is used for recruitment publications (UWS and UAC), the handbook, unit outlines, the timetable, setting fees, student enrolment, acquisition of Library materials and government reporting and approval. It is critical therefore, that courses and units are finalised by the due dates.

(5) This policy recognises that course and unit approval occurs through the relevant academic governance and management structures of the University.

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Section 2 - Definitions

(6) Award Course: a program of study consisting of at least four units or 40 credit points leading to an award of the University (Diploma, Associate Degree, Bachelors Degree, Bachelors Honours Degree, Graduate Certificate, Postgraduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Postgraduate Diploma or Masters Degree) which when successfully completed is conferred on the graduand by the Board of Trustees. (Also see the Structure and Nomenclature of Bachelors Degrees Policy and the Postgraduate Coursework Policy).

(7) Core: a mandatory set of units to be completed by all students enrolling in the award course.

(8) Course project manager: the member of staff (usually an academic staff member of the college) designated by the Executive Dean to develop or modify a course.

(9) Community-engaged or work-integrated learning: A unit or component of a unit that enables a student to participate in an approved learning activity that involves an interactive learning partnership with external community organisations (business, industry, government, not-for-profit or educational sectors). The learning activity can be done individually or in groups, must provide a clear knowledge benefit to student(s) and the partner(s), and is linked to specific learning objectives including the demonstration of academic knowledge/professional skills related to the course of study.

(10) Graduate attributes: the characteristics each UWS graduate should have developed by the time they have completed their course.

(11) International Opportunity: an elective, for credit, component of a course that enables a student to undertake a period of study (or other approved activity) in an international context, usually in another country, before completing their course.

(12) Key Program: an approved sequence of core, specified units, totalling at least 160 credit points, that is the core requirement for a student to take out a particular bachelors degree. The title of the key program may, provided it has been approved to do so at the time Academic Senate has approved the course, form part of the degree title and appear on the student's testamur.

(13) Major: an approved sequence of eight units or 80 credit points that makes up an area of special focus within the Bachelors degree.

(14) Specialisation: a grouping of at least four units or 40 credit points with a special focus in a postgraduate course.

(15) Sub-major: an approved sequence of four units or 40 credit points in a Bachelors Degree that makes up a shorter area of special focus within a course of study than a major.

(16) Unit: the basic element of study in which a student enrols.

(17) Unit Set: a formal grouping of units to form a specialisation, key program, major, sub-major or core (also see Structure and Nomenclature of Bachelors Awards Policy and the Postgraduate Coursework Policy).

(18) Fast-tracked approval: a process only used in exceptional and urgent circumstances to seek approval outside the standard committee meeting schedules using the Executive Committees of the relevant Standing Committees of Academic Senate. Full-documentation is required for all proposals. The Executive Committees will fulfil their normal quality assurance roles and may endorse or reject proposals.

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Section 3 - Policy Statement

Part A - Courses and Unit Sets

(19) The colleges are the custodians of UWS courses and unit sets, and schools provide the content and teaching, notwithstanding that some courses and unit sets may be comprised of units offered only by one school and that there are a small number of units not attributed to a school.

(20) UWS courses must:

  1. align with the UWS strategic and academic profile plans;
  2. recognise the variety of educational backgrounds of students and provide educational opportunities that support transition and the acquisition of skills necessary for the student's successful participation in the course;
  3. support the achievement of UWS Graduate Attributes;
  4. provide opportunities for community-engaged or work-integrated learning and international experiences; and
  5. provide quality outcomes for students.

(21) Specific features of Bachelors degrees are set out in the Structure and Nomenclature of Bachelors Awards Policy and include specifications for key programs, majors and sub-majors.

(22) Specific features of Honours degrees are set out in the Honours in Bachelors Awards Policy.

(23) Specific features of postgraduate coursework degrees are set out in the Postgraduate Coursework Policy.

Course Development and Approval

(24) The development of a new course is a significant project requiring: consideration of the rationale for development; the employment opportunities for graduates (including accreditation of courses by an industry or professional body); the relationship to other courses in similar disciplinary areas and potential for both synergies with and differentiation from those courses.

(25) Many courses include components taught by other schools, often from other colleges. For any course proposals for new courses, changes, discontinuation or suspension of an intake, where the course includes one or more unit sets that are the responsibility of another College or Colleges, the proposal must be considered by the Education, Assessment and Progression Committees of those Colleges before proceeding to the Academic Planning and Courses Approvals Committee.

New Courses

(26) A new course requires:

  1. a Concept Proposal sponsored by the Executive Dean and developed by the designated course project manager. The purpose of the Concept Proposal is to allow UWS Executive and the Academic Planning and Courses Approvals Committee to consider how well the proposal fits with the UWS strategic plans, the UWS academic profile and academic quality assurance framework. The Concept Proposal also includes the intended size of the course, the broad resource requirements, impact evaluations from support areas and identification of the risks in proceeding with development and implementation. The Concept Proposal requires the endorsement of both UWS Executive and the Academic Planning and Courses Approvals Committee to proceed to development of the Full Course Proposal.
  2. a Full Course Proposal that includes the concept proposal as the first part of the documentation and identifies the structural elements (the unit sets) in the course, such as, core, key programs, majors, sub-majors and specialisations; admission requirements; and resource requirements. The full course proposal will include explanations of how the curriculum has been internationalised and how opportunities are provided for community-engaged or work-integrated learning, international experiences and attainment of the UWS Graduate Attributes. The College Education, Assessment and Progression Committee will only forward proposals to the Academic Planning and Courses Approvals Committee after it has satisfied itself of the academic quality of the proposals.
  3. a Business Plan that demonstrates the financial viability of the course including evidence of demand; cost of delivery; employability of graduates; details of partners and contracts approved by the Executive Dean. (Where international partners are involved approval of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic and Research is required.)

Major Changes to a Course or Unit Set

(27) Major changes to an existing course or unit set are treated as a new course for the components being changed. Major changes include:

  1. the introduction or discontinuation of unit sets and Honours programs;
  2. a change to the campus on which a course, or unit set is offered (this includes the addition of a campus);
  3. changes affecting accreditation;
  4. changes affecting graduation; and
  5. changes to admission requirements.

(28) Major change proposals must be accompanied by an abbreviated concept proposal, approved by the Executive Dean, explaining the rationale for the change, an assessment of the risks of changing and not changing and an assessment of the continued financial viability of the changed course. The College Education, Assessment and Progression Committee considers the academic quality of the proposal and forwards its recommendations to Academic Senate via the Academic Planning and Courses Approvals Committee.

Fast-tracked Course and Unit Set Approvals

(29) There may be exceptional and urgent circumstances where a proposal for a new course or unit set or a major change to a course or unit set requires a 'fast-tracked' process for approval. Normally, exceptional and urgent circumstances will be limited to:

  1. late advice of changes to accreditation requirements by registering authorities that affect the employment of graduates from the course (example: an accrediting or registering authority specifying all students must graduate with an increased amount of a particular discipline, such as Mathematics, in their degree, requiring the development of new units and unit sets just prior to the commencement of semester); and
  2. tender or contract requirements to provide a course to a government department, agency or business where a concept proposal and business case have already been approved but the full course proposal has not been approved.

(30) Where exceptional and urgent circumstances exist, the Chair of the College Education, Assessment and Progression Committee requests approval to undertake a fast-tracked process from the Chair of Academic Planning and Courses Approvals Committee. If approved, the Executive Committee of the College Education, Assessment and Progression Committee considers full course documentation. The committee may meet as a special electronic meeting.

(31) Proposals endorsed by the relevant College Education, Assessment and Progression Committee will be considered by the Academic Planning and Courses Approvals Committee, if necessary, at a special electronic meeting (there is no Executive Committee of the Academic Planning and Courses Approvals Committee ) and, if endorsed, will be forwarded to Academic Senate or its Executive Committee for approval.

Course or Unit Set Discontinuation

(32) Discontinuation of a course or unit set may have significant impact on other courses, schools and campuses as well as relationships with partners, professional associations and the community.

(33) Proposed discontinuation of a course or unit set, in the first instance, is discussed by the Executive Dean with the Vice-Chancellor, and, where there is an international partner, with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic and Research, prior to notification to the College Education, Assessment and Progression Committee, Academic Planning and Courses Approvals Committee and Academic Senate.

(34) Proposals for discontinuation of a course or unit set (and the stages leading to discontinuation) must take into account the students currently enrolled in the program and must specify arrangements for them to transfer to a new course or complete the existing course or unit set including the time-frame for completion.

Suspension of Intake to a Course (this section does not apply to unit sets)

(35) A college may wish to suspend an intake of students to a course for a period of up to two years. The impact of suspending an intake is similar to Course Discontinuation (clause (32) above).

(36) The proposed suspension of an intake in the first instance, is discussed by the Executive Dean with the Vice-Chancellor, and, where there is an international partner, with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic and Research, prior to presentation to the College Education, Assessment and Progression Committee, Academic Planning and Courses Approvals Committee and Academic Senate.

(37) The proposal for suspension should provide the rationale for suspension, the arrangements to accommodate students currently enrolled in the course or an approved pathway to that course as well as the effect on other courses that may share units with the course.

(38) Normally, a course will be retired at the end of the period of suspension. If suspension is required for a third year, a request should be presented to the Academic Planning and Courses Approvals Committee by November of the first year of suspension.

(39) If the suspension is to be lifted, advice should be provided to the Academic Planning and Courses Approvals Committee at least six months before the planned intake. If a UAC Handbook entry is required for courses recommencing in the Autumn Semester, notice must be provided by 1 March of the preceding year.

(40) (Administrative note: a suspended version of a course is displayed in the on-line handbook as "SUSPENDED: This version of the course is under review and not available to new students.")

Retirement of a Course or Unit Set

(41) Retirement of a course or unit set occurs where there will be no further intake of students and will no longer be available for admission:

  1. following a period of suspension in the case of a course; or
  2. when a course or unit set is being replaced; or
  3. when a College decides it will no longer offer the course or unit set; or
  4. when major changes to a course result in the creation of a new course version.

(42) Where there is no replacement course or unit set proposed, the college will identify the arrangements and timeframe for continuing students to complete their study.

(43) Where a replacement course or unit set is proposed, the proposal must detail the transition arrangements for continuing students.

(44) Administrative note: a retired version of a course is displayed in the on-line handbook as "CONTINUING: This version of the course is available only to continuing or completing students."

Termination of a Course or Unit Set

(45) A course or unit set will be Terminated by the Registrar's Office when there are no students enrolled in the Retired course or unit set. Any former student presenting for completion of the course after termination has taken effect, will be advised to seek admission to a current course and seek advanced standing for previous study.

(46) (Administrative note: a course that has been terminated has a status of "INACTIVE" and no longer displays on the online handbook.)

Part B - Units

(47) Schools are responsible for the quality of unit content and delivery for the courses in which the units are located.

(48) The Unit Proposal outlines how the unit contributes to any course or unit set in which it is offered, the learning outcomes for the unit, assessment requirements, its relationship to other units, the resources required to deliver the unit, as well as when and how it is to be taught. Unit developers must provide all the information required in the template or system as the information will generate the Unit Outline and feed to other systems supporting the scheduling of the unit and student enrolment.

(49) Unit Proposals require a detailed resource assessment and proposers must consult with the supporting service areas (Library, Teaching Development Unit, Courses and Timetabling Unit for all student administration, and Information Technology services) and include a statement from the designated officer in each of those areas that the unit can be supported or the nature of the support issues.

(50) All units must adhere to the provisions of the:

  1. Unit Outline and Learning Guides Policy; and the
  2. Assessment Policy - Criteria and Standards-Based Assessment;

Changes to a Unit

(51) Proposals for changes to a unit require the resubmission of the approved proposal with changes highlighted.

Fast-tracked Unit Approvals

(52) There may be circumstances where a unit requires a 'fast-tracked' process for approval, such as, where a new unit is required to maintain course accreditation.

(53) The Chair of the School Academic Committee requests approval to undertake a fast-tracked process from the Chair of the College Education, Assessment and Progression Committee. If approved, the Executive Committee of the School Academic Committee considers full unit documentation. If a proposal is endorsed, it is forwarded to the College Education, Assessment and Progression Committee or its Executive Committee, for approval.

(54) Electronic meetings may be held.

Retirement or Deletion of a Unit

(55) Proposals to retire or replace a unit must take into consideration students in all courses where the unit is offered or is an integral part of a unit set.

(56) Schools wishing to retire a unit should notify the College Education, Assessment and Progression Committee at least six months prior to the implementation of the decision. The notification should provide:

  1. the arrangements to accommodate students currently enrolled in the course/s or unit sets where the unit is offered as a core unit; and
  2. the effect on other courses that may include the unit as part of a pool of alternate elective units.

(57) Where a unit will be replaced by a new unit, the request for retirement will accompany the proposal documentation of the new replacement unit.

(58) Any continuing students affected by the decision to retire a core unit should be given a minimum of one semester's notice that the change will occur. Advice to affected students should include a formal letter from the Head of School which includes, where appropriate, the available options or alternative arrangements.

Part C - Timing of Approvals for Courses and Units

(59) Annual Course and Unit Approval Calendars are set by the University to ensure that externally imposed deadlines are met and that internal processes depending on the approved course and unit data, can be completed.

(60) New courses or major changes to courses, including the introduction of new units, should complete the approval process by the March meeting of Academic Senate of the year preceding introduction. The approval of the Chair of the Academic Planning and Courses Approvals Committee must be obtained if new course proposals are to be presented to the Academic Senate after this date.

(61) New units should be approved by mid-March of the year preceding introduction to ensure alignment of unit and course versions. Major changes to units to be offered in the second half of the year should be approved by 1 March of the same year.

(62) Notification of the intention to suspend or retire courses, key programs and majors should be made to the Vice-Chancellor by the Executive Dean by October of the year prior to the last offering of the course or unit.

Part D - Summary of Delegations

(63) Courses

  1. Concept Proposal: endorsed for development of a Full Course Proposal by UWS Executive and Academic Planning and Courses Approvals Committee
  2. Full Course Proposal: quality assurance endorsement by the College Education, Assessment and Progression Committee and approval by Academic Senate on recommendation of Academic Planning and Courses Approvals Committee
  3. Business Case: Approved by Executive Dean
  4. Head of Program: Approved by Executive Dean
  5. Discontinuation of courses:
    1. Approval by Vice-Chancellor following discussion with the Executive Dean; and
    2. Academic Senate approves transition arrangements on recommendation of Academic Planning and Courses Approvals Committee.
  6. Suspension of an intake to a course:
    1. Approval by Vice-Chancellor following discussion with the Executive Dean; and
    2. Academic Senate approves transition arrangements on recommendation of Academic Planning and Courses Approvals Committee.
  7. Resource requirements: designated officer of each unit for:
    1. Timetabling and Student Administration requirements: endorsement by Courses and Timetabling Manager
    2. Library resources: endorsement by University Librarian or nominee
    3. E-learning: Head, Teaching Development Unit if number of students >700
    4. Computing resources: Director Information Technology.

(64) Units

  1. Approval of new units: College Education, Assessment and Progression Committee
  2. Approval of discontinuation of units: College Education, Assessment and Progression Committee
  3. Approval of changes to units: depends on elements changed (see Associated Information)
  4. Detailed Field of Education Code: approved by Executive Dean
  5. Unit Coordinator: approved by Head of School
  6. Resource requirements: designated officer of each unit for:
    1. Timetabling and Student Administration requirements: endorsement by Courses and Timetabling Manager
    2. Library resources: endorsement by University Librarian or nominee
    3. E-learning: Head, Teaching Development Unit if number of students >700
    4. Computing resources: Director Information Technology.
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Section 4 - Procedures

(65) Nil.

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Section 5 - Guidelines

(66) Nil.