Guidelines for Course Approval, Amendment and ACU Policy on Course Approval, Amendment and Review. ... to Unit Study Mode. ... any recent graduates who would be suitable for a case

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GOVERNANCE....................................................................................................................................3A1. GOVERNING POLICY:..............................................................................................................3A2. SCOPE:....................................................................................................................................3A3. DEFINITIONS:...........................................................................................................................3A4. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:....................................................................................................3A5. APPROVING AUTHORITY:........................................................................................................3A6. RESPONSIBLE OFFICER:.........................................................................................................3

B. GENERAL INFORMATION..................................................................................................................4B1. NEW COURSE APPROVAL AND MAJOR CHANGES.................................................................4B2. HIGHER RESEARCH DEGREES WITH A COURSEWORK COMPONENT....................................6B3. COURSE REVIEW....................................................................................................................7B4. COURSE DISCONTINUATION....................................................................................................7B5. MINOR CHANGES....................................................................................................................7B6. MODERATION..........................................................................................................................7B7. CONSULTATION.......................................................................................................................8B8. TIMELINES...............................................................................................................................8B9. COURSE PROPOSAL/CHANGE TYPE AND APPROVAL PATHWAYS.......................................12B10. TEMPLATE USAGE AND SECTIONS REQUIRED...................................................................15

C. PROCESS GUIDELINES...................................................................................................................18C1. NEW COURSE APPROVALS...................................................................................................18

C1.1 Course Development Committee...............................................................................18C1.2 Completing the Course Template..............................................................................19

C2. COURSE REVIEW..................................................................................................................36C2.1 Course Review Committee.........................................................................................36C2.2 Completing the Course Review Template................................................................37

C3. MAJOR CHANGES.................................................................................................................49C4. MINOR CHANGES..................................................................................................................50

C4.1 Completing the Minor Change Template..................................................................50C5. HIGHER RESEARCH DEGREES WITH A COURSEWORK COMPONENT..................................53

C5.1 Completing the HDR with Coursework Template....................................................53D. REVISIONS LOG................................................................................................................................54

A. GOVERNANCE

A1. Governing Policy:ACU Policy on Course Approval, Amendment and Review

A2. Scope:These guidelines are intended to provide process information, guidance and examples for Course Approval, Amendment and Review for all coursework award courses.

A3. Definitions:General definitions in this document are consistent with the ACU Glossary (http://www.acu.edu.au/272117). Where further clarification is required, please contact the Office of the Academic Registrar.

A4. Supporting Documents:Course Approval and Major Changes Template: To be used for New Course Approvals and(http://www.acu.edu.au/605536) Major Course Changes for UG and PG

award courses

Research Higher Degree with Coursework: To be used for Higher Degrees by Research with a (http://www.acu.edu.au/605539) Coursework Component

Course Review Template: To be used for Course Review under the(http://www.acu.edu.au/605537) five-yearly review Cycle

Minor Change Template: To be used Minor Course Changes(http://www.acu.edu.au/605702)

Business Case Template:(http://www.acu.edu.au/605543)

Generic Unit Outline Template:(http://www.acu.edu.au/605540)

A5. Approving Authority:Academic Board

A6. Responsible Officer:Academic Registrar

ACU Guidelines for Course Approval, Amendment and Review 1

http://www.acu.edu.au/605540







B. GENERAL INFORMATION

B1. New Course Approval and Major Changes The University process for developing and approving new courses or for major changes to existing courses (outside formal course review) is subject to a number of stages (See also Diagram on p5)

Course Concept Approval Stage

The purpose of this stage is to establish a robust justification for a new course before further effort is invested in developing the course curriculum components. The course concept submissions should demonstrate the potential of the course to further the reputation and strategic priorities of the university, while establishing the viability of cost, demand and fulfilment. During this stage, faculties should to consult with external stakeholders, other University areas as well as Faculty staff to establish the strongest possible case for submission. The submission should include assurance that ACU resources are available to accommodate the course (including campus support), and a high level identification of resources required to support implementation. Presently, this stage only applies to new award courses requiring a new course code, the introduction of an existing course in a new location, or the introduction of a major or specialisation with significant resource implications.

This stage includes endorsement of the proposal by the Courses Concept Approval Committee.

Course Development Stage

This stage takes place after the Course Concept Approval Committee has reviewed and given approval to the course concept submission made by the Faculty. The purpose of this stage is to develop the course and its curriculum further. The Faculty will appoint a Course Development Committee to oversee this stage. Alignment of the course to the University’s core curriculum and moderation requirements is an important element of this stage. A Business/Resource plan is required with detailed revenue projections and must include a detailed analysis of resources required to support implementation. The verification of applicable accreditation, publication and funding requirements is also critical.

This stage applies to New Courses and to Major Course Changes with resource implications.

This stage involves consideration of the proposal and recommendation by Faculty Board for consideration by the Courses and Academic Quality Committee.

Course Quality Assurance Stage

The purpose of this stage is to submit the proposed course or major course change for quality assurance review by the Courses and Academic Quality Committee enabling them to conduct quality assurance and assess alignment to University objectives and standards. The Courses and Academic Quality Committee are also responsible for ensuring that all parameters set at Course Concept Approval have been met.

This stage applies to new courses, and all major course changes.

This stage involves consideration and endorsement of the proposal and recommendation to Academic Board.


Final Approval Stage

The purpose of this stage is to submit the proposal for final approval by Academic Board and Senate. All new courses require the approval of both Academic Board and Senate, while major course changes can be approved by Academic Board.


B2. Higher Research Degrees with a Coursework Component The University process for developing and approving new Higher Research Degrees with a coursework component (and changes to existing courses outside formal course review) is subject to the same stages as for a coursework degree with additional approval required from the University Research Committee


B3. Course Review Where a course or suite of courses is reviewed as part of the five-yearly review cycle, and re-approval is to be sought, the process followed is a modification of the New Course Approval process. There is not normally a requirement for the course to go through the Course Concept Approval Stage. The Faculty will establish a Course Review Committee to oversee the review process, and the resulting proposal will need to be submitted through the Faculty Board and then through the Course Quality Assurance and Final Approval Stages

B4. Course DiscontinuationWhere a course is to be discontinued either as a result of a Course Review, or other circumstance, Faculty Board must make a recommendation to Academic Board, providing a rationale for the discontinuation of the course together with details of any transitional arrangements that may be required.

B5. Minor ChangesResponsibility for approval of minor change proposals is delegated by the Academic Board to the relevant Faculty Board. Details of the minor course change are notified to the Academic Board and Information Resource Management section via attachment to the Faculty Board Minutes.

B6. ModerationIn any proposal that involves the creation of new course components including units, the relevant Committee Chair (or Executive Dean in the case of a Minor Course Change Proposal) will appoint external moderators as a part of the quality assurance strategies associated with the development of the proposal.

External moderators will be people external to the University who have expertise in the discipline/content area(s) as well as in higher education curriculum requirements. They may be appointed:

(a) to moderate components of the course (including unit sequences) or the course as a whole – in which case normally at least two moderators would be appointed to cover the full scope of the course; or

(b) to moderate individual units or groups of units – in which case at least one moderator, but usually two, would be appointed in each case.

In either case moderators will be invited to assess the quality of the newly developed unit(s) on the basis of the unit outline(s); to assist in this task, moderators will be provided with a summary description of the course, including course objectives and overall structure.

Moderators may be asked to comment specifically, for individual units, on the:

(a) unit learning outcomes;

(b) unit content;

(c) relevance and appropriateness of the unit in the context of the overall course design;

(d) appropriateness of teaching organisation, including –

(i) teaching-learning methods;

(ii) duration;

(iii) mode (eg lectures, tutorials, workshops, laboratory sessions,

professional experience, contract learning, individual student tasks, etc);


(e) texts, bibliography and other learning resources;

(f) nature of assessment;

(g) standard of anticipated learning outcomes, given the level of the unit and the course.

B7. ConsultationAt the initial stage of any proposal for a new course, major course change and some minor course changes, it is vital to undertake appropriate consultation both internally to ACU and with external stakeholders. Faculties will be required to provide evidence of this consultation as part of the approvals process and provision is for this is made in the relevant template.

For new courses, course reviews and major course changes which have resource implications, Faculties will be required to complete an ‘Endorsement Checklist’ and provide details of the consultation and responses as an appendix to the proposal. This checklist will be a two stage process for Course Concept Approval Stage (if applicable) and Courses and Academic Quality Stage.

For New Courses and Major Changes with resource implications, it is essential that this checklist is completed prior to submission to the Course Concept Approval Stage (Stage 1 Checklist).

Where course proposals require infrastructure over and above exisiting facilities, the proposal must be \ submitted for enndorsement by the Executive Director Infrastructure with sufficient lead time for investigation and review.

Where a proposal relates to multiple campuses, Faculties must seek the support of each Associate Vice-Chancellor and/or Campus Dean.

B8. TimelinesThe following timelines apply to the development and submission of proposals for new courses, course reviews and other course changes in accordance with the Policy on Course Approval, Amendment and Review. They are developed with regard to the requirements for submission of data on course and unit offerings to the Australian Government and publication requirements of the Tertiary Admission Centres.

Unless the Chair, Academic Board gives prior approval in writing, the timelines in the table below apply for approval of changes to ACU course and unit offerings.

Depending on the nature of the proposal, Faculties should also consider the published meeting dates for Course Concept Approval Committee and Courses and Academic Quality Committee to ensure that the appropriate endorsement and recommendation is received prior to the Academic Board.


ITEM APPROVAL TIMELINE

COURSESReview of offerings

A consolidated annual proposal from each Faculty for the:Development of new course(s)Cyclical Review of existing course(s)Discontinuation of existing course(s).

February Academic Board of each year

ITEM APPROVAL TIMELINENew Courses

Courses published/offered through a Tertiary Admission Centre (all undergraduate courses and pre-service graduate entry teaching courses)

The final Academic Board of the calendar year 13 months before the year of offering

(ie: November 2016 for a course to be introduced in 2018)

This is to meet government reporting guidelines and to provide sufficient time for promotion.

Courses offered through direct application

No later than the third Academic Board of the year for courses to be offered from Semester 1 of the following year.

No later than the fourth Academic Board of the year for courses to be offered from Semester 2 of the following year.

Major Course Changes

Courses published/offered through a Tertiary Admission Centre

February Academic Board of the year preceding year of offering

(ie: February 2016 for a major change to be introduced in 2017)



No later than the fourth Academic Board for the year for courses to be offered from Semester 2 of the following year.

Determination of courses to be offered and associated fee status (CSP / RTS / Fee-paying)

Courses published/offered through a Tertiary Admission Centre

February Academic Board of the year preceding year of offering.

(ie: February 2016 for courses to be offered in 2017)




No later than the fourth Academic Board for the year for courses to be offered from Semester 2 of the following year.

ITEM APPROVAL TIMELINE

UNITSApproval of new units1

Units in a course to be offered in the following academic year

February Faculty Board of the year preceding year of offering.

Determination of units actually offered

Units to be offered in the following academic year Approval by Executive Dean (or nominee) by May of the year preceding year of offering.

Variation of determination of units actually offered

Units offered in Summer A, Summer B, Semester 1, Autumn or Winter term

No later than 31 July of the year preceding year of offering.

Units offered in Semester 2, Spring A or Spring B termNo later than 28 February of the year of offering.

1 Refer to Guidelines for the Naming and Coding of Units

Any variation of the timelines may, in exceptional circumstances, be made only with the prior written approval of the Chair, Academic Board. In circumstances where a case for an urgent need for introduction or modification is demonstrated by the Executive Dean, based on the University’s strategic direction and/or information or feedback from the profession and/or professional body, the normal timelines may be varied and the approval process expedited, in order to enable timely promotion and offering of the course. Faculties must be able to demonstrate that a variation will not cause any disadvantage to students.


B9. Course Proposal/Change Type and Approval Pathways The following tables should be used to determine the appropriate approval pathway for the a proposal:

Introduction of a New Course or New Course Component

Significant Curriculum Change outside Course Review

Course Review

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Facu

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Cou

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A

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P: PROPOSE | E: ENDORSE | R: RECOMMEND | A: APPROVE | N: NOTE

1 New Course Proposal P E R E A A

2 Offering an Existing Course in a New Location (ACU Campus or ACU Satellite Centre)

P E R E A

3 Establish or Change a Course offered under an External Partnership Arrangement1 P E R E A A1

4 Offering an Existing Course in a New Location under an External Partnership Agreement2 P R E A2

5Major Curriculum Change (Existing Course)(outside formal course review, with resourcing impact)

P E R E A

6 Change to Course Duration or Credit Points(outside formal course review) P R E A

7 New Specialisation (with resourcing impact)3 P E4 R E A

8 New Major (with resourcing impact)3 P E4 R E A

9Course Review(including five-yearly review of a Major or Specialisation)

P R E A

10 Discontinue a Course P R E A

11 New Specialisation (no significant resourcing impact)4 P R E A

12 New Major (no significant resourcing impact)4 P R E A

13 Offering an Existing Course to International Students for the first time4 P R E A

1 Where a this involves a new course proposal, Senate Approval is required2 May be approved by Executive Action of the Chair of Academic Board3 Resourcing impact may include space, location, equipment, new/additional staffing.4 The Office of the Provost will determine if the resource impact is significant enough to require consideration by the Courses Concept Approval Committee4 Major Change applies




Course Review

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Change to Existing Course or Course Component

Change to Course Rules

Leve

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Res

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Facu

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P: PROPOSE | E: ENDORSE | R: RECOMMEND | A: APPROVE | N: NOTE | M: Major Change |m: Minor Change

14 Change to Course Nomenclature M P R E A

15 Discontinuation of Specialisation M P R E A

16 Discontinuation of Major M P R E A

17 Change of Course Study Mode M P E R E A

18 Change to Admissions Requirements(other than English Language Proficiency) M P R E A

19

Change to Course Structure as Defined in Course Rules

- Specified Units- Core Curriculum- Program Core- Specialisation- Major- Electives2

M R E A1

20 Change to Program Map m P A N

21 Change to Unit Name or Unit Code m P A N

22 Change to Unit Description m P A N

23 Add/Delete Unit m P A N

24 Change to Unit Study Mode m P A N

25 Change to Unit Location m P A N

26 Change to Unit Assessment Requirements m P A N

27 Change to Unit Prerequisites m P A N




Course Review

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28 Change to Unit Contact Hours m P A N1 Changes require approval by Academic Board, but need not be starred agenda items2 This refers to the introduction of electives into a course for the first time or removal of all electives from a course

If you require further clarification regarding the pathway to follow for your proposal, please contact the Office of the Academic Registrar.


B10. Template Usage and Sections RequiredThe following table should be used to determine the correct template to use for your proposal.

CHANGE TYPE TEMPLATE, PART AND SECTIONS REQUIRED

New Course/ New Course Components/ Significant Curriculum Change outside Course Review

Course Review

1 New Course ProposalCourse Template – All sections to be completed

A-B for Course Concept Approval StageC-E for Courses and Academic Quality Stage

2 Offering an Existing Course in a New Location (ACU Campus or Satellite Centre)

Course Template – All sections to be completedA-B for Course Concept Approval StageC-E for Courses and Academic Quality Stage

3 Establish or Change a Course offered under an External Partnership Arrangement


4 Offering an Existing Course in a New Location under an External Partnership Agreement Course Template – All sections to be completed

5Major Curriculum Change (Existing Course)(outside formal course review, with resourcing impact)


6 Change to Course Duration or Credit Points(outside formal course review) Course Template – All sections to be completed

7 New Specialisation (with resourcing impact) Course TemplateA, B4-B9, C, D, E26-E30, Appendices

8 New Major (with resourcing impact) Course TemplateA, B4-B9, C, D, E26-E30, Appendices

9 Course Review(including review of a Major or Specialisation)

Course Review Template – All sections to be completed

10 Discontinue a Course Memorandum from the Executive Dean (via Faculty Board)

Notes: For 6 and 7 above, the Office of the Provost must be consulted to determine if Course Concept Approval is required. If this is the case, Section B should be completed in its entirety and the proposal submitted via the new course proposal pathway



Major Course Change

11 New Specialisation (no significant resourcing impact)Course Template

A, B4.1, B4.2, B6-B9, C, E26-E30, Appendices

12 New Major (no significant resourcing impact)Course Template

A, B4.1, B4.2, B6-B9, C, E26-E30, Appendices

13Offering an Existing Course to International Students

for the first time

Course TemplateA, B4.1, B4.2, B6-B9, C, E26-E30, Appendices

14 Change to Course Nomenclature Course TemplateA1, A2, E26-E30, Appendices

15 Discontinuation of Specialisation Course TemplateA1, A2, E26-E30, Appendices

16 Discontinuation of Major Course TemplateA1, A2, E26-E29, Appendices

17 Change of Course Study Mode Course TemplateA, B7-8, D23, E25-E30, Appendices

18 Change to Admissions Requirements(other than English Language Proficiency)

Course TemplateA, E26-E30

19

Change to Course Structure as Defined in Course Rules

- Specified Units- Core Curriculum- Program Core- Specialisation- Major- Electives

Course TemplateA, E26-E30, Appendix 1

Notes: For 12 above, ACU International must be consulted



Minor Course Change

20 Change to Program Map Minor Course Change Template

21 Change to Unit Name or Unit Code Minor Course Change Template

22 Change to Unit Description Minor Course Change Template

23 Add/ Delete Unit Minor Course Change Template

24 Change to Unit Study Mode Minor Course Change Template

25 Change to Unit Location Minor Course Change Template

26 Change to Unit Assessment Requirements Minor Course Change Template

27 Change to Unit Prerequisites Minor Course Change Template

28 Change to Unit Contact Hours Minor Course Change Template

If you require further clarification regarding the template and/or sections that you should follow and complete, please contact the Office of the Academic Registrar.


C. PROCESS GUIDELINES

C1. New Course ApprovalsFor a New Course Proposal, all stages of the Approvals Process identified in Section B of these Guidelines must be followed.

C1.1 Course Development CommitteeThe Executive Dean will establish a Course Development Committee to prepare the course and curriculum proposals for any new course or specialisation proposed by the Faculty. In the case of double degrees, the relevant Executive Deans will collaborate regarding the composition and terms of reference of the Committee.

Committee membership will be approved by the Executive Dean(s). Committee size will vary reflecting the nature of the proposed course. The following categories of persons will be represented on Course Development Committees:

(a) academic staff;

(b) potential clients for whom the course is planned;

(c) external academic members;

(d) professional or industry representatives.

Where a course requires accreditation by a professional body, membership of the Course Development Committee will include appropriate representation from that body.

The Executive Dean will invite a member of the Learning and Teaching Centre to provide input and advice regarding curriculum design (eg graduate attributes and learning outcomes) and delivery (eg use of LEO and new technologies) of units of study prior to establishing a rationale for the introduction of the course (see Section 4.3) and during the course development stage as required.

The Chair of the Committee may invite a member of the LTC to sit on an agreed, appropriate number of course approval committee meetings

The Committee must consult with the Lead Academic, Core Curriculum regarding Core Curriculum units.

External bodies should be consulted by the Committee, where appropriate. Any such external consultation is not a substitute for representation of categories (b), (c) and (d) on the Committee.

When appointing the Committee, the Executive Dean(s) will nominate the Chair of the Committee and will provide the Chair with the Committee’s terms of reference. In the case of a double degree, the Chair will be appointed from the Faculty with primary administrative responsibility for the course.

The Committee may be required to make interim reports to the Faculty Board(s) during the exploratory or development phases.

New course proposals will be forwarded by the Committee Chair to the Executive Dean(s) for consideration by the Faculty Board(s) in accordance with the usual processes of the Faculty/ies.


Following approval by the Faculty Board(s), the course and curriculum proposals will be forwarded to the Courses and Academic Quality Committee, together with the executive summary and evaluative statement completed by the Executive Dean(s), in accordance with the Policy on Course Approval, Amendment and Review (http://www.acu.edu.au/605535).

C1.2 Completing the Course TemplateFor all UG and PG coursework award courses, you should use the Template – Course Approval and Major Changes (http://www.acu.edu.au/605536)

Parts A and B, must be completed for submission of the proposal to the Course Concept Approval Committee.

Once Course Concept Approval has been granted, Parts C, D, E and the Appendices should be completed.

The complete Course Template and its Appendices should then be submitted, in turn to, Faculty Board, Courses and Academic Quality Committee and Academic Board.

When submitted to Academic Board, the course template and its appendices must be accompanied by an Evaluative Statement and Executive Summary on the appropriate template,.

At each stage of the approval process, the Endorsement Register and Approvals Register will be checked by the relevant Faculty Executive Officer to ensure that the prior endorsement/recommendation stage has been completed. If these registers are not completed, the proposal may not proceed to the next stage of the process.

For nested courses, for example Masters, Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate, a single template should be completed covering the suite of courses.

Please note that for Higher Research Degrees with a coursework component, the dedicated Template – Higher Degree with Coursework (http://www.acu.edu.au/605539) should be completed.





Template Part A - Introduction

Section 1: Summary Description

Your summary description should provide a brief overview of the proposed course.

Section 2: Course Title and Associated Information

In this section, you should provide a high level overview of proposed course name, nomenclature, level of proposed award, names of majors or specialisations, names of exit points, and AQF recognition.

You will also need to indicate whether the new course is replacing an existing course, and if this will result in the suspension or discontinuation of an existing course.

Suspension is where a course is withdrawn from offering but may be made available in a future study period, providing it is still within the review cycle.

Discontinuation of a course requires a Faculty Board recommendation to Academic Board. If the New Course Proposal will result in a course discontinuation or discontinuation of a specialisation or major, you will need to provide details of:

(a) the course, specialisation or suite of units to be discontinued (see section 29 for discontinuation of units);

(b) campuses at which relevant course/specialisation/major is currently offered but at which it will no longer be available;

(c) effective date of proposed discontinuation.

You should also provide a rationale for the discontinuation.

Where there are transition arrangements for students, either as a result of a change to a course, or as a result of a course discontinuation, these should be referenced here and full details should be provided as an appendix to the proposal.

Section 3: Specifics of Course Offering

3.1 Location(s) at which course is to be offered and date of introduction

Here you should list all campuses at which the course is to be offered. Where a course is proposed to be offered at a location other than an ACU campus, including offshore, you should provide details of that location.

Indicate if the course is to be offered entirely online or online as well as at a campus or other location. Note that the Australian Government regards online courses delivered by Australian Universities as being equivalent to onshore courses where they are offered to overseas students.

3.2 Year and study period of introduction

Indicate the year and study period from which the course is to be offered. Where the course is to be introduced at different times on different campuses, list the respective dates for each relevant campus.

Bachelor degrees normally commence in Semester 1.

You should also indicate the study period(s) in which new students will be able to commence the course each year. For example, is Semester 2 entry possible?

Where availability to commencing students differs between campuses, you should provide appropriate details.


You may amend this table for Postgraduate Courses to include Professional Terms if required.

3.3 Normal course duration

Indicate the normal duration for full-time study, as appropriate. If a course is only available part-time, indicate accordingly. Where nested courses are proposed, please indicate the normal duration for each.

3.4 Total Credit Points in the Course

Identify the credit points for the course. For nested courses, list all credit point values.

3.5 Study modes for Domestic Students

Indicate the mode of study by which the course is to be offered, eg attendance, multi-mode or online. Where different modes apply to different campuses, indicate campus details. For detail of study modes, consult the ACU Glossary (http://www.acu.edu.au/272117).

3.6 Availability to International Students

Indicate whether the course is to be available for study by international students. (Note: CRICOS approval must be obtained in such cases, following Senate approval.)

3.7 Study modes proposed for International Students

Under the requirements of the Educational Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000, and the accompanying National Code, international students may only take up to 25% of their total load by online or distance education. You should consult ACU International for advice if the proposed course is to be offered to international students and has online or multi-mode components.

3.8 English Language Proficiency

Indicate the English language proficiency (ELP) requirements for the course, selected from Schedule 2 of the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy. Any variations require endorsement from ACU International and approval from Admissions Committee.

3.9 Fee Types

Indicate the fee types that will be available in the course, this should be confirmed following Course Concept Approval.



Template Part B - Academic and Strategic Priorities

Section 4: Rationale for the Introduction of the Course

4.1 Reason for this proposal

In this section you will need to provide a narrative identifying the main reasons for the introduction of the proposed course or major change..

4.2 Aim and Student Learning Outcomes

In this section you are required to provide a statement of the aim and objectives of the course which will form the basis of future evaluations of achievements of your graduates. Further, you are required to provide the intended learning outcomes of the course.

Intended learning outcomes specify the expected achievements that will be demonstrated by students in the areas of knowledge, understanding, skills and graduate attributes as a result of their successful completion of a course. They should also be consistent with the AQF (Australian Qualifications Framework) and TEQSA (Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency).

The Associate Dean Learning and Teaching can assist in developing the course-wide intended learning outcomes. You should also seek advice from the staff in the Learning and Teaching Centre.

4.3 Consultation: Internal and External

The design of a program curriculum must include discussion with internal and external key stakeholders, such as academic staff in other Faculties, the professions, students, the relevant Advisory Group, potential employers and other groups that may have a particular interest in the proposed program.

Faculties should seek advice about:

current and future needs of professional groups and employers; course nomenclature; specific professional requirements (for example, hours of practicum); the perceived advantages of the current course in a related area; the perceived deficiencies in a current course in a related area.

When completing this section, you should provide evidence of internal and external consultation. This can include letters of support from external organisations; documented meeting dates and agendas/minutes.

Internal consultationEarly consultation should take place with many areas across the University. Consultation will vary depending on the nature of the proposal. Indicate the nature and level of consultation which has occurred in development of the new course proposal.

Include evidence of consultation with, and endorsement from:

Learning and Teaching Centre ACU International Executive Director Infrastructure Marketing and External Relations Office of the Academic Registrar and Student Administration Information Technology Associate Vice-Chancellors/Campus Deans Other Faculties (where appropriate – for joint/double degrees, or where a course has similar

components or subjects).

External consultationEarly consultation should take place with many areas external to the University. Indicate the nature and level of consultation which has occurred in development of the new course proposal.

Include evidence of consultation with:ACU Guidelines for Course Approval, Amendment and Review 19

the relevant Advisory Group potential employers accreditation organisations professional associations other groups that may have a particular interest in the proposed program.

4.4 Market Demand

To assist you in the development of the response to Section 4.4 (a) to (e) you should consult Marketing and External Relations (MER) and/or ACU International for assistance with the collection, collation and presentation of the data required. This consultation should occur as early as possible in the development of the proposal for course concept approval.

Faculties should provide Marketing and External Relations and/or ACU International with a list of competitors in order for them to provide the analysis of these competitors’ courses.

As a minimum the competitor analysis should comprise three similar courses from other institutions in the State(s)/Territory in which the new course is proposed to be offered.

The reports provided by Marketing and External Relations and/or ACU International for incorporation into this section should comprise a detailed summary and analysis of raw data that has been contextualised for inclusion as part of the Course Concept Approval Committee submission.

The reports should provide information on potential Student/Applicant demand, and detailed analysis of each competitor including similarities and differences between courses, location mapping with embedded links to competitor courses and appropriate, illustrative tables and charts.

The reports should be embedded in the template document, unless they are deemed to be ‘Commercial-in-Confidence’ in which case they should be submitted as appendices.

Section 5: Course Alignment with the University Mission and strategic priorities

In this section you should indicate the manner in which the proposed course:

(a) incorporates and promotes the University’s Mission and Catholic ethos; and(b) the manner in which the course contributes to the strategic priorities of the University and Faculty.

Section 6: Entry Pathways and Partnerships

In this section you should identify any course specific articulation agreements, entry pathways (including equity pathways) or other strategies which may enable entry to the course outside the normal ACU admissions processes.

Section 7: Student Load Projection

In this section you should complete a table for each course and campus showing projected headcount and enrolled load for the first five years of the course.

You should insert and complete separate tables for domestic and international enrolments, by campus.

You should use the term “Online” for online courses.


Where a crude retention rate (CRR) other than 80 per cent is specified, you must provide a rationale for the CRR used.

Section 8: Staffing and Resources

In this section you should address the resources, both staffing and other, that are required to offer the new course. You will also need to identify and quantify any additional resources, including new and existing staff, physical space, library and equipment.

You should follow the instructions contained in the template for each subsection.

Section 9: Consultation

Consultation regarding the resource implications on other ACU organisational units should be undertaken in line with the requirements of each organisational unit. Consultation is a two stage process; Stage 1 for Course Concept endorsement and Stage 2 for Courses and Academic Quality Committee endorsement.

Evidence of consultation must be attached at Appendix 3.

Section 10: Draft Business Plan

The Faculty Finance Manager should develop the business case for the proposed course or major change.

In this section, insert the ACU Business Case Template (http://www.acu.edu.au/605543) as an embedded spreadsheet. You should not need to retype the detail. Where the business case is to be treated as ‘Commercial-in-Confidence’, the Business Case Template may be appended to the proposal.

Your business plan must also:

Identify the indicators used to evaluate the viability of the course and the minimum benchmarks below which the course will be withdrawn.

Identify any cost-efficiency requirements of the proposal, on the basis of minimum economic numbers for enrolment in units and class sizes as specified by the University.

Provide detail regarding projected minimum class sizes. Identify any likely impact on relative funding distribution within the Faculty(ies), having regard to the

funding bands to which units belong. Confirmation of fee types available (CSP, Full-fee etc) Include band information



Template Part C – Course Design Quality and Integrity

Section 11: Course Description

In this section you should provide a high-level program description including the following:

(a) conceptual structure of the course;

(b) major/specialisations/discipline fields/content areas;

(c) proportion of specified (core) and elective units, professional experience, community engagement requirements etc, as relevant. Specific unit details are not required. For Honours and Masters courses with a research component, specify the proportion of research and research-related study expressed as credit points.

(d) The detailed specification of course requirements occurs in the course rules and program map – see Section 28 below. – In this section use a High level Program Map - indicate Major & Minor without detail, summary description of structure

(e) Double degrees

If a double degree program consists of degrees offered by two Faculties, identify the Faculty with primary administrative responsibility. Indicate where they are offered (Note: In the case of double degrees, the proposal must be submitted to both Faculty Boards for endorsement prior to submission to Course and Academic Quality Committee).

(f) Core Curriculum and Community Engagement

(g) How the course encourages support, participation by, and is sensitive to, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and cultures.

(h) How the course reflects the internationalisation strategy of the University.

(i) In the case of any undergraduate coursework program of at least two years’ duration, indicate explicitly how community engagement is embedded in the course.

Section 12: Course Learning Outcomes

This section needs to extend the stated rationale, course aim and objectives identified under Section 4.2 of the template.

In this section you should list 3 to 6 Course Learning Outcomes which are drawn from the course rationale and reflect the logical developmental sequence of knowledge and skill development required for the course (in that order). The level should align with the requirements of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) (http://www.aqf.edu.au) and the Higher Education Standards Framework [LINK] and of any external accreditation body.

The Learning and Teaching Centre should be consulted in the development of this section.

Section 13: Graduate Attributes and Employability skills

In this section, you should indicate how the ACU Graduate Attributes and employability skills adopted by the University will be achieved in this course. Graduate Attributes should be an integral aspect of the learning outcomes and will be assessed accordingly. Consult an academic developer in the Learning and Teaching Centre for advice on completing this section.

Indicate how the teaching and learning strategies to be employed will facilitate achievement of the graduate attributes and employability skills. This may best be achieved by mapping where particular skills and attributes are covered and/or developed in the curriculum.


http://www.aqf.edu.au/

Provide evidence of inclusive aspects within the curriculum in line with the ACU Principles of Inclusive Curriculum (http://www.acu.edu.au/policy/173448).

Outline ways in which the course and units address contemporary social issues, for example socio-economic disadvantage, Indigenous perspectives and environmental sustainability.

Include consideration of the nexus between learning/teaching and research as illustrated in, and supported by, this course.

Section 14: Core Curriculum

The Courses and Academic Quality Committee is responsible for ensuring that the University Core Curriculum is incorporated appropriately. This section is not applicable for postgraduate coursework courses and may be deleted.

The Lead Academic, Core Curriculum should be consulted in the development of this section.

For Bachelor degrees, the placement of the University Core Curriculum Units is normally as follows:

UNCC100 Self and Community: Exploring the Anatomy of Modern Society Year 1 Semester 2UNCC300 Justice and Change in a Global World Year 3 Semester 1

If you wish to vary this pattern you will need to provide a rationale for the variation.

For a new, or changed, Program Core Curriculum Community Engagement Unit, you also need to provide a short justification showing how the unit directly contributes to and reinforces the themes of the Core Curriculum as described in the UNCC100 and UNCC300 unit outlines.

Section 15: Professional Recognition

This section should only be completed for courses for which external accreditation or registration approvals will be sought following approval of the course.

You should indicate the projected timeline for accreditation/registration of the course.

Note: A new course which requires accreditation/registration cannot normally be offered until approval to proceed is granted by the relevant professional body for that purpose.

Section 16: Relationship to Other Courses

16.1 General:

You should identify

(a) whether the new course forms part of a suite of courses;

(b) the relationship of units to those in other courses and any practical benefits from the sharing of units in different courses (specific detail of shared units is not required); and

(c) whether this course builds on an existing or related course.

16.2 Collaborative arrangements/joint degrees:


http://www.acu.edu.au/policy/173448

You should provide detail including

(a) the names and respective inputs and responsibilities of or relationships with the other institution(s);

(b) the nature of any special arrangements, eg articulation arrangements, joint awards, dual badging (refer to the ACU Policy on Educational Partnerships (http://www.acu.edu.au/policy/173320);

(c) use of units offered by the other institution;

(d) fee levels and fee collection and disbursement arrangements;

(e) the implications of any external legislative provisions (eg Higher Education Support Act) in relation to the proposed joint arrangement.

The Executive Dean will be required to obtain written endorsement of the proposal from all collaborating institutions and these should be appended to the proposal.

Section 17: Quality Assurance and Integrity

Here you should detail the quality assurance measures and processes that will be used to ensure the quality and integrity of the course. Where appropriate you should include the roles and responsibilities of individuals or committees, including the Course Implementation Committee or equivalent, in the oversight of these processes.

If a course is offered offshore, or in conjunction with an external partner, you should identify the role of ACU and the partner organisation in the QA processes.

Template Part D – Resource Analysis

In addition to completing this section of the template, you will need to submit a completed checklist for each of the relevant University areas consulted.

Section 18: Building, Plant and Equipment

In this section you should identify in detail any specific facilities required for the proposed new course(s). This should include items such as laboratories, equipment (other than information technology), field experience and clinical locations and other physical resources.

You should also include here any implications for timetabling of teaching space on the relevant campus(es).

Section 19: Information Technology and Communication Resources

In this section, you should detail requirements for hardware/software associated with the proposed new course(s), together with details of any additional purchases or maintenance requirements. These requirements should be based on the advice of the Director, Information Technology.

Section 20: Library Resources



In this section, you should detail the impact of the proposed new course(s) on ACU Library resources and any need for new acquisitions. This information should be provided based on the advice of the Director, Libraries.

Section 21: Resource Implications related to International Student numbers

Where the proposed course(s) will available to international students, you should detail any specific associated resource or capacity implications. This information should be provided based on the advice ACU International.

Section 22: Other Resources

In this section, you should provide details of any other ways in which the proposed new course(s) will impact on the teaching profile of the Faculties, or have other resource implications which are not covered in Sections 18 to 21. This would include impact on areas such as Student Administration.

Section 23: Business Plan

In this section, you should insert the ACU Business Case Template (http://www.acu.edu.au/605543) as an embedded spreadsheet. You should not need to retype the detail. Where the business case is to be treated as ‘Commercial-in-Confidence’, the Business Case Template may be appended to the proposal.

Your business plan must as a minimum:

Identify the indicators used to evaluate the viability of the course and the minimum benchmarks below which the course will be withdrawn.


Provide detail regarding projected minimum class sizes. Identify any likely impact on relative funding distribution within the Faculty(ies), having regard to the

funding bands to which units belong. Confirmation of fee types available (CSP, Full-fee etc) Include band information



Section 24: Risk Management

In this section you should provide a risk assessment identifying the risks associated with the proposed new course(s). You should identify the likelihood and severity of impact of each risk, and provide details of mitigation/amelioration strategies for each risk should it occur. You may choose to present this in the form of a table:

Risk Consequence Likelihood Severity Strategy

For advice on assessing severity and likelihood of risk, please refer to the ACU Risk Management Policy and Procedure (http://www.acu.edu.au/policy/414576) and/or contact the Office of Planning and Strategic Management.



Template Part E – Curriculum Proposal

Section 25: Course Development Committee and its Operation

In this section, you should list the membership of the Course Development Committee responsible for the proposal, and its terms of reference.

Section 26: Nomenclature Schedule

Proposed new course titles and abbreviations, or changes to existing course titles, specialisations and majors must be consistent with the Policy on Nomenclature of Awards (http://www.acu.edu.au/policy/204919) and approved by Academic Board.

If you require assistance, please contact the Office of the Academic Registrar.

Section 27: Course Rules

Course rules should be drafted using the template structure included in Section 27. As a minimum, these should address the following:

Course Title(s) and Abbreviation(s) Total credit point requirement for course (at each level in the case of nested courses) Minimum duration of course(s) Campus Availability AQF Level (if applicable) EFTSL value of units Available exit points Admission requirements Requirements for completion of the course; including the total number of credit points and

how they are constituted:number of credit points from specified (core) units;number of credit points for, and composition of any major(s) or specialisation(s) available within the course;any other requirements (eg professional experience, volunteer experience).

Progression requirements Schedule of unit offerings including:

specified (core) units;core curriculum units (if applicable);elective units; and units comprising specialisations, majors or other nominated requirements;

Exit points and requirements to be met to exit with a lower level qualification.

Admissions requirements should be consistent with other similar courses. You should consult the National Manager, Admissions, in Student Administration to confirm. Any proposed variations may require approval via the Admissions Committee.

Where English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements are identified for International Students, any variation from ELP listed in Schedule 2 of the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy must be endorsed by ACU International and approved via the Admissions Committee.

Where possible, you are encouraged to use the table format within the template for the Schedule of Unit Offerings, and add additional rows under each category as required. Where this is not practicable, please contact the Office of the Academic Registrar for advice.



Where a course proposal contains nested courses, full course rules for each nested course should be included.

The Office of the Academic Registrar should be consulted in regard to Course Rules prior to submission to Courses and Academic Quality Committee.

Section 28: New Units and their Moderation

In this section you should list all new units and the moderation which has occurred in their development. This moderation should be consistent with Section B6 of these Guidelines.

You should also indicate other courses in which these new units will be available and for which the course rules will require consequential amendment.

Section 29: Use of Existing Units

List here any existing units which will be used in the new course. Where there are changes to these units, you should identify the changes and ensure that a revised unit outline is included at Appendix 3.

Section 30: Discontinued Units

In this section, you should list any units which are to be discontinued as a result of the introduction of the new course. You should not include units which continue to be offered as part of any other ongoing course.


APPENDICES

Appendix 1: Detailed Course Map

You should include a detailed course map, or maps, showing placement of Units in the course in a standard enrolment pattern for each course in the proposal. Where a mid-year intake is proposed a separate course map should be provided The following sample course map should be used as a guide:


Appendix 2: Description of Course for Promotional and Related Purposes

Details for completion of this section are contained in the Course Template. Where a suite of nested or related courses are included in the proposal, you should complete a separate section for each course.In addition, Marketing and External Relations may need to contact your Faculty annually for current information on the following:

Suggested case studies: The names and contact details of any recent graduates who would be suitable for a case study to promote this course to potential students;

Impressive new developments: eg new facilities, curriculum change, academic appointments.

Appendix 3: Resource Consultation and Endorsement Register

Consistent with Sections, B4.3 and B9 and Template Section D, you should include details of and append supporting documentation as applicable

Appendix 4: Approved Unit Outlines – New and Revised Units

A Generic Unit Outline Unit Template (http://www.acu.edu.au/605540) must be completed and appended for each new and/or revised unit related to the proposal. Existing, unchanged units do not need to be recorded here, but must be referenced in Section 28.



C2. Course ReviewFaculties will undertake periodic reviews of courses, at least on a five-year cycle.

When a course is due for review, the Executive Dean will establish a Course Review Committee. A Course Review Committee may also be established to review a specialisation(s) or major(s) within a course. In the case of double degrees, the relevant Executive Deans will collaborate regarding the composition and terms of reference of the Committee.

C2.1 Course Review CommitteeThe membership of the Committee will be approved by the Dean(s). Committee size will vary reflecting the nature of the proposed course. The following categories of persons will be represented on Review Committees –

(a) academic staff;

(b) potential clients for whom the course is planned;

(c) external academic members;

(d) professional or industry representatives;

(e) at least one student currently pursuing the course;

(f) at least one graduate of the course.

Where a course requires accreditation by a professional body, membership of the Course Review Committee will include appropriate representation from that body.

The Committee will consult with the Dean, Faculty of Theology and Philosophy or nominee, where appropriate regarding Core Curriculum units.

The Chair of the Course Review Committee will invite a member of the Learning and Teaching Centre to provide input and advice regarding evaluation of the existing course and formulation of the proposal for the revision of the course, including course and unit rationales, and in relation to curriculum design (eg graduate attributes and learning outcomes) and delivery (eg use of LEO and new technologies) of units of study.

The Chair may later invite a member of the Learning and Teaching Centre to sit on an agreed, appropriate number of course review committee meetings.

External bodies should be consulted by the Committee, as appropriate. Any such external consultation is not a substitute for representation of categories (b) to (f) on the Committee.

Where it is essential to provide for varying employer and other external client needs in different States, Course Review Sub-Committees may be established by the Dean(s) in the relevant States. The work of these Sub-Committees will be co-ordinated by the Course Review Committee so as to ensure appropriate commonality and internal consistency in the course review proposal and revised curriculum proposal.

When appointing the Committee, the Dean(s) will nominate the Chair of the Committee and will provide the Chair with the Committee’s terms of reference. In the case of a double degree, the Chair will be appointed from the Faculty with primary administrative responsibility for the course.

The Course Review Committee will

(a) assess data on the existing course;

(b) evaluate the existing course;


(c) consider any changes that may be deemed appropriate and the justification for and impact of such changes;

(d) formulate the proposal for revision of the course;

(e) prepare a revised curriculum proposal.

The Committee may be required to make interim reports to the Faculty Board(s) during the exploratory or development phases of the review.

C2.2 Completing the Course Review TemplateThe Template – Course Review (http://www.acu.edu.au/605537) should be completed in full.

The complete Course Template and its Appendices should then be submitted, in turn to, Faculty Board, Courses and Academic Quality Committee and Academic Board.

At each stage of the approval process, the Endorsement Register and Approvals Register will be checked by the relevant Executive Officer to ensure that the prior endorsement/recommendation stage has been completed. If these registers are not completed, the proposal may not proceed to the next stage of the process.

For nested courses, for example Masters, Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate, a single template should be completed covering the suite of courses.

Template Part A - Introduction

Section 1: Course Title and Associated Information

In this section, you should provide a high level overview of course name(s), nomenclature, level(s) of award, names of majors or specialisations, names of exit points, and AQF recognition. Where changes are proposed, these should be identified in the table

You will also need to indicate whether the reviewed/revised course is replacing an existing course, and if this will result in the suspension or discontinuation of any existing course.

Suspension is where a course is withdrawn from offering but may be made available in a future study period.

Discontinuation of a course requires a Faculty Board recommendation to Academic Board. If the Review will result in a course discontinuation, or discontinuation of a specialisation or major, you will need to provide details of:

(a) the course, specialisation or suite of units to be discontinued (see section 29 for discontinuation of units);

(b) campuses at which relevant course/specialisation/major is currently offered but at which it will no longer be available;

(c) effective date of proposed discontinuation.

You should also provide a brief rationale for the discontinuation, which should be expanded on in Section 6.

Where there are transition arrangements for students, either as a result of a change to a course, or as a result of a course discontinuation, these should be referenced here and full details should be provided as an appendix to the proposal.



Section 2: Course Review Committee and its Operations

In this section, you should list the membership of the Course Review Committee and its terms of reference.

Section 3: Summary of the Changes Proposed

In this section, you should provide a brief summary of the nature and scope of any changes recommended by the Review Committee. For example whether the Review recommends

introduction of new majors, specialisations or unit sequences within an existing course and associated course rule changes;

curriculum for a new specialisation, major or unit sequence; changes to a suite of units; discontinuation of majors, specialisations or unit sequences; significant restructuring of the course; significant enlargement or rationalisation of unit offerings; change of course or specialisation title; change of admission requirements; change of exit points; change of location at which the course, majors or specialisations is/are offered; change of mode(s) in which the course is offered; amendment of course rules; minor fine-tuning of the course and its unit offerings.

Section 4: Specifics of Course Offering

See Section 3 of the New Course Approvals template guidelines on p17 of these guidelines.

Template Part B – Academic and Strategic Priorities

Section 5: Evidentiary Data from Evaluation of Existing Course

In this section you should provide evidence of the systematic evaluation of the course and its components in the preceding period of implementation.

You should reference and analyse qualitative and/or quantitative data such as

Course demand and application data Course Experience Questionnaire data accreditation feedback/documentation; feedback from students, eg from annual focus group reviews, student unit evaluation data; reports from the Course Advisory Committee(s); benchmarking data; Course Performance Report

To obtain the Course Performance Report contact the Statistical Analysis and Surveys team in OPSM.

In this section you should also provide an assessment of the achievement of the aims and objectives of the existing course as set out in the original course proposal, or subsequent course review documentation.

You should provide Student enrolment and retention data tables for the preceding five years for each course, and insert and complete separate tables for domestic and international enrolments, by campus.


You should use the term “Online” for online courses.

Section 6: Rationale for the Offering of the Revised Course

Here you should provide further detail on the reasons for any significant changes proposed to the course and the main reasons for these changes. This should include changes and/or modifications to the original rationale.

Include the rationale for the course in its revised form which includes a reasoned argument to justify the existence of the course, or to justify the major change, and describe the developmental learning sequence required to meet that need.

Suggested areas for inclusion are:

(a) identification of graduate destinations for which the revised course has been/is being designed;

(b) identification of target markets for which the revised course has been/is being designed

(c) developments within the sector/industry which are relevant to the proposal and/or impact on the future development or offering of the course;

(d) evidence of consultation with external bodies, eg professional bodies, accreditation agencies, prospective employers during the past five years and during the review process;

(e) data and/or evidence from the client groups or from competent external advisers which provided feedback regarding past offering of the course and demonstrate likely achievement of future target enrolments;

(f) where appropriate, any territorial factors, eg regional, state, national or international availability of similar courses in other institutions and factors which differentiate the revised course from those of competitors;

(g) other factors which are likely to affect the number of potential students over the next three years, and their employment outcomes.

You should also provide evidence of internal and external consultation. This should include letters of support from external organisations; documented meeting dates and agendas/minutes.

You should also include an analysis of projected market need/demand for the revised course. You should approach Student Recruitment and External Relations and/or ACU international to assist with the collation, analysis and presentation of this data.

Section 7: Course Alignment with the University Mission and strategic priorities

In this section you should indicate the manner in which the revised course:

(a) incorporates and promotes the University’s Mission and Catholic ethos; and(b) the manner in which the course contributes to the strategic priorities of the University and Faculty.

Section 8: Entry Pathways and Partnerships

In this section you should identify any course specific articulation agreements, entry pathways (including equity pathways) or other strategies which may enable entry to the course outside the normal ACU admissions processes. You should detail the impact of the Review upon these arrangements. Where appropriate, attach copies of agreements as an appendix.


Template Part C – Course Design, Quality and Integrity

Section 9: Course Description

In this section you should provide a high-level program description and details of any consequential changes to other courses

9.1 High Level Program Description

(a) conceptual structure of the course;

(b) major/specialisations/discipline fields/content areas;

(c) proportion of specified (core) and elective units, professional experience, community engagement requirements etc, as relevant. Specific unit details are not required. For Honours and Masters courses with a research component, specify the proportion of research and research-related study expressed as credit points.

(d) The detailed specification of course requirements occurs in the course rules and program map – see Section 26 and Appendix 1below. – In this section use a High level Program Map - indicate Major & Minor without detail, summary description of structure

(e) Double degrees

If a double degree program consists of degrees offered by two Faculties, identify the Faculty with primary administrative responsibility. Indicate where they are offered

(Note: In the case of double degrees, the proposal must be submitted to both Faculty Boards for recommendation to Courses and Academic Quality Committee before it will be considered by Courses and Academic Quality Committee.

(f) Core Curriculum and Community Engagement (see section 12)

(g) How the course encourages support, participation by, and is sensitive to, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and cultures.

(h) How the course reflects the internationalisation strategy of the University.

(i) In the case of any undergraduate coursework program of at least two years’ duration, indicate explicitly how community engagement is embedded in the course.

9.2 Consequential Changes to Other Courses

If applicable, you should describe any changes to the structures of related degrees, including any double degrees that are affected by the Review.

Section 10: Course Learning Outcomes

In this section you should list 3 to 6 Course Learning Outcomes which are drawn from the course rationale and reflect the logical developmental sequence of knowledge, sense-making, and skill development required for the course (in that order). The level should align with the requirements of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) (http://www.aqf.edu.au) and the Higher Education Standards Framework [LINK] and of any external accreditation body.

You should cross reference this statement with course Aim and objectives of the course(s) under review.

The Learning and Teaching Centre should be consulted to assist in the development of this section of the template.

Section 11: Graduate Attributes and Employability skills


In this section, you should indicate how the ACU Graduate Attributes and employability skills adopted by the University will be achieved in the revised course. It is recommended that you consult an academic developer in the Learning and Teaching Centre for advice on completing this section.

Indicate how the teaching and learning strategies to be employed will facilitate achievement of the graduate attributes and employability skills. This may best be achieved by mapping where particular skills and attributes are covered and/or developed in the curriculum.

Provide evidence of inclusive aspects within the curriculum in line with the ACU Principles of Inclusive Curriculum (http://www.acu.edu.au/policy/173448)

Outline ways in which the course and units address contemporary social issues.

Section 12: Core Curriculum

The Courses and Academic Quality Committee is responsible for ensuring that the University Core Curriculum is incorporated appropriately. This section is not applicable for postgraduate coursework courses and may be deleted.

The Lead Academic, Core Curriculum should be consulted in the development of this section.

For Bachelor degrees, the placement of the University Core Curriculum Units is normally as follows:

UNCC100 Self and Community: Exploring the Anatomy of Modern Society Year 1 Semester 2UNCC300 Justice and Change in a Global World Year 3 Semester 1

If you wish to vary this pattern you will need to provide a rationale for the variation.

For a new, or changed, Program Core Curriculum Community Engagement Unit, you also need to provide a short justification showing how the unit directly contributes to and reinforces the themes of the Core Curriculum as described in the UNCC100 and UNCC300 unit outlines.

Section 13: Professional Recognition

Indicate any accreditation or registration approvals for which re-approval will be sought following approval of the revised course and curriculum proposals.

Indicate the projected timeline for this accreditation/registration.

(Note: A revised course which requires accreditation/registration cannot normally be offered until approval to proceed has been received from the relevant professional body.)

Section 14: Relationship to other courses

14.1 General

In this section, you should provide a broad description of linkages and sharing of content between this and other courses, highlighting any changes from the existing situation. Indicate, for example:

(a) whether the revised course forms part of a suite of courses different from that which previously applied;



(b) any changes to the relationship of units to those in other courses and any impact on the practical benefits from the sharing of units in different courses (note: specific detail of shared units is not required);

(c) whether there is any change to the way, if any, that this course builds on an existing or related course.

14.2 Collaborative arrangements/joint degrees

Where the revised course is to be offered in collaboration with other institutions, you should indicate:

(a) the names and respective inputs and responsibilities of or relationships with the other institution(s);

(b) the nature of any special arrangements, eg articulation arrangements, joint awards, dual badging (see Policy and Procedures on Educational Partnerships (http://www.acu.edu.au/policy/173320);

(c) use of units offered by the other institution;

(d) fee levels and fee collection and disbursement arrangements;

(e) the implications of any external legislative provisions in relation to the proposed joint arrangement.

The Executive Dean will also be required to obtain written endorsement of the proposal from all collaborating institutions and these should be appended to the proposal.

Section 15: Quality Assurance and Integrity

Here you should detail the quality assurance measures and processes that will be used to ensure the quality and integrity of the course. Where appropriate you should include the roles and responsibilities of individuals or committees, including the Course Implementation Committee or equivalent, in the oversight of these processes.

If a course is offered offshore, or in conjunction with an external partner, you should identify the role of ACU and the partner organisation in the QA processes.

Section 16: Student Load Projection

In this section you should complete a table for each revised course and campus of offering showing projected headcount and enrolled load for the first five years of the course.

You should insert and complete separate tables for domestic and international enrolments, by campus.

You should use the term “Virtual” for online courses.

Where a crude retention rate (CRR) other than 80 per cent is specified, you must provide a rationale for the CRR used.



Template Part D – Resource Analysis

In addition to completing this section of the template, you will need to submit a completed checklist for each of the relevant University areas consulted.

You should follow the instructions contained in the template for each subsection.

Section 17: Staffing

In this section, you should indicate any additional academic staff required within the next three years as a consequence of the review of this course.

Section 18: Other Resources

In this section, you should provide details of the ways in which the revised course(s) may have resource implications on other areas of the Universities. This would include impact on areas such as Student Administration.

Section 19: Consultation

In this section you should complete the checklist to confirm consultation with relevant internal stakeholders. Detail should be included at Appendix 3.

Section 20: Business Plan

In this section, you should insert the ACU Business Case Template (http://www.acu.edu.au/605543) as an embedded spreadsheet. You should not need to retype the detail. Where the business case is to be treated as ‘Commercial-in-Confidence’, the Business Case Template may be appended to the proposal.

Your business plan must also:

Identify the indicators used to evaluate the viability of the revised course and the minimum benchmarks below which the course will be withdrawn.


Provide detail regarding projected minimum class sizes. Identify any likely impact on relative funding distribution within the Faculty or Faculties, having regard to

the funding bands to which units belong. Include band information

Section 21: Risk Management

In this section you should provide a risk assessment identifying the risks associated with the proposed new course(s). You should identify the likelihood and severity of impact of each risk, and provide details of mitigation/amelioration strategies for each risk should it occur. You may choose to present this in the form of a table:

Risk Consequence Likelihood Severity Strategy



For advice on assessing severity and likelihood of risk, please refer to the ACU Risk Management Policy and Procedure (http://www.acu.edu.au/policy/414576) and/or contact the Office of Planning and Strategic Management.

Template Part E – Curriculum Proposal

Section 22: Nomenclature Schedule

Any proposed changes to existing course titles, or named specialisations and majors must be consistent with the Policy on Nomenclature of Awards (http://www.acu.edu.au/policy/204919) and approved by Academic Board.

If you require assistance, please contact the Office of the Academic Registrar.

Section 23: Course Rules

Course rules should be drafted using the template structure included in Section 22. As a minimum, these should address the following:

Course Title(s) and Abbreviation(s) Total credit point requirement for course (at each level in the case of nested courses) Minimum duration of course(s) Campus Availability AQF Level (if applicable) EFTSL value of units Available exit points Admission requirements Requirements for completion of the course; including the total number of credit points and

how they are constituted:number of credit points from specified (core) units;number of credit points for, and composition of any major(s) or specialisation(s) available within the course;any other requirements (eg professional experience, volunteer experience).

Progression requirements Schedule of unit offerings including:

specified (core) units;core curriculum units (if applicable);elective units; and units comprising specialisations, majors or other nominated requirements;

Exit points and requirements to be met to exit with a lower level qualification.

Admissions requirements should be consistent with other similar courses. You should consult the National Manager, Admissions, in Student Administration to confirm. Any proposed variations may require approval via the Admissions Committee.

Where English Language Proficiency(ELP) requirements are identified for International Students, any variation from ELP listed in Schedule 2 of the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy must be endorsed by ACU International and approved via the Admissions Committee.

Where possible, you are encouraged to use the table format within the template for the Schedule of Unit Offerings, and add additional rows under each category as required. Where this is not practicable, please contact the Office of the Academic Registrar for advice.

Where a course proposal contains nested courses, full course rules for each nested course should be included.




Section 24: New Units and their Moderation

In this section you should list all new units and the moderation which has occurred in their development. This moderation should be consistent with Section B6 of these Guidelines (pXX).

You should also indicate other courses in which these new units will be available and for which the course rules will require consequential amendment.


List here any existing units which will be used in the new course. Where there are changes to these units, you should identify the changes and ensure that a revised unit outline is included at Appendix 5.

Section 26: Discontinued Units

In this section, you should list any units which are to be discontinued as a result of the introduction of the new course. You should not include units which continue to be offered as part of any other ongoing course.

APPENDICES


You should include an updated detailed course map, or maps, showing placement of Units in the revised course in a standard enrolment pattern for each course covered by the proposal. (See p31 for a sample course map.)

Appendix 2: Description of Course for Promotional and Related Purposes

Details for completion of this section are contained in the Course Template. Where a suite of nested or related courses are included in the proposal, you should complete a separate section for each course.

Appendix 3: Consultation and Endorsement Register

Consistent with Sections, B4.3 and B9, you should include details of and append supporting documentation as applicable

Appendix 4: Transition Arrangements (if applicable)

You should include full details of transition arrangements required resulting from the course review, including transition course maps for students.


Appendix 5: Approved Unit Outlines – New and Revised Units

A Generic Unit Outline Unit Template (http://www.acu.edu.au/605540) must be completed and appended for each new and/or revised unit related to the proposal. Existing, unchanged units do not need to be recorded here, but must be referenced in Section 24.



C3. Major ChangesAs identified in Section B of these Guidelines, Major Changes should be submitted for approval using the Template – Course Approval and Major Change (http://www.acu.edu.au/605536).

The sections that you will need to complete and the approval pathways to follow will vary, depending on the type of Major Change. You should consult the tables at Section B9 (pp10-11) and Section B10 (pp12-14) to determine the appropriate pathway.

Once you have identified the appropriate sections to complete, you should do so in accordance with the process identified in Section C1.2 of these Guidelines. Where you are not required to complete a particular section of the Template, you should leave the heading, but insert “Not Applicable”.

If you require further advice, please contact the Office of the Academic Registrar in the first instance.



C4. Minor ChangesAs noted in Section B of these Guidelines, responsibility for approval of minor course change proposals is delegated by the Academic Board to the relevant Faculty Board(s). Details of the minor course change are notified to the Academic Board and Information Resource Management section via attachment to the Faculty Board Minutes.

C4.1 Completing the Minor Change TemplateWhen completing the Template – Minor Change (http://www.acu.edu.au/605702), you should only complete the sections relevant to the particular minor change proposed. Where a section does not apply, please insert “Not Applicable” rather than deleting the section from the template.

Template Part A – Introduction

Section 1: Course Title and associated information

Identify the Course(s) and Faculty, or Faculties, affected by the proposed minor change. Where more than one Faculty is affected, you should seek approval from all Faculty Boards.

Section 2: Summary of the changes proposed

In this section you should provide a summary of the changes covered by the proposal. This could be in the form of a list.

Section 3: Rationale for the proposed change

Provide an overview of the main reasons for the proposed change, along with details of consultation with any internal and external stakeholders that has occurred in the development of the proposal.

Template Part B – Course Design, Quality and Integrity

Section 4: Addition of Units

In this section you should list any Units that are to be added to the courses identified in Section 1. You will need to complete a Generic Unit Outline Template (http://www.acu.edu.au/605540) for each new unit, and append it to the Minor Course Change template.

You also should identify the moderation which has occurred in the development of each unit. This moderation should be consistent with Section B6 of these Guidelines.

You should also indicate other courses in which these new units will be available, and for which the course rules will require consequential amendment.





In this section you should list any existing units which form part of the proposed minor change. Where there are changes to these existing units, for example a change of title or unit code, these should be identified in the table.

Section 6: Discontinuation of Units

In this section you should list any existing units which are to be discontinued and the effective date of their discontinuation.

Section 7: Variation of location at which units are available

In this section you should provide details of any changes to the locations at which individual units are available. The table should be completed to indicate the current locations, and any addition or discontinuation, for example:

Unit Campus/location at which unit(s) to be offered

Effective date of change

Study period Year

ABCD123 Introduction to Course Approvals

Existing:

Ballarat, Canberra, North Sydney

Additional:

Strathfield, Melbourne Semester 1 2015

Location(s) at which unit(s) offering to be discontinued:

North Sydney Semester 2 2015

Please note, if you are proposing the introduction or discontinuation of a major or specialisation at particular location, then this must be submitted as a major change proposal.

Section 8: Variation of study mode of a unit

In this section you should provide details of any changes to the study modes by which the relevant unit(s) are proposed to be offered. Particular consideration should be given to the impact of changes of study mode on particular cohorts of students, for example international students.

Section 9: Other academic consequences

In this section, you should identify any other academic implications of the proposed changes.


Template Part C – Resource Analysis

Section 10: Resource Implications

If the proposed minor change has resource implications, please complete this section. It is expected that where you have identified resource implications, you will undertake appropriate consultation, for example, with ACU International, Properties, Library, IT and the appropriate section(s) of Student Administration. Evidence of this consultation should be appended to the proposal.

Section 11 Risk Management

In this section, you should identify any potential risks associated with the proposal, along with strategies for dealing with such risks should they occur. Refer to Section 23 of the new Course Approval Process for further information.

Template Part D – Course Rules

Where the proposed minor change (for example, an amendment to the schedule of unit offerings due to unit name changes and prerequisites for units within a particular course) affects the course rules, but does not involve a consequential major change you should provide a full, updated set of course with tracked changes.

Where the minor change does not affect the course rules (for example a change of contact hours) you do not need to complete this section.

Appendices


If the proposed minor change will result in the change to a course map for a particular course, or suite of courses, an amended detailed program map(s) should be inserted as an appendix to the template.

Appendix 2: Unit Outlines – New and Revised Units

Where the minor change proposal involves new or revised units, please ensure that a Unit Outline is appended for each unit associated with the proposal. You should use the Generic Unit Outline Template (http://www.acu.edu.au/605540).



C5. Higher Research Degrees with a Coursework ComponentAs noted in Section B of these Guidelines, the process for approval of Higher Research degrees with a Coursework component follows the same general process as for undergraduate and postgraduate award courses, with the inclusion of the University Research Committee as an additional step process before Courses and Academic Quality Committee.

It is expected that the Faculty Research Standing Committee (or equivalent) will undertake the roles assigned to a coursework Course Development Committee in developing the Course Proposal.

C5.1 Completing the HDR with Coursework TemplateWhen completing the Template – HDR with coursework (http://www.acu.edu.au/605539), you are advised to follow Section C1.2 of these Guidelines.



D. REVISIONS LOG

Date Revision Type ID Description of Revision

11-Feb-2014 Minor 01 Fixed reference/broken link to the Generic Unit Outline Template throughout, following road-testing by FHS.

27-Feb-2014 Minor 02 Amended sections required for Change to Study Mode to include B7-B9 and D23 following road-testing by FLB.

19-Sep-2014 Medium03 Added change pathway and required template sections for existing course offered under

Educational Partnerships Agreement.

30-Nov-2016 Significant04

Changes resulting from CAQC review.
