The College is committed to innovation and quality in all aspects of college life. A crucial element of the College is its ability to respond to governmental requirements as well as the shifting societal, educational and vocational needs without abandoning the values of academic excellence and theological integrity.
The policy was benchmarked with and adapted from the 2022 HEPP-QN Unit Change Guide.
This policy describes the requirements and principles governing changes to the College's accredited coursework courses.
This policy:
- Provides a framework to guide decisions regarding the College's courses;
- Sets clear responsibilities and accountabilities for management of academic courses.
This policy applies to all accredited Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training courses.
1 Management of Changes to Courses
1.1 Changes to Higher Education Courses
Changes to accredited Higher Education courses may be proposed as a result of scheduled course reviews and/or reaccreditation processes, or through regular interim monitoring and/or continuous improvement processes. Changes as part of reaccreditation processes shall be proposed by the Course Development Panel with reference to this policy and in line with the Course Development Policy and recorded in the draft course within the College Unit Guide management system.
Changes as a result of regular interim monitoring and/or continuous improvement processes to accredited Higher Education courses may be categorised between Major and Minor changes. Changes may be approved by the Academic Board, or TEQSA if the changes alter the course so fundamentally that it amounts to a new course (refer to TEQSA Guidance Note: Changes in a Course of Study that May Lead to Accreditation as a New Course).
Major changes may require a Material Change Notification (MCN) to be submitted in line with TEQSA’s Material Change Notification Policy.
Where a course has professional accreditation, that professional accrediting body may be the ultimate approving authority. This especially applies to critical tasks – assessment items that have formed the basis of the course receiving accreditation. Such determinations are made on a case-by-case basis by the Dean of Studies.
Any change requiring external approval must have internal approval by the Academic Board before the regulator/professional accreditation body is requested to approve the change. Once finalised, all changes will be recorded in the College Unit Guide management system.
Guidelines
|
Element
|
Major/Minor
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Ultimate Approving Authority
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Notes:
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Course title on testamur
|
Major
|
Academic Board
TEQSA
|
MCN to TEQSA.
May lead to accreditation as a new course.
CRICOS notification as relevant.
|
|
Course duration / Volume of learning
|
Major
|
Academic Board
TEQSA (if new course accreditation required)
|
MCN to TEQSA.
May lead to accreditation as a new course.
CRICOS notification as relevant.
|
|
Course structure - Majors, Minors & Specialisations
|
Major
|
Academic Board
TEQSA (if new course accreditation required)
|
E.g. adding, removing, renaming or significantly changing the focus
MCN to TEQSA.
May lead to accreditation as a new course.
CRICOS notification as relevant.
|
|
Delivery Mode
(outside of accredited options) |
Major
|
Academic Board
TEQSA
|
MCN to TEQSA.
CRICOS notification as relevant. |
|
Delivery with other parties
|
Major
|
Governing Board
|
Refer to the Delivery with Other Parties policy
|
|
Course Learning Outcomes
|
Major
|
Academic Board,
TEQSA (if new course accreditation required) |
MCN to TEQSA.
May lead to accreditation as a new course. |
|
Entry Requirements
|
Major / Minor
|
Academic Board,
TEQSA (if new course accreditation required) |
Major: May lead to a need for accreditation as a new course, e.g. where changed entry requirements are likely to change the consequent type and level of learning experiences that flow from the change.
Minor: changes which do not otherwise change the fundamental nature of the course or its outcomes.
|
|
Course Progression
|
Major / Minor
|
Academic Board,
TEQSA (if new course accreditation required) |
Major: E.g. adding, removing or replacing units and/or significantly changing the course progression
Minor: E.g. changes to the sequence of existing units
|
|
Changes to Units
|
|
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Refer to s.1.2 below
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When making decisions on a proposal for a change to a course, the Academic Board will consider:
- The Coursework Courses Principles specified in the Course Development Policy;
- The need for and merit of the proposed changes; and
- The requirement for or adequacy of a transition plan for any current students.
1.2 Changes to Higher Education Units
Outside of a reaccreditation process, changes to Units may be proposed by a Course Coordinator, with a rationale for the change submitted to the Ultimate Approving Authority. Changes requiring Academic Board approval will first be endorsed by the Learning, Teaching and Research committee. Once finalised, all changes will be recorded in the College Unit Guide management system.
Guidelines
|
Element
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Major/ Minor/ Regular
|
Ultimate Approving Authority
|
Notes:
|
|
Credit Points
|
Major
|
Academic Board
|
|
|
Duration
|
Major
|
Academic Board
|
Any change outside of accredited course materials. Otherwise, Regular.
|
|
AQF level
Unit name/title Unit Code |
Major
|
Academic Board
|
High level approval recommended to ensure appropriate safeguards in relation to communication with key stakeholders
|
|
Delivery Mode
|
Major
|
Academic Board
|
Any change outside of accredited course materials.
Otherwise, Regular |
|
Student workload
|
Major
|
Academic Board
|
Change to total study hours per week
|
|
Prerequisites
|
Major
|
Academic Board
|
|
|
Unit learning outcomes
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Major or Minor
|
Academic Board (Major) or LTR (minor)
|
Major: Change/Addition/Removal of a learning outcome which will impact the student’s ability to meet/require a change to the overall course learning outcomes.
Minor: Change in language/expression of a learning outcome which will not impact the student’s ability to meet/require a change to the overall course Learning outcomes
|
|
Work-integrated learning (if applicable)
|
Major or Minor
|
Academic Board or LTR
|
Major: Adding, removing or significantly changing a WIL component
Minor: Changes which do not significantly change an existing WIL component
|
|
Topics
|
Regular
|
Course Coordinator
|
Removal or addition of topics
Rewording or refining of topics |
|
Unit Description/ Rationale
|
Regular
|
Course Coordinator
|
Regular: Clarification or rephrasing of existing unit overview. Unit topics remain unchanged
|
|
Assessment tasks and weighting
|
Minor or Regular
|
LTR or Course Coordinator
|
Minor: Change in the number, type, expression and/or weighting of assessments
Changes to a Critical task are endorsed by LTR but receive ultimate approval by professional body, with notification to Academic Board.
Regular: Routine changes within assessment tasks (not involving a change in the type of assessment) e.g. new essay topic for the purposes of promoting academic integrity
|
|
Prescribed and recommended readings
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Minor or Regular
|
LTR or Course Coordinator
|
Minor: Changes to texts which will impact the topics of the unit
Regular: Updating of texts and text editions for the purposes of currency
|
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Teaching plan and sequence
|
Regular
|
Course Coordinator
|
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1.3 Management of Changes to Vocational Education and Training Courses
All changes to Vocational Education and Training Courses will be through a revised Training and Assessment Strategy approved by the Director of VET.
1.4 Responsibility of the College’s Unit Guide management system
The College’s Unit Guide management system is the repository of all changes under development (in draft) or approved by the Ultimate Approving Authority (implemented) and will be able to produce the necessary tracked changes when required by the Regulators or Professional Accreditation bodies for renewal of accreditation or quality assurance purposes.
2. Transitional Arrangements
2.1 Transitional Arrangements for Higher Education Coursework Courses
Students who are enrolled in an accredited course that is modified shall be permitted to either:
- Complete the course substantially as previously accredited provided that they do so within twice the normal time they would take to complete the standard course on a full time basis from the time of enrolment; or
- Transition into a mutually agreed alternative course at no disadvantage to the student.
Some changes may require the development of an articulation agreement for current students.
In special circumstances, a core unit in a student’s (or group of students) enrolled course may be replaced by the College providing that the replacement unit contributes to the course learning outcomes in an equivalent manner. A special arrangement will be documented for each proposed variation to course.
Circumstances where a special arrangement regarding a course of study may be approved include:
- Where a student has only one unit to complete their course and the unit is not available in the next compulsory teaching period for the enrolled course.
- A core unit is unable to be offered by the College due to unforeseen circumstances.
2.2 Transition of Changes to Vocational Education and Training Courses
Changes to Vocational Education and Training Courses shall be managed according to the details of the accredited course or the training package and according to the guidelines in Standards for RTOs 2015 to 'Manage transition from superseded training products' Clauses 1.26 to 1.27.