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C/4.1 Major course developments |
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4.1.1 Policy
4.1.1 PolicyCouncil has delegated authority to University Academic Board to approve all new course developments and changes to existing courses. University Academic Board reports to Council on all new courses approved for offering, and provides Council at least annually with a strategic analysis of recent and future course development trends and how they accord with the University's Course Provision Strategy . 4.1.2 Processes for developing a new courseThere are two parts to the course documentation for development of a new course, each of which passes through slightly different sets of committee processes:
From the beginning of the course development process, those organisational units within the University which have an interest in the course must be advised of the host faculty's potential course, and consultations between parties must occur. The Division of Technology, Information and Learning Support (TILS) Faculty Liaison Team (comprised of academic staff developers and learning designers who have curriculum design expertise, as well as representatives from the Library and other support services) must be involved in the course development from the beginning (see Course Team below). A major mechanism for advice about forthcoming proposals is the Courses Bulletin (see C/4.1.3 (a) below). Throughout the course development and approval process the Office of Teaching Quality, in the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Teaching Quality), is responsible for providing advice on, and ensuring the progress of, any course development. Timelines for the passage of course proposals through University committees are published each year by the Office of Teaching Quality. The Office of Teaching Quality website contains the timelines and a number of other pages useful to course developers. A new course may be advertised for the domestic market as 'subject to final approval' at any time prior to the final approval by University Academic Board. However, prior to advertising, faculties should be clear about a number of fundamental matters such as the title of the course, its broad structure, its market orientation, and its mode of offering. For the international market, in accordance with the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) (2000) Act , a new course may not be advertised offshore until it has received full approval by University Academic Board and has been registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). In certain circumstances, faculties may wish to gauge University reaction to a particular proposal prior to beginning the full development process. Faculties who wish to propose a course which is sufficiently novel that they are unsure of the University's likely position, and who may therefore wish to have some guidance before embarking on the Preliminary Business Analysis, may make a brief submission to Vice-Chancellor's Advisory Committee. In these cases, a brief (one or two page) submission outlining the salient features of the proposed course and the rationale for its introduction or implementation, and requesting advice should be sent by the executive dean of faculty to the Dean of Studies, Office of Teaching Quality who will forward it to Vice-Chancellor's Advisory Committee. Faculties are also encouraged to use the Courses Bulletin, outlined in section C/4.1.3 below, to communicate and seek feedback on proposals at this stage. 4.1.3 Development and approval process for new coursesThis section contains a relatively brief statement of policy and process. Staff members involved in developing a course proposal for approval should also read the guidelines for course development on the Office of Teaching Quality website. (a) Courses Bulletin The Courses Bulletin is an important means of communication between interested parties about course proposals. A Courses Bulletin should be published at the earliest stage of course development. Faculties must notify the Dean of Studies, Office of Teaching Quality of their intention to offer the course. Upon receipt of this advice, the Office of Teaching Quality publishes an email Courses Bulletin containing a brief (one or two paragraph) outline of the course proposal. The Courses Bulletin is sent to a subscriber list, to which any member of the University staff may subscribe. What is written in the Courses Bulletin does not in any way constrain the development of the course. (b) Interaction with other faculties and divisions Faculties and divisions who wish to be involved formally in the development of the course must indicate their interest to the proposing faculty immediately on receipt of the Courses Bulletin. On the other hand, and equally importantly, the proposing faculty will proactively involve the TILS Faculty Liaison Team and other likely interested parties from faculties and divisions in the course development from its inception (see course team below). The proposing faculty and interested faculties and divisions must discuss all matters that may interest or affect them and must negotiate these matters appropriately prior to consideration of the proposal by University committees. To assist this process, the Student Business Services Department and the Division of Technology, Information and Learning Support have developed information on standard items which need to be addressed in course proposals (both in the Business Plan and Academic Plan) - see Office of Teaching Quality website. (c) The course team Faculties should adopt a team approach to course development. Following the publication of the Courses Bulletin, the faculty appoints a course planning coordinator and establishes a course team to develop the course. The course team will include one or more staff members from the faculty, one or more of the TILS Faculty Liaison Team, and representatives of those divisions and other faculties with an interest. In this way, interested stakeholders can have an input ab initio . (d) Course documentation The course team is responsible for developing all necessary documentation for the Course Plan (incorporating the Preliminary Business Analysis, Academic Rationale and Course Description. Appendix 10(a) should be used as the proforma for the Course Plan, with Appendix 10(d) used as the proforma for unit outlines. The Preliminary Business Analysis incorporates a financial plan, which includes a budget (in tabular form) and statements of discussions and negotiations of issues with the other stakeholders in the course. It is assumed that all start-up costs will be borne by the host faculty, or appropriate faculties and divisions, by negotiation. Recurrent costs associated with courses are assumed to be covered by faculty and division annual base funding allocations, which for fee-paying courses will be through the standard or agreed distribution of student fees. Any proposed requests for capital expenditure or additional space requirements must be shown in the Preliminary Business Analysis and Course Plan, and discussed with the Executive Director, Finance and Resource Planning at the earliest possible stage. (e) Strategic plans While it is not expected that the proposing faculty will include the course specifically in its strategic plans, the course must be generally consistent with the plans, and account will need to be taken of the course in the faculty's reporting on its budget for the next year. (f) Approval process New courses and changes to courses with substantial academic implications are approved for offering by University Academic Board on the basis of advice provided by Vice-Chancellor's Advisory Committee and University Teaching and Learning Committee, and after endorsement by the relevant faculty advisory committees and faculty academic boards. All committees consider the proposal in terms of the matters outlined in the reporting guidelines for reviewing submissions for course approval (see Office of Teaching Quality website). (i) Faculty Committees QUT values the contributions of business, industry, and professional persons to its course development process, and the proposing faculty should take full advantage of the insights of the external members of its committees, such as its faculty or school advisory committee, or other relevant external persons, in shaping its course proposal. In any case, the course proposal must be considered, endorsed and approved formally by the faculty / school advisory committee (or an ad hoc group of external advisers if no faculty / school advisory committee exists), and the faculty academic board, after which the secretary of the faculty academic board forwards the proposal, with minute extracts from the faculty / school advisory committee and faculty academic board deliberations, to the Dean of Studies, Office of Teaching Quality. (ii) Vice-Chancellor's Advisory Committee The Preliminary Business Analysis, is considered first by Vice-Chancellor's Advisory Committee. The Committee considers
Vice-Chancellor's Advisory Committee also ensures that all necessary consultations and negotiations between stakeholders have been properly and fully completed. (iii) Courses and Quality Working Party University Teaching and Learning Committee has delegated the detailed discussion of course proposals to Courses and Quality Working Party. Prior to consideration by Courses and Quality Working Party, the Dean of Studies, Office of Teaching Quality sends the full course proposal documentation excluding any confidential business information to external assessors. These assessors will normally be selected from a list of names, provided by the proposing faculty, of senior academics from other universities and appropriately distinguished members of business, industry or relevant professions. This is an entirely independent assessment so external assessors should not have been involved in the development, approval or professional accreditation of the course in question. In particular, this precludes members of faculty / school advisory committees from acting as external assessors. Appropriate interstate or international assessors are encouraged. Assessors are asked to comment in writing on the features listed in the reporting guidelines for reviewing submissions for course approval (see Office of Teaching Quality website), and on the course relative to others providing education for the profession or discipline(s). Assessors' comments will be made available to the proposing faculty as soon as they are received. The Course Plan is considered by Courses and Quality Working Party of University Teaching and Learning Committee in terms of QUT's guidelines for the development and approval of awards (see C/3.2 and Office of Teaching Quality website), taking account of external assessors' comments, reports from faculty / school advisory committee and faculty academic board, and the comments of Vice-Chancellor's Advisory Committee. For all proposals for research higher degrees, the Chair of Research Degrees Committee (ie the Dean of Research and Research Training) is a full member of Courses Working Party. The Working Party invites the executive dean of the proposing faculty to send two representatives to meet with the Working Party to discuss the proposal. Courses and Quality Working Party requires any issues raised by its members in discussion to be addressed by the proposing faculty either verbally at the Courses and Quality Working Party meeting, or in writing following the meeting. Where new courses or major course developments are being introduced year by year, Courses and Quality Working Party may require to see the academic detail on an annual basis until course developments are complete. (iv) University Teaching and Learning Committee Courses and Quality Working Party provides a report recommending endorsement of the course to University Teaching and Learning Committee if these issues have been resolved to the satisfaction of the Working Party. Normally the report of Courses and Quality Working Party, the response from the faculty, and a summary of the discussion at Vice-Chancellor's Advisory Committee are the only documents submitted to University Teaching and Learning Committee. University Teaching and Learning Committee considers and endorses the course proposal. Before giving its endorsement, University Teaching and Learning Committee may require further responses from the faculty, or it may make recommendations to University Academic Board about approval to offer the course. (v) University Academic Board Following consideration by University Teaching and Learning Committee, a brief summary of the course proposal, together with a summary of salient points expressed at Vice-Chancellor's Advisory Committee, faculty / school advisory committee, faculty academic board, and University Teaching and Learning Committee, is considered at University Academic Board. University Academic Board assesses the merits of the proposal, and approves the course for offering. 4.1.4 Reporting to CouncilUniversity Academic Board reports to Council on new courses approved for offering. At least once a year, University Academic Board provides Council with a strategic analysis of recent and future course development trends and how they accord with the University's Course Provision Strategy . Modification History
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