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C/7.10 Unit outlines |
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7.10.1 Unit outlines 7.10.1 Unit outlinesA unit outline is a document providing a description of the rationale, aim and objectives, teaching and learning approaches, content, assessment, required resources and synopsis of a unit. It is used both for approval purposes for the unit, and for the information of current and prospective students, and other stakeholders. The Unit Coordinator is responsible for preparing the unit outline and Week One Unit Information document in accordance with the directions of the Course Coordinator (see B/3.5.6 ). All units must have an associated unit outline, prepared in accordance with the proforma at MOPP Appendix 10 (d) and approved by the relevant faculty academic board, before the unit can be offered. A unit has a single unit outline for all offerings of the unit (eg campus or teaching period). A single unit outline is used in the following circumstances:
If offerings of a unit are sufficiently different that a single unit outline cannot be written (eg there are differences in objectives, content or assessment), then a separate unit code should be used. A unit outline is updated when improvements or changes to a unit are made as a result of student evaluations (see C/7.7 ). 7.10.2 Week One Unit InformationThe Week One Unit Information is an expanded version of the unit outline which provides specific information to students about the unit as it will run in a particular teaching period. This information may differ for offerings of the same unit on different campuses and different cohorts. The Week One Unit Information is made available no later than the second week or activity of the relevant teaching period as required by QUT's policy for student access to information (see E/2.1.1 ), but preferably by the first class for the unit. It is expected that the Week One Unit Information document be used to provide students with information on changes made to the unit as a result of student evaluations (see C/7.7 ). 7.10.3 Provision of information to studentsStudents are the primary audience for the unit outline and the Week One Unit Information and the documents should therefore be written in student-centred language. All unit outlines must be made available to students through QUT Virtual.The final version of the unit outline for the forthcoming academic period must be published on QUT Virtual before the date of publication of the timetable for that academic period (see E/5.1.10 ).Deadlines for publishing final versions of unit outlines are therefore the same as those for the timetable (see E/5.1.6 ), ie
The information provided in unit outlines is intended to be a general description of the unit which is unlikely to change between offerings unless significant changes are made to the unit.Therefore the unit outline should not include specific dates (eg for assessment) and content should be provided as a brief general description. The Week One Unit Information incorporates the approved unit outline in its entirety and provides additional, more detailed information including the following:
The Week One Unit Information may also include details of weekly lecture and tutorial topics and specific information on field trips or other unit requirements. Any changes made to the requirements of the unit after the Week One Unit Information has been published must be made in consultation with the students enrolled in the unit (see E/2.1.2 ). Guidelines relating to unit outlines and the Week One Unit Information are available on the Office of Teaching Quality website. 7.10.4 Approval processesUnit outline The offering of a new unit, based on an appropriate unit outline, is approved by the relevant faculty academic board, or its delegated authority. Any subsequent major changes to unit outlines must also be approved by the relevant faculty academic board. Faculties may determine what constitutes a major or minor change to a unit outline, but in general it is expected that as a minimum the following changes would require approval at faculty academic board level:
Minor changes to unit outlines can be approved at a lower level as delegated by faculty academic board. In the case where new or revised unit outlines form part of a new course or course change with major academic implications, the unit outlines are provided as part of the course approval documentation and are considered by the relevant University committees during the approval process (see C/4.1.3 ). In this case, University committees may request faculty academic boards to make changes to unit outlines before final approval of the unit for offering. Week One Unit Information The Week One Unit Information is written by the unit coordinator, and does not require any further approval. 7.10.5 Unit costs to studentsThe unit outline provides advice to students on charges or potential additional costs associated with the unit. The Week One Unit Information provides full details of any such requirements, and should present information on options for students in cases of financial hardship. Related DocumentsMOPP Appendix 10(d) Unit Outline Proforma MOPP B/3.5.6 Unit coordinator MOPP C/7.7 Evaluation of courses, units, teaching and student experience MOPP C/9.3 Procedures for academic dishonesty MOPP E/2.2 QUT Student Charter MOPP E/5.1 Class timetabling policy Modification History
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