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Monash University Policy Bank

Coursework Courses and Units Accreditation Policy

Purpose

To describe the framework that underpins the University's introduction, modification, review and disestablishment of coursework courses and units ensuring academic standards and a robust quality assurance process.

Scope

• All campuses (including offshore)
• All award coursework programs
• All Monash staff

Policy Statement

Course and unit accreditation processes ensure that all award courses and units are consistent with the strategic and educational priorities and academic standards of the University as set out in University policies and the Academic Plan and are consistent with the Australian (and where relevant Malaysian and South African) Qualifications Frameworks, the Monash Graduate Attributes and align with the Bologna Process.

 

The Deputy ViceChancellor (Education) or nominee is responsible for reporting to Academic Board on an annual basis on the operation of the University’s coursework courses and units accreditation framework.

 

Course Accreditation

Education Committee endorses and Academic Board accredits new courses, major amendments to courses—including offshore and online delivery—for a maximum period of five years. Professional accreditation is the responsibility of the course managing Faculty Board.

 

Enrolled students must be informed of a major amendment to a course by the managing faculty through the usual university means of communication and must be notified of their options and the transitional arrangements that will be put in place.

 

Minor amendments to courses are approved by the degree awarding Faculty Board. Amendments to double degree courses must be approved by the two relevant faculty boards. The Associate Dean (Education) is responsible for reporting minor amendments to courses to University Education Committee on a biannual basis.

 

Course Review

Each of the University’s award courses will be reviewed by an external panel at least every five years, although a shorter review cycle may be employed for strategic or operational reasons.

 

Where a course involves collaboration with a transnational partner institution, it may be advantageous to align the review cycle with the review process for transnational collaborative coursework arrangements. Faculties may also choose to align the timing of course review with professional or reaccreditation reviews by external bodies, where applicable.

 

Course Reaccreditation

Following finalisation of the course review, the course must be submitted to the Academic Board for either reaccreditation for a maximum of five years or disestablishment.

 

Disestablishing Courses

Where a course is to be disestablished, the managing faculty must investigate any possible adverse effects that the change may have on both individual students enrolled in the course and student cohorts currently enrolled in the course, with particular regard to:

·         Any transitional arrangements required;

·         Teaching out of disestablished course; and

·         Any time limits on the teaching out period.

 

The default period for the teaching-out of a course is full-time duration minus one year or part time equivalent or shorter where an equivalent can be identified. Where a course is disestablished, students will be assisted to complete the program of study within a designated period or be offered the opportunity to complete their course at another campus or to transfer to another course.

 

Where a student is not able to complete the course within the teachout period, assistance will be provided:

·         To complete equivalent units at another institution;

·         To transfer to another course

·         Be offered an early exit option, if appropriate; or

·         In exceptional circumstances, arrangements may be made for a student to complete their program at another  institution.

       

As far as possible, the approved course will continue to be delivered during the teachout period although elective options may become more limited towards the end of that period.

 

Enrolled students must be informed of a disestablished course by the managing faculty through the usual university means of communication and must be notified of their options and the transitional arrangements that will be put in place.

 

The managing faculty must seek to identify potential enrolments or potential student cohorts in pathways programs who may be affected by the decision to disestablish a course and notify them of their options and any transitional arrangements that will be put in place.

 

Course Accreditation at NonAustralian Campuses and Locations

 

In addition to the University’s requirements, courses delivered at Sunway and/or Monash South Africa or other offshore locations must meet the legislative requirements of the relevant country.

 

Units

New units, amendments to units and unit disestablishments are approved by owning Faculty Board for a period of five years.

 

Proposals to establish, modify or disestablish units that involve either the academic content or resources of another faculty or offering at another campus must include documentary evidence of consultation with that faculty or campus.

 

Applications for the renewal of units are approved by owning Faculty Board according to faculty processes and reported to University Education Committee on a biannual basis.

 

New Passport or crosslisted units and Passport unit disestablishments are approved by Academic Board biannually. Education Committee endorses Passport and crosslisted units for Academic Board.

 

The Associate Dean (Education) is responsible for reporting amendments to units and unit renewals to University Education Committee on a biannual basis.

 

The Pro ViceChancellor (Learning and Teaching) is responsible for a systemgenerated report of new units and unit disestablishments, including Passport units, to University Education Committee on a biannual basis.

 

Supporting procedures

Coursework Courses and Units Accreditation Procedure
Coursework Course Review Procedures

Supporting guidelines

Guidelines for Teaching-Out Disestablished Programs

Responsibility for implementation

• University wide—Deputy Vice‐Chancellor (Education)
• University wide—Pro Vice‐Chancellor (Learning and Teaching)
• University wide—President, Academic Board
• Faculty wide—Deans
• Faculty wide—Associate Deans (Education)

Status

New

Key Stakeholders

Deputy Vice‐Chancellor (Education)
Deputy Vice‐Chancellor (Global Engagement)
Vice President (Administration)
Pro Vice‐Chancellor (Learning and Teaching)
Pro Vice‐Chancellor (Planning and Quality)
FiRM
Deans
Associate Deans (Education)
Heads of schools/departments

Approval body

Name: Academic Board
Meeting: 2/11
Date: 13-April-2011
Agenda item: 10.1

Endorsement body

Name: Education Committee
Meeting: 2/11
Date: 23-March-2011
Agenda item: 8

Definitions

Accreditation: A process whereby a course or unit is assessed against predetermined criteria and a determination made about whether it meets the minimum academic standards set by the University, as articulated in University policy. Some University courses and units are also professionally accredited, ensuring that graduates from those courses or units are qualified and competent. The University recognises that external accreditation of its programs by professional bodies is an important component of a quality assurance framework.

Course: The accumulation of units, according to a set of rules, that leads to the award of one or more qualification (eg Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Engineering).

Course review: The process evaluating an academic program in relation to the Monash Quality Framework, with respect to the strategic, academic and business aspects of the course, including planning and quality assurance, resourcing, course demand, structure and management, teaching and learning and external engagement.

Cross‐listed unit: A unit cross‐coded with different alpha prefixes but with the same academic content.

Major Amendment:: A major amendment to an existing course includes the addition of cross‐institutional ventures or those involving other external partners; the offering of a course outside Australia; modifications that will generate a new form of University award not currently conferred by Monash; changes that may have a major impact on a particular campus or the offerings of another faculty; changes that lead to a course structure different from those usually applying to an award; the addition or deletion of a major or area of specialisation from a course; the provision of a course online; new core units or disestablishment of core units; or creation of a tagged coursework award title.

Passport Units: units that are identified as meeting the minimum specifications for at least one program in Passport, a University‐wide framework that recognises Monash’s educational priorities. Completion of a Passport unit is recognised in the Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS).

Unit: A component of a course of study which is taught and examined as a discrete entity but does not include a thesis for a higher degree by research which is governed by regulations of the Research Graduate School Committee. A unit is represented by a single unit code.

Related legislation

Monash University Act 2009 
Course and degree regulations 
Statute 6.1 - Awards of the University

Related policies

Academic Programs from Multiple Campuses Policy 
Admission to Coursework Courses and Units of Study Policy 
Assessment in Coursework Programs Policy 
Collaborative Coursework Arrangements Policy 
Coursework Course Review Policy 
Course Structure Policy 
Course Titling and Abbreviation Policy 
Course and unit handbook policy 
Credit Policy (including Recognition of Prior Learning)      
Monash Graduate Attributes Policy  
Qualification Categories Policy 
Teaching in a Language Other than English Policy 
Unit Coding Policy 

Related documents

Australian Qualifications Framework 
Handbook Production Guide 
Monash 2025 
The Transitional Academic Plan 
Course Costing Model
Sunway Campus Course Accreditation Business Rules

Date Effective

01-July-2011

Review Date

19-November-2011

Owner

Deputy Vice‐Chancellor (Education)

Author

Pro Vice‐Chancellor (Learning and Teaching)

Content Enquiries



ap@monash.edu

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