Relevance of the Curriculum Policy

Please note that this policy has not yet been revised or converted to the new format.

The terms of reference for all academic reviews shall take account of the following core and guiding principles to ensure relevancy:

Core principles

‘Relevance of the curriculum’ has the following broad set of core principles.

1. 'Relevance of the curriculum' should be linked to the broader educational goal of developing the whole person as well as the 'citizen' and the 'professional'.
2. There should be:

• an appropriate balance between academic and vocational aspects of the curriculum and
• recognition of the need to integrate this balance into research activities, projects and assessment.

1. While acknowledging the pressures from external accreditation bodies and external influences, a broader curriculum should be defended.
2. There is the need to integrate humanities skills/content, technical and managerial skills into all disciplines.
3. In curriculum design, equity issues should be recognised.
4. The curriculum should recognise the multi-campus nature of the University within Australia and overseas.
5. The currency of the curriculum should be ensured by regular and systematic review processes.
6. The responsibility for regular and systematic review should rest with those with expertise in the faculties and be supplemented by course accreditation committees with external representatives representing industry, community and professional bodies as appropriate.

Guiding Principles

Balance between education and training

To ensure the appropriate balance between education and training:

1. The needs of the community, including the interface with industry, should be recognised by the development of formal and informal links with the community.
2. While the balance between education and training may be determined in some cases by professional requirements, it is important that such a balance is flexible in nature and recognises changing needs of the community and changing job requirements.
3. It is necessary to foster flexible education pathways both at undergraduate and graduate level in order to be responsive to the changing external environment.

International context

To ensure a relevant and appropriate curriculum for the international context in which the University operates:

1. Staff should be encouraged and supported in making explicit the nature and histories of the disciplines they teach.
2. Special attention should be given to the internationalisation of curricula to be taught in overseas locations as these may require different strategies.
3. Attention should be given to the diversity of the student population in Australia overseas and pedagogic measures be developed to utilise its cultural diversity.
4. Opportunities for professional development should be available for staff to develop expertise in handling both cultural diversity and internationalisation.

Balance in multi-disciplinary and cross disciplinary perspectives

To ensure relevance of the curriculum by:

1. Structuring degrees, where appropriate, so that they can easily accommodate electives being taken from other disciplines or faculties;
2. Presenting clearly to students the advantages in undertaking double degrees as they allow students to broaden their education and complement vocational objectives;
3. Industry and the community should be constantly informed of new developments introduced by the university and faculties in the form of new degree and flexible structures.

Education Committee shall continue to develop procedures that facilitate cooperation between faculties and disciplines to develop multi-disciplinary and cross disciplinary subjects and courses.

Scholarship and Research

To ensure that programs are informed by scholarship and research especially in later years:

1. Courses should be reviewed to ensure that research training appropriate to the discipline takes place at all year levels.
2. The review process for all subjects should ensure that they contain appropriate elements of research or scholarship.

Review of Courses and Subjects

It shall be part of the responsibilities of Associate Deans (Teaching) to ensure that regular reviews of courses and subjects are conducted within the faculties by appropriate discipline experts and reported to Education Committee.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure a relevant and appropriate balance between education and training in university courses.

Scope

This policy applies to all courses.

Definitions

‘Currency’ may be defined in a number of ways. The main concern is that the curriculum is regularly updated, that it is abreast with the latest research within the academy and the professions, that it is responsive to the needs of industry, the professions and the community, that it is cognisant of its audiences/clients (including the multicultural student body), and is flexible enough to change and modify its content and its modes of delivery and assessment in response to these contextual factors.

'Relevance of the curriculum' will be interpreted in different ways by different groups within the University.

• Student: Diversification of the student body needed to be understood and acknowledged. Relevance to the life of the student needed to be taken into account. Key question: what do students want from a tertiary education?
• Academics: To include relevance of discipline, relevance of what is taught and the broader contextual relevance. Key questions: what do teachers want to teach? And what do they have time to teach?
• Professions: To encompass the professions, professional associations, employers, industry and business. Accreditation by professional association identifies required and desirable content of the curriculum and identifies profession specific skills. The role and input from "externals" during course development is important in determining curriculum.
• Community: A more global perspective of the issue based on a desire for value for money, instilled confidence in the quality of programs and an assurance that there is some overall benefit for society as a whole
• University: Relevance related to strategic planning and review, committee structure and academic standards. Focus on outcomes and performance.

Related Documents

• Admissions Policy  
• Assessment of Coursework Policy and Procedures
• Cross Institutional Courses and Partnerships Policy and Procedures 
• Credit Transfer (including Recognition of Prior Learning ) Policy and Procedures
• Examinations Policy  and Procedures
• Transcripts and Testamurs Policy and Procedures

Governing Documents

• Monash University Act 1958

Responsibilities for Implementation

• Faculty wide – Associate Deans (Teaching)
• University Wide – Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education)

Review Schedule

Academic Board shall consider this policy for review three years after approval, or earlier if required.

Approved

Approved by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Planning) on 2 December 2002

Change to "Responsibilities for Implementation" made by Education Committee Meeting 6/2005, 26 October 2005.