• Section 1 - Purpose
• Scope
• Section 2 - Policy
• Section 3 - Procedures
• Responsibilities and Required Actions
• Systems Overview and Resources
• New Units
• Amendments to Existing Units
• Timeframes
• Roll-over of Units
• Publishing Unit Guides
• Exceptional Circumstances
• Quality Assurance
• Record Keeping
• Section 4 - Guidelines
• Section 5 - Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) To establish the steps and responsibilities involved in the development, approval and publication of a Unit Guide in accordance with Schedule 6: Unit Guide Requirements of the Assessment Policy.

Scope

(2) This Procedure applies to staff involved in the development, approval, and publication of Unit Guides, including Unit Guides for Macquarie University International College (MUIC).

Section 2 - Policy

(3) Nil.

Section 3 - Procedures

Responsibilities and Required Actions

(4) There is a Unit Guide Procedure Flowchart available for this Procedure.

Systems Overview and Resources

(5) All Macquarie University Unit Guides are managed via workflows within the Macquarie University Curriculum Management System (MQCMS) and iTeach. These workflows enable the University to ensure accurate and timely publication of Unit Guides.

New Units

(6) All proposals for the creation of a new Unit must be submitted via the MQCMS, and will follow the prescribed Faculty / Macquarie University International College (MUIC) / Professional and Community Engagement (PACE) governance workflow within the MQCMS.

(7) Consultation on the development of the Unit must occur if the proposal:

1. impacts an associated academic item;
2. relates to a Unit or course component that services a course from another area;
3. impacts majors, minors or specialisations from another area impacts Units from another area;
4. is part of an articulated / nested set;
5. relates to a Unit that is co-taught with another Unit;
6. relates to a PACE Unit; and
7. relates to a Capstone Unit.

(8) For guidance refer to:

1. MQCMS Toolkit - Training and Support – see System User Guide ‘Create a Unit’;
2. MQCMS Toolkit - Process Maps – see ‘Unit – Overview and Feasibility’; and
3. MQCMS Knowledge Articles – see articles on Unit proposal summary, Unit overview and feasibility, and Unit design.

Amendments to Existing Units

(9) Amendments to existing Units must be submitted via the MQCMS and will follow the prescribed Faculty / MUIC / PACE governance workflow within the MQCMS.

(10) For guidance refer to:

1. MQCMS Toolkit - Training and Support – see System User Guide ‘Amend a Unit’;
2. MQCMS Toolkit - Process Maps – see ‘Unit Amendment – Other’; and
3. MQCMS Knowledge Articles.

(11) Amendments that are submitted as ‘editorial amendments’ (e.g. correcting typos, syntax, grammar, punctuation, formatting, or hyperlinks) are allocated directly to the Curriculum and Planning team for action. If the Curriculum and Planning team consider the proposed amendments are not simply editorial (such as the rephrasing of entire sentences or the alteration of learning outcomes), they will be resubmitted for approval via the prescribed Faculty / MUIC / PACE governance workflow.

(12) Only editorial amendments may be made within three (3) weeks prior to the scheduled start date of the Unit.

(13) For guidance refer to:

1. MQCMS Toolkit - Training and Support – see System User Guide ‘Amend a Unit’; and
2. MQCMS Toolkit - Process Maps – see ‘Unit Amendment – Editorial’.

Timeframes

(14) All proposals for the establishment of new Units, or amendments to existing Units (excluding editorial amendments) must be submitted via the MQCMS with sufficient time to reach the final Faculty Board or MUIC Sub-Committee of ASQC for approval prior to session commencement. This must be no later than three (3) weeks prior to the scheduled start date of the Unit.

Roll-over of Units

(15) Units may be rolled over from one teaching period to the next. If the only updates required are to the administration details for the Unit (name of Unit Convenor and assessment due dates), this may be completed directly in iTeach. Unit roll-over must be approved within iTeach at least two (2) weeks prior to the scheduled start date of the Unit by one of the following:

1. Head of Department;
2. Course Director;
3. Program Manager (MUIC); or
4. Department Manager (as nominated in iTeach).

Publishing Unit Guides

(16) The majority of information that is included in Unit Guides will be captured in iTeach directly from the MQCMS. Unit Convenors will still need to add certain information in iTeach relating to administration details for the Unit, including the name of the Unit Convenor, and assessment due dates.

(17) Unit Guides must be approved within iTeach at least two (2) weeks prior to the scheduled start date of the Unit by one of the following:

1. Head of Department;
2. Course Director;
3. Program Manager (MUIC); or
4. Department Manager (as nominated in iTeach).

(18) Unit Guides must be approved and available to be published onto Unit Guides at least (2) weeks prior to the scheduled start date of the Unit.

Late Changes to Published Unit Guides

(19) Any substantive late changes to Units after the Unit Guide publication (excluding editorial amendments) must be submitted via the MQCMS, and will follow the prescribed Faculty / MUIC / PACE governance workflow within the MQCMS.

(20) The Unit Convenor or Program Manager (MUIC) must notify students as soon as possible where a substantive late change to a Unit is approved.

Exceptional Circumstances

(21) Where exceptional circumstances prevent one or more of the specified Unit Guide requirements from being met, the Unit Convenor or Program Manager (MUIC) must:

1. advise the Head of Department, and Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching or Associate Director Learning and Teaching, MUIC as soon as this issue is identified; and
2. advise the students in writing as to what happened and indicating the implications of these circumstances.

Quality Assurance

(22) Ongoing quality assurance processes for Units and Unit Guides include:

1. seeking regular review of Units and Unit Guides by colleagues familiar with the discipline area;
2. consideration of student survey feedback;
3. formal review of Units in accordance with curriculum review schedules; and
4. meetings of the Unit Guide Annual Review Working Group of the Senate Learning and Teaching Committee (SLTC) to consider and, where appropriate, approve the addition of or changes to required fields within the Unit Guide system iTeach.

Record Keeping

(23) In accordance with the University’s record management obligations, past Unit Guides will be maintained in an archive contained within the iTeach system.

Section 4 - Guidelines

(24) Nil.

Section 5 - Definitions

(25) Commonly defined terms are located in the University Glossary. Definitions specific to this Procedure are contained in the Assessment Policy.