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Course of Study Revision Policy

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Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This Policy supports the continual enhancement of the quality, integrity, and relevance of the University’s suite of award courses of study (‘courses’).

(2) This Policy documents the process by which courses, including their constituent course components and units of study (‘units’), can be subject to revision during their accreditation cycle or at the point of reaccreditation.

(3) This Policy is part of Stage 4 Monitoring and Stage 5 Reaccreditation of the Curriculum Lifecycle Framework and should be read in conjunction with all policies and procedures specific to these Stages and the Curriculum Lifecycle Framework.

Scope

(4) This Policy applies to all Macquarie University award courses that align with the categories of the Australian Qualifications Framework including Combined Degrees and the Master by Research courses, but excluding:

  1. double degrees where each core zone is accredited separately; and
  2. other Postgraduate Higher Degree Research awards.

(5) This Policy applies to new and existing units of study and course components and units of study requiring approval for delivery within an existing accredited award course of study.

(6) This Policy does not apply to new units of study or course components for delivery in a new course of study which is being finalised for accreditation (see Course of Study Accreditation Policy).

(7) This Policy does not apply to non-award programs of study.

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Section 2 - Policy

(8) Course revision is designed to ensure that all accredited courses can deliver approved continuous enhancement as a result of Action or Success Plans instigated through the periodic monitoring, review, and/or reaccreditation of the course and/or its units or course components (where applicable).

(9) The course revision and the course revision process ensure that any changes to a course, its units, or course components:

  1. are subjected to an evaluation of the academic suitability of the proposed revision;
  2. have been approved through an academic governance process;
  3. continue to comply with all institutional policies; and
  4. continue to meet agreed institutional, disciplinary, and regulatory standards regarding expected quality in teaching, learning, and the student experience.

(10) Course revision and the course revision process is informed by:

  1. the Delegations of Authority Policy and Delegations of Authority Register;
  2. the Curriculum Architecture Policy;
  3. the Assessment Policy;
  4. the Australian Qualifications Framework and the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021;
  5. the latest pedagogical and professional developments in the scholarship of teaching and learning, and the specific discipline field(s) relevant to each course; and
  6. course-specific benchmarking against national and international comparators.

(11) Course revision is conducted after a recommendation for revision of a course, course component, and/or unit has been approved through an Action Plan (see the Unit of Study Monitoring and Grade Ratification Policy and the Unit of Study Review Policy) or a Success Plan (see the Course of Study Monitoring and Review Policy or the Course of Study Reaccreditation Policy).

(12) Changes to the following elements of a course do not constitute a revision and require a new proposal (see the Course of Study Accreditation Policy):

  1. Title (applies to a course or course component);
  2. Level / type of Qualification (applies to a course or a unit);
  3. Learning Outcomes beyond semantic changes (applies to a course, course component, or a unit);
  4. Delivery Partners (applies to a course, course component, or a unit);
  5. Duration or volume of learning (applies to a course, course component, or a unit);
  6. Entry requirements as defined by the relevant TEQSA Guidance Note (applies to a course);
  7. Change of designation to or from PACE or Capstone (applies to a unit); or
  8. Field of Education coding (applies to a unit).

(13) When an amendment to any of the elements listed in clause 12 is required, a new course must be proposed for accreditation in accordance with the Course of Study Accreditation Policy and approval must be sought for the existing course to be discontinued in accordance with the Course of Study Discontinuation Policy.

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Section 3 - Procedures

Part A - Course Revision

(14) A course revision is completed by the Course Authority in the approved Curriculum Management System.

(15) All fields for the proposal must be completed in the Curriculum Management System before submission.

(16) Only one (1) proposal for the new course will be permitted to be under consideration (active) in the Curriculum Management System at any one time.

(17) A course revision does not change the timing for the monitoring, review, or reaccreditation of a course, a course component or a unit.

Part B - Unit of Study Revision

(18) A proposal for revision of a unit may arise from:

  1. an approved Unit Monitoring or Unit Periodic Review Action Plan, (see the Unit of Study Monitoring and Grade Ratification Policy, and the Unit of Study Review Policy); or
  2. Course Monitoring or Reaccreditation Success Plan (see the Course of Study Monitoring and Review Policy and the Course of Study Reaccreditation Policy); or
  3. a new course approved for academic consideration through the Ideation Stage (Stage 1) of the Curriculum Lifecycle Framework (see the New Educational Products Policy).

(19) A proposal for revision of a unit is completed by the relevant authorised Unit Authority in the approved Curriculum Management System.

(20) The proposed revisions to the unit must comply with all relevant University policies and procedures, including but not limited to:

  1. the Curriculum Architecture Policy; and
  2. the Assessment Policy.

(21) All fields for the proposal must be completed in the Curriculum Management System before submission.

(22) Only one (1) proposal for the unit will be permitted to be under consideration (active) in the Curriculum Management System at any one time.

(23) In completing the proposal for approval, the Unit Authority will:

  1. consult with relevant Course Component or Course Authorities to ensure that the revisions continue to meet student acquisition of the learning outcomes of the Course(s) and its component(s);
  2. consult with other Course Component or Course Authorities who may utilise the existing version of the unit in the core zone of courses they are responsible for; and
  3. consult with other Unit Authorities to ensure that the proposed revision/s to the unit will not impact on the successful delivery of another approved unit

Part C - Course-Component Revision

(24) A proposal for revision of a course component may arise from:

  1. an approved In-Cycle Review or Reaccreditation Success Plan (see the Course of Study Monitoring and Review Policy and the Course of Study Reaccreditation Policy); or
  2. a new course approved for academic consideration through the Ideation Stage (Stage 1) of the Curriculum Lifecycle Framework (see the New Educational Products Policy).

(25) A proposal for revision of a course component is completed by the Course Component Authority in the approved Curriculum Management System.

(26) All fields for the proposal must be completed in the Curriculum Management System before submission.

(27) Only one (1) proposal for the unit will be permitted to be under consideration (active) in the Curriculum Management System at any one time.

(28) The design of the new or revised course component must comply with all relevant University policies and procedures, including but not limited to:

  1. the Curriculum Architecture Policy; and
  2. the Assessment Policy.

(29) In completing the proposal for the revision of course components, the Course Component Authority will:

  1. consult with the Course Authority to ensure that the course component contributes to student acquisition of the learning outcomes of the course for which it has been designed; and
  2. consult with other Course Component or Course Authorities to ensure that the course component will not impact on the successful delivery of a currently accredited course component.

Part D - Responsibilities

(30) The Delegations of Authority Register (Section 5) specifies responsibilities related to the recommendation or  approval of a course, as well as the approval of new course components or units of study.

(31) Further to those Delegations, the following roles and responsibilities apply:

  1. the relevant authorised Course Authority will propose the case for course revision in the approved University Curriculum Management System;
  2. the relevant authorised Course Component Authority will propose the case for course component revision in the Curriculum Management System;
  3. the relevant authorised Unit Authority will propose the case for unit revision in the Curriculum Management System; and
  4. the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Graduate Research and the Director, Macquarie University College may, if required and when not in conflict with the Delegations of Authority, fulfill the same responsibilities as an Executive Dean in the finalisation of a course revision proposal.
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Section 4 - Guidelines

(32) Nil.

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Section 5 - Definitions

(33) The following definitions apply for the purpose of this Policy:

  1. Accreditation means the process within the Curriculum Lifecycle Framework where the design of a new academic item (course, course component or unit) is undertaken followed by the submission of an academic case through the pertinent academic governance process.
  2. Course Authority is the person assigned by a Faculty or equivalent to perform certain roles within the Curriculum Lifecycle processes at a course level, for example Course Director, Head of Department, Program Director.
  3. Course Component Authority is the person assigned by a Faculty or equivalent to perform certain roles within the Curriculum Lifecycle processes at a course component level, for example Head of Discipline, (Deputy) Head of School.
  4. Curriculum Management System means Macquarie’s ‘single source of truth’ and repository for all curriculum information including courses, course components (majors, specialisations, and minors) and units.
  5. In Cycle Review means a monitoring process for courses, data and risk driven resulting from a deficient Annual Health Check result or a request from the Executive Dean of the relevant faculty.
  6. Reaccreditation means the process, within the Curriculum Lifecycle Framework, where the formal appraisal of a course against institutional and course specific domains takes place, involving a group of academic, professional experts and stakeholders.
  7. Reaccreditation Success Plan means a plan developed by the Course Authority to address issues highlighted as a result of the course review process.
  8. Unit Authority means is the person assigned by a Faculty or equivalent, to perform certain roles within the Curriculum Lifecycle processes at a unit level, for example Unit Convenor.
  9. Unit Monitoring or Unit Periodic Review Action Plan means a plan developed by the unit authority to address issues highlighted as a result of the unit monitoring and/or periodic review processes.