• Section 1 - Purpose 
• Scope
• Section 2 - Policy  
• Eligibility 
• Exclusions
• Requirements
• Section 3 - Procedures 
• Section 4 - Guidelines
• Section 5 - Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose 

(1) Study for Staff is a development scheme which enables University staff to attend lectures at the University, without formal enrolment in an award course and without undertaking the associated assessment activities. This is considered part of a staff member’s approved professional development. 

Scope

(2) This Policy describes the purpose of, and eligibility for participating in the Study for Staff scheme. This scheme applies to all eligible academic and professional staff, who are employed on a continuing basis or have a fixed term contract of greater than two years. 

Section 2 - Policy  

Eligibility 

(3) Academic and professional staff who are employed on a continuing basis or have a fixed term contract of greater than two years are eligible to apply.   

(4) Attendance at lectures is not recognised as contributing to a formal qualification nor to Recognition of Prior Learning for admission to, or credit for, any University degree. 

Exclusions

(5) Staff enrolled in courses (such as a University degree) are excluded from Study for Staff for lectures related to their enrolled degree or non-award units. 

(6) The Study for Staff scheme is limited to participation in lectures. Participation in tutorials, field trips, placements and similar activities is not possible. Requests to participate in any such additional activities will be dependent on the needs of the staff members’ work unit and approval by the relevant Unit Convenor. 

(7) Attendance at lectures (whether face to face or virtual) will not be considered as meeting prerequisite, admission, or degree requirements for any University degree. If the staff member wishes to undertake a qualification incorporating the unit, they would need to officially enroll in the unit and complete all unit requirements, including all assessment tasks. 

Requirements

(8) A staff member must meet the same prerequisites to attend a series of lectures as is expected of a student. 

(9) A staff member may not attend or access lectures in more than one unit per session.  

(10) The lectures must be relevant to the staff member’s current role, provide benefits to the staff member and the work area, and suit the priorities and needs of the work area. 

(11) The appropriate level of participation in lectures will be determined by the Unit Convenor. A staff member may be able to join a lecture virtually at the discretion of the relevant Faculty and the Unit Convenor.  

(12) Staff attending or accessing lectures under the Study for Staff scheme will not complete assessment tasks, including examinations. 

(13) Staff attending or accessing lectures under the Study for Staff scheme will not be officially enrolled in the unit as a student. As such, they will not receive a grade, an academic transcript, or any certificate of attainment or academic statement. 

(14) Time for attending or accessing lectures is regarded as part of staff development and as such is regarded as work time.  

(15) There is no tuition fee payable by a staff member to attend lectures under the Study for Staff scheme. Any notes or materials/resources needed to be purchased for attendance at the lecture(s) should be either sourced from the library or at the expense of the staff member. 

Section 3 - Procedures 

(16) During the Development, Performance and Review (DPR) process, staff should consider any identified career and/or professional development goals which could benefit from participation in tertiary level lectures. University unit offerings that match the development need should be identified and discussed with the manager/supervisor. The benefits of attending or accessing the lectures should be articulated and the managers/supervisor’s formal written approval be sought. 

(17)  A manager/supervisor will consider when approving: 

1. the relevance to a staff member’s current role and the functions they may reasonably be expected to perform;  
2. the expected benefits, including whether participation will develop skills and/or knowledge that are transferable to the workplace;  
3. whether participation should be an agreed development activity as part of the staff members’ Development, Performance and Review (DPR); and 
4. the priorities and needs of the work area.   

(18) Where a request is approved, the staff member must then forward their approval to the Head of Educational Services to get permission to attend or access the identified lectures. They must also forward a copy to Organisational Development (via the central email address; develop@mq.edu.au).   

(19) The Head of Educational Services (or nominee) will consider a request to attend or access lectures and determine:  

1. if there is space available in the unit; and 
2. whether the staff member meets unit pre/corequisites. 

(20) This information will be conveyed to the Unit Convenor who may approve or deny the request. 

(21) Where the request is approved, the Unit Convenor will provide written confirmation of approval to the Head of Educational Services and the staff member (with a copy to Organisational Development; develop@mq.edu.au) and they will enter the staff member on the iLearn system as an observer to permit access to the unit lecture materials. 

(22) Where the request is not approved, the Unit Convenor will provide brief reasons to the Head of Educational Services and the staff member’s manager/supervisor (with a copy to Organisational Development; develop@mq.edu.au). The staff member’s manager/supervisor will then convey the decline to the staff member and discuss potential alternative development activities to meet the development need.

Section 4 - Guidelines

(23) Nil.

Section 5 - Definitions

(24) Nil.