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Monash University Policy Bank

Establishing, Disestablishing and Amending Coursework Courses and Units Policy

Purpose

To provide clarification to staff on the establishment, disestablishment and amendment of coursework courses and units. 

Scope

all Monash campuses
all staff that establish, disestablish and amend coursework courses and units
Research programs are governed by the Monash Research Graduate School Committee regulations.

Policy Statement

University Course Endorsement

All new courses, and course amendments that fall within the six defined categories of university-level strategic significance, must be endorsed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of the education portfolio or nominee after approval by the relevant Faculty Board(s).

The six defined categories of university-level strategic significance are:

  1. cross-faculty ventures, or any courses that may impact on other faculties;
  2. cross-institutional ventures or those involving other external partners;
  3. courses that are to be offered outside Australia ;
  4. courses involving a new form of University award not currently conferred by Monash;
  5. courses that may have a major impact on a particular campus, and;
  6. course structures different from those usually applying for the type of award.

Faculty Course Approval

The Faculty Board must approve the establishment, disestablishment and amendments of all courses offered by the Faculty.

The establishment, disestablishment and amendments of double degree courses must be approved by both Faculty Boards.

Managing faculties are responsible for developing procedures governing the development and approval of new courses and course amendments, Where a degree, diploma or other award involves more than one faculty, the managing faculty is responsible for the overall administration and management of the course.

Approval of units

Faculties are responsible for developing procedures governing the development and approval of:

  • all new unit proposals and amendments to units owned by the faculty; and
  • disestablishment of units owned by the faculty.

The Faculty Board must approve the proposal, disestablishment and amendments of all units owned (but not necessarily taught) by the faculty.

Proposals, establishments and amendments of units that contribute as approved components of programs offered by another faculty must be endorsed by the other faculty.

University Reporting on Courses and Units

All courses/units: established, disestablished and amended must be reported to the university’s Education Committee twice per year, for noting, using the Education Committee Biannual Report Proforma (rtf 122kb).

Supporting procedures

Establishing, Disestablishing and Amending Coursework Courses Procedures
Establishing Cross Disciplinary Units Procedures

Responsibility for implementation

Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Planning)
Deans
Associate Deans (Teaching)
Faculty Managers/Registrars

Status

Revised

Key Stakeholders

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education)
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Planning)
Load Planning Coordinator, University Planning and Statistics
Faculty Deans
University Committees (Academic Board and Education Committee)
Council

Approval body

Name: Academic Board
Meeting: 3/2007
Date: 23-May-2007
Agenda item: 8.3

Endorsement body

Name: Education Committee
Meeting: 2/2007
Date: 18-April-2007
Agenda item: 6.1

Definitions

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

Course Costing Model (CCM): The CCM is designed to provide a systematic way of costing new courses or reviewing those courses that already exist. It consists of a series of worksheets, each dealing with a separate costing or pricing issue. Together, the information compiled in these sheets draws into two summary pages - one for Staffing and Student Load, and the other, Financial analysis.

Course Profitability Model (CPM): The CPM assists in evaluating the likely financial outcome of the course offering in the current year.

Course Proposal Template: A mandatory template used to set out the academic, business and strategic cases for the endorsement of all new courses, and course amendments that fall within the six categories of university-level strategic significance.

HEQC – South Africa: Higher Education Quality Committee: subcommittee of the Council of Higher Education (South Africa) with the mandate to promote quality assurance in South African higher education, audit the quality assurance mechanisms of higher education institutions and accredit higher education programs.

Major Amendment: A major amendment to an existing course includes changes to the admission requirements; the addition or deletion of a major from a course; new core units disestablishment; creation of a tagged coursework award title.

Minor Amendment: A minor amendment to an existing course includes a change to sequences within a course; new ‘non-core’ units; alterations to sequencing of sets of units that do not alter course requirements; changes to sequence/stream titles not affecting course title; amendments to prerequisites within sequences.

Non-Award Program: A non-award program is an academic course of study of varying length, normally not more than the equivalent of one semester (full-time), approved by a Faculty. Non-award courses are normally designed to meet the needs of specific clients, external to the University including the profession, industry and the community. The course of study may include approved units that are normally taken as part of award courses, and may result in articulation into award programs.

Sequence: A consecutive set of units.

Six Defined Categories of University-Level Strategic Significance: 1. cross-faculty ventures, or any courses that may impact on other faculties; 2. cross-institutional ventures or those involving other external partners; 3. courses that are to be offered outside Australia; 4. courses involving a new form of University award not currently conferred by Monash; 5. courses that may have a major impact on a particular campus; 6. course structures different from those usually applying for the type of award.

Unit: Any single unit of study in which a student enrols, and in which a grade/mark is recorded (eg HSY2550 Modern Jewish History). (The term ‘subject’ was superseded by the term ‘unit’ as at 1/1/02.)

Related legislation

Monash University Act 1958

Faculty Regulations

Statute 6.1.1  - University entrance and admission to courses

Statute 6.1.2 - Courses and Degrees


Related policies

Assessment of Coursework Policy and Procedures

Course Structure Policy and Procedures

Graduate Attributes Policy (currently under review)

Qualifications Categories Policy and Procedures

Schedule of Qualification Categories

Transcripts and Testamurs Policy and Procedures

Establishing, Disestablishing and Amending HDR Courses and Units Policy and Procedures


Related documents

Academic Plan

Course Proposal Template

Course Costing and Course Profitability Models

Education Committee Biannual Report Proforma (rtf 122kb)

Faculty Initiated Course Proposal Flowchart (doc 33kb)

Higher Education Support Act Administrative Information for Providers, Section 31.13: ‘Cancellation of units of study after the census date’

Library Impact Statement (doc 80kb)

Monash Directions 2025

Pro Vice-Chancellor Campus Initiated Proposal Flowchart (doc 75kb) – Gippsland, Malaysia and South Africa

Technology Impact Statement (part of the Course Proposal Template)

Transnational Education Strategy (currently being developed)


Date Effective

23-May-2007

Review Date

05-December-2007

Owner

Chair, Education Policy and Programs Committee

Author

Policy Unit, University Planning and Statistics

Contact Person

Education Policy

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