Guidelines for Teaching-Out Disestablished Programs

Parent Policy

Coursework Courses and Units Accreditation Policy

Introduction

On occasion, the university and/or its partners will decide that a program should be disestablished. There are many reasons for such a decision. These may include changes in student demand, a change to strategic positioning in a particular market or a major course revision following a course review process. These guidelines also apply when a multi-campus course is withdrawn from a particular campus.

These guidelines provide advice on how to implement a decision to disestablish a course and the management issues that need to be addressed. It does not address any staffing issues arising from a decision to discontinue a course. These matters need to be managed in accordance with the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement and related staffing policies and procedures.

An aim of these Guidelines is that individual enrolled students or enrolled student cohorts are not unreasonably disadvantaged by the disestablishment of university programs. In this context, managing faculties should be aware of University policy and procedures on Establishing, Disestablishing and Amending Coursework Courses and Units.

The suggested processes focus is on ensuring that enrolled students have the opportunity to complete the course within a reasonable time frame and that the quality of the program and supporting resources are maintained to the end of the teach-out period. There is also a need to ensure that such situations are managed sensitively with individual students and with any external partners/stakeholders involved in the course delivery.

As part of the initial planning process, the Manager, University Planning and Statistics must be notified and their advice sought on any student load redistribution issues involving Commonwealth Supported Places. The Manager, Financial Resources Division should be notified about issues concerning fee-paying load and the Course Fee Update process initiated. 

Depending on the size of the student cohort and the circumstances, it may be appropriate to seek advice from the University Solicitor's Office on the timing and consequences of disestablishment of the course and the content of the initial written communication to students that advises them about the course disestablishment. Faculties will assess the risks in each case and devise an appropriate management strategy.

Other faculties should be notified of teach out strategies where it impacts on their course offerings.

The University Solicitor's Office must be asked to advise on the legal requirements of course disestablishment involving an external partner where contractual terms apply. The Pro Vice-Chancellor (International Engagement) must be advised when this involves an international and or/offshore partner.

The University Solicitor's Office should be instructed to amend the faculty's award regulations to reflect the course disestablishment once all students have been completed.

Issues to Consider

The statements below provide advice on the matters that must be considered when planning for teaching out a program. Sample action plans are attached to these guidelines. These address initial planning requirements and ongoing actions during the teach-out period.

1. Determine Final Intake Period

a) The timing of the decision to disestablish a course will impact on how quickly intake can be ceased. For example, a decision made late in the year may mean that one final VTAC intake will need to proceed in the following year. Intakes should be ceased at the earliest possible time while honouring commitments and representations made by the University.

 b) Programs that have formal articulation pathway agreements will need to determine the last date of intake for the course based on sufficient notice periods for the pathway programs. In such cases, memorandums of understanding and contractual agreements will be in place and these documents outline the processes to be followed in the event that the course is withdrawn from offer.

 c) It may be possible to offer an alternative pathway for the term of any such agreements as a transition arrangement or a new agreement may be explored.

 d) Students need to be advised that an offer of a place in the final course intake cannot be deferred.

2. Determining Anticipated Completion Dates

a) Review all existing enrolments per year level including the estimated final intake cohort. Based on the nature of the student cohort and the course, and how highly structured it is, determine an achievable end date. This would normally be the full-time duration plus one further year or part-time equivalent, depending on the nature of the student cohort and the course, and how highly structured it is. For example, an undergraduate course with modest enrolment numbers with all students enrolled full-time could be taught out more quickly than a graduate course where most students are enrolled part-time. Part-time students should be able to complete the course in a normal part-time progression (eg. 2 units per semester). Therefore, the projected end date for offering the course would be the end date for timely progression for part-time students.

 b) Based on the course length and the pattern of enrolment for the student cohort (ie part-time enrolments versus full-time enrolments), forecast the estimated enrolment pattern for the teach-out period. Estimated enrolments should be based on actual student numbers not equivalent full-time students.

 c) The teach-out period should allow for students to access up to one year of intermission as per university policy. Students should be advised that it is unlikely that any extension beyond this time would be approved and what options will be available to them if this need eventuates (eg course transfer, complementary study).

Table 1.

Estimates are based on current student enrolment patterns.  These do not include any provision for failures or intermission. Tables are presented as examples and need to be adjusted to reflect the length of the course (ie there may be a 7 or 8 year teach out period).

3. Mapping Unit Delivery Across the Teach-Out Period

a) Map unit delivery requirements across the teach period per year based on estimated student enrolment patterns. If there are part-time enrolments in the course, the course end date should reflect a normal, timely progression for these students.

 b) Wherever possible, students should be streamed into particular units, thus making class sizes more viable. The schedule should maximize students completing on time and minimize unit offerings.

Table 2.

4. Course or Campus Transfer as an Option

If appropriate, students may be offered the option to apply to transfer to another program or to complete their course at another Monash campus. Such options may not always be feasible.

5, Prepare Individual Course Maps for All Students,

a) Review each enrolled student and prepare an individualized course map for the teach-out period. This should assume timely progression based on the student's current enrolment pattern (full or part-time).

 b) Course maps will need to be reviewed each semester to ensure that timely progression is maintained and any progression issues resolved. This will also assist in ensuring that class sizes are maximized.

6. Alternative Unit Options

a) Towards the end of the teach-out period, there may be a need to approve alternative units to facilitate the completion of some students. For example, alternative elective units, off campus learning versions of units or cross-institutional enrolments may need to be considered. Students need to be advised of this possibility when notified about the disestablishment of the course.

 b) Such substitutions may need to be approved by the Faculty Board to ensure that there are no consequent issues for completing students (in the case of core unit substitutions).

 c) A contingency for unit options for any student who does not complete their course by the end of the teach-out period due to exceptional circumstances (eg. serious illness) may need to be implemented for some students.

 d) These arrangements may also need to be applied to any student requesting an intermission late in the teach-out period or seeking an extension to an intermission. Students should be advised that such requests are unlikely to be approved unless there are exceptional extenuating circumstances. Students making these requests need to be advised of the consequences for their progression and the limited range of options that may be available.

7. Students on Suspension

Contingency plans to manage any students on any form of academic suspension should be developed.

8. Student Communication

a) All students impacted by the decision must be advised in writing. The correspondence should include the reasons for the decision and details concerning the various options that are available. A nominated contact person should be included to assist students with their individual enquiries. Advice on draft correspondence should be sought from the University Solicitor's Office.

 b) Depending on the particular circumstances, a follow-up meeting with students could be considered to answer any student questions and provide further reassurance about progression.

 c) Student communication should not be limited to active enrolments but also include students on intermission and academic suspension. Students in pathway programs also need to be informed about the teach-out and any plans/options for their cohort.

 d) A communication plan also needs to be developed for any current applicants for the course advising them of alternative course options.

 e) At the point of the final intake, students need to be advised that no deferral of commencement is possible. Marketing material for final intake must clearly state that deferral cannot be approved.

9. Course Advertising

Marketing and Recruitment need to be advised to remove the course from all websites and publications both local and international. Student Administration and Systems should be advised about any undergraduate course that may need to be removed from the VTAC system. This advice should be provided by faculties as early as possible.

10. External Partners

a) Where the program involves external partners in its delivery, the terms of the contractual agreement need to be applied when taking the decision to disestablish the course. In accordance with those terms, some of the implementation actions may be undertaken by the partner or jointly by the University and the partner. The University Solicitor's Office should be asked to advise if this is occurring.

 b) If this involves an international partner, the Office of the DVC (Global Engagement) should be kept informed during the implementation process.

Suggested Teach-Out Action Plan: Initial

Note that the positions named in the responsibility section are a guide and each faculty may have a different group of people who will be asked to manage the process.

Suggested Teach-Out Action Plan: On-Going