• Section 1 - Preamble
• Section 2 - Purpose
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Policy
• Section 5 - Procedure
• Section 6 - Definitions

Section 1 - Preamble

(1) This Procedure is effective from 4 December 2018.

Section 2 - Purpose

(2) To obtain student feedback on teaching and learning within units using an approved student survey, consistent with the University's commitment to continuous quality improvement in teaching and learning.

Section 3 - Scope

(3) This Procedure applies to all units undertaken by students enrolled in higher education award courses offered by Deakin University.

Section 4 - Policy

(4) This Procedure is pursuant to the Higher Education Courses policy.

Section 5 - Procedure

(5) The University will use a survey approved by the Academic Board to assess students' satisfaction with their teaching and learning experiences and to assist in determining any required actions as part of the continuous quality improvement of teaching and units.

(6) The survey will be administered by the Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit  as one of the University’s core surveys in accordance with the Surveys procedure.

(7) Students will be encouraged to respond to the survey and will receive feedback results and related quality improvement actions from:

1. the Unit Guide, each time the unit is offered
2. teaching staff through communication in units, discussion boards and other forums
3. the Dean of Students through University-wide communications
4. unit quantitative survey outcomes and any actions taken as a result of evaluation processes (the Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit will provide publicly available reports on unit quantitative outcomes, with reports displaying only where there are at least 10 responses, and advise students of the reports availability each survey period).

(8) Faculties will develop and use additional methods of evaluation of teaching and units, which may include:

1. peer and industry review
2. student focus groups
3. benchmarking within and outside the University
4. previous evaluations.

(9) Faculty Boards will review results of evaluations using a process determined by each Faculty Board and will determine any required actions as part of the continuous quality improvement cycle.

(10) Units will be evaluated using the University approved student survey each time they are offered, except:

1. work towards a thesis in higher degrees by research
2. exchange and cross-institutional units
3. identified Working Experience in Industry units
4. unless an exemption is granted by the Pro Vice-Chancellor Teaching and Learning in accordance with clause 11.

(11) Exemptions from the University approved student survey will require faculties to:

1. submit a request (using an approved template) for each unit to the Pro Vice-Chancellor Teaching and Learning via the Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit identifying alternative methods that will be used to evaluate the quality of the units and teaching; and
2. report to the Teaching and Learning Committee where an alternative evaluation has been undertaken as appropriate and any actions taken in response to the outcomes.

(12) Each year the Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit will provide each Faculty with a list of currently exempted units for review, seeking confirmation that an exemption is still required and alternative mechanisms for evaluating these units are in place.

(13) Students will receive an initial request to complete the survey, with reminders to non-respondents over a 4-5 week period at the end of each study period as per the survey schedule published by the Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit.

(14) Faculty administrative staff will be responsible for the identification and data entry of Unit Chairs and teachers each survey period, as coordinated by, and for units identified by, the Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit.

(15) The Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit will be responsible for the administration and management of the survey process including conducting data quality checks after the survey period, releasing online reports and advising of their availability to staff, maintaining and updating relevant timeseries datasets, and analysing the data. For datasets, timeseries, analysis and related reporting purposes, Trimester 2 and Semester 2 data will be combined.

(16) The Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education will report to the Teaching and Learning Committee:

1. following each trimester on survey outcomes covering overall University results on the performance of units
2. annually on:
   1. trends in unit performance
   2. outcomes from trimesterly unit review
   3. reports on units using alternative evaluation
   4. quality improvement initiatives.

(17) The Strategic Intelligence and Planning Unit will provide:

1. each Faculty and School/Department with reports relating to each of their units and teaching staff outcomes
2. each identified Unit Chair with reports specific to the units they Chair, including the unit and teacher outcomes
3. each identified teacher with reports specific to the units they teach into and student evaluations of their teaching.

(18) Unit Chairs will review survey data, and disseminate and discuss unit comments as appropriate with unit teaching staff.

(19) Faculties will review survey data under the supervision of the Associate Dean Teaching and Learning.

(20) Faculty Boards will report the outcome of their review each semester/trimester to the Teaching and Learning Committee, in a form prescribed by that Committee.

(21) The Committee will consider what additional actions, if any, should be taken by faculties and provide a consolidated report, including any necessary recommendations, for consideration by the Academic Board.

(22) The Academic Board will use the student survey reports to direct quality assurance and continuous quality improvement in teaching and learning.

Evaluation of teaching

(23) Teaching staff, their Performance Planning and Review (PPR) reviewers and Heads of School/Department will use student evaluation data to identify and implement improvements to the quality of teaching and to recognise and reward high performance and achievements.

(24) The Associate Dean, Teaching and Learning will review teaching performance across the faculty, with assistance from Heads of Schools/Department.

Evaluation of units

(25) The Unit Chair, relevant course/discipline advisory board, Head of School/Department, Associate Dean, Teaching and Learning and Faculty Executive Dean and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education will consider survey data and will:

1. assess this information against school, department, faculty and University averages and previous evaluations of the unit
2. determine any required actions to improve the quality of units.

Confidentiality

(26) The University will ensure that survey data identifying individual students is kept confidential at all times subject to the exception in clause 29. Student identification will be used only to follow up survey non-respondents and to link to student attributes as recorded on the student management system for the purposes of further analysis of results by various student cohorts. Student identification will only be available to staff who require the information to fulfil these duties.

(27) Where a Unit Chair or teacher believes that a student comment constitutes a significant risk to the safety of staff or students, including that of the student themselves, or is abusive, demeaning or threatening, they should consult with a senior staff member in their Faculty. The senior staff member may then notify the Dean of Students to investigate and/or request the editing or removal of the comment.

(28) The Dean of Students will determine whether the appropriate course of action is to:

1. contact the student as provided in clause 29, and/or
2. edit the comment and add the statement ‘This student response contained wording that was deemed unacceptable and the response has been edited’, or
3. replace the comment  with ‘This student response has been deemed unacceptable and has been removed’.

(29) The identity of individual students will remain confidential unless their comments indicate a significant risk to their own safety, or the safety of other students or staff. In this situation, the Dean of Students only is given access to the identity of that student so that appropriate steps can be taken to ensure the student’s safety or that of others.

(30) The University will ensure that survey data about the performance of individual teachers will be kept confidential. Survey data about a teacher's performance will be available to the teacher, their Performance Planning and Review reviewer, the Unit Chair and any other staff who require the information to fulfil their duties.

Course approval and review processes

(31) Evaluation data will be used, where appropriate, in the course approval, major course review and annual course review processes.

Section 6 - Definitions

(32) For the purpose of this Procedure:

1. Faculty and School/Department: includes Institutes that report to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research.
2. higher education award course: a course that leads to a higher education award of Deakin University including an award offered jointly with a partner institute.
3. study period: a defined teaching and study period specified by a faculty for the completion of units for a particular course.
4. unit: a component of a course having a discrete designated code and title in which students enroll and complete specific work requirements.
5. unit guide: a reference for students providing specific information or instruction about a unit.
6. work experience in industry: Work undertaken by a student that is done as part of, or in connection with, a course of study undertaken with a provider, in respect of which student learning and performance is not directed by the provider, and the purpose of which is to obtain work experience relevant to the course of study.