• Section 1 - Preamble
• Section 2 - Purpose
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Policy
• Section 5 - Procedure
• Roles and responsibilities for coursework programs
• Course design
• Units
• Majors, minors and specialisations
• Professional practice courses
• Bachelor Honours Degrees
• Masters Degrees by coursework
• Combined or dual degrees
• Variations to course requirements
• Course Delivery
• Language of delivery
• Campus of delivery
• Academic calendars
• Learning environments and experiences
• Third party arrangements
• Communicating course information to students
• University Handbook
• Unit Guides
• Course and unit sites
• Section 6 - Academic Staff Qualifications and Equivalences Framework
• Criteria for assessing appropriateness of qualifications and/or experience of staff overseeing or teaching in a course
• Section 7 - Definitions

Section 1 - Preamble

(1) This Procedure is effective from 24 November 2021.

(2) This Procedure incorporates the Academic Staff Qualifications and Equivalences Framework set out at Section 6.

Section 2 - Purpose

(3) This Procedure sets out the processes that apply to the development and delivery of courses.

Section 3 - Scope

(4) This Procedure applies to higher education award courses offered by the University.

Section 4 - Policy

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

Section 5 - Procedure

Roles and responsibilities for coursework programs

(6) Course teams are assigned by the Head of Academic Unit (approved by the Faculty Board) for each course or group of courses to coordinate their design, ongoing development and review. Course teams comprise:

1. at least four continuing or fixed-term (three years or more) Academic staff members teaching components of the course, including representatives from each campus on which the course is offered and at least one active researcher
2. other staff who support course design and delivery as appropriate.

(7) A Course Director is assigned by the Head of Academic Unit (approved by the Faculty Board) as the leading academic member of each course team. Course Directors are responsible for ensuring that the requirements of the Higher Education Courses policy and associated procedures, and professional accreditation requirements are met.

(8) For each unit, a Unit Chair is assigned by the Head of Academic Unit (approved by the Faculty Board) for each period of study that the unit is delivered. Unit Chairs are continuing or fixed term (three years or more) Academic staff members and are responsible for coordinating the curriculum, teaching and assessment in a unit. In exceptional circumstances, the Executive Dean may temporarily assign another appropriately qualified staff member to carry out the responsibilities of a Unit Chair with appropriate guidance and support.

(9) For units delivered across multiple campuses and/or student periods, the responsibilities of the Unit Chair may be distributed among appropriately qualified staff teaching in the unit providing overall responsibility remains with the nominated Unit Chair.

(10) Casual Academic staff or external specialists may be appointed to contribute to the design and/or delivery of courses or units under the guidance and supervision of Course Directors or Unit Chairs. Casual Academic staff who teach for at least one teaching period within an Academic Year will have access to learning and development activities in accordance with the Staff Development policy.

(11) Course Directors, Unit Chairs and other staff with responsibilities for academic oversight, teaching and assessment in a course or component of a course will have:

1. appropriate qualifications or equivalent experience (assessed in accordance with the Academic Staff Qualifications and Equivalence Framework in Schedule A)
2. skills in contemporary teaching, learning and assessment relevant to their role, the discipline, modes of delivery and the needs of particular student cohorts.

Course design

(12) Courses are designed in accordance with the:

1. principles set out in the Higher Education Courses policy (including the Deakin Curriculum Framework)
2. requirements for design and delivery set out in this Procedure
3. requirements of the Assessment (Higher Education Courses) procedure
4. requirements of the Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) policy and procedures (where relevant)
5. requirements of external accreditation bodies (where relevant)
6. in the case of joint and dual courses, any additional principles or requirements agreed with partner institution/s in accordance with agreements approved under the Academic Partnerships procedure or Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) Partnership procedure.

(13) The design for each course (including nested courses) includes the following specifications:

1. award to be conferred on completion (named in accordance with the Academic Awards procedure)
2. academic calendar that will be used to deliver the course
3. duration, including:
   1. years of full- and/or part-time study
   2. whether study is required in particular trimesters or other approved periods
   3. maximum period of study
4. structure and sequence, including:
   1. required and elective units that comprise the course
   2. majors, minors or specialisations
5. location of delivery (including online)
6. admission criteria and pathways
7. expected learning outcomes (aligned to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and professional or discipline standards where relevant)
8. methods of assessment
9. indicative student workload (typically 150 hours per credit point)
10. requirements for participation in compulsory learning and other activities at a physical site or online
11. compulsory requirements for completion
12. exit pathways (including undergraduate early exit diplomas) and pathways to further learning
13. for Bachelor Honours or postgraduate programs, the proportion and nature of research or research-related study in the course.

(14) Bachelor Degrees will include:

1. a maximum of 10 credit points at level 1
2. for a three-year course, a minimum of 6 credit points at level 3 or above
3. for a four-year course, a minimum of 10 credit points at level 3 or above.

(15) Course specifications provide sufficient detail to allow a judgement to be made on the standing and quality of the course and allow prospective students to compare comparable offerings from different providers.

(16) All courses include compulsory learning experiences for students to develop an understanding of the principles of academic and (where relevant) research integrity and how to apply them to their learning and assessment. This will include academic integrity training at the beginning of the first year of the course and further development in later years (in accordance with the Student Academic Integrity procedure).

(17) All Bachelor Degrees include opportunities for one or more of the following work-integrated learning experiences directed by the University:

1. work placements (such as industry-based learning, internships and practicums)
2. workplace audits
3. field trips
4. simulations
5. studios
6. complex labs and problem-based learning with industry partners
7. industry input on student projects
8. project work developed with or commissioned by industry
9. other work-integrated learning experiences approved by the Faculty Board.

(18) Courses that are delivered in accordance with the Trimester Academic Calendar make use of the trimester system to enhance student flexibility in relation to study load and study duration. To shorten the duration of particular courses, study in all three trimesters may be required.

(19) Courses are structured to:

1. build the academic skills of students in transition into the University learning environment
2. scaffold progress towards the achievement of expected course learning outcomes
3. monitor student progress, and
4. manage learning workload.

Units

(20) Courses include units that are either required or elective. To graduate students must successfully complete all required units and any specified electives for their course. Elective units may be chosen from:

1. all units offered by the University (open elective), or
2. a selection of units specified as part of the course structure (course elective).

(21) Each unit enables students to achieve clearly articulated learning outcomes that contribute to the achievement of the Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (set out in the Higher Education Courses policy) and course learning outcomes.

(22) For each unit, the following are specified:

1. a succinct name that clearly indicates the content to staff and students
2. credit point value (typically one credit point, although larger integrated learning experiences may be worth two to four credit points and mandatory requirements, such as laboratory safety and academic integrity training, may not be credit bearing)
3. any unit pre-requisites, co-requisites or incompatibilities
4. scope of content
5. learning outcomes and their alignment to relevant Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (set out in the Higher Education Courses policy), course learning outcomes and assessment
6. the assessment tasks for the unit including type, grading, weighting and hurdle requirements
7. mode/s of delivery
8. when and where the unit is offered
9. learning experiences, including typical workload and timetabled learning activities
10. any requirements to attend a physical location for course-related activities (including by cloud students at examinations and intensive sessions)
11. teaching and learning resources
12. any equipment requirements in addition to standard University requirements (including computing and connectivity requirements).

(23) Units may be designated to identify their role in supporting student progress and achievement through the course and/or the nature of learning activities as follows:

1. Role in supporting progress and achievement
   1. Foundation unit — to support student transition by building foundation knowledge and skills and providing an introduction to the field
   2. Milestone unit — to provide students with opportunities at key stages of the course to integrate their learning and reflect on evidence of their progress and career aspirations
   3. Capstone unit — to provide students with opportunities at the end of the course to integrate their learning, demonstrate achievement of course learning outcomes and reflect on their career aspirations
2. Nature of learning activities
   1. Work-integrated learning unit (including placement units)
   2. Research unit
   3. Research-related study unit.

(24) The proportion of units of a course that are at the AQF level of the award that will be conferred may vary but must be sufficient to enable students to develop their knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills to enable them to achieve the course learning outcomes.

Majors, minors and specialisations

(25) Sequences of units that constitute majors, minors or specialisations may be included in one or more courses as follows:

(26) Where possible courses should be designed to enable students to complete a coherent secondary sequence of study in addition to their primary field of study, including a sequence from another faculty.

(27) Majors, minors and specialisations:

1. form coherent sequences of study in a field of study
2. recognise depth of learning in the field of study
3. contribute to the achievement of course learning outcomes, and
4. are assigned names that clearly indicate the field of study.

Professional practice courses

(28) Courses may require the attainment of Deakin Professional Practice Credentials that recognise achievement of learning through professional experience in accordance with the Deakin Micro-credentials policy. Courses that include the attainment of Deakin Professional Practice Credentials are designed in accordance with principles approved by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education.

Bachelor Honours Degrees

(29) A Bachelor Honours Degree may be:

1. an independent course that students enter following completion of a Bachelor Degree in a related discipline ('end-on'), or
2. integrated in a Bachelor Degree with:
   1. entry following completion of part of a related Bachelor Degree (typically two full-time years of study)
   2. entry directly into the Bachelor Honours Degree, with or without an option to exit with a related Bachelor Degree.

(30) All Bachelor Honours Degrees include project work and/or research and scholarship executed by students with some independence.

Masters Degrees by coursework

(31) The duration of Masters Degrees by coursework may vary depending on their admission criteria and purpose.

(32) Unless otherwise approved by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education, or if restrictions apply due to external accreditation requirements, Masters Degrees by coursework:

1. have at least one nested Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma as an entry and/or exit point, where required units of nested courses:
   1. are required units of the associated Masters course and/or
   2. contribute to a specialisation in the Masters course
2. have at least two possible admission periods each year
3. allow for at least two credit points of credit available to students entering with Deakin professional practice credentials. Two professional practice credentials will provide for one credit point of credit.

(33) All Masters Degrees by coursework include some form of learning activity that develops knowledge of research methods and principles appropriate to the discipline, field of work or professional practice. Such a learning activity would typically include a research-based project, capstone experience and/or a piece of scholarship.

(34) Masters Degrees (Extended) include a significant proportion of practice-related learning developed in collaboration with a relevant professional, statutory or regulatory body.

Combined or dual degrees

(35) Combined or dual Bachelor and Masters by Coursework Degrees may be offered in different or related disciplines with reciprocal credit arrangements in accordance with the Recognition of Prior Learning policy. They may include courses at different levels of the AQF.

Variations to course requirements

(36) Variations to course requirements for individual students may only be made in exceptional circumstances where approved by the Faculty Executive Dean (or nominated Associate/Deputy Dean) in consultation with the Course Director. Decisions must take into consideration professional accreditation requirements.

Course Delivery

Language of delivery

(37) All teaching, learning and assessment is in English unless:

1. another language is used to develop or assess proficiency in that other language, or
2. the use of another language is otherwise approved by the Academic Board.

Campus of delivery

(38) Courses and units may be delivered at physical campuses or other physical sites or at the Cloud Campus (where approved under the Higher Education Courses Approval and Review procedure) as follows:

Academic calendars

(42) Award courses are delivered during set study periods in accordance with academic calendars approved by the Academic Board. These calendars specify periods for teaching, independent study and assessment that maintain the integrity of the course and the quality of the student experience.

(43) The University’s standard academic calendar for courses is the Trimester Academic Calendar which specifies, for each academic year, three periods of 15 weeks, comprising:

1. up to 11 weeks of facilitated learning experiences
2. an intra-trimester break of at least one week
3. a period for independent study of at least three working days at the end of the last week of teaching
4. an assessment period of at least seven working days.

(44) Other academic calendars may be approved by the Academic Board for specific courses or year levels of courses where the Trimester Academic Calendar is not suitable for one or more of the following reasons:

1. the Trimester Academic Calendar does not enable the University to meet external professional accreditation requirements
2. required learning experiences cannot be conducted within the Trimester Academic Calendar for reasons outside the University’s control
3. a non-standard academic calendar would enable the recruitment or admission of target student cohorts (including students studying at an offshore location where a different calendar is generally used)
4. there are other compelling reason/s why the adoption of a non-standard academic calendar would advance the University’s strategic agenda.

(45) Where the Trimester Academic Calendar is not appropriate, where possible a standard Semester Academic Calendar should be used which would typically include, for each academic year, two periods of 20 weeks, including:

1. up to 16 weeks of facilitated learning experiences
2. an intra-trimester break
3. a period for independent study of at least five working days at the end of the last week of teaching
4. an assessment period of at least seven working days.

(46) Approval for a course to be delivered using an academic calendar other than the Trimester Academic Calendar must be sought in accordance with the Higher Education Courses Approval and Review procedure when a new course is approved or as a revision to an existing course.  Approval will require prior endorsement by the Academic Registrar.

(47) Academic calendar dates for courses are approved annually by the Academic Board, on the recommendation of the Academic Registrar, for future implementation at least two years in advance.

(48) Faculty Boards may approve the delivery of units within a course outside the approved academic calendar where compelling reasons can be established in accordance with clause 44, adequate pre-notification has been provided to students and the endorsement of the Academic Registrar has been obtained. This may include units involving student placements, field trips, intensives or other learning experiences that cannot be delivered within the approved academic calendar for the course.

(49) Faculty Boards may approve the delivery of units using the Start Anytime Calendar. Students may enrol in an approved unit of a course at any time during the year, with completion of each unit expected within 6 months or 12 months of enrolment in that unit, depending on the maximum period allowed for that unit.

Learning environments and experiences

(50) Courses are delivered within a learning environment that provides all students with equitable and consistent access to facilities, infrastructure, resources and support to assist student progress and achievement of learning outcomes.

(51) Optimal use is made of online or onsite learning experiences to support student achievement of learning outcomes.

(52) Terms used to describe learning experiences at Deakin are:

(54) Where possible, learning experiences should use resources available within the University. Students may be required to purchase specialised equipment, software or other resources providing they are informed about these additional costs before enrolment in the course or elective unit and the resources will be useful for professional practice.

(55) Units are designed and delivered in accordance with standards specified in clause 68.

(56) An equitable opportunity to participate in timetabled learning experiences is provided regardless of whether the learning experience is delivered onsite or online.

(57) Onsite and online learning spaces are equipped with appropriate technology to enable student learning and support their achievement of course learning outcomes. The University adopts digital platforms, devices and/or tools to make student learning effective, engaging, efficient and accessible and this includes adhering to Digital Accessibility Guidelines.

(58) The Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education will publish annually, in a prominent position on the University's public website, information on the following requirements for effective study at the University:

1. access to computer devices
2. connectivity to the internet
3. capability to use the University's online learning environment.

(59) Research conducted in a Bachelor Honours Degree or Coursework Unit is delivered in accordance with the Research in Honours and Coursework Units procedure.

Third party arrangements

(60) Where courses, components of courses, learning resources or student support are delivered or provided by or with partner institutions, the University assures the quality of student experiences in accordance with the Academic Partnerships procedure, the Student Placement procedure or the Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) Partnership procedure (as appropriate).

Communicating course information to students

(61) Faculties are responsible for implementing quality assurance processes to ensure that information for prospective and current students about courses, units and other course components (e.g. professional practice credentials) meets the standards specified in the Student Communication and Information policy.

(62) Information that must be included in the University Handbook, the University’s public website, unit guides, and course and unit sites is specified below.

(63) Faculties will communicate changes to course and unit information to current or prospective students as soon as possible to ensure students have accurate and timely information for decision-making.

University Handbook

(64) Faculties will publish in the University Handbook and on the University’s public website information for prospective and current students about courses and units as follows:

1. courses
   1. course specifications as set out in clause 13
   2. recognition by relevant professional bodies
   3. pathways to employment and eligibility for registration to practice (where applicable)
   4. approval status of the course
   5. whether the award conferred upon completion is recognised in the AQF
   6. whether the course is authorised to be offered to international students studying on an Australian student visa
2. units
   1. unit specifications as set out in clause 22 (with the exception of teaching and learning resources)
   2. name of the Unit Chair.

Unit Guides

(65) Faculties will publish a Unit Guide for each study period in accordance with a template approved by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education or nominee. Unit Guides will be available to current students through the University's learning management system and will include the following information:

1. unit learning outcomes and scope of content
2. unit learning activities, including requirements for attendance at timetabled classes and seminars, and indicative workload
3. unit assessment tasks including:
   1. clearly articulated assessment criteria for tasks that require the exercise of academic judgement
   2. alignment with the unit learning outcomes and Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes set out in the Higher Education Courses policy
   3. due dates and other requirements
   4. any provision for negotiation of assessment tasks (e.g. allowing students to nominate topics) and a clear statement of the negotiation process
   5. rules on submission, including extensions, penalties for late submission and final submission date
   6. any hurdle requirements
   7. the period of time within which feedback is provided on assessment
4. support available to students
5. improvements made to the unit in response to student feedback.

Course and unit sites

(66) Faculties maintain course and units sites in the University's learning management system that include information for students in accordance with minimum standards that are set annually. The minimum standards for ‘course sites’ are set out at clause 67 and ‘unit sites’ are set out at clause 68.

(67) Minimum standards for course sites:

Section 6 - Academic Staff Qualifications and Equivalences Framework

(69) Staff with responsibilities for academic oversight or teaching and supervisory roles in courses or units will have appropriate qualifications or equivalent experience as set out in clause 74 (except as specified in clause 70 below). Such roles involve the exercise of academic judgement and include conducting classes or seminars, online course delivery or facilitation, summative assessment and laboratory demonstration.

(70) Staff without appropriate qualifications or experience may teach components of a course under the supervision of staff with appropriate qualifications or experience where they are employed:

1. as professional specialists to meet particular education needs
2. to teach as part of their career development or
3. to teach in emergent academic disciplines and a plan to support their development, with appropriate timelines, is implemented.

(71) The criteria set out in clause 74 are applied in the context of the discipline and relevant course learning outcomes. The criteria may be varied or added to by the Faculty Board for particular courses as appropriate for the discipline or for individual staff members provided staff can demonstrate equivalence of professional or practiced-based experience (with reference to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) criteria) and are equipped to meet students’ educational needs.

(72) Decisions about the equivalence of experience of staff are made by heads of academic units or associate heads teaching and learning (as nominees) on the advice of senior member/s of academic staff with expertise in the relevant discipline as appropriate.

(73) Evidence to support decisions about equivalence of experience under clause 72 might relate to (but is not limited to):

1. experience in professional, business or creative or other practice-based roles requiring high order judgement and the provision of expert advice
2. management of significant projects in the field
3. testimonials, awards or other recognition that acknowledges leadership or expertise in the field
4. professional qualifications, experience and standing, including participation in advisory boards and professional networks
5. leadership in the development of professional standards
6. design, creative or other practice-based technical achievements
7. peer reviewed and other publications in the field or other publications such as books and reports
8. leadership or management of research acknowledged by peers
9. teaching experience and success
10. scholarship.

Criteria for assessing appropriateness of qualifications and/or experience of staff overseeing or teaching in a course

(74) Note relating to equivalent experience: The assessment of equivalent experience will be made with reference to the course learning outcomes. The number of years of experience stipulated in the below table is indicative and may be varied as appropriate for particular disciplines or professions. What is considered to be ‘current experience’ will depend on the pace of change in a particular discipline or profession.

Section 7 - Definitions

(75) For the purposes of this Procedure:

1. academic calendar: the schedule for each defined study period within an academic year.
2. Academic Unit: as defined in the Research Conduct policy.
3. academic year: the period from the first day of the study period of any year, to the day preceding the first day of the first study period of the following year, both inclusive.
4. AQF: Australian Qualifications Framework.
5. combined course: approved combination of courses of the University that leads to the conferral of two awards in accordance with regulation 17 – Combined Courses, Dual Courses and Joint Courses of the Academic Board Regulations.
6. dual course: an approved combination of one or more courses developed collaboratively with a higher education provider in Australia or overseas leading to the seperate conferral of an academic award by Deakin University and the partner provider in accordance with regulation 17 of the Academic Board Regulations.
7. exit point: an early point of exit for students who choose not to complete the whole course in which they enrolled, and which provides an opportunity for students to exit with an award of a lower level if the student has met the requirements for that alternative award.
8. faculty: includes any institute that is approved under University Regulations to offer courses.
9. higher education award course: a course that leads to a higher education award of Deakin University including an award offered jointly with a partner institution.
10. joint course: a single course arranged and delivered jointly by the University in conjuction with one or more higher education providers in Australia or overseas, leading to the conferral of a single academic award that is typically conferred jointly by the providers involved, in accordance with regulation 17 of the Academic Board Regulations.
11. maximum period of study: the maximum period of time that may be taken by a student to complete a course of study in accordance with the Admission Process, Enrolment, Fees and Charges policy.
12. nested course: a course that is a complete subset of another higher level course.
13. placement: a learning or assessment activity in a professional or business workplace or community setting or creative practice which may be paid or not-paid, in Australia or overseas, on-site or online and includes Deakin Interns, as well as higher degrees by research placements. Common terminology for student placements include: work-integrated learning, internships, industry based learning, clinical practice, teaching practicums, field education, professional experience, work experience and practical training.
14. research: the creation of new knowledge and/or the use of existing knowledge in a new and creative way so as to generate new concepts, methodologies, inventions and understandings.
15. research-related study: study about research rather than the conduct of research itself, such as a study of analytical techniques or experimental methods.
16. research unit: a unit that requires a student to plan and conduct a piece of research with some independence.
17. student workload: all teaching, learning and assessment activities that are required to be undertaken by the typical student to achieve the learning outcomes. These activities may include classes and seminars, self-paced learning, individual study, research, work-integrated learning experiences and assessment activities.
18. study period: a defined teaching and study period specified by a faculty for the completion of units for a particular course.
19. undergraduate early exit diploma: Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) 5 level diploma, available as an alternative exit point for students enrolled in selected undergraduate degrees, who have chosen not to continue with their studies and who meet the course rules for the relevant diploma.
20. work-integrated learning experience: includes any learning task or experience that is authentic (resembling what is expected of new graduates) and/or proximal (in relation to physical or digital workplaces, and professional contexts).
21. unit: a component of a course having a discrete designated code and title in which students enrol and complete specific work requirements.
22. University Handbook: the official University publication containing details of courses, units and related information.