• Section 1 - Preamble
• Section 2 - Purpose
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Policy
• Section 5 - Procedure
• Course approvals
• Approval of proposals for new award courses
• Approval of proposals for revisions to award courses
• Modified processes for proposals involving HDR, MOOCs or partnerships
• Faculty Board-approved proposals
• Course reviews
• Annual course reviews - coursework programs
• Major Course Reviews - Coursework Programs
• Reviews of higher degrees by research
• Reviews by professional accreditation bodies
• Course continuations
• Course discontinuations
• Responsibilities to students - coursework programs
• Section 6 - Definitions

Section 1 - Preamble

(1) This Procedure was approved by Academic Board on 22 July 2014 and incorporates all amendments to 1 September 2014.

(2) This Procedure is pursuant to the Higher Education Courses Policy and has the following schedule:

1. Schedule A: Major Course Reviews Panels: Composition.

Section 2 - Purpose

(3) To document the University's higher education courses approval and review processes. (Refer to the Academic Programs Approval and Review website)

Section 3 - Scope

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

Section 4 - Policy

(5) Refer to the Higher Education Courses Policy.

Section 5 - Procedure

Course approvals

Approval of proposals for new award courses

(6) Clauses 7-13 set out the process for approving proposals for:

1. new University award courses
2. new combined or joint award courses.

(7) Approval of new award courses normally has three stages: course concept approval, business plan approval and academic course approval. The course concept and business plan stages may be completed simultaneously.

Minor modifications to the process apply to:

1. academic partnerships involving course delivery (clauses 17, 18)
2. higher degrees by research (HDRs) (clause 19)
3. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) (clause 20).

(8) Course concept proposals. Proposals will be developed by Faculties, using the approved course concept proposal template, endorsed by the Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor (PVC), and approved by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Planning and Integrity) (PVCPI).

(9) Business plans. Business plans will be developed by Faculties, using the approved business plan template, endorsed by the Faculty PVC, and approved by the PVCPI.

(10) Where required, expenditure related to a proposal that cannot be met from the Faculty's operating budget or the University's capital expenditure budget requires approval by the Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

(11) Course concepts and business plans must be approved before approval is sought for academic course proposals.

(12) Academic course proposal approval. Proposals will be prepared by Faculties using the approved academic course proposal template, endorsed by the Faculty Board and approved by the Academic Board.

(13) Proposals that the PVCPI determines would have a significant strategic impact require approval by the Vice-Chancellor.

Approval of proposals for revisions to award courses

(14) Clauses 15-16 set out the process for approving proposals for the following revisions to award courses:

1. course title
2. admission and selection criteria
3. course structure or duration
4. place or mode of delivery
5. new or revised arrangements for course delivery by or with third parties.

(15) Proposals will be developed by Faculties, using the approved course revision proposal template and endorsed by the Faculty PVC.

(16) Proposals will be approved by the PVCPI on strategic and financial grounds. Where proposals affect academic standards approval is also required by the Academic Board.

Modified processes for proposals involving HDR, MOOCs or partnerships

(17) Course concept and business plan approvals are not required under this Procedure where a proposal for a partnership involving the delivery of a new award course has been approved by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Global Engagement on strategic and business grounds under the Academic Partnerships Procedure.

(18) Where a proposal for a new course or revision to an existing course involves an academic partnership relating to course delivery the academic partnership must be approved in accordance with the Academic Partnerships Procedure.

(19) Course concepts, business plans, academic course proposals or revision proposals involving a HDR course require additional endorsement by the Pro Vice-Chancellor Research Training and Performance Enhancement (PVCRT&PE).

(20) Course concepts, business plans, academic course proposals or revision proposals involving a MOOC require additional endorsement by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education (DVCE).

Faculty Board-approved proposals

(21) Faculty Boards approve proposals for:

1. new or revised non-award courses
2. units that result in credit towards an award course
3. new or revised learning outcomes for award courses.

Course reviews

Annual course reviews - coursework programs

(22) Course teams will conduct annual reviews of courses or groups of related courses and prepare reports in accordance with an approved annual course review template. Reports require endorsement by Faculty Boards.

(23) Faculties will prepare annual summary reports of reviews, which require endorsement by Faculty Boards and are provided to the PVCPI.

(24) The PVCPI will prepare annual summary reports which are provided to the Academic Board.

Major Course Reviews - Coursework Programs

(25) Faculties will conduct major reviews of each course and prepare reports in accordance with an approved template, usually every five years. The reviews will be informed by recommendations from panels convened for the purpose. Schedule A: Major Course Reviews Panels: Composition sets out the composition of the panels. (Refer also to the Major Course Review Report Guidelines)

(26) The PVCPI in consultation with Faculty Boards will prepare annual schedules for major course reviews. The PVCPI may grant a full or partial exemption from a major course review where a course has undergone a review by a professional accreditation body in the previous 12 months.

(27) The PVCPI will prepare an annual summary report which is provided to the Academic Board.

Reviews of higher degrees by research

(28) The Research and Research Training Committee (RRTC) will monitor the performance of HDRs and conduct periodic quality assurance reviews as appropriate.

(29) The RRTC will review the research training activities of Faculties and Institutes annually in accordance with a process which it has approved.

(30) The RRTC will report annually to the Academic Board in relation to the performance of HDRs, the outcomes of quality assurance reviews and research training reviews.

Reviews by professional accreditation bodies

(31) Faculty Boards will prepare annual reports on new or continuing courses that have undergone a review by a professional accreditation body in the previous 12 months. These reports require endorsement by the PVCPI.

(32) The PVCPI will prepare an annual consolidated report which is provided to the Academic Board.

Course continuations

(33) All existing courses must be approved for continuation before the expiry of the previous approval period (normally five years). Faculties will develop applications for course continuation in accordance with an approved template. Applications will be accompanied by a major course review report developed in accordance with clause 23.

(34) Proposals for course continuation require endorsement by Faculty Boards and approval by the PVCPI on strategic and business grounds. Where it is proposed that a course be continued with changes that have an impact on academic standards, applications for course continuation also require approval by the Academic Board on academic grounds.

(35) Extensions of time to apply for course continuations may be granted in exceptional circumstances by the PVCPI.

Course discontinuations

(36) Proposals to discontinue a course may arise from annual or major course reviews or other Faculty reviews. Faculties will develop proposals for course discontinuation in accordance with an approved template. Proposals require endorsement by Faculty Boards (and, in the case of HDRs, the PVCRT&PE and approval by the PVCPI.

Responsibilities to students - coursework programs

(37) The University will provide students affected by the discontinuation of a course with reasonable opportunities to complete the course, or to transfer to an equivalent or suitable alternative course.

(38) The Faculty will contact students affected by the discontinuation of a course and advise them of the pipeline period and available options. Deakin International will contact international students who have not yet enrolled. Students affected include those:

1. enrolled in the course
2. on intermission from the course
3. who have been offered a place in the course
4. who have deferred an offer of a place in the course.

(39) The pipeline period for each discontinued course will be determined by the relevant Faculty Board, and is the time that would be taken for enrolled students including existing part-time students to complete the course, up to a maximum of twice the full-time equivalent duration of the course.

(40) When a course is to be discontinued, no new offers will be issued for places in the course after the date on which approval is granted for the discontinuation. At the discretion of the relevant Faculty PVC, exceptions may be made for students who have the intention of enrolling in a discontinued course and would incur significant costs as a result of the discontinuation of the course.

(41) Students who choose to transfer to an alternative course will be granted credit for studies they have completed as part of the discontinued course, subject to the relevant University policies and procedures.

(42) Students who do not wish to continue at the University will be refunded fees they have paid for the discontinued course, except for any units they have attempted.

Section 6 - Definitions

(43) For the purpose of this Procedure:

1. Course team: a group of at least four continuing or fixed-term (term of three years or greater) academic staff members, including representatives from each campus on which the course is offered and at least one active researcher, appointed by the Faculty Board to coordinate the design, ongoing development and review of a course (with the exception of higher degrees by research).
2. Combined courses: an approved combination of courses which leads to the conferral of two awards. 'Double' or 'dual degrees' are terms that have sometimes been used to refer to combined courses.
3. Higher degree by research (HDR): a program of advanced study and research approved by the Academic Board.
4. Higher education award course: a course that leads to a higher education award of the University.
5. Higher education non-award course: a course, unit or module, offered by the University that does not lead to an award of the University.
6. Joint course: a course offered jointly by Deakin with one, or more, higher education provider(s) in Australia or overseas, as approved by the Academic Board, leading to the conferral of a single award.
7. Massive Open On-line Course (MOOC): generally free or open course, unit or group of units delivered to unlimited numbers of students online, completion of which may lead to credit or certification.
8. Pipelining period: the period of time during which a discontinued course is phased out.
9. Unit: a component of a course having a discrete designated code and title in which students enrol and complete specific work requirements. A unit is commonly:
   1. a quarter of a trimester workload;
   2. carries a specific value towards an award.