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Code of Practice - Casual Academic Teaching

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Section 1 - Purpose of Code

(1) This Code provides a broad framework for faculties, schools and academic units to articulate and further enhance procedure and practice in relation to the recruitment, employment, management and professional support of casual academic teaching employees as a key contribution to the quality enhancement of teaching and learning in general.  

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Section 2 - Application & Scope - Exclusions or Special Conditions

(2) This Code applies to casual academic teachers employed by the University of Wollongong across onshore campuses and within distance education programs. Exemptions from this Code include academic casual teaching employees who are employed for single teaching and assessment activity and external practical placement supervisors of students (see Code Of Practice - Work Integrated Learning (Professional Experience) for the latter).

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Section 3 - Principles

(3) The University of Wollongong is committed to employing, enabling and retaining the highest quality teaching employees to facilitate quality learning outcomes for students.

(4) The University is committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity and engagement for its casual academic teaching employees.

(5) Casual academic teaching employees are recognised, valued and enabled as significant contributors to a high quality teaching and learning environment.

(6) Casual academic teaching employees are to be appropriately prepared for their teaching and ancillary duties.

(7) In their teaching role with UOW, the most important site of professional development for casual teachers is inside the discipline, teaching program and teaching team, and it is here that faculties, schools and academic units should seek to attend to the professional needs of their casual academic teachers.

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Section 4 - University Responsibilities

(8) In addition to the University’s responsibilities stated in both the Teaching and Assessment: Code of Practice - Teaching and Goal 2 of the 2013-2018 Strategic Plan, in relation to academic teaching employees, the University has a responsibility to:

  1. create and sustain an effective environment for learning and teaching;
  2. support the sharing of information on best practice in teaching and assessment with academic casual teachers;
  3. provide the Casual Academic Induction (see clauses 12-16);
  4. provide professional development programs where appropriate;
  5. maintain appropriate practices on recruitment and employment of casual academic teaching employees;
  6. support faculty, school and unit initiatives to effectively induct and enable such employees; and
  7. promote good practice in the recruitment, management and recognition of academic casual teaching employees.
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Section 5 - Faculty Responsibilities

(9) In relation to faculty responsibility for monitoring and ensuring the quality of its educational programs, practice and procedure as stated in the Code of Practice - Learning and Teaching, the faculties are to follow quality procedure and practice in the recruitment, employment, induction, management, resourcing, communication, professional development, and recognition of its academic casual teaching employees.

Recruitment

(10) Faculty recruitment processes for casual employment should be consistent with University recruitment policy provided in the Recruitment Procedure

Employment

(11) Conditions of employment are to be in accordance with the relevant workplace agreement (e.g. University of Wollongong (Academic Staff) Enterprise Agreement, 2023). Work completed is paid in accordance with the rates of pay as provided for at  the University of Wollongong (Academic Staff) Enterprise Agreement, 2023.

(12) Rates of pay are to be consistent across the Faculty, School or Academic Unit for the same types of academic casual work.

Induction and Preparation

(13) Casual academic teaching employees are to be appropriately inducted and prepared for their teaching and ancillary duties.

(14) The Faculty or School is to assist the University in attendance of their academic casual employees at the University's Casual Academic Induction provided by Professional and Organisational Development Services:

  1. by providing the names each teaching session to Professional and Organisational Development Services of those academic casual teaching employees who have not yet completed the University induction, and
  2. by including sufficient ancillary hours for attendance on their Academic Casual Authority.

(15) The Faculty or School is responsible for communicating expectations, rights, roles, responsibilities, and relevant University and Faculty policy, procedure and services to casual academic teaching employees before or at commencement of their teaching duties.

(16) Where appropriate, specific training that enables casual academic teaching employees to fulfil the specific requirements of their role is to be made available (eg. SMP, eLearning, WHS; facilitation of tutorials), and

(17) Where attendance is required by the Faculty at a formal faculty induction, other approved training session or meeting, the casual academic teaching employee is to be paid following the same principles as the University’s Casual Academic Induction (see clause 11).  The Faculty is responsible for maintaining a list of attendees.

Management

(18) Supervisory responsibilities are to be formalised through the articulation and communication of:

  1. a clear line of responsibility from the casual academic teaching employee to and the delegated authority, and
  2. minimum standards of practice for Subject Coordinators leading teaching teams (eg. developing an effective communication strategy, resourcing, marking schemas and marking parity, seeking and integrating feedback, mentoring new staff).

Resourcing

(19) Casual academic teaching employees are to be provided with adequate access to course materials, resources and facilities to enable them to fulfil their duties.

Communication

(20) Systematic and effective channels of communication are to be established to facilitate communication between the:

  1. casual academic teaching employee, the supervisor and the teaching team;
  2. faculty and or School and the casual academic teaching employee to inform employees about University, faculty and school issues that directly relate to them; and
  3. casual academic teaching employee and the School and or Faculty to seek feedback on Faculty procedure and to identify ongoing professional issues. 

Professional Development

(21) Both formal and non-formal opportunities for professional development are to be fostered where appropriate at the faculty, school and/or program level.

Recognition

(22) Strategies that value and recognise the contribution of academic casual teaching employees are to be developed and implemented.

Implementation and Monitoring

(23) Faculties are responsible for setting up procedures for the implementation and monitoring of this Code.

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Section 6 - Casual Academic Employee Relations

(24) Academic casual teaching employees will fulfil their responsibilities as academic employees as outlined in the Code of Practice - Learning and Teaching. These responsibilities relate to complying with the University’s Policies and Codes and fulfilling their roles in the quality provision of teaching and assessment.

(25) Academic casual teaching employees are to attend the University’s Casual Academic Induction normally in their first session of teaching with the University.

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Section 7 - Professional Development Provider Responsibilities

(26) The two key professional development providers are the Learning, Teaching and Curriculum and the Professional and Organisational Development Services. These units have a particular responsibility for offering to onshore casual teaching staff:

  1. the University’s Casual Academic Induction (normally run twice per session) which covers as a minimum WHS, EED & Privacy responsibilities, and;
  2. relevant, appropriate and accessible forms of professional development.
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Section 8 - Academic Services Division Responsibilities

(27) The Faculty representatives of the Academic Services Division (Library Services, CEDIR and Learning Development) are available to assist Faculties, Schools and Academic Units with their implementation of the professional learning aspects of this Code.

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Section 9 - Definitions

Word/Term Definition (with examples if required)
Casual academic teaching employees People who may be employed to lecture in subjects, give tutorial instruction, demonstrate in practical classes or supervise fieldwork. They may also be employed for assignment marking, consultations with students at specific times, attendance at faculty and school meetings, including assessment meetings, assisting in the preparation of teaching or resource material and the organisation of classes.  They are responsible to the Head of a designated academic unit and are assigned responsibilities by the Head or other delegated authority.
Casual Employment A person who is engaged by the hour and paid on an hourly basis.
LTC Learning, Teaching and Curriculum
PODS Professional and Organisational Development Services
Onshore campuses Campuses of the University of Wollongong located in Australia; for example, Wollongong, Shoalhaven, Moss Vale, Bega, Batemans Bay, Loftus and Sydney.
Student Management Package (SMP) Student Management Package (SMP) consists of SOLS, SMP-Central and the student administration software and web based system