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Course and Subject Approval Procedures - New Offerings and Discontinuations

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Section 1 - Introduction/Background

(1) Pursuant to the Course Policy, the Course Policy Framework sets out the overall framework for managing course related matters at UOW, to ensure all courses are developed, offered and reviewed.

(2) This Procedure, in conjunction with the Course and Subject Approval Procedures (Faculty Delegated Course and Subject Amendments), outlines the University’s approach to course and subject development and approval under the UOW Course Policy Framework.

(3) The University’s Course and Subject Management Online course management system (COSMOS), is used to manage the data and processes for the creation, amendment and discontinuation of courses, majors, specialisations, minors and subjects.

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Section 2 - Scope/Purpose

(4) This Procedure applies to all proposals relating to new offerings and discontinuations, as defined in section 7, including coursework and higher degree research courses.

(5) This Procedure is provided to assist staff to:

  1. develop course concepts and business cases (where necessary) and proposals for new offerings and discontinuations;
  2. consult stakeholders, obtain and consider feedback; and
  3. understand and implement the process to determine proposals for new offerings and discontinuations.

(6) All award courses approved by the University and offered by UOW Dubai (UOWD) must be considered and approved in accordance with the Course Policy and related Procedures.

(7) All award courses approved by the University and delivered by UOW College Australia (UOWCA) on behalf of the University must be developed and approved in accordance with the Course Policy and related Procedures.

(8) New offerings delivered as a Joint or Dual Award course must be approved in accordance with this Procedure along with any relevant additional approval requirements set out in the Joint and Dual Awards Policy.

(9) With respect to award courses within the scope of this Procedure and approved for delivery at UOWD and other offshore delivery locations, approved customisation and contextualisation of courses and subjects is permitted, consistent with the Principles of Equivalence outlined in the Course Design Procedures.

(10) A proposal for a new offering or discontinuation may be developed and submitted either separately from or in conjunction with proposals for the creation of minor study and/or subject or the amendment of a major study, minor study or subject.

(11) Faculty governance structures may establish additional processes for the endorsement of course proposals. These additional governance activities are not within the scope of this Procedure.

(12) Where internal governance processes are identified at UOWCA or UOWD, these processes are noted for the purposes of sequencing and describing the approval processes affected, but are not regulated by this Procedure.

(13) Where a member of the Senior Executive is the proposer of a course concept for a new offering or a discontinuation, they must recuse themselves from the final determination of the course proposal for that course and another member of the Senior Executive will determine their matter.

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Section 3 - Proposal Types

(14) A proposal can be for a:

  1. new offering, being a:
    1. new course;
    2. new major;
    3. new specialisation;
    4. new delivery location (including delivery via UOW Online and UOW Online Wollongong) for a course, major or specialisation; or
    5. new collaborative delivery arrangement, being a new collaborative UOW Award, Joint or Dual Award.
  2. discontinuation, being a discontinuation of a:
    1. course;
    2. major;
    3. specialisation; or
    4. delivery location.

(15) Due to reporting, conferral and systems requirements, the following types of amendments to an existing course require the University to issue a new course, major or specialisation code. As such, they must be processed through the creation of a new course, major or specialisation in COSMOS. The proposal must follow the relevant course approval stages for a new offering proposal, as set out in this Procedure:

  1. amendment to course, major or specialisation name;
  2. amendment to course duration in part-time or full-time years impacting equivalent full-time study load (EFTSL);
  3. amendment to total credit points;
  4. amendment to the Australian Qualifications Framework Qualification Level; and/or
  5. amendment to the Australian Qualifications Framework Qualification Type.

(16) Notwithstanding section 3 of this Procedure, the following proposals constitute administrative proposals and may be submitted to the delegated authority for approval without undertaking the steps set out in sections 4-9 of this Procedure:

  1. a new offering or discontinuation required solely to satisfy the requirements of an accreditation body for that offering;
  2. a new offering or discontinuation required in order to meet Commonwealth Government reporting requirements;
  3. a new offering or discontinuation necessitated to accommodate workplace change that results in reorganisation of the faculties and schools of the University, provided that the reorganisation has no impact on the content of a new offering, or on students;
  4. a discontinuation of a course, major study or specialisation that has been established but has never been available to students;
  5. a discontinuation of a course, major study or specialisation established to fulfil a contract with a third party where that contract has ended, provided that there are no impacts on students;
  6. a new offering must be established based on an instance of an existing course, major or specialisation, but where a new separate course with a unique course code is required and the new course is identical to the existing course instance.

(17) The Educational Quality and Policy Unit (EQP) will forward all administrative proposals to the Quality Assurance Review Group (QARG) for noting.

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Section 4 - Authority to Submit a Proposal for a new offering

(18) Prior to the creation of a proposal for a new offering, the proposer must:

  1. submit a course concept and an outline of a business case in the required form and in the case of a faculty, with the approval of the Executive Dean, to the Future Education Division (Future Ed);
  2. where the course concept and business case outline is endorsed by FED for further investigation, submit a full business case in the required form and in the case of a faculty, with the approval of the Executive Dean, to Future Ed;
  3. work with Future Ed to jointly investigate and assess the viability of the new offering based on the course concept and the business case; and
  4. where the proposer of a new offering is not the proposed course owning faculty, consult with and work with the course owning faculty through the Deputy Dean (Education) to investigate and assess the viability of the proposal; and
  5. obtain approval, conditional or unconditional, on advice from the Course Portfolio Development Group (CPDG), to proceed to submission of a proposal for the new offering from:
    1. the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) (DVCE);
    2. the relevant Executive Dean; and
    3. if the proposal was submitted by or on behalf of a Senior Executive, from that Senior Executive.
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Section 5 - Authority to Submit a Proposal for a discontinuation

(19) Prior to creation of a proposal for a discontinuation, the proposer must:

  1. submit a business case in the required form and in the case of a faculty, with the approval of the Executive Dean, to Future Ed;
  2. work with Future Ed to jointly investigate and assess the viability of the discontinuation based on the course concept and the business case;
  3. where the proposer of a discontinuation is not the proposed course owning faculty, consult with and work with the course owning faculty through the Associate Dean, Education to investigate and assess the viability of the proposal; and
  4. obtain approval, conditional or unconditional, from the DVCE and the relevant Executive Dean, on advice from the Course Portfolio Development Group (CPDG), to proceed to submission of a proposal for the discontinuation.
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Section 6 - Exemption of Authorisation Requirement for Submission of a Proposal

(20) The DVCE may exempt the requirement for approval to proceed to a proposal on viability grounds if the DVCE is satisfied that:

  1. the course proposal is not one that requires consideration of viability issues; or
  2. a satisfactory alternative process to assess the viability of the course proposal has been undertaken.

(21) If the course proposal is not from the course owning faculty, the DVCE may only exempt the requirement for approval to proceed with the support of the course owning faculty through the relevant Executive Dean.

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Section 7 - Course Approval Stages for Award Courses, Majors and Specialisations

(22) A proposal for a new offering or a discontinuation will (where approval is required under clause 18(d) or clause 19(d), once approved) be developed using the relevant course approval templates and process within COSMOS and submitted for endorsement and approval through the following stages, depicted in Figure 1 below:

Figure 1 – Course Approval Stages for Award Courses

Viability Stage
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) (DVCE) and Executive Dean
Authority to Proceed (if required)
Development Stage
Faculty Education Committee / FEC Course and Subject Approval Subcommittee
Endorsement
Faculty Executive Dean or Associate Dean, Education
Establishment of External Course Assessment Committee (ECAC) (if required).
Variation of Membership Approved or ECAC Requirement Waived by DVCE.
Quality Assurance Stage
ECAC(full report if required)
Review
Quality Assurance Review Group (QARG)
Endorsement
Final Approval Stage
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) (DVCE) or Academic Senate
Approval

Faculty Development Stage

(23) The Faculty is responsible for developing the proposal for a new offering or discontinuation, pursuant to the Course Policy, the Course Design Procedures and the requisite COSMOS template and workflow, together with required supporting documentation and, where the proposer is not the Faculty, in conjunction with the proposer.

(24) The Faculty is responsible for undertaking appropriate consultation with other faculties, academic and support units, and to manage any identified impacts arising from the proposal.

(25) The proposal requires endorsement from the Faculty Education Committee (FEC) or the FEC Course and Subject Approval Subcommittee, and the Executive Dean or Associate Dean, Education for the Faculty.

Quality Assurance Stage

(26) The QARG will review and determine whether to endorse each proposal for a new offering or discontinuation, taking account of any ECAC report (where required), in accordance with its terms of reference. QARG may endorse a proposal unconditionally or subject to conditions.

(27) The QARG will consult with the course owning faculty through the relevant Associate Dean, Education if it has any major concerns about the proposal before its determination, and any conditions are forwarded to the relevant delegated authority.

(28) The QARG may in exceptional circumstances at the request of the Faculty, through the Associate Dean, Education, or of its own initiative, direct the proposal to be forwarded to Academic Senate for final approval.

(29) The information required for QARG assessment is set out in the COSMOS workflow and proposal template.

(30) At this stage, if the new offering or discontinuation involves separate course instances for onshore and/or offshore delivery locations, each separate course instance must be the subject of a separate COSMOS proposal.

(31) If the new offering or discontinuation involves separate instances for offshore delivery locations and the timeline for offshore implementation differs from onshore implementation, the Faculty must provide an implementation plan and timeline for each affected offshore location.

(32) The QARG is responsible for conducting a review of the proposal, having regard to:

  1. Consultation – special attention is paid to stakeholder consultation to ensure that all consultation has been undertaken and issues raised have been responded to adequately.
  2. Compliance – the proposal should not raise any concerns with regard to Government legislation (Higher Education Support Act 2003, Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000, Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021, Australian Qualifications Framework) and UOW policy with regard to course structure.
  3. Curriculum design – the proposal must be consistent with curriculum design principles as set out in the Course Design Procedures.
  4. Required course-related information is provided in COSMOS and is accurate, including all supporting documentation.
  5. The outcomes and recommendations of the ECAC, as set out in the ECAC Report (if required).
  6. Any changes to the proposal against the approved course concept and business case.

Final Approval Stage

(33) Depending on the nature of the proposal, the following processes are in place for final approval of proposals for new offerings and discontinuations:

  1. the Academic Senate is the delegated authority to make a determination on each new offering where the proposal is referred to it for final approval by the QARG, or where the proposal is for a new course in a discipline area in respect of which there is no existing coursework offering at a course, major or specialisation level, in accordance with its terms of reference.
  2. the DVCE is the delegated authority to make a determination on each other proposal for a new offering or discontinuation.

(34) At this stage, the Faculty is to have addressed any outstanding conditions imposed by QARG, to the satisfaction of the relevant delegated authority.

(35) Approval of a proposal may be unconditional or conditional. Where approval is conditional, the responsible Faculty will take steps to meet that or those conditions within the timeframes specified (or where there are none, as soon as practicable).

(36) Failure to meet condition(s) placed on an approval may result in the relevant delegated authority:

  1. varying the condition(s) of approval; or
  2. determining to suspend the relevant course or instance pending compliance with the condition(s); or
  3. waiving compliance with the condition(s).
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Section 8 - Approval Stages for UOW College Australia Courses Approved by UOW

(37) A proposal for a new offering or discontinuation of a UOWCA course approved by UOW will be developed using the relevant COSMOS template and workflow, along with supporting documentation, and submitted for endorsement and approval through the following stages, depicted in Figure 2 below:

Figure 2 – Course Approval Stages for UOWC Australia Courses

UOW College Australia Stage
College Education Committee (not in scope of this Procedure)
Endorsement
UOWCA Academic Board (not in scope of this Procedure)
General Manager, UOW College (not in scope of this Procedure)
Faculty Education Committee / FEC Course and Subject Approval Subcommittee (if the course is to be offered, or was offered, in conjunction with a specific UOW Faculty).
Review
Preliminary Stage
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) (DVCE)
Authority to Proceed (if required)
Development Stage
Establishment of ECAC (if required)
Variation of Membership Approved or ECAC Requirement Waived by DVCE.
ECAC (full report if required)
Review
Quality Assurance Review Group (QARG) Stage
QARG
Endorsement
Final Approval Stage
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) (DVCE) or Academic Senate
Approval

UOW College Australia (UOWCA) Stage (Not in Scope of this Procedure)

(38) UOWCA is responsible for developing proposals for new offerings or discontinuations, pursuant to the Course Policy the Course Design Procedures.

(39) UOWCA is responsible for undertaking appropriate consultation internally and with UOW faculties, academic and support units, and to manage any identified impacts arising from the proposal.

(40) The proposal requires endorsement from the College Education Committee, UOWCA Academic Board and the General Manager, UOWCA.

UOW Preliminary Approval Stage

(41) UOWCA is responsible for developing a course concept (for new offerings) and (in all cases) a business case, for a new offering or discontinuation, pursuant to the Course Policy and the Course Design Procedures. The course concept and business case must be endorsed by the relevant UOW Faculty Education Committee or the FEC Course and Subject Approval Subcommittee if it is to be offered by, or in conjunction with, that Faculty.

(42) The course concept and business case for a new offering or a discontinuation by UOWCA will be considered on viability grounds and approved as provided in clause 18(d) or clause 19(d) (unless this requirement is waived).

(43) At this stage, UOWCA may proceed with a formal course proposal using the requisite course approval workflow and template in COSMOS, together with required supporting documentation, for endorsement and approval through QARG and the relevant delegated authority.

(44) UOWCA is responsible for undertaking, as appropriate, any further required consultation with UOW faculties, academic and support units, and managing any identified impacts arising from the proposal.

(45) The QARG will review and determine whether to endorse each proposal for a new offering or discontinuation in respect of a UOWCA course taking account of any External Course Advisory Committee report, in accordance with its terms of reference. QARG may endorse a proposal unconditionally or subject to conditions.

(46) The QARG may, in exceptional circumstances at the request of UOWCA, through the General Manager or of its own initiative, direct the proposal to be forwarded to Academic Senate for final approval.

(47) The QARG will consult with UOWCA if it has any major concerns about the proposal before its determination, and any conditions, are forwarded to the relevant delegated authority.

(48) The QARG will have particular regard to:

  1. Consultation – special attention is paid to stakeholder consultation to ensure that all consultation has been undertaken and issues raised have been responded to adequately;
  2. Compliance – the proposal should not raise any concerns with regard to Government legislation (Higher Education Support Act 2003, Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000, Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021, and UOW policy with regard to course structure;
  3. Curriculum design – the proposal must be consistent with curriculum design principles as set out in the Course Design Procedures;
  4. required course-related information is provided in COSMOS and accurate, including all supporting documentation;
  5. the outcomes and recommendations of the ECAC as set out in the ECAC Report (if required);
  6. any changes to the proposal against the approved course concept and business case (if required).

Final Approval Stage

(49) The relevant delegated authority will make a determination on each UOWCA new offering or discontinuation proposal.

(50) At this stage, UOWCA is to have addressed any outstanding conditions imposed by the QARG, to the satisfaction of QARG.

(51) Approval of a proposal may be unconditional or conditional. Where approval is conditional, UOWCA will take steps to meet that or those conditions within the timeframes specified (or where there are none, as soon as practicable).

(52) Failure to meet condition(s) placed on an approval may result in the relevant delegated authority:

  1. varying the condition(s) of approval or;
  2. determining to suspend the relevant course or instance pending compliance with the condition(s); or
  3. waiving compliance with the condition(s).
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Section 9 - Approval Stages for Proposals at Offshore Delivery Locations

(53) A proposal for a new offering or discontinuation of a course offered at an offshore delivery location will be developed using the relevant COSMOS template and workflow, along with supporting documentation, and submitted for endorsement and approval through the following stages, depicted in Figure 3 below:

Figure 3 – Course Approval Stages for UOW Courses Offered at an Offshore Delivery Location

Offshore Delivery Location Stage (Not in Scope)
Executive Approval at offshore delivery location (if required)
Endorsement
Internal Academic Governance Approval at offshore delivery location (if required)
Endorsement
Preliminary Stage Onshore
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) (DVCE) and Executive Dean
Authority to Proceed (if required)
Development Stage Onshore
UOW Faculty Education Committee / FEC Course and Subject Approval Subcommittee
Endorsement
UOW Faculty Executive Dean or Associate Dean, Education
Offshore Approval Stage (Not in Scope)
Relevant Academic Governance Body (not in scope of this Procedure)
Endorsement
Quality Assurance Stage:
Concurrent Stage
Offshore Local Accreditation Stage:
Concurrent Stage
QARG
Endorsement
Local Regulatory or Accreditation Body
Approval
Final Approval Stage Onshore and Offshore
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) (DVCE) or Academic Senate
Approval
UOWGE Ltd Board (where relevant – not in scope)
Approval

Offshore Delivery Location Stage (Not in Scope of this Procedure)

(54) Any offshore delivery location managed by UOW Global Enterprises (UOWGE) has the status of a faculty for the purposes of this Procedure.

(55) The UOWGE managed offshore delivery location will work in partnership with the relevant University Faculty, and in consultation with the Transnational Education Unit, in developing any proposals for new offerings and discontinuations for UOW courses offered offshore. For other offshore delivery locations, any proposals for new offerings and discontinuations for UOW courses will be developed by the relevant University Faculty working with the Transnational Education Unit (TNE).

(56) The responsibilities outlined in clause 54 are for developing a course concept and business case for a new offering or discontinuation, pursuant to the Course Policy and the Course Design Procedures, together with required supporting documentation.

(57) The development, consultation and approval process in the home country, in compliance with any accreditation and approval requirements of the local regulatory or accreditation body for any new offerings and discontinuations, is undertaken prior to and in conjunction with the commencement of the UOW Course Approval Process.

Onshore Preliminary and Development Approval Stages

(58) The course concept and business case for a new offering or a discontinuation will be considered on viability grounds and approved under clause 18(d) or 19(d) (unless this requirement is waived). This should occur in consultation with TNE and the relevant faculty, where necessary.

(59) At this stage, a formal course proposal may be developed using the requisite course approval workflow and template in COSMOS, together with required supporting documentation, for endorsement and approval through the QARG and the relevant delegated authority.

(60) The UOW Faculty is responsible for undertaking appropriate consultation with other onshore faculties, academic and support units, and managing any identified impacts arising from the proposal.

(61) The proposal requires endorsement from the UOW Faculty Education Committee/FEC Course and Subject Approval Subcommittee and the UOW Associate Dean, Education.

(62) The UOW Faculty is responsible for forwarding the proposal to QARG for assessment.

Quality Assurance Stage: Concurrent Stage

(63) The Quality Assurance Stage is a concurrent stage, completed alongside the Local Accreditation Stage to minimise the timeframe for securing course approval.

(64) The QARG will review and determine whether to endorse each proposal for a new offering or discontinuation in respect of an offshore course in accordance with its terms of reference. QARG may endorse a proposal unconditionally or subject to conditions.

(65) The QARG, may in exceptional circumstances, at the request of the offshore delivery location or the course owning the Faculty, through the Deputy Dean (Education) or of its own initiative, direct the proposal to be forwarded to Academic Senatefor final approval.

(66) The QARG will consult with the course owning faculty through the relevant Deputy Dean (Education) and with the offshore delivery location, if it has any major concerns about the proposal before its determination and any conditions are forwarded to the relevant delegated authority.

(67) The QARG will have particular regard to:

  1. Consultation – special attention is paid to stakeholder consultation to ensure that all consultation has been undertaken and issues raised have been responded to adequately;
  2. Compliance – the proposal should not raise any concerns with regard to Government legislation (Higher Education Support Act 2003, Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000, Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021, Australian Qualifications Framework) and UOW policy with regard to course structure;
  3. Accreditation – the proposal should provide confirmation of the accreditation status with the local accreditation body and any relevant regulatory or accreditation authority and outline any amendments made to the proposal as a result of the external accreditation process;
  4. Curriculum design – the proposal must be consistent with curriculum design principles as set out in the Course Design Procedures;
  5. required course-related information is provided in COSMOS and accurate, including all supporting documentation;
  6. any changes to the proposal against the approved course concept and business case (if required).

Offshore Local Accreditation Stage: Concurrent Stage

(68) The Local Accreditation Stage is a concurrent stage, completed alongside the Quality Assurance Stage to minimise the timeframe for securing course approval.

(69) At this stage, a proposed new offering is submitted to the relevant local regulatory or accreditation body by the offshore delivery location.

(70) The offshore delivery location is responsible for communicating approval to the Faculty, FED and the EQP and any recommendations made by the local regulatory or accreditation body.

Final Approval Stage – Onshore and Offshore

(71) The relevant delegated authority will make a determination on each new offering or discontinuation proposal for the offshore delivery location.

(72) At this stage, the offshore delivery location, working with the University Faculty and the Transnational Education Unit, is to have addressed any outstanding issues raised by QARG, to the satisfaction of QARG.

(73) Approval of a proposal may be unconditional or conditional. Where approval is conditional, the offshore delivery location will take steps to meet that or those conditions within the timeframes specified (or where there are none, as soon as practicable).

(74) Failure to meet the condition(s) placed on an approval may result in the relevant delegated authority:

  1. varying the condition(s) of approval; or
  2. determining to suspend the relevant course or instance pending compliance with the condition(s); or
  3. waiving compliance with the condition(s).

(75) On behalf of UOWGE managed offshore delivery locations, the UOWGE Ltd Board is the final approval authority for course approvals. This process is not within scope of this Procedure.

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Section 10 - Accelerated Approval Process

(76) The accelerated approval process may be used on proposals for new offerings for which there is an approved course concept and business case, unless that requirement has been waived. This process may be used to accelerate the consideration of a course proposal.

(77) Any faculty seeking to utilise the accelerated approval process must submit the full proposal for the new offering to EQP, along with:

  1. supporting reasons to use the accelerated approval process, having regard to the circumstances set out in clause 78 of these Procedures;
  2. a full course proposal and an ECAC report (unless this requirement has been waived or is proposed to be undertaken as a condition of approval of the course proposal); and
  3. evidence that the design, delivery and assessment of the proposal have undergone academic scrutiny by staff other than those directly involved in its design and delivery.

(78) EQP will seek approval of the Chair of the QARG for use of the accelerated approval process.

(79) The accelerated approval process may be used where the Chair of the QARG is satisfied that there is a demonstrated benefit to the University in accelerating consideration of the proposal without compromising the quality of the Course, Major or Specialisation or the reputation of the University.

(80) Upon obtaining approval to use the accelerated approval process for the new offering proposal, EQP will arrange for consideration of the proposal by the QARG by either a circular resolution or by means of the calling and holding of an extraordinary meeting.

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Section 11 - External Review of Proposals for New Offerings

(81) An ECAC is required to be conducted for each proposal for a new offering involving a new course or a new major or specialisation, other than for UOWD courses (in respect of which the Commission for Academic Accreditation meets the requirements for external course appraisal), unless this requirement is waived by the DVCE.

(82) The primary purpose of an ECAC is to ensure that course design and development incorporates external reference points in respect of the academic quality of the new offering and the extent to which the proposed new offering meets the needs of future graduates and employers.

(83) The membership of an ECAC shall comprise, at minimum:

  1. the Associate Dean, Education of the proposing Faculty;
  2. a senior teaching academic (Level D or above) from another Faculty (cross-Faculty representative);
  3. at least one (1) Student Representative;
  4. a Education Innovation and Enablement Representative;
  5. at least two (2) External Representatives;
  6. the Deputy Deans (Growth and Global) or nominee (if the new offering is to be delivered offshore); and
  7. the Deputy Dean (Research) or nominee (if the new offering is a higher degree research course).

(84) The Education Innovation and Enablement representative shall have regard to issues of curriculum design and quality, including the extent to which the course proposal meets existing strategic educational priorities of the University.

(85) The two (2) External Representatives must be:

  1. prominent persons held in high esteem in their field of relevant academic, professional or industry expertise; or
  2. have requisite levels of experience in government or industry relevant to the course proposal and to the needs of future graduates and employers; and
  3. external to the University.

(86) The Faculty may nominate additional ECAC members at their discretion.

(87) The Terms of Reference for an ECAC shall include, at minimum to:

  1. assess the quality of the new offering;
  2. assess the new offering against the needs of graduates and employers; and
  3. provide an ECAC Report that includes any recommendations for improvement or further action.

(88) Faculties may include additional ECAC terms of reference at their discretion.

(89) The Faculty must seek approval of the DVCE for any terms of reference or membership that do not meet the minimum requirements set out in this Procedure.

(90) The ECAC Report will be prepared by the Faculty and submitted to EQP for inclusion with the new offering proposal documentation as considered by QARG.

(91) At minimum, the ECAC Report must include the following:

  1. record of attendance;
  2. detailed consideration of the Terms of Reference;
  3. recommendations; and
  4. Faculty response to the recommendations.

(92) A Faculty may apply to the DVCE via the EQP to waive the requirement to hold an ECAC, and the DVCE may waive the requirement for an ECAC, where:

  1. the proposed offering is subject to a formal external accreditation process that substantially addresses the minimum terms of reference set out in the ECAC Terms of Reference and Membership Form;
  2. the proposed offering is a nested qualification within an existing course, where all or most of the subjects are existing subjects, and there is an identified demand for such an exit point;
  3. the proposed offering is being established to consolidate two (2) or more existing courses that are proposed to be discontinued, and where all or most of the subjects are the same, the course structure is substantially the same, and the course is directed at substantially the same cohort of potential students as the existing course(s);
  4. the proposed offering is being established to introduce an existing course, major or specialisation under a new name, and where all or most of the subjects are the same, the structure is substantially the same, and is directed at substantially the same cohort of potential students;
  5. the proposed offering is being established as a result of separating one or more distinct discipline areas from an existing course, and where the discipline area is the same, all or most of the subjects are existing, the course structure is substantially the same, and the course is directed at substantially the same cohort of potential students as the existing course;
  6. the proposed offering is an extended version of an existing course within the same discipline area, with additional academic requirements or volume of learning, and where all or most of the subjects are existing, the course structure is substantially the same, and the course is directed at substantially the same cohort of potential students as the existing course; or
  7. the proposed offering has already been or will be the subject of a review (including of the matters detailed at clause 91) by:
    1. an external advisory body such as a Faculty, school, discipline or course advisory board or similar; or
    2. a properly constituted Course Review Panel under the Course Monitoring and Review Procedures; and
    3. that review is documented consistent with clause 91 and has been or is provided to the QARG with the course proposal.
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Section 12 - Consultation

(93) The entity responsible for a proposed new offering or discontinuation is responsible for consulting with members of the University community who may be affected by each proposal for a new offering.

(94) Evidence of the consultation process, as well as the incorporation of any feedback or otherwise, should be included within COSMOS.

(95) The Faculty should engage in the consultation process, in the Faculty Stage of proposal development, in order to allow sufficient time for the identification and resolution of issues arising from the proposal.

(96) A proposal that contains insufficient evidence of consultation with members of the University community may be refused endorsement or approval.

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Section 13 - Implementation Activities

Record Keeping

(97) Future Ed will maintain a central repository of all approved Award and Non-Award Courses.

Course Database

(98) Following endorsement of a new offering or discontinuation by a Faculty Education Committee and the Future Ed will amend the Course Database accordingly.

(99) Following approval of a new offering or discontinuation by the relevant delegated authority, the Future Education Division will finalise amendments to the Course Database.

CRICOS and Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 Compliance

(100) EQP maintains UOW courses on CRICOS.

(101) New offerings comprising new courses that are to be offered to international students will be registered on CRICOS following approval of the course concept and business case, and subject to the course owning faculty providing all required information via COSMOS. The application to the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) is lodged by EQP.

(102) Courses that are to be offered in the new delivery locations for international students will be registered on CRICOS following approval of the course concept and business case. The application to the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) is lodged by EQP.

(103) Discontinuations of courses that are offered to international students will be withdrawn from CRICOS following approval of the business case. The application to the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) is lodged by EQP.

(104) For new offerings involving joint delivery with a third party (including joint and dual award courses where the third party is an Australian Higher Education Provider), a third party application must be submitted to the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) if the course is to be registered on CRICOS. This will be lodged following the approval of the course concept and business case. All third party applications are subject to a fee, which must be met by the proposer.

(105) In the event the requirement for approval of a course concept and/or business case is waived, any action dependent on that approval may proceed on the basis of the waiver of that requirement.

Marketing Activities and Promotional Materials

(106) Approved marketing activities and promotional materials can proceed for new offerings following approval of the course concept and business case, or on the basis of the waiver of that requirement.

(107) All marketing activities and promotional materials for new offerings that precede final approval must contain appropriate disclaimers regarding the approval process being undertaken.

(108) Marketing activities and promotional materials for courses that are to be offered to international students studying onshore on a student visa cannot commence until the course has been registered on CRICOS.

Course Finder

(109) The Student Administration Unit in the Student Services Division (SSD) manages the Course Finder.

Online Applications / Offer Letters

(110) SSD may set up online applications, intake sessions and may start issuing offers to students for a new offering upon approval, and the course being made active in the Course Database and in COSMOS.

(111) The Admissions Officer(s) within SSD maintain the eCOEs.

(112) When a course is approved for discontinuation, SSD is responsible for providing alternative offers to students seeking to commence in the year of discontinuation, or cancelling offers when there is no suitable course of study available to students.

Handbook

(113) The handbook is produced by the COSMOS system and reflects data maintained in that system.

(114) Following approval of a new offering, a handbook page will become available on publication of the Handbook for the year in which the proposal is effective.

(115) Following approval of a discontinuation, a Handbook page will be unpublished from the year in which the proposal is effective.

(116) The Faculty is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the information displayed on the Course Handbook pages for their Faculty’s courses, majors or specialisations.

Offshore Course Delivery

(117) If the proposal involves new offshore delivery locations, and the timeline for offshore implementation differs from onshore implementation, the Faculty should maintain in COSMOS:

  1. the different structures for the offerings onshore and offshore;
  2. instance level variations to subject data, including assessments and subject learning outcomes (where applicable); and
  3. a communication and implementation plan for affected offshore locations.
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Section 14 - Roles and Responsibilities

(118) Future Ed is responsible for facilitating and coordinating the course approval process as set out in this procedure.

(119) Future Ed will facilitate access to the COSMOS system for users to support decision making under this procedure.

(120) CPDG is responsible for:

    1. supporting the development of course concepts and business cases for New Offerings and Discontinuations;
    2. assessing the viability of course concepts and business cases for New Offerings and Discontinuations that meet the requirements of this procedure; and
    3. providing recommendations as provided under this procedure on whether course concepts and business cases should proceed to become full course proposals.

(121) Future Ed staff are jointly responsible for carrying out timely and effective development of New Offering and Discontinuation proposals, consulting with stakeholders, ensuring that all identified issues are satisfactorily resolved prior to final approval, and coordinating post-approval activities required for implementation.

(122) The Faculty Education Committee / FEC Course and Subject Approval Subcommittee, and Faculty Deputy Dean (Education) or Faculty Executive Dean are responsible for reviewing and endorsing proposals for New Offerings and Discontinuations that meet the requirements of this procedure.

(123) The QARG is responsible for endorsing proposals for New Offerings and Discontinuations that meet the requirements of this procedure.

(124) EQP is responsible for supporting QARG consideration of course proposals and final approval of course proposals through the DVCE or Academic Senate.

(125) The DVCE is responsible for approving all proposals delegated to that officeholder for determination.

(126) The Academic Senate is responsible for approving proposals delegated to it for determination.

(127) Education Innovation and Enablement is responsible for strategic curriculum development, and ensuring that UOW strategic educational priorities as set out in the Course Design Procedures, and in the relevant UOW educational strategies, are embedded within proposals for New Offerings.

(128) Future Ed is responsible for communicating the outcomes of New Offerings and Discontinuation proposals following the approval of those proposals.

(129) Future Ed and EQP are jointly responsible for reporting annually to the UEC and the Academic Senate on course approval activities in the previous year.

(130) The Future Ed is responsible for supporting proposers in the investigation and assessment of course concepts and business cases presented for consideration by CPDG.

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Section 15 - Definitions

(131) The key terms used in this Procedure are defined in the Course Policy.

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Section 16 - Appendix 1: New Offerings and Discontinuations Process Map

(132) Course Design New Offerings and Discontinuations Process Map