• Section 1 - Introduction and Scope
• Section 2 - Purpose
• Section 3 - Course Monitoring and Review Framework
• Course Monitoring and Review Principles
• UOW College Australia (UOWCA) Course Reviews
• Comprehensive Course Review
• Annual Course Monitoring Cycle
• Section 4 - Course Review and External Accreditation Schedules
• Overdue Reviews
• Unscheduled Course Reviews
• External Accreditation Schedule
• Section 5 - Comprehensive Course Review Stages
• Stage 1 – Determining the Terms of Reference and Course Review Panel Membership
• Stage 2 – Conducting the Review
• Stage 3 - Documenting the Review and Recommendations
• Stage 4 – Assessment and Approval
• FEC Endorsement
• Stage 5 – Monitoring and Reporting of Action Items
• Section 6 - Roles and Responsibilities
• Section 7 - Appendix 1 – Terms of Reference and Membership
• Membership of Course Review Panel
• Terms of Reference
• Evaluation Criteria
• Section 8 - Appendix 2 – Process Map – Comprehensive Course Review Stages
• Section 9 - Appendix 3 – Data Sources
• Section 10 - Definitions

Section 1 - Introduction and Scope

(1) These Procedures apply to all award courses approved by the University of Wollongong (the University) under its self-accrediting authority as a higher education provider.

(2) These Procedures do not apply to:

1. courses offered by and accredited by UOW College Australia (UOWCA);
2. courses offered by UOW in Dubai that are not tradeable; or
3. non-award and short-courses (requirements outlined in the Short Course and Microcredential Management Procedure); or
4. courses offered as a joint or dual award with one or more partner institutions (requirements outlined in the Joint and Dual Awards Policy).

Section 2 - Purpose

(3) These Procedures govern the systematic monitoring and review of courses, ensuring a continuous cycle of evaluation and improvement. This involves, among other things, evaluation and reflection by academic staff on course design and, approaches to teaching and assessment quality to evaluate the impact on student learning.

(4) The monitoring and review process is a fundamental element of maintaining academic quality and standards.

(5) These Procedures are aligned to and support the implementation of:

1. the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021;
2. the UOW Quality and Standards Framework for Learning & Teaching; and
3. the Course Policy and the Course Design Procedures.

Section 3 - Course Monitoring and Review Framework

Course Monitoring and Review Principles

(6) The course monitoring and review process is designed to:

1. support a reflective learning and teaching culture;
2. recognise and disseminate good practice in learning and teaching;
3. provide an opportunity to refresh a course in relation to contemporary concerns and contexts;
4. demonstrate maintenance of standards and adherence to regulatory and external accreditation requirements;
5. provide actionable feedback and insights to those involved in course delivery for use in improving design and delivery of teaching and learning;
6. include external input, benchmarking and use of external reference points;
7. meaningfully engage with relevant stakeholders;
8. consider multiple sources of information and data, including feedback from students; and
9. be conducted in a coordinated, collegial and transparent manner.

UOW College Australia (UOWCA) Course Reviews

(7) UOWCA course reviews for courses accredited by UOW are to be conducted based on approved UOWCA Curriculum Review Guidelines that conform to the requirements of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 in their application to all Australian Qualifications Framework awards.

(8) Changes to the UOWCA Curriculum Review Guidelines will be made in consultation with the Educational Quality and Policy Unit (EQP) and be approved by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) (DVCE).

(9) UOWCA will report to UOW via the University Education Committee (UEC) on their approved schedule including progress against the schedule and any changes to the schedule. This schedule should provide for the review of each UOW accredited UOWCA course every five years.

(10) UOW may suspend the UOW accreditation of a UOWCA course, and therefore suspend the course, where any course has not undergone a comprehensive review for seven years.

(11) UOWCA will submit to the DVCE via the Educational Quality and Policy Unit (EQP) a completed Course Review Report and recommend one of the following outcomes in relation to the continuation or otherwise of the course(s) under review:

1. re-approval for a further period of five years in order that students may continue to enroll in the course;
2. interim re-approval for the purpose of course redevelopment, where proposed course changes would require the establishment of a replacement course. This approval would see:
   1. re-approval for a further period of no more than three (3) years followed by;
   2. suspension of the course thereafter;
3. Approval to progress to a course discontinuation, consisting of:
   1. immediate suspension of the course for all future intakes and up to one year for UOWCA to complete, submit and secure approval for the discontinuation of the course; and
   2. re-approval for a further period of one year and suspension of the course for all further intakes thereafter, in order to allow students with existing offers for the following year to enroll in the course.

(12) The DVCE will respond to the report by:

1. approving the Report, the Course Review recommendations and the outcome sought by UOWCA, in full or in part; or
2. approving the Report, the Course Review recommendations and the outcome sought by UOWCA, in full or in part, and adding additional recommendations; or
3. referring the Course Review Report back to UOWCA with a request to consider new matters or to reconsider specific matters.

Comprehensive Course Review

(13) A comprehensive course review must be conducted at least once every five years in accordance with the Course Review Schedule (outlined in Section 4) and the stages outlined in Section 5 of these Procedures.

(14) A comprehensive course review may be initiated prior to a scheduled review in accordance with clause 29.

(15) EQP will report annually on implementation and monitoring activities under these Procedures to the UEC and Academic Senate.

Annual Course Monitoring Cycle

(16) In accordance with the provisions in the Teaching and Assessment:Code of Practice – Teaching, the Academic Program Director is responsible for providing strategic leadership for one or more UOW coursework programs, in collaboration with the teaching team. In terms of ongoing course monitoring, this responsibility requires:

1. considering, at least annually, available course performance data and other relevant information, in order to reflect on the course and identify actions to maintain and enhance the quality of the course;
2. documenting these reflections and implementing any related improvement actions, and making this information available to relevant staff, to ensure an ongoing cycle of review and improvement;
3. ensuring that subjects which assure the course learning outcomes within their course, engage in external peer review of assessment in accordance with the External Referencing: Peer Review of Assessment Standards Procedure, to provide evidence that assessment methods and student grading are appropriate, aligned to the subject and course learning outcomes and are broadly comparable with those occurring in similar courses offered by other institutions.

(17) Performance data and other relevant information to be considered includes:

1. Courses of Interest Reports;
2. Comprehensive Course Review Tableau Dataset;
3. previous reflections on the course;
4. previous course external accreditation and/or school review report outcomes, conditions and recommendations;
5. surveys and other relevant student experience data;
6. other feedback from teaching team members and students;
7. available benchmarking data.

(18) EQP will present key reflections and actions identified by the Academic Program Directors to an annual Faculty meeting in accordance with the processes outlined in the Procedure for Interim Monitoring of Courses and Comparative Student Outcomes.

Section 4 - Course Review and External Accreditation Schedules

(19) In accordance with the status of the University as a self-accrediting higher education provider, and consistent with the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021, each UOW course is deemed to be approved by the University so that it may be offered for a specified period as provided in the Course Review Schedule.

(20) The Course Review Schedule is developed and maintained by EQP in consultation with Deputy Deans and approved by the DVCE.

(21) The Course Review Schedule, as far as practicable and where relevant, will align with the schedule for external accreditation.

(22) Related courses, majors and specialisations may be grouped together in clusters in the Course Review Schedule and each cluster is then scheduled for review. Reference to a course review will be taken to refer to all courses under review in a single cluster.

(23) Related courses include:

1. double degrees;
2. nested courses;
3. courses in the same or related disciplines;
4. major studies or specialisations in the same or related disciplines;
5. UOW accredited pathway programs; and
6. cognate courses (for example, Scholar and/or Honours courses).

(24) Any Faculty seeking to make a change to the Course Review Schedule will submit a request to EQP. The request should clearly identify the proposed changes to the Schedule, along with a rationale for the change. The Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021, mandates seven yearly comprehensive reviews of courses. Approval of any change that  contravenes this provision can only be made if any course that has not been reviewed for seven (7) years is suspended until it undergoes a course review.

(25) The approval of the DVCE is required for all changes to the Schedule. EQP will seek approval from the DVCE to make requested changes to the Schedule.

Overdue Reviews

(26) If a course review is not completed within the period specified in the Course Review Schedule, the Delegated Authority may grant an interim re-approval of a course for one academic year, subject to clause 25 and clause 28.

(27) If a course review is not complete within the one year interim re-approval period, the Delegated Authority may grant an additional interim re-approval for a further academic year, subject to clause 25 and clause 28.

(28) Regardless of grant of an interim re-approval, a course will be immediately suspended for the next academic year if it has not been reviewed by the end of the seven (7) year period since it was first on offer or since it was last reviewed.

Unscheduled Course Reviews

(29) A comprehensive course review may be initiated prior to a scheduled review by the DVCE, Executive Dean and/or Associate Dean, Education in consultation with EQP in response to issues identified through course monitoring and review.

(30) Where a course review is initiated in advance of the next scheduled course review, the Course Review Schedule will be updated accordingly subject to approval from the DVCE.

External Accreditation Schedule

(31) External accreditation details attaching to a course or to a major study or specialisation will be recorded and maintained in COSMOS, including:

1. the currency of that accreditation; and
2. the name of the accreditation body.

(32) EQP will record and monitor any external accreditation conditions and/or recommendations imposed or made by the accreditation body and the status of those conditions and/or recommendations.

Section 5 - Comprehensive Course Review Stages

Stage 1 – Determining the Terms of Reference and Course Review Panel Membership

(33) The Terms of Reference and Course Review Panel Membership will be determined in accordance with Appendix 1 – Section 7.

(34) The DDE and Associate Director, Educational Quality and Policy will jointly approve the Terms of Reference and Course Review Panel Membership.

(35) Where the ADE and Associate Director, Educational Quality and Policy cannot agree on the scope of Terms of Reference and Course Review Panel Membership the points of contention will be escalated to the DVCE for a final determination.

(36) The Chair of the Faculty Course Review Panel will be drawn from among the group members and will be appointed by the Associate Dean, Education.

(37) EQP is responsible for providing executive support to the Committee and will maintain appropriate governance records in respect of its deliberations.

(38) Where the course(s) being reviewed are delivered collaboratively and it is otherwise required as part of the scope of the review, a Collaborative Delivery Working Group must also be convened.

(39) The Collaborative Delivery Working Group must meet at least twice:

1. during the initial phases of the review to discuss issues specific to the collaborative delivery locations that will need to be addressed as part of the review, and
2. just prior to the review being finalised to discuss implications for any proposed review recommendations.

(40) Membership of the Collaborative Delivery Working Group is specified in Appendix 1 – Section 7.

(41) EQP or the Faculty may opt to establish additional working group(s) or review team(s) to support the Course Review Panel.

Stage 2 – Conducting the Review

(42) The Course Review Panel will evaluate the course against the agreed Terms of Reference.

(43) The Course Review Panel may consider any relevant data available. A list of available data is provided in Appendix 4 – Section 10.

(44) The Course Review Panel will in reviewing the course take into accound where relevant the subject offering in the course (core, capstones and available electives).

(45) The Faculty, supported by EQP, will actively seek input and consult as widely as it considers necessary.

(46) Consultation is of particular value for obtaining more qualitative information about the course that cannot be obtained from other data sources. A variety of consultation methods and tools may be employed as appropriate, including surveys/questionnaires, focus groups, forums and/or interviews.

(47) Specifically, feedback should be sought from:

1. all schools that own core subjects, majors or minors within the course;
2. other faculties where the course review includes:
   1. double degrees where a strand is owned by another faculty;
   2. core subjects, minors or majors owned by another faculty;
3. where the course is offered at other campuses, staff involved in the delivery of the course at that or those locations;
4. professional and/or industry representatives, which may be addressed through Course Review Panel Membership; and
5. currently enrolled students.

(48) Feedback gathered and outcomes from consultation should be made available to the panel for consideration during their deliberations.

(49) If, at any stage during the course review process, the course is assessed as being unviable, the Faculty may terminate the review of the course and instead submit a proposal for discontinuation of the course.

Stage 3 - Documenting the Review and Recommendations

(50) Minutes of Course Review Panel Meetings are to be written by the EQP.

(51) Where an external accreditation process is relied upon as part of the review, the accreditation report submitted, and any response to this from the accreditation body, should be provided and any conditions and recommendations should be noted.

(52) The minutes should include a record of the deliberations of the Course Review Panel on the performance of the course(s) under review taking account of the evaluation criteria, and any recommendations made as part of the review including responsible officers and timeframes where possible. 

(53) The Course Review Panel will review the minutes and any supporting evidence and, if necessary, make changes, and approve the documentation for submission to the Faculty Education Committee (FEC).

Stage 4 – Assessment and Approval

FEC Endorsement

(54) The FEC  will consider the course review minutes and any relevant review materials when considering endorsement of the course review Endorsement should clearly articulate which of the following outcomes is being sought in relation to the continuation or otherwise of the course(s) under review:

1. re-approval for a further period of five years;
2. interim re-approval for the purpose of course redevelopment, where proposed course changes would require the establishment of a replacement course. This allows students to continue to enroll in the course, while the faculty develop the replacement offering and arrange the discontinuation of the existing course(s).This approval would see:
   1. re-approval for a further period of no more than three (3) years followed by;
   2. suspension of the course thereafter;
3. approval to progress to a course discontinuation, consisting of:
   1. up to one year for the faculty to complete, submit and secure approval for the discontinuation of the course; and
   2. immediate suspension of the course for all future intakes; or
   3. re-approval for a further period of one year and suspension of the course for all further intakes thereafter, in order to allow students with existing offers for the following year to enroll in the course.

(55) Where the FEC proposes changes to the recommendations, the Course Review Panel will be advised of the changes and be able to provide feedback.

(56) Once endorsed by the FEC, a copy of the minutes, including recommendations, will be forwarded to the DVCE.

(57) The DVCE will assess the Course Review and may seek advice prior to responding.

(58) The DVCE will respond to the review by:

1. approving the Course Review recommendations and the outcome sought by the faculty outlined in clause 58, in full or in part; or
2. approving the Course Review recommendations and the outcome sought by the faculty outlined in clause 58, in full or in part, and adding additional recommendations; or
3. referring the Course Review back to the DDE of the Faculty and EQP with a request to consider new matters or to reconsider specific matters;
4. at the request of the Faculty through the DDE or of his own initiative, in exceptional circumstances, direct the review recommendations and outcome be forwarded to Academic Senate for final approval.

(59) The DDE of the Faculty, supported by EQP, will respond to any referral by the DVCE by addressing the matters raised and submitting a memorandum with the response, at which point the DVCE will respond as provided in clause 62.

Stage 5 – Monitoring and Reporting of Action Items

(60) EQP will update the Course Review Schedule once the course review has been finalised, by recording the outcome of the course review on the Course Review Schedule.

(61) EQP will enter and monitor progress in implementation course review recommendations via the Protecht system.

(62) On re-approval of a course, EQP will advise the Faculty of the next scheduled review date for the course.

(63) The Faculty, or agreed responsible officer, will implement recommendations and report on progress in implementing course review recommendations and external accreditation conditions to their FEC and to EQP annually.

Section 6 - Roles and Responsibilities

(64) Faculty staff named in these Procedures are responsible for contributing to the timely and effective review of courses in accordance with the Course Review Schedule and these Procedures.

(65) EQP is responsible for:

1. monitoring the overall implementation of the Course Review Schedule;
2. maintaining appropriate templates to facilitate the Course Review process;
3. ensuring that courses are reviewed in accordance with University policy and the University’s obligations under the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021;
4. managing records from course review activities as provided in the Records Management Policy; and
5. reporting on implementation and monitoring activities under these Procedures including in response to course review recommendations, external accreditation recommendations and conditions and course monitoring actions as required to the UEC and Academic Senate annually.

(66) Learning, Teaching and Curriculum is responsible for:

1. supporting the implementation of strategic UOW learning and teaching initiatives through the course review process.

(67) The UEC and Academic Senate are responsible for:

1. overseeing the implementation of the Course Review Schedule; and
2. monitoring the effectiveness of these Procedures to support the quality assurance and quality enhancement of UOW courses.

Section 7 - Appendix 1 – Terms of Reference and Membership

Membership of Course Review Panel

Core Members:

1. the DDE;
2. at least one Academic Program Director of a course in the course cluster under review;
3. an Deputy Dean, Head of School, Discipline Leader or Academic Program Director from another faculty;
4. Education Innovation and Enablement representative;
5. an EQP representative;
6. External representatives - prominent person(s) held in high esteem in their field of relevant expertise (external to the University, including relevant professional bodies, government or industry), where there is no external oversight during the annual course monitoring cycle (g. external accreditation or industry advisory boards) or other plans to incorporate external feedback in the data gathering process; and
7. a student representative nominated by the Faculty.

Additional Members:

1. Deputy Dean (Growth and Global) or nominee, where a course under review is delivered offshore;
2. At least one representative from UOWGE, where a course under review is taught at a campus operated by UOWGE;
3. Deputy Dean (Graduate Research) or nominee, where a course under review is a higher degree research course;
4. UOWC Australia General Manager or nominee, where a course under review has a nested course delivered and/or owned by UOWCA;
5. External representatives - prominent person(s) held in high esteem in their field of relevant expertise (external to the University, including relevant professional bodies, government or industry), where there is no external oversight during the annual course monitoring cycle (g. external accreditation or industry advisory boards) or other plans to incorporate external feedback in the data gathering process;
6. Other staff and/or students as required.

Membership of the Collaborative Delivery Working Group: 

1. the Chair of the Course Review Panel;
2. the Deputy Deans (Growth and Global) or nominee;
3. an academic representative from each collaborative delivery campus that delivers the course(s) being reviewed;
4. relevant Academic Program Directors;
5. a representative from Transnational Education Unit (TNE); and
6. at least one student representative from a collaborative delivery location, nominated by the Faculty.

Terms of Reference

The Course Review Panel will:

1. assess the quality of the course(s) under review including all core evaluation criteria and agreed additional criteria;
2. review the course review documentation, including a suggested outcome regarding the continuation of the course(s);
3. provide recommendations for improvements required to the course(s);
4. constitute and fulfil the role of an External Course Advisory Committee (ECAC), where proposed changes arising from the course review comprise recommendations to establish new courses or discontinue existing courses.

Evaluation Criteria

Section 8 - Appendix 2 – Process Map – Comprehensive Course Review Stages

(68) Process Map – Comprehensive Course Review Stages

Section 9 - Appendix 3 – Data Sources

(69) Data sources that can be utilised during the annual course monitoring or comprehensive course review include:

1. Outcomes of course monitoring activities, including actions identified and the impact of implementation activities.
2. The Comprehensive Course Review Tableau Dataset;
3. Courses of Interest Report;
4. Subjects of Interest Reports;
5. Yearly Subject Data Reports;
6. Subject Reflections;
7. Assessment Committee Reports and Minutes;
8. Available survey results;
9. Other data sets available on the Faculty Quality Assurance Moodle Site;
10. Outcomes of benchmarking activities;
11. Outcomes of external referencing; 
12. External accreditation progress reports; and
13. Outcomes of collaborative delivery annual reviews.

Section 10 - Definitions

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