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  1. Academic
Authority Source: Academic Board
Approval Date: 15/12/2014
Publication Date: 15/12/2014
Review Date: 15/12/2017
Effective Date: 15/12/2014
Custodian: Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice-President, Academic
Contact: lt@canberra.edu.au
Accessibility: Public
Status: Published
In developing this policy the University had regard to the provisions of section 40B(1)(b) of the Human Rights Act 2004 (ACT).
Course and Unit Revision and Closure Policy
1. Purpose:
  1. This policy sets out the University's principles governing the revision and closure of courses and course components.
2. Scope:
  1. This policy applies to all award courses offered by the University of Canberra and is applicable to revisions and closures of courses and course components, including majors, minors and units.
  2. This policy complements the New Course Development Policy and New Course Development Procedure. In some circumstances revisions to an existing course may be treated as a new course proposal.
3. Principles:
  1. Proposals for course or course component revisions or closures should be developed in consultation with stakeholders to ensure that all implications are considered.
  2. Revisions and closures must be done within an appropriate timeframe in order to minimise disruption to students.
  3. Faculties are expected to control and monitor the extent and rate of revisions and closures within the faculty.
  4. Whilst considering revisions and closures, the University will protect the interests of students by adhering to the following:
    • Where courses are revised or replaced, revisions will be managed to minimise the impact on students.
    • Revisions will not apply to students undertaking a course who have passed one or more units, unless the student agrees to the revision or Academic Board determines otherwise (as dictated by the UC Courses and Awards (Courses of Study) Rules 2013.
  5. Where a course is suspended or closed, effective teach-out or transition plans will be implemented to ensure enrolled students are not disadvantaged.
  6. The approval authority for course or course component closure and revision is determined by the content of the proposal:
    • Course revisions – Approved at Academic Board
    • Course suspension – Approved by Dean, noted at Academic Board
    • Course closures (formal closure) – Approved by University Council on advice from Academic Board
    • Unit sets (new, revised and closed) – Approved at Academic Board
    • Units (new and closed) – Approved at Academic Board
    • Unit revisions (minor changes) – Approved by Associate deans (education) (AD(E)s), noted at Academic Board
    • Unit revisions (major changes) – Approved by Faculty Board, noted at Academic Board
4. Responsibilities:
  1. For a summary of course-related responsibilities under University legislation and policy see the Course Policy.
  2. Subject to the following requirements, faculties will determine their own processes to manage course revisions before consideration and approval by University-level committees. Course proponents should seek the ADE’s advice on faculty consultations and procedures.
  3. The below must be followed:
    1. Faculty boards must consider new course proposals and significant revisions which may affect other courses.
    2. The ADE must endorse course revisions.
    3. The Dean must endorse proposals with strategic or resource implications.
  4. At University level, all course revisions are reviewed by Learning and Teaching (LT) and submitted to Academic Board with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice-President, Academic's endorsement[1].
  5. Developments with policy or strategic implications and new courses, are considered by the Curriculum Committee who endorse them for recommendation at Academic Board.
  6. Under the UC Academic Board Rules 2011, the Board is responsible for ‘the content, structure and assessment of courses of study, approved for introduction by the Council’[2].
  7. The UC Courses and Awards (Courses of Study) Rules 2013 require Academic Board to determine the academic requirements of courses including course components and unit descriptions[3].
  8. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice-President, Academic may approve streamlined procedures for particular course developments within the framework of University legislation and policy.
[1] With delegated authority from UEC, as determined at UEC meeting 07/3 on 30 May 2007.
[2] University of Canberra Academic Board Rules 2011, Rule 6.
[3] University of Canberra Courses and Awards (Courses of Study) Rules 2013, Rules 6 and 7.

Table of roles and responsibilities
Who Responsibilities
Deans
  • Ensure that the faculty board meets its course-related responsibilities, determine relevant responsibilities of staff and committees in the faculty and ensure arrangements are known by staff;
  • approve the course closure forms to initiate the process to suspend a course;
  • endorse course and course component revisions which have strategic or resource implications; and
  • monitor course suspensions, closures and revisions in the faculty
Faculty boards
  • Consider significant revisions to courses and course components that may affect other courses;
  • consider other course and course component revisions in accordance with committee structures, staff responsibilities and procedures determined by the faculty’
  • endorse or approve major revisions to course components in accordance with this policy and faculty procedures; and
  • consider other course and course component revisions in accordance with committee structures, staff responsibilities and procedures determined by the faculty.
Associate Deans (Education)
  • Advise academic staff on appropriate faculty consultations and approvals for new, revised or closed courses, majors, minors and units;
  • encourage staff to seek advice and support from courses staff in Learning and Teaching;
  • endorse or approve course component revisions in accordance with this policy and faculty procedures;
  • endorse course revisions in accordance with this policy and faculty procedures, before consideration at University level;
  • endorse course closure forms to confirm that the impact of the course closure has been properly considered; and
  • advise Admissions and International Compliance Office (ICO) of courses to be suspended to ensure any issues are addressed as part of a course closure proposal.
Faculties
(responsible committee or staff member designated by the faculty)		 Course and course component revisions
  • Prepare proposals and consider all implications of revisions;
  • complete relevant forms for Learning and Teaching and Academic Board, for ADE and/or Dean’s endorsement; and
  • communicate with students and organise any necessary changes to credit or enrolment with Student Connect.
Course closure
  • Advise Learning and Teaching of courses to be closed to new admissions via annual update of Academic Program or ad hoc, complete and forward course closure template to Learning and Teaching, with Dean’s approval.
Course component closure
  • Advise Learning and Teaching of course components to be closed as required, complete and forward course component closure template to Learning and Teaching, with ADE’s approval.
Learning and Teaching
  • Advise and support staff on specific matters and policy, procedures and processes for course and course component revision and closure;
  • maintain, publish and monitor course documentation including forms to provide all details needed for University and external requirements;
  • check faculty proposals for course revisions and closures for policy compliance and unforeseen impacts before processing as required;
  • arrange for Curriculum Committee consideration of course matters when required;
  • present course revision proposals to Academic Board, and implement decisions after approval;
  • ensure that Admissions and International Compliance Office (ICO) are aware of upcoming course suspensions and have addressed any issues as a result;
  • process revisions or suspensions once approved then advise staff in Student Connect, Global Student Recruitment, University of Canberra College, Partnerships Office and Advertising, Marketing and Communications of action taken as applicable;
  • advise Academic Board of course suspensions, for noting;
  • monitor suspended courses and request that Academic Board approve the removal from the Academic Program and recommend to Council the formal closure of a course once a course has been closed to new admissions for at least two years (subject to any extensions requested by the Faculty);
  • update Academic Program after each Board meeting; and
  • close units and unit sets, as required.
Council
  • Approve course closures on Academic Board recommendation, subject to appropriate teach-out.

Implementation
Advice on policy implementation is available from the Course Manager in Learning and Teaching. Supporting documentation is available from Learning and Teaching.
5. Legislation:
  1. Courses at the University of Canberra will comply with the Higher Education Standards Framework 2021 and the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).
  2. This policy is governed by University statutes and rules including the University of Canberra (Courses and Awards) Statute, University of Canberra Courses and Awards (Courses of Study) Rules, University of Canberra (Academic Board) Statute and University of Canberra Academic Board Rules
6. Definitions:
  1. For common definitions applying to all academic policies please refer to the academic policy and procedures glossary (under development).
  2. The following specific definitions and abbreviations relate to this policy and procedures.
Terms Definitions
Academic Program The Academic Program lists all courses from the Register of Courses for the University of Canberra that are open to new admissions for the current year. The Program normally includes a provisional academic program for the following year.
Unit revisions (minor) Small wording changes to learning outcomes or syllabus. These may be approved by the Associate dean (education)
Unit revisions (major) Large changes to learning outcomes or syllabus, changes to pre/co-requisites or other major changes to unit content. These may be approved by the relevant Faculty Board, unless a new unit code is required. New units are approved at Academic Board level, with endorsement from Faculty Board.
Field of Education (FoE) A government classification for reporting purposes. Once established for a course or course component it cannot be changed. If a change is required a new course/course component code must be established
Course Suspension When a course (or course offering) is closed to new admissions for a given academic year, it is considered to be suspended for that year. A suspended course can be reopened to new admissions.
After a given amount of time (two years by default), a suspended course will be forwarded to Academic Board to recommend formal closure.
Course Closure When a course is formally closed through Academic Board and Council, subject to any teach-out required for existing students within the course. No new admissions are permitted, and the course cannot be reopened with the existing course code. A new course proposal would be required with a new course code proposed to reopen a formally closed course.
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