• Section 1 - Summary
• Section 2 - TEQSA/ASQA/ESOS Alignment
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Definitions
• Section 5 - Policy/Regulation
• Section 6 - Procedures
• Part A - Summary of Roles and Responsibilities
• Part B - Overview
• Part C - What is scholarship?
• Part D - Evidence of scholarship
• Section 7 - Supporting Documents and Information

Section 1 - Summary

(1) This Procedure provides direction on Victoria University’s monitoring, recording and reporting of the teaching scholarship of its academic staff.

Section 2 - TEQSA/ASQA/ESOS Alignment

(2) Higher Education Standards Framework: Standards 3.1.2, 3.2.3a, B1.1.2, B1.2.6 and 1.3.9.

Section 3 - Scope

(3) This Procedure applies to all staff who are engaged in learning and teaching academic work (including teaching and teaching-related scholarship) for and on behalf of  the University. It includes sessional, honorary, adjunct and emeritus appointees, but does not include visiting appointees.

(4) This Procedure does not apply to the recording and measurement of research, which is considered in the University’s Measuring Individual Research Activity Policy. 

Section 4 - Definitions

(5) Learning and Teaching Scholarship: Those activities concerned with gaining new or improved understanding, or appreciation and insights into a field of knowledge, or engaging with and keeping up to date with advances in the field. Scholarship:
- advances knowledge or professional practice in a field, or
- transmits advances through contemporary approaches to teaching and learning, or research and training. 

Section 5 - Policy/Regulation

(6) Learning and Teaching Quality and Standards Policy

Section 6 - Procedures

Part A - Summary of Roles and Responsibilities

Part B - Overview

(7) VU understands and values the essential role of learning and teaching scholarship in informing, improving and advancing the quality of teaching delivered by the University.

(8) In order to demonstrate and evidence ongoing commitment to learning and teaching scholarship, VU will:

1. Make available opportunities for academic staff to engage in and contribute to the scholarship of learning and teaching in accordance with the HESF and the expectations of relevant professional bodies.
2. Monitor scholarship activities, including tracking ongoing scholarship projects (such as multi-year analyses of new pedagogy or structural teaching approaches including but not limited to the VU Block Model and VU Online).
3. Make available opportunities to engage in and contribute to the scholarship of learning and teaching through the VU Block Model Professional Learning Program (VUBMPLP).
4. Record and maintain an annual register detailing participation in the VUBMPLP relevant to the scholarship of learning and teaching.
5. Report annually to the Academic Board via the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor on participation in the VUBMLP across locations where the VU Block Model applies.
6. Make available opportunities to engage in and contribute to innovation in learning and teaching related to the VU Block Model through international collaborations.
7. Record and maintain a register of participation in the Block Model Academy relevant to the scholarship of learning and teaching.
8. Report annually to the Academic Board via the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor on participation in the VU Block Model Academy relevant to the scholarship of learning and teaching.
9. Record and maintain, at College or equivalent level, an annual register detailing the scholarship activities of all academic staff.
10. Maintain, at College or equivalent level, an evidence bank of scholarship outcomes.
11. Report annually (at College or equivalent level) to the Academic Board via the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor on staff scholarship and notable scholarly achievements.

Part C - What is scholarship?

(9) For the purposes of monitoring and recording, TEQSA considers scholarship to be:

1. peer reviewed scholarly outputs, publications and communication (e.g literature reviews, conference presentations, journal publications)
2. scholarly review, original research or teaching practice that contributes to course development
3. synthesising and communicating advances in evidence-based practice (e.g. presentations/podcasts/feature articles on current knowledge, practice, or teaching and learning in a field)
4. teaching practice engaging new ideas, debates and issues (e.g. improved pedagogies, learning processes, curricula, academic policies and learning materials)
5. contributions to relevant professional bodies or communities of practice (e.g. development of new standards, knowledge resources, codes of practice)
6. active and ongoing involvement in relevant scholarly academic societies, editorial roles or peer review 
7. undertaking higher level qualifications that lead to scholarly activity, in particular higher degrees by research
8. undertaking advanced specialised practice or scholarly secondments.

(10) Creative works may be considered to be scholarly outputs in some circumstances. The extent to which performance or creation of creative works constitute scholarship (e.g. music, drama, art and design) depends on how much:

1. scholarship informs individual teaching or supervision
2. scholarship participation informs teaching practice as required by the HES Framework. 

(11) Some non-teaching activities that academic staff engage in as part of their role are explicitly not considered to be scholarship for this purpose. This includes activities that would be considered to be part of an academic staff member’s administrative or governance duties, as well as personal and professional development activities. Examples include, but are not limited to:

1. personal or professional development that constitutes low-level training or is unrelated to the teaching role (e.g. undertaking software training, attending an Emotional Intelligence workshop, or taking a course in an unrelated field)
2. membership on one or more academic governance committees
3. dated or irrelevant scholarly activity (e.g. content or methods that are no longer employed in the field) 
4. unrelated research in disciplines/fields being taught (e.g. information systems educator conducting research in art history) 
5. routine practice that does not engage with advances in practice, or is unrelated to the discipline/field (e.g. an accountant preparing personal tax returns while teaching corporate finance or training in software use)
6. involvement in professional/community groups or activities unrelated to the content or teaching methods of the discipline/field (e.g. an engineering lecturer attending a literary discussion group)
7. similar activities at a lower AQF level (e.g. teaching in a related field at a lower level)
8. attendance at conferences or membership of a professional body.  

Part D - Evidence of scholarship

(12) Scholarship can be evidenced in a range of ways, variable according to the nature of the output.

(13) An indicative list of the types of evidence that may be appropriate is provided in the Higher Education Career Development and Promotion Guide, which provides assistance to individual academic staff who are preparing to apply for a promotion. The evidence guide for Learning and Teaching Theme”: Criterion 5 is particularly applicable.

(14) While not all evidence types suitable for individual promotion applications are relevant for University-level scholarship recording, the following types apply. 

1. Evidence from unit/course materials demonstrating incorporation of peer-reviewed research from the Scholarship of Learning and Teaching into teaching activities and practice. 
2. Details of grants and awards (successful and unsuccessful) and outcomes. 
3. Details / copies of conference presentations. 
4. Copies of publications and details of contribution and impact. 
5. Details of professional practice leadership roles and contribution confirmation by peers. 
6. Impact of projects, grants and other initiatives for the University or nationally and/or internationally. 
7. Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) and Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) recognition as ‘Assessor’ or ‘Expert’.

(15) Other forms of evidence that validate a claim to a scholarly contribution may also be acceptable if able to be verified. Examples include, but are not limited to:

1. Material that demonstrates synthesis and dissemination of advances in practice in a new form (eg. transcript or audio file of a podcast; copies of media or feature articles)
2. Publication pages demonstrating an editorial or review role for a scholarly publication
3. Evidence of enrolment and assessment outcomes for higher qualifications study undertaken
4. Letters confirming engagement in scholarly secondment or project deployment

Section 7 - Supporting Documents and Information

(16) TEQSA Guidance Note: Scholarship (Version 3.0 4 May 2022)

(17) Learning and Teaching Quality and Standards Policy

(18) Learning and Teaching Quality and Standards - Professional Development of Academic Staff Procedure

(19) Measuring Individual Research Activity Policy

(20) Higher Education Academic Promotions Procedure

(21) Career Development and Promotion Guide

(22) Special Studies Program Policy

(23) Special Studies Program Procedure