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Courses Lifecycle - Non-Award Course Approval (HE) Procedure

Section 1 - Summary

(1) This Procedure defines the requirements for the approval and amendment of Higher Education (HE) Non-Award courses.

(2) The Procedure enables the University to maintain a clear distinction between Award and Non-Award courses.

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Section 2 - Scope

(3) This Procedure applies to Non-Award courses regulated by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA).

(4) This Procedure does not apply to Non-Award courses regulated by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA).

(5) This Procedure does not apply to Non-Award courses regulated by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA).

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Section 3 - Definitions

(6) Bridging courses for overseas-training professionals

(7) Enabling Courses

(8) Major Amendment – Curriculum-related change that will have significant impact on students. Academic Board (via its standing committees) must oversee and approve the changes. Major amendments are generally changes made at the course level.

(9) Minor Amendment – Curriculum-related change that will alter particular elements of a course or unit's delivery without significantly affecting students or the course as a whole. These changes are noted by Academic Board.

(10) Minor Modification – Change which has  minimal effect on students and can be considered primarily administrative in nature.

(11) New Non-Award Course

(12) Non-Award Course

(13) Non-Award Unit

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Section 4 - Policy

(14) Refer to Courses and Pathways Lifecycle Policy.

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Section 5 - Procedures

Part A - Roles and Responsibilities

Roles

Responsibilities
New Non-Award Courses Approval / Non-Award Course Re-approval
Refer to Courses Lifecycle - Concept Proposal and Business Case (HE) Procedure Concept Proposal and Business Case are prepared and approved as outlined in the relevant Procedure.
College or proposing staff Prepares course curriculum documentation as guided by template.
College Course Advisory Group or equivalent Considers and recommends the Non-Award course curriculum proposal to the Executive Dean or delegate.
Executive Dean of College Recommends the Course Curriculum Proposal to the Courses Committee of Academic Board.
Courses Committee Considers and recommends the course curriculum proposal to Academic Board.
Academic Board Endorses the course curriculum proposal for final approval (via acceptance of the minutes of Courses Committee).
Director, Academic Quality and Standards Reviews the final, endorsed course curriculum proposal to ensure it is complete and ready for approval.

Forwards the course curriculum proposal to the Vice-Chancellor for signature.
 
Vice-Chancellor Approves the Non-Award course curriculum proposal.
Amendments to Non-Award Courses
Refer to Courses Lifecycle - Award Course Accreditation (HE) Procedure Part I (Endorsements and Approvals) Approval process for major amendments to Non-Award courses.
Executive Dean of College Approves minor amendments to Non-Award courses.
Director, Academic Quality and Standards Reviews minor amendments to ensure they meet the criteria to be classified as minor.

Forwards the amendment to the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer for signature.
 
Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer Approves minor amendments to Non-Award courses.
Academic Quality and Standards Finalise minor modifications to Non-Award courses.

Part B - Principles of HE Non-Award Courses

(15) A Non-Award course is a course offered and/or developed by the University for educational, personal, or professional development purposes, which does not result in issuing of a Victoria University (VU) testamur.

(16) VU clearly distinguishes Non-Award courses from Award courses through assigning specific codes and titles.

(17) VU is transparent with applicants and students about the status of the course they wish to study, ensuring that Non-Award students understand that their studies will not lead to an Award of the University.

(18) Design of Non-Award courses is based on:

  1. Proposed student cohort (ie. Domestic, international on-shore or international off-shore); and
  2. Proposed course outcomes, specifically if they will be assessed (and therefore potentially credit-bearing) or not.

(19) Non-Award courses may not contain any accredited Award units.

Part C - Non-Award Course Design

Bridging Course for Overseas-Trained Professionals

(20) Bridging courses are:

  1. Provided via specific Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) funding;
  2. Assessed;
  3. May be CRICOS-registered.

Enabling Course

(21) Enabling courses are:

  1. Available to domestic and international students;
  2. Provided via specific CSP funding (for domestic students) and on a fee for service basis (for international students);
  3. Assessed;
  4. May be CRICOS-registered.

English Language Intensive Courses of Study (ELICOS)

(22) ELICOS courses are:

  1. Available to international students only;
  2. Provided on a fee for service basis;
  3. Assessed;
  4. Must be CRICOS-registered.

Non-Award Course (Assessed)

(23) Assessed Non-Award courses are:

  1. Available to all students;
  2. Provided on a fee for service basis;
  3. Assessed;
  4. May be CRICOS-registered.

Non-Award Course (Non-assessed)

(24) Non-assessed Non-Award courses are:

  1. Available to all students;
  2. Provided on a fee for service basis;
  3. Not assessed;
  4. Not able to be CRICOS-registered.
     

Part D - Before Non-Award Course Approval

(25) Prior to course development, a Non-Award Course Proposal and Business Case must be prepared for all proposed new Non-Award courses (Refer to Courses Lifecycle - Concept Proposal and Business Case (HE) Procedure).

(26) Course development cannot commence until the Non-Award Course Proposal and Business Case is endorsed by the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer.

Part E - New Non-Award Course Approval

Preparing the Non-Award Course Curriculum Proposal

(27) The College must develop a Non-Award Course Curriculum Proposal. This documentation is prepared within the template provided.

(28) All Non-Award Course Curriculum Proposals must include detailed learning and teaching information, including:

  1. Course learning outcomes;
  2. Admission requirements by cohort;
  3. Educational rationale for the course;
  4. Course structure, including course completion rules;
  5. Work-Integrated Learning components.

(29)  Where a Non-Award course will be offered to international students and CRICOS registration is available, CRICOS details must also be included (Refer Courses Lifecycle - CRICOS Registration and Management Procedure [pending]).

(30) If the Non-Award course requires Professional Accreditation, details must be provided regarding this matter. Evidence of consultation with relevant Professional Accreditation bodies is required. (Refer to Courses Lifecycle – Professional Accreditation Procedure [pending]).

(31) Where a Non-Award course is to be offered interstate or offshore, key quality assurance details as directed by the template must also be provided regarding the particular delivery location and / or partner arrangement. Evidence of consultation with relevant partners is also required.

Part F - Non-Award Course Amendments

(32) All changes to existing Non-Award courses must comply with:

  1. External and internal academic standards, policy and regulations (including, but not limited to, the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (Cth) and the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Framework).
  2. The requirements of relevant professional accrediting and disciplinary bodies.
  3. Institutional strategic directions and curriculum requirements at the time.
  4. Approved quality assurance arrangements with external partners.
  5. Internal capacity (including availability of specialist staff and resources as needed).

Part G - Types of Amendments

(33) Amendments to Non-Award courses are classified as one of the following:

  1. Major Amendment
  2. Minor Amendment
  3. Minor Modification

Major Amendments

(34) Major amendments include any changes which:

  1. Change admission requirements to a course;
  2. Change course learning outcomes; 
  3. Propose a new unit;
  4. Change the structure of the course;
  5. Change the course completion rules;
  6. Change delivery locations for a course;
  7. Add or remove delivery partners for a course;
  8. Change delivery mode of a course;
  9. Change professional accreditation;
  10. Change Work Integrated Learning (WIL) requirements;
  11. Involve other significant curriculum matters deemed by the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer to require Academic Board consideration.

Minor Amendments

(35) Minor amendments include amendments which:

  1. Change the delivery location of a unit;
  2. Change the delivery mode of a unit;
  3. Change the WIL requirements of a unit;
  4. Add or remove delivery partners for a unit;
  5. Change the introduction to a course or unit;
  6. Change or reconfigure unit learning outcomes;
  7. Change assessment; 
  8. Change the grade set;
  9. Change required texts lists.

Minor Modifications

(36) Minor Modifications include amendments which:

  1. Change the details of the Course Chair or Unit Convenor.

Part H - Non-Award Course Re-approval

(37) Non-Award Courses must be re-approved on a periodic basis.

(38) Re-approval of a Non-Award Course takes place following the Non-Award Comprehensive Course Review process.

(39) When a Non-Award course is submitted for re-approval, the findings of the Comprehensive Course Review must be included in the documentation.

(40) The re-approval process involves the same endorsement and approval steps as for approval of a new Non-Award course (see Roles and Responsibilities table above).

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Section 6 - Guidelines

(41) Nil