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Courses Lifecycle - Higher Degrees by Research Annual Course Monitoring Procedure

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Section 1 - Summary

(1) This Procedure specifies key development, consultation, endorsement and approval steps and responsibilities involved in the annual monitoring of courses at Victoria University (VU).

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Section 2 - Scope

(2) This Procedure applies to:

  1. Higher Degrees by Research award courses

(3) This Procedure does not apply to:

  1. Vocational Education and Training award courses
  2. Higher Education award courses
  3. Non-award courses that receive government funding
  4. Non-award courses that are offered to international on and off-shore students
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Section 3 - Policy/Regulation

(4) Courses Lifecycle Policy.

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Section 4 - Procedures

Part A - Summary of Roles and Responsibilities

Role Responsibility
Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Impact Schedules the Higher Degree by Research Annual Course Monitoring (HDR ACM) process.
Dean, Graduate Research (or delegate) Initiates, and leads, the HDR ACM process within VU Research.
Executive Director, Business Intelligence Data Insights (or delegate) Provides appropriate and timely course data to support the HDR ACM process.
Graduate Research School Provides appropriate and timely course data to support the HDR ACM process.

Part B - Annual Course Monitoring Process

(5) The VU annual course monitoring process:

  1. Applies to all applicable courses offered by, or on behalf of, VU in all domestic and off-shore locations;
  2. Takes place approximately every 12 months;
  3. Takes into account course quality as experienced by all cohorts of students and candidates undertaking the course;
  4. Produces the Higher Degree by Research Annual Course Monitoring Report which is approved by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Impact and proceeds to the Academic Board for noting; and,
  5. Triggers continual quality improvement strategies within the relevant Research Institute and/or a course change proposal, as required.

(6) The ACM is evidence-based and draws on five years of trend data to enable professional assessment and judgement at a point in time:

  1. Course level data by fund source (not limited to these):
    1. Admission categories
    2. Application type
    3. Enrolment and progression rates 
    4. Completion, thesis quality and timeframes
    5. Current Student Experience (CREQ)
    6. Research Experience Questionnaire (PREQ- subset of the Graduate Outcome Survey)

(7) The annual course monitoring aligns and supports:

  1. The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF);
  2. All external regulatory requirements including those of TEQSA and ESOS as appropriate;
  3. VU Learning and Teaching Quality Framework Policies;
  4. VU strategic directions and curriculum requirements at the time;
  5. External requirements of professional accreditation and registration bodies;
  6. Endorsement and approval by senior management as detailed below.

(8) The VU annual course monitoring process does not take place:

  1. In the first year of delivery of a brand new course i.e. A course that has no delivery history or course data.
  2. For teach out courses that are not replaced and have less than 10 enrolments.
  3. Where a course undergoes a comprehensive course review or course re-accreditation.
  4. Where an extension or waiver is approved by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Impact.

(9) There are five stages in the HDR ACM process as outlined below:

Stage 1 – Planning and Implementation of the HDR ACM Process

Role Responsibility
Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Impact Schedules the HDR ACM process.
Dean, Graduate Research (or delegate) Initiates and leads the HDR ACM process within VU Research.
Executive Director, Business Intelligence Data Insights (or delegate) Provides appropriate and timely course data to support the HDR ACM process.
Graduate Research School Provides appropriate and timely course data to support the HDR ACM process.

Stage 2 – Development of HDR ACM Reports and Actions

Role Responsibility
Academic Quality and Standards Provides advice, data support and analysis to VU Research and the Research Institutes on the key steps in the HDR ACM process.
Dean, Graduate Research (or delegate) Liaises with Institute Associate Directors Research to undertake HDR ACM and finalise the VU Research HDR ACM Report.
Associate Directors Research Training, Research Institutes (or delegates) Lead the development of HDR ACM actions for the Research Institute; endorses HDR ACM Forms and Actions for the Research Institute; and prepares the Research Institute HDR ACM Report for the Research and Research Training Committee.

Stage 3 – Approval of HDR ACM Reports and Actions

Role Responsibility
Dean, Graduate Research (or delegate) Endorses the HDR ACM Research Institute Reports.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Impact Approves VU Research HDR ACM Report.

Stage 4 – Implementation of HDR ACM Actions

Role Responsibility
Dean, Graduate Research (or delegate) Leads and manages the implementation of the HDR ACM actions in VU Research.
Associate Director Research Training, Research Institute (or delegate) Manages the implementation of the HDR ACM in the Research Institutes.

Stage 5 – Governance of HDR ACM Outcomes

Role Responsibility
Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Impact Reports to the Research and Research Training Committee on the outcomes of the HDR ACM process.
Research and Research Training Committee Considers the outcomes of the ACM, refers to Academic Board for consideration and endorsement.
Academic Board Considers the VU Research HDR ACM Report and endorses as appropriate.
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Section 5 - HESF/ASQA/ESOS Alignment

(10) HESF: 4.1 Research; 4.2 Research Training; 5.3 Monitoring, Review and Improvement; 5.4 Delivery with Other Parties; 6.3 Academic Governance

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Section 6 - Definitions

(11) Nil.