View Document

Timetabling Policy

This is the current version of this document. To view historic versions, click on the 'Historic Versions' tab above.

Section 1 - Summary

(1) The purpose of this Policy is to outline the principles of the development and management of the University’s timetables.

Top of Page

Section 2 - TEQSA/ASQA/ESOS Alignment

(2) HESF: Standard 2.1 Facilities and Infrastructure; Standard 3.3 Learning Resources and Educational Support; Standard 7.2 Information for Prospective and Current Students.

(3) Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (Cth): Part 2 Training and Assessment, Standards 1 and 5.

Top of Page

Section 3 - Scope

(4) This Policy applies to timetabling for all teaching areas at all Victorian campuses. Scheduling of all other activities is covered by the Hire of Facilities Policy.

Top of Page

Section 4 - Definitions

(5) Draft Timetable: A working document provided to Teaching areas to be reviewed to ensure activities are in line with initial requests.

(6) Published Timetable: The official version of the schedule of classes published to current and prospective students.

(7) Teaching Activity: An activity associated with a unit where students have to attend a specific place at a specific day and time, including placements off campus where these occur on a set day.

(8) Teaching Area: encompasses all colleges, departments, and other academic divisions within the institution that require tailored timetabling arrangements for their units of study, including courses and modules.

Top of Page

Section 5 - Policy Statement

(9) Victoria University is committed to:

  1. enabling opportunity and success for any student from any background;
  2. academic excellence and providing high quality, engaging career-based tertiary education at all levels of Vocational Education and Training and Higher Education.

(10) Consequently, this Policy, in line with University strategic direction is based on the following principles:

  1. The scheduling procedure will utilise historic data to generate a predictive timetable that will be student centric.
  2. The University will attempt to accommodate student unit choices where it is possible and practical. 
  3. The timetable will support face-to-face teaching and online teaching and learning, with minimal clashes while optimising the use of available teaching spaces.  
  4. Scheduling of teaching activities and allocation of venues support the most effective teaching and learning practice and take precedence over non-teaching activities.
  5. The timetable is built to accommodate pedagogical practice and to enable students to satisfy course rules, attendance requirements and subject combinations.
  6. Classes will be scheduled to ensure an equitable allocation of resources, including teaching resources, Teaching Staff and facilities.
  7. Timetable information will be published in an accessible, timely and accurate way allowing students to take account of the timetable when enrolling or changing their enrolment and to align with other University processes.
  8. The timetable will be designed to promote a reduction of “non-attendance” in timetabled teaching spaces.
  9. The timetable will take into consideration university strategic and operational initiatives wherever practicable to accommodate desired outcomes, for example Block Model Principles and co-hort requirements for example TAFE teaching needs, noting that student centricity must remain at the heart of the university timetable at all times.
Top of Page

Section 6 - Procedures

(11) Timetabling Procedure