The Curriculum and Teaching Quality and Risk Appraisal Procedures has been updated. A copy of the previous version of the procedure is available for reference.

Procedures

Annual Programs, Plans and Courses Quality Assurance - Procedures

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1.0    Purpose and Scope

These procedures enact PPL 3.30.03 Programs, Plans and Courses Quality Assurance Policy.

The annual programs, plans and courses quality assurance process enables evidence-based reflection of all programs, plans and courses offered at the University, including shorter form credentials and pathway programs and courses. This procedure does not apply to Higher Degree by Research and Higher Doctorate programs.

Internal and external standards and benchmarks, such as Group of Eight benchmarks and the TEQSA Risk Assessment Framework, provide evidence to inform the University’s quality assurance process.

The academic quality assurance process for programs, plans and courses offered at UQ, including shorter form credentials and pathway programs and courses, will:

  • Ensure regular monitoring and assurance of the quality of academic offerings.

  • Provide contextualised information to support academic quality processes.

  • Enable evidence-based reflection and feedback on teaching, curriculum, assessment design and integrity, and support development needs.

  • Consolidate the collection and assessment of feedback, improvement strategies, and implementation.

  • Contribute to the fulfilment of Academic Program Review requirements.

2.0    Process and Key Controls

  1. Faculty and School Teaching and Learning Committees conduct annual quality assurance reviews of programs, plans and courses, ensuring alignment with the University’s Strategic Plan and enabling continuous evidence-based improvement and risk management.

  2. The process is overseen by the Associate Dean (Academic) in consultation with the Executive Dean and Heads of School, supported by the Faculty and School Teaching and Learning Committees.

  3. The process is informed by defined academic quality assurance indicators and contextual data, which are reviewed at program, plan and course level (including shorter form credentials and pathway programs and courses) on an annual basis.

  4. The University academic quality thresholds are set by the Vice-Chancellor, in consultation with the Provost and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic).

3.0     Key Requirements

3.1     Annual programs, plans and courses quality assurance method

  1. Faculty and School Teaching and Learning Committees, under the guidance of Associate Deans (Academic), Heads of School and Executive Deans, review programs, plans and courses according to the academic quality assurance indicators available via the academic quality assurance dashboards and other detailed reports.

  2. Academic quality assurance will address quality improvement and enhancement themes nominated by the Vice-Chancellor in consultation with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic). Academic quality assurance will also address themes identified as program- and plan-level priorities.

  3. Faculty and School staff may be asked to contextualise, further investigate, provide responses or develop action plans to address identified issues for a program, plan or course. Responses and action plans will be coordinated for submission to the online response system by the relevant School Director of Teaching and Learning, in consultation with the relevant Head/s of School, for approval by the Associate Dean (Academic).

  4. Consolidated Faculty reports are approved by the Executive Dean.

  5. The annual process must be completed by the end of each year. Faculty summary reports are collated by the Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation (ITaLI) and submitted to the Provost, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), and Teaching and Learning Committee at the conclusion of the annual process.

  6. Data collected by the annual process must be incorporated into the report and resources for the subsequent year.

3.2     Responses and action plans

For programs, plans and courses prioritised for action by the relevant Faculty or School Teaching and Learning Committee in the year of analysis, responses that contextualise quality assurance data and/or detail action plans will be developed to address identified issues. These may include strategies such as staff professional development, curriculum redesign to ensure continued alignment of learning objectives with program and plan descriptions, or other management activities. The relevant School Director of Teaching and Learning will coordinate the recording of the responses and action plans in the online response system.  

Action plans must be approved and monitored by the Executive Dean, in consultation with the Head of School and Associate Dean (Academic).

3.3     Annual programs, plans and courses quality assurance indicators and thresholds

Quality assurance indicators and other contextual data will inform the relevant academic quality assurance dashboards and detailed reports, and reflect the following domains:

  • Student demand

  • Student retention

  • Student performance and learning outcomes

  • Student satisfaction

  • Graduate outcomes (for programs)

  • Financial sustainability

The University academic quality thresholds, as set by the Vice-Chancellor in consultation with the Provost and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), are submitted to the Teaching and Learning Committee, University Senior Executive Team and Academic Board for endorsement.

Where University thresholds cannot be determined for a quality assurance indicator, the relevant Faculty Teaching and Learning Committee may set appropriate Faculty- or School-level thresholds. These thresholds are also submitted to the Teaching and Learning Committee for endorsement.

3.3.1     Quality indicator threshold review

University and Faculty-level quality indicator thresholds are reviewed every five years.

Quality indicator thresholds may be reviewed sooner than five years if determined by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), in consultation with Planning and Business Intelligence and the Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation. An earlier review of the thresholds may be needed in response to strategic, operational or reporting changes.

4.0     Shorter form credentials

All shorter form credentials will undergo review as per the University’s annual academic quality assurance process, or more frequently at the request of the Executive Dean of the Faculty that administers the shorter form credential.

Where shorter form credentials are offered by Institutes, a report from the Institute Director on quality assurance will be submitted for approval to the Executive Dean of the Faculty most closely associated with that Institute.

5.0     Planning and Business Intelligence

Planning and Business Intelligence has responsibility for the relevant data, dashboards and reports in the UQ Reportal. Planning and Business Intelligence will make available relevant reports on quality assurance and quality assurance indicators as required, and is responsible for:

  1. Ensuring that data populate reports related to the academic quality assurance of programs, plans and courses in the UQ Reportal.

  2. Maintaining the relevant quality assurance dashboards.

  3. Maintaining the quality assurance online response system.

5.1     Online response system

An online response system, maintained by Planning and Business Intelligence, records and reports feedback and action plans arising from the annual programs, plans and courses quality assurance.

6.0    Annual quality assurance dashboards and reports

Academic quality is underpinned by indicators and contextual data included in dashboards and other detailed reports provided to Faculties and Schools through the UQ Reportal.

The Student Evaluation of Course and Teacher (SECaT) process provides course-level data which is updated and reported at the completion of each Semester.

7.0     Roles, Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Position

Responsibility

Vice-Chancellor

  • Sets University thresholds in consultation with the Provost and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic).

Provost

  • Provides line-management oversight and feedback to Executive Deans on programs, plans and courses’ quality assurance activities, implementation plans and outcomes.

Deputy-Vice-Chancellor (Academic)

  • Reviews consolidated reports and provides oversight and feedback on annual quality assurance outcomes for programs, plans and courses, including shorter form credentials and Foundation programs.

Pro-Vice Chancellor (Teaching and Learning)

  • Oversees collation of annual programs, plans and courses quality assurance responses and production of consolidated Faculty reports.

  • Coordinates submission of consolidated annual Faculty summary reports for programs, plans and courses quality assurance to Teaching and Learning Committee.

Planning and Business Intelligence

  • Oversees provision of data, dashboards and reports on quality assurance and quality assurance indicators.

  • Provides advice on thresholds for quality assurance indicators.

Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation (ITaLI)

  • Collate faculty summary reports and coordinate relevant submissions to the Teaching and Learning Committee of Academic Board, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic).

Teaching and Learning Committee of Academic Board

  • Advises on and assures management of programs, plans and courses quality assurance and relevant processes.

  • Advises on policy and procedural changes pertaining to programs, plans and courses quality assurance.

  • Provides feedback on annual programs, plans and courses quality assurance summaries to Faculties.

  • Endorse thresholds for annual programs, plans and courses quality assurance.

Executive Dean

  • Approves, monitors and provides advice and feedback on action plans for programs, plans and courses, including shorter form credentials, arising from annual quality assurance processes.

  • Advises the Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) where a program, plan or course has been prioritised for action in the annual quality assurance process for three consecutive years.

  • Advises the Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) on programs, plans and courses quality assurance matters and provides feedback to relevant Faculty staff.

Institute Director

  • Provides a report on quality assurance to the Executive Dean of the Faculty most closely aligned, where a shorter form credential is offered by the Institute.

Associate Dean (Academic)

  • Oversees and provides guidance on the annual programs, plans and courses quality assurance process.

  • Reviews and endorses responses and action plans arising from the annual programs, plans and courses quality assurance process.

  • Advises the Committee for Academic Programs Policy on matters arising from the annual programs, plans and courses quality assurance process.

  • Provides feedback to relevant Faculty and School Teaching and Learning Committees on programs, plans and courses quality assurance activities and outcomes.

Head of School

  • Ensures appropriate oversight and management of quality assurance at the School level, liaising with relevant staff throughout the annual programs, plans and courses quality assurance cycle.

  • Reviews and endorses responses and action plans pertaining to the annual programs, plans and courses quality assurance within their School.

School Director of Teaching and Learning

  • Facilitates analyses and coordinates responses, action plans and submissions for the annual programs, plans and courses quality assurance process.

  • Provides feedback to program and course staff on programs, plans and courses quality assurance outcomes.

Program Convenor

 

Major Convenor

  • Provides feedback and context to annual programs, plans and courses quality assurance.

  • Where required, the Program Convenor and/or Major Convenor may be requested to develop an action plan for program or plan improvement.

Course Coordinator

  • Responsible for providing feedback and context to annual programs, plans and courses quality assurance related to their course.

  • May be requested to develop an action plan for course improvement, in consultation with the Head of School, relevant School Director of Teaching and Learning, Program Convenor or Plan Convenor.

8.0     Monitoring, Review and Assurance

This procedure is monitored by the Teaching and Learning Committee and will be reviewed on a three-year basis.

9.0     Recording and Reporting

Reports, implementation plans and associated records are maintained in accordance with the Information Management Policy.

Custodians
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) Professor Doune Macdonald

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Custodians
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) Professor Doune Macdonald
Custodians
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) Professor Doune Macdonald