1. Purpose and Objectives

This policy explains what constitutes service teaching and sets out the framework for managing service teaching arrangements across the University. The overarching aim is to ensure that students receive the highest quality learning experiences through interaction with teaching staff who are recognised for their disciplinary expertise and ability to contextualise learning experiences.

This policy seeks to:

• define what constitutes service teaching;
• outline the principles that underpin service teaching at The University of Queensland;
• encourage partnerships that recognise discipline expertise and promote collaborative   teaching practices that are relevant to the learning outcomes of students; and
• support the negotiation of collaborative service teaching agreements between academic units that meet the needs of all stakeholders, including dispute resolution.

2. Definitions, Terms, Acronyms

Collaborative Service Teaching – teaching of or into a course offered in a specific program, for example a core course, by a provider school or academic unit other than the school or faculty generally aligned with administering the program. Teaching cross-listed electives would not be regarded as collaborative service teaching. Single guest lecturing events would not normally be regarded as collaborative service teaching.

Collaborative Service Teaching Agreement – an agreement between a host school/academic unit and the relevant service teaching provider(s).

Discipline expertise – a school, faculty or institute may be recognised as having discipline expertise through:

• its leadership in teaching and research in the discipline; and
• acknowledgement by the University.

Host unit – the school or academic unit (for example, faculty) that is generally aligned with the program that requires the delivery of service teaching.

Program owner – the faculty that administers the program into which service teaching is being delivered.

Service teaching provider – the school or academic unit with the recognised discipline expertise that collaborates with a host school to design and deliver service teaching.

3. Policy Scope/Coverage

This policy applies to all instances of collaborative service teaching at The University of Queensland. While it is acknowledged that non-academic units may contribute to the University’s teaching and learning efforts, this policy applies explicitly to academic units.

4. Policy Statement

4.1 The principles that underpin Collaborative Service Teaching at UQ are:

• the interests of UQ students will come first in ensuring they are taught by experts in the discipline as well as in contextual application of the discipline;
• where cross-disciplinary study is required to meet learning objectives, it will be facilitated;
• University strategy and identity must be considered when determining fair and appropriate collaborative service teaching arrangements, taking into account the comprehensive nature of the University’s commitment to a broad range of disciplines;
• the collaborative service teaching model will be transparent, as will the data on which the model is based;
• bureaucratic arrangements relating to collaborative service teaching arrangements will be kept to a minimum;
• while it is expected that issues will be resolved at the school level, a transparent dispute resolution process will enable escalation of issues, should that be required;
• ongoing review and quality control of collaborative service teaching agreements will be incorporated into the University’s cyclic academic program review process; and
• administrative and overhead costs will be recognised in providing courses and programs to students.

4.2 Collaborative Service Teaching arrangements

The University recognises the following collaborative service teaching arrangements (refer to PPL 3.20.05c Guidelines for examples):

1. The service teaching provider(s) delivers an entire course.
2. Discipline-specific teaching elements in a course are contributed by the service teaching provider(s) and contextual elements are provided by the program owner and/or host school, using a modular approach to course design.
3. A course/suite of courses is developed and delivered by an interdisciplinary, cross-school team. This model requires seamless integration of the discipline- based teaching and contextualisation. The interdisciplinary team is jointly responsible for developing, coordinating and delivering the course.
4. A school or faculty not usually identified with a specific discipline expertise delivers content having established that it has appropriate disciplinary expertise in addition to contextual expertise. After appropriate discussion and negotiation, the delivering school and the academic unit usually identified as the source of discipline expertise will agree on a model for delivery.

4.3 Collaboration and agreement

A Collaborative Service Teaching Agreement [5] must be recorded and formalised before collaborative service teaching commences.

To ensure quality collaborative service teaching, academic staff from both the host school and the service teaching provider(s) must work together at all stages, from course design to evaluation, with consideration of the requirements and context of the program into which the course delivers content. In-depth discussions between both parties will enable agreement to be reached on an appropriate model for delivering courses at an acceptable standard.