SUBJECT APPROVAL GUIDELINES

Date approved	21 May 2008	Date Guidelines will take effect	21 May 2008	Date of Next Review	April 2012
Approved by	Academic Senate
Custodian title & e-mail address	Senior Manager, Policy and Governance Unit governance@uow.edu.au
Author	Corporate Governance Officer
Responsible Faculty/Division & Unit	Policy and Governance Unit, Academic Registrar’s Division
Supporting documents, procedures & forms of these guidelines	Course Approval Guidelines Subject Search Guidelines Annual Audit of Subject Proposals Procedure Major Subject Proposal Form (for New Subject and Existing Subject Amendments) Major Subject Proposal Form (for Subject Deletion) Minor Subject Proposal Form
References & Legislation	UOW Academic Review Policy Standard on Courses Graduate Qualities Policy
Audience	Public – accessible to anyone
Expiry Date of Guidelines	Not Applicable

Contents

• 1 Introduction/Background 2
• 2 Scope/Purpose 2
• 3 Definitions 2
• 4 Proposal Type 4
• 5 Subject Proposal Categories 4
• 6 Major Subject Proposal 5
• 7 Minor Subject Proposal 5
• 8 Subject Proposals Constituting Course Proposals 5
• 9 Fast-Track Proposal 5
• 10 Subject Proposal Checklist (Forms) 6
• 11 Subject Approval Process 10
• 12 Annual Audit of Subject Proposals 11
• 13 Roles & Responsibilities 12
• 14 Version Control Table 13

1 Introduction/Background

• 1. These guidelines are designed, together with the Course Approval Guidelines, to support the course and subject approval processes at the University.

2 Scope/Purpose

• 1. These guidelines apply to all subject proposals relating to courses and non award study offered by or on behalf of the University. These guidelines and the downloadable templates are provided to assist staff to:
• a. develop and write subject proposals and subject outlines;
• b. obtain approval of subjects; and
• c. develop resources for teaching.

3 Definitions

Word/Term		Definition
Academic year	refers to the period comprising autumn session, the following spring session and the following summer session
CAMG		Course Approval Management Group
Compulsory study period	one in which the student must enrol unless granted a deferment or suspension from enrolment or leave of absence. It does not include periods in which the student can elect to undertake additional studies.
Co-requisite Subject	co-requisite subject is a subject which must be completed satisfactorily before, taken concurrently with or attempted before the subject for which it is prescribed
Council	is the Council of the University of Wollongong
Credit Arrangements	is credit or exemption granted to a candidate
Curriculum		includes a single course, a combination of course and major study, a suite of related courses with a common program or an element of a course
Course		is a program of study that includes those courses leading to higher education awards and non-award courses. A course consists of a subject or combination of subjects and other requirements as specified in the course structure
Course structure	refers to the specific program of subjects which a candidate undertakes to meet the requirements of a course as specified in the 12. Award Rules and the Course Handbook for the year the course was commenced
Credit	credit is the number of credit points granted towards a course for work completed satisfactorily outside that course
Credit point	credit point is the value attached to a subject that indicates study load
Domestic student	A domestic student is an Australian Citizen, Australian Permanent Resident, or New Zealand Citizen
Double degree	double degree is an approved course leading to the conferral of two degrees as separate awards upon a candidate who has complied with the Course Requirements for double degrees and the two individual Course Requirements inclusively
DVC(A)		Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)
DVC(O)		Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Operations)
ECAC		External Curriculum Appraisal Committee
Major Course Proposal		as defined in the Curriculum Review Procedures
Major / Major study	a major or major study in a course is an approved combination of subjects offered by one or more academic units which have a minimum value of one third of the total degree requirements. A major or major study in a Bachelors Degree is at least 48 credit points offered by one or more academic units.
Minor Course Proposal		as defined in the Curriculum Review Procedures
Minor / Minor study	a minor or minor study in a course for a Bachelor degree, is an approved combination of subjects which have a minimum value of 24 credit points offered by one or more academic units.
Non-award	non-award refers to those candidates or courses that do not lead to a higher education award at the University
Offshore candidate	offshore candidate is a candidate who is enrolled in a course at a location outside of Australia
Overseas student	a student who is not a domestic student. This includes but is not limited to students on temporary residence visas, bridging visas and student visas.
Postgraduate	refers to candidates or courses for Graduate Certificates, Graduate Diplomas, Masters by Coursework degrees, Masters by Research degrees and Doctoral Degrees
Pre-requisite subject	pre-requisite subject is a subject which must be completed satisfactorily before the subject for which it is prescribed may be taken
Program	is the combination of subjects in which a candidate is enrolled
Schedule	refers to all subjects approved for inclusion in a course leading to an award
Session	is a period in which subjects may be offered. Standard sessions are defined as Autumn and Spring. Non-standard sessions may be created in accordance with the Session Policy
Specified credit	specified credit is credit for a specific subject or subjects listed in a Schedule and is granted on the basis of satisfactory completion of a substantially corresponding subject or subjects at an approved tertiary institution
Standard load	standard load is based on one year of full-time study being equivalent to 48 credit points. Some combined programs of study, such as double degrees, may have a non-standard load
Student	a person registered for a course
Study period	a six month period of study within a course
Subject	subject is a self-contained unit of study identified by a unique code
Supervisor	A supervisor is a person approved to supervise the research work of a candidate
Undergraduate	undergraduate refers to candidates or courses for diplomas, advanced diplomas, associate degrees, Bachelor degrees, and honours Bachelor degrees
Unspecified credit	unspecified credit is credit granted on the basis of satisfactory completion, at an approved tertiary institution, of a subject or subjects not substantially corresponding to subjects listed in the appropriate Schedule
Weeks of session	weeks of session are the weeks counted from the beginning of a session and not including weeks scheduled as University recess
Weighted average mark / WAM	weighted average mark is the average of marks gained by a candidate in a program, programs or course and weighted by credit point value and by level
Year	year refers to a calendar year period of 12 months
000 level subject	is a subject at Foundation level
100 level subject	is a subject at first year level
200 level subject	is a subject at second year level
300 level subject	is a subject at third year level
400 level subject	is a subject at fourth year level
600 level subject	is a subject at graduate entry undergraduate level
800 and 900 level subjects	are subjects at postgraduate level

4 Proposal Type

• 1. A proposal can be a:
• a. Course Proposal;
• b. Subject Proposal; or
• c. a combination of both Subject and Course Proposals.

5 Subject Proposal Categories

• 1. Depending on the changes proposed on subject, the categories of subject proposal are:
• a. Major Subject Proposal;
• b. Minor Subject Proposal; or
• c. Fast-Track Proposal.
• 2. It is difficult to explicitly state that any specific proposals will be considered major or minor. Issues such as resource requirements and impact on the University may require some proposals to follow the major proposal pathway.

6 Major Subject Proposal

• 1. A major subject proposal involves significant changes to the UOW Subject Portfolio, such as:
• a. A new subject;
• b. Revision of credit point value;
• c. Revision of subject content;
• d. Revision of learning outcomes of a subject;
• e. Revision of teaching strategies and resources;
• f. Revision of assessment methods (e.g. the introduction/removal of work experience, practical placements); or
• g. Other changes that are not listed above.

7 Minor Subject Proposal

• 1. A minor subject proposal involves a less significant change to the UOW Subject Portfolio, or to a subject within that Portfolio, and include:
• a. Addition of delivery location;
• b. Deletion of delivery location;
• c. Change of subject name;
• d. Change of subject code;
• e. Changes to co/pre-requisites;
• f. Changes to restrictions/exclusions;
• g. Changes to assumed knowledge;
• h. Changes to textbook/learning packages;
• i. Minor changes to subject content;
• j. Other changes that are not listed above.

8 Subject Proposals Constituting Course Proposals

• 1. A major or minor subject revision may also constitute a major or minor course proposal when the changes made to subjects have an impact at the course level. A major revision refers to a complete review of a course or major study which is likely to involve changes to subjects. A minor revision refers to a minor review of course or minor study which is likely to involve changes to subjects.
• 2. Approval of individual subjects and changes to subjects are processed at Faculty level through the Faculty Education Committees. However, if these subjects are part of a change to a course curriculum, then subject proposals also needs to be submitted along with course proposals.

9 Fast-Track Proposal

• 1. Fast-Track Proposals can either be a major or minor course proposal. This option is considered when any of the subject changes have significant or minor impact on the course and has a requirement to be implemented quickly and efficiently.
• 2. The criteria for fast-tracked approval of a major course proposal for new or amended course involve:
• 2.1. A demonstrated benefit to the University of fast-tracking the proposal without compromising:

• the quality of the product, or
• the reputation of the University, or
• A customised course required for a specific client within a short time-frame; or

• 2.2. A full-fee paying course where it can be demonstrated that the Faculty has to move quickly to:
• a. take advantage of an opening in the market, or
• b. maintain a place in the market, or
• 2.3. Any other proposal the Vice-Chancellor determines satisfies the criteria.
• 3. The Delegations of Authority Policy specifies that the DVC(A) has delegation to recommend fast-track major course proposals to the Vice-Chancellor. The DVC(A) may also endorse the recommendation together with the Chair of Academic Senate. The Vice-Chancellor, under Council delegation, is authorised to approve proposals meeting the above criteria. A Summary Report, prepared by the Faculty is subsequently forwarded to Academic Senate and Council.
• 4. The Delegations of Authority Policy specifies that the DVC(A) has delegation to approve fast-track minor course proposals. However, it is not considered a good practice and is generally not recommended to use this option.

10 Subject Proposal Checklist (Forms)

• 1. The subject proposal checklist lists all the forms required for major and minor subject proposals. The checklist has been developed to assist staff to identify the most appropriate forms and provide full information to assist with processing subject proposals. The checklist promotes a consultative approach. Faculties are encouraged to consult with relevant units/staff if they are unsure or need more information about the forms. The checklist is available on the course management intranet site. Please access the online checklist and forms for most current version.

Major Subject Proposal Form (for New Subject and Existing Subject Amendments)

• 2. This form is to be used for all major revision to subjects and new subject proposals. You will be required to provide the following information on the form:
• a. Subject name, code, credit points, co-requisites, pre-requisites, restrictions, exclusions, textbook, delivery mode, session details, core or elective details;
• b. A summary of the change proposed;
• c. Proposing Faculty and affected Faculties;
• d. Provide a subject/course relationship;
• e. Subject description, subject content, learning outcomes, teaching strategies, assessment methods;
• f. Explain how the new or amended combinations of learning outcomes, teaching strategies and resources meet the Faculty & Discipline Graduate Qualities;
• g. Estimate and provide details of resource impact on proposing Faculty and other Faculties and stakeholders;
• h. Provide consultation and communication strategy details for all affected faculties and their students;
• i. Proposal approval from Subject Coordinator, Head of Unit, FEC Chair and other delegates as required.

Subject Information

• 3. The first part of the subject proposal form covers essential information as set out in a number of University publications and systems including the calendar, web based subject database and the student information system. The completed subject proposal should form the source document for these and other documents such as the subject outline provided to students.

Subject/Course Relationship

• 4. This section relates to the position of the subject within a course as well as how it links with existing subject offerings. Please indicate whether the new or revised subject represents a new direction or in what ways the subject supplements existing offerings.

Subject Description

• 5. This section describes the actual subject matter to be covered in the subject. Content is usually expressed in terms of topics, areas of study, units of work, practices, skills and/or questions. Please Note: The content description should be a concise outline of the main areas of study in the subject and should not exceed 100 words.

Goals and Outcomes

• 6. The four column Goals and Outcomes table is to align learning outcomes, teaching methods, assessment methods, and graduate qualities. Graduate Qualities can’t be achieved by a single subject; their development is an ongoing process across an entire course or program. A subject must be part of that ongoing process. The learning outcomes of a subject must contribute to the development of Graduate Qualities, as indicated in the diagram below.

• 7. UOW is committed to developing graduates who are:
• a. Informed;
• b. Independent learners;
• c. Problem solvers;
• d. Effective communicators;
• e. Responsible
• 8. Graduate Qualities are aspirational qualities that UOW aims to progressively develop in students through learning and teaching at UOW. They articulate those aspects of UOW’s approach that are common across all faculties and operate to provide a common educational focus in all discipline areas. Some elements deal with discipline knowledge and its application, some with higher order thinking, some with generic skills and others with attitudinal/societal values.

Learning Outcomes

• 9. Express the specific intended results of the subject. They are statements of the knowledge, understandings, and skills students are expected to achieve as a result of engaging with the content of the subject.
• 10. Outcomes should express what students will be able to do and so typically include indicators or statements of observable behaviours that students demonstrate as they work towards the achievement of the subject outcomes. For example: analyse, identify, explain, describe, compare and contrast, perform, discriminate, discuss, critically evaluate, plan, report, build, design etc.

Teaching Method and Resources

• 11. Describes the method of content delivery and how that method connects with identified learning outcomes. Also how resources and techniques will be used to align content with assessment and the University’s Graduate Qualities.

Assessment Method

• 12. The learning outcomes should be used to plan and assess students' achievements, in other words the methods of assessment used in the subject.
• 13. For example if the outcome states that:
• a. Students will be able to 'write a program to solve a two dimensional force problem', then writing the program is a logical assessment task;
• b. Students will be able to 'critically evaluate the effect of anti-discrimination legislation on employment opportunities for Australian women', then a possible assessment task could be to prepare an essay on this topic.
• 14. Then the assessment process should be consistent with and based on the learning outcomes and reflect the subject content. The methods of assessment need to provide a variety of appropriate ways for students to demonstrate what they know and can do i.e. their achievement of the outcomes.

Faculty and Discipline Graduate Qualities

• 15. The Faculty and Discipline Graduate Qualities are interpretations of the UOW Graduate Qualities specific to a faculty or discipline, designed to reflect the particularities of that Faculty or discipline. Some faculties and disciplines may elect to adopt the UOW Graduate Qualities as their Faculty/Discipline Graduate Qualities: consult with your FEC to determine your faculty or discipline’s approach to Graduate Qualities.

Resources Impact Statement

• 16. Items in this section of the proposal cover resource considerations, including mode of delivery, travel, and resource implications (both within and outside the faculty/unit.

Impact on Faculty / Academic Unit

• 17. Budgetary constraints necessitate the inclusion of a statement explaining how this subject will be resourced, this relates to both the provision of tutors, equipment, teaching spaces, and travel to other campuses. The Dean of the relevant faculty (or delegate) is required to sign off on the faculty resource impact of a new subject proposal.

Impact on Academic Services Division (ASD)

• 18. A number of support units within the University have additional requirements to ensure provision of adequate infrastructure, learning support, library materials and quality assurance of production materials for flexible delivery. It is necessary to consult with the Library, CEDIR, ITS, Learning Development, LIFT and CASR prior to subject approval. Sign off approval by Library, CEDIR, ITS, and Learning Development is required. In instances where sign off by ITS is required, ITS will ensure that the three required signatures are provided after submission to the Lab Manager.

Learning Development Resources

• 19. This section has been designed to assist both Learning Development and subject co-ordinators in ensuring Learning Development resources meet the needs of the proposed subject. Learning Development lecturers work with subject lecturers to assist their students to achieve subject learning outcomes by:
• 19.1. Identifying possible learning strategies, subject design and resources to meet the needs of particular student cohorts (eg first year students, international students, students in transition years, students studying offshore).
• 19.2. Collaborating with subject lecturers to develop students' subject specific 'literacies' needed to complete assignment tasks. This could involve, for example, developing resources that assist students to:
• a. write reflective journals, reports, essays, annotated bibliographies, theses etc
• b. understand and demonstrate critical analysis within the context of a particular discipline
• c. deliver oral presentations
• d. develop skills in team-work
• e. avoid unintentional plagiarism.
• For examples of these strategies and resources: http://edsnet.cedir.uow.edu.au/ld_cases/ld_cases_new.aspx
• 20. Learning Development lecturers also support initiatives within specific subjects as part of wider Faculty and University learning and teaching projects. More information can be provided by faculty Learning Development representatives:
• a. ASD provide assistance to university teachers in the design, prototyping and development of high-quality teaching and learning resources;
• b. Free production assistance can be negotiated under an annual Faculty Service Agreement;
• c. E-Learning site and User checklists are available to assist subject developers quality assure their online subject prior to delivery;
• d. Additionally, ASD will undertake a technical review of a eLearning site on behalf of a faculty or individual subject developer. Requests for this service should be submitted to E-Teaching Services.

Library Resources

• 21. This section has been designed to assist both the Library and subject coordinators in ensuring library resources meet the needs of the proposed subject. Checking current library resources is an essential aspect of subject development. Library staff can assist with this process by identifying lists of appropriate current resources. Consultation with the Library is recommended for all subject revisions. This approach will ensure that resources can quickly be identified for purchase if the subject is approved.
• 22. Each department/program unit may also have a representative on the Faculty library committee. This committee is responsible for making recommendations for library purchases.

Information Technology Services Resources

• 23. Information Technology Services is able to support new subjects through computer labs, software licenses and general technology assistance. ITS support can greatly enhance the experience of students using University computing facilities, if unsure please contact the ITS Lab Manager

Faculty Approval

• 24. This section is to note the approval of the subject by the Faculty Education Committee. It also confirms that resources and staffing are available for the subject, that all required quality assurance requirements have been met and that appropriate consultations have taken place. This section should be completed after all other section is completed.

Major Subject Proposal Form (for Subject Deletion)

• 25. This form is to be used for subject deletions. Users are required to provide the following information on the form:
• a. Subject name, code, credit points, co-requisites, pre-requisites, restrictions, exclusions, textbook, delivery mode, session details, core or elective details;
• b. Proposing Faculty and affected Faculties;
• c. Estimate and provide details of impact on proposing Faculty and other Faculties and stakeholders;
• d. Provide transition arrangement to affected students;
• e. Provide consultation and communication strategy details for all affected faculties and their students;
• f. Proposal approval from Subject Coordinator, Head of Unit, FEC Chair and other delegates as required.
• 26. If proposing a new subject or amending an existing subject for replacement please fill the Major Subject Proposal Form (for New Subject or Existing Subject Amendments) along with the Subject Deletion Proposal Form.

Minor Subject Proposal Form (for Subject Deletion)

• 27. This form is to be used for minor subject revisions. You will be required to provide the following information on the form:
• a. Subject name, code, credit points, co-requisites, pre-requisites, restrictions, exclusions, textbook, delivery mode, session details, core or elective details;
• b. A summary of the change proposed;
• c. Details of the change;
• d. Estimate and provide details of impact on proposing Faculty and other Faculties and stakeholders;
• e. Provide consultation and communication strategy details for all affected faculties and their students;
• f. Proposal approval from Subject Coordinator, Head of Unit, FEC Chair and other delegates as required.

11 Subject Approval Process

• 1. The responsibility for approving new, revised and deleted subjects has been delegated to Faculties on the understanding that the faculty implements appropriate quality control mechanisms. This includes consideration of resource implications and appropriate consultation with other academic and support units affected.
• 2. The subject approval process for the major, minor and fast-track subject proposals are the same. Process maps are available for the subject approval process on the course management intranet site. Please access the online process maps for most current version. All subject proposals should be processed in a timely manner to ensure adequate time for consultation and movement through the approval process.

Submission of Subject Proposal Forms

• 3. Subject proposals are to be processed within specific timeframes. Sometimes, subject proposals may be required for processing course proposals, in which case, the subject proposals need to be submitted along with course proposals. Please see the key dates for the course approval process on the course management intranet site. Please access the dates online to access the most current version. The major and minor course proposals have different processing dates.
• 4. All subject proposals are prepared by the proposing Faculty.
• 5. The subject proposal paperwork should be presented to the proposing and impacted Faculty’s FEC (Faculty Education Committee).
• 6. Any certification from relevant units should be attached confirming consultation and transition arrangements.
• 7. Where required authorisation is required on the paperwork for further processing.
• 8. If the subject(s) is part of a course proposal then the subject proposal is submitted as part of the course proposal and approval is sought as part of the course approval process. Please see the Course Approval Guidelines for approval process.

For subjects that are not part of the course proposals

• 9. The Subject Approval Bulletin is intended:
• a. to establish effective consultation with other Faculties and stakeholders on subject changes;
• b. to assist FEC Chairs in the consultation process on subject changes;
• c. to provide access to approved proposals for handbook reviewers to assist in implementing post-approval changes.
• 10. This bulletin will only host proposals that are exclusively subject proposals and is not to be used for any course proposals. Please note:
• a. the approval process for subject proposals remains the same;
• b. the proposed process will be discussed with stakeholders to obtain feedback for further improvement.
• 11. Individual Faculty links have been created. Authorised or nominated Faculty staff will have access to their respective Faculty links.
• 12. When a subject proposal is received by the FEC, the nominated staff shall upload the proposal in the respective Faculty section/link.
• 13. The nominated staff shall e-mail the course approval mailing list to notify all members of the subject proposal, provide a link for reference, request feedback before the FEC meeting and provide a contact for the feedback.
• 14. Any feedback received shall be communicated to the staff members involved and the FEC Chair to assist in assessment of the subject proposal.
• 15. If the feedback identifies any major impact arising from the subject proposal, Faculties shall work to gather to reduce or manage the impact.
• 16. Once the subject proposal is approved, the nominated staff shall check out the original document and check in the approved document.
• 17. Then after approval from the FEC and other delegates, the Faculty staff enters the subject details into the web based subject database.
• 18. In accordance with the Annual Audit of Subjects Proposal Procedure, Faculties will be required to maintain a record of the approved subject proposals for auditing purposes.

12 Annual Audit of Subject Proposals

• 1. All new subjects will be eligible for consideration as part of the annual audit process which occurs in the last quarter of the academic year.
• 2. A number of new subjects will be selected from each faculty at random, for auditing.
• 3. Faculties will be required to provide the Policy and Governance Unit with a list of all approved subjects proposals and copies of approved subject proposal forms for subjects selected for audit.
• 4. The Audit Subcommittee reports to the Vice-Chancellor via the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic).
• 5. A list all of all new subjects and an audit report will be presented to the final Academic Senate meeting of each year.
• 6. Please refer to the full details of the Annual Audit of Subjects Proposals Procedure

13 Roles & Responsibilities

Unit	Position	Name
ARD, Policy and Governance Unit	Course Management Coordinator	Ms Viji Venkat
ARD, Compliance Unit	Compliance Officers	Mr Tim Davies Ms Katie Elcombe Ms Sarah Amos
ARD, Conferrals Unit	Conferrals & Compliance Liaison Officer	Ms Sandra Ragnoli (UG/PG – Education, PG - Arts, PG – Commerce) Ms Nerys Webb (UG/PG – HBS, PG – Engineering) Ms Liz Davidson (UG – Arts, UG – Commerce, UG – Law) Ms Sally Towse (UG/PG – Science, UG/PG – Creative Arts, PG – Law, GSM) Ms Elaine Thompson (PG – SBS, UG/PG – Informatics, UG – Engineering)
Unit	Position	Name
ITC - Illawarra Technology Corporation, UniAdvice	Manager, International Student Recruitment	Mr Peter Day
ITC - Illawarra Technology Corporation, UniAdvice	Assistant Manager International Recruitment	Mr Stephen Lowe
ITC - Illawarra Technology Corporation, UniAdvice	National Marketing Manager	Ms Emily Christofides
ITC - Illawarra Technology Corporation, UniAdvice	Assistant National Marketing Manager	Ms Bianca Perry
ITC - Illawarra Technology Corporation, UniAdvice	Admissions Systems Officer	Mr Rupert Leung
Financial Services	Management Accounting and Systems Manager	Mr Fred Reich
ARD, Student Systems	Specialist Student Systems	Ms Tracey Myers

14 Version Control Table

Version Control	Date Effective	Approved By	Amendment
1	21 May 2008	Academic Senate	First Version
2	5 February 2009	Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)	Migrated to UOW Procedures Template as part of the Policy Directory Refresh Project
3	9 March 2010	Senior Manager, Policy and Governance Unit	Future review date identified in accordance with Standard on UOW Policy.
4	14 April 2010	Senior Manager, Policy and Governance	Updated version