Course and unit handbook procedures

Parent Policy

Course and unit handbook policy

The handbook can be produced in one or several volumes, in electronic form and/or printed documents as determined by the business owner/s in conjunction with the publications committee/s. Descriptions of courses and units in the handbook will follow a standard format as outlined below, excepting that additional and/or optional fields for course and unit entries may be included by general agreement between faculties, the business owner/s and the publications committee/s.

These procedures explain the standard format required for undergraduate and graduate/postgraduate handbook publications only. The items in these procedures do not apply to the Handbook for Doctoral and MPhil Degrees

Step 1: Structure of handbook

Each year the undergraduate and graduate/postgraduate handbooks will include:

• an introduction to the publication
• an information section for each faculty
• an entry for every active course offered in the current year, with one entry per course code and no more than one course code per entry*
• details of units offered in the current year.

* In the transition towards full compliance with this requirement, instances may occur where there is more than one entry per course code and more than one course code per entry. These instances will be negotiated between the faculty and handbook business owner.

Responsibility

Faculty editors
Handbook business owner/s

Step 2: Course entry content

2.1 Each course entry must include the following:

• course name and code (as appears in Callista), CRICOS code, and approved abbreviation
• total credit points required to achieve the award
• course length (in years) – full-time and/or part-time as applicable
• managing faculty
• study mode/s and course location/s
• a broad description of the course
• overall course objectives/learning outcomes
• details of the course structure and legal requirements
• other additional and/or optional information as is relevant to the specific course.

2.2 Course entries will not include:

• marketing or promotional information
• fee information (excepting that if it is essential for some purpose to mention a fee, reference can be made to another publication or a website)
• entry requirements for awards other than honours courses.

Responsibility

Faculty editors
Handbook business owner/s

Step 3: Unit entry content

Each unit entry must include the following:

• unit code, title and managing faculty
• credit points, highest SCA band and EFTSL (can be excluded where appropriate from research awards)
• offering details (campus, semester, study mode)
• synopsis (can be excluded from any hard copy handbook produced)
• objectives
• assessment details (the percentage proportion of in-class assessment and examination as a minimum)
• contact hours and attendance requirements
• prerequisites, corequisites and prohibitions.

Additional fields may include fieldwork, and off-campus attendance requirements.

Responsibility

Faculty editors
Handbook business owner/s

Step 4: Responsibilities

4.1 Annual production processes

1. Ensure handbook publication occurs in accordance with the Commonwealth Government deadline for submission and publication of the schedule of student contribution amounts and tuition fees.

2. Advise faculties of production processes and guidelines, including schedules and timelines.

Responsibility

Business owner/s

3. Designate one or more editors to act as the faculty liaison with the handbook coordinator .

4. Ensure faculty editor/s availability for consultation during the review of faculty submissions in the periods designated each year in the handbook production schedule .

5. Facilitate participation of relevant staff in any required training .

Responsibility

Faculties

6. Provide files and/or templates as necessary for faculty editors to prepare or maintain content, and provide training in the use of relevant databases or other electronic facilities used in the production of the handbook.

Responsibility

Business owners

7. Prepare and submit approved content according to guidelines provided .

8. Adhere to the production schedule.

Responsibility

Faculties

9. Amend submitted content as necessary according to relevant handbook production guidelines and the University’s editorial style guide .

10. Coordinate with other areas of the University/service providers to ensure timely publication of the online handbook and of any hard copy handbook according to the agreed schedule .

Responsibility

Business owner/s

12. Review and comment as requested at the completion of the production process .

13. In accordance with HESA legislation, if changes to courses and units, their cost structure or EFTSL values are necessary after the designated publication dates, the following must be demonstrated to the Minister :

• the nature of the proposed amendment;
• when the error or omission was identified;
• why the error or omission occurred;
• what systems have been established to prevent future occurrences of such errors or omissions;
• why it would be reasonable for the Minister to approve the change.

Responsibility

Faculties

4.2 Development, governance and communication

1. Review and update procedures where necessary to improve efficiencies and/or take advantage of appropriate technologies .

2. Recommend to publications committee and the related sub-committee/s editorial and structural changes to improve content and consistency between courses and unit entries within a faculty and between faculty chapters, and overall usability of the publication.

3. Interpret university policies related to publication of course and unit information where necessary .

4. Communicate handbook policy decisions to faculties.

Responsibility

Business owner/s

4.3 Dependencies

The production of the handbooks according to the annual schedule is dependent upon:

• provision of agreed and accurate content by faculties

Responsibility

Faculties

• support for the database housing course and unit content

Responsibility

Information Technology Services

• editorial input of the handbook coordinator and/or responsible work unit

Responsibility

Handbook business owner/s

• no untimely changes to Government requirements for publication of course and unit data

Responsibility

NA

Provision of services/systems support from the relevant publication and printing unit and information technology/web design provider/s.

Responsibility

Advancement/Information Technology Services

Contact Person: Policy Publications or Education Policy