Policies and procedures
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POLICY NO: A-53.0
DATE OF APPROVAL: May 2008
AMENDMENTS:
REFERENCE AUTHORITY: Director: Student and Academic Services
CROSS REFERENCES:
CONTENTS:
This policy applies to activities undertaken by staff of the University where an educational program is being delivered to an organisation which does not lead to the provision of a University award, but which does lead to a level of academic or professional attainment (see University Activities - Research and Consultancy Guidelines). Such activities will be approved and administered as a 'short program'.
This policy specifies the requirements for the approval and administration of short programs and describes which University policies apply to the management and delivery of short programs.
NB: Throughout this policy, the term 'short program' will be used to refer to Short programs, Executive Certificates and Professional Certificates.
Short Program
A program of study that does not lead to the conferral of an award of the University. Such a program may consist of one or more courses. Short programs are usually professional in nature or undertaken for a specific purpose, and will culminate in the issuing of a certificate of recognition or attainment such as a Professional Certificate.
Short programs may include:
1.
Program approval, amendment and review
1.1 Short programs are not approved through the coursework program approval process. Instead short programs must be approved by School and Division Board and then by the Divisional Pro Vice Chancellor using the appropriate Short Program approval templates.
1.2 Where a short program, or courses within a short program, is to be converted to an award program or course, then the approval process as defined in the Coursework Program Approval Manual will apply.
1.3 The short program title will be approved as part of the short program approval process but will be in accordance with the following standard nomenclature for short programs:
2. Selection and Entry
2.1 The entry requirements for short programs will be determined as part of the short programs approval process.
3. Enrolment
3.1 Enrolment in a short program will be considered an enrolment of the University and recorded in the University student record system. Accordingly, for the duration of the program, participants will have access to the resources of the University including information technology resources, online teaching resources and automatic borrowing rights with the University library.
3.2 Participants enrolled in short programs will abide by the policies and procedures of the University when accessing University resources.
4. Recognition of prior learning
4.1 Under the University's policy A-13: Recognition of prior learning, the concept of 'credit' applies only to programs that lead to an award of the University. Thus credit will not be granted toward the completion of a short program.
4.2 Short programs may, in some cases, count for credit toward subsequent study in an award program of the University. In such cases this must be approved by the relevant Program Director in accordance with policy A-13: Recognition of prior learning.
5. Financial management, contractual obligations and fees
5.1 Each short program will be managed in accordance with the University's quality management policy and procedures to ensure that the University's financial procedures for costing and pricing have been followed and that all contractual obligations have been met. As such, the contractual arrangements associated with each short program will be recorded in the Project Quality System (PQS), (see University Activities – Research and Consultancy Guidelines).
5.2 Tuition fees will be charged for short programs. The fee and conditions for refunds will be determined by the relevant Division and approved by the Divisional Pro Vice Chancellor as part of the short program approval process (see clause 1.1).
5.3 Where a short program includes courses that are also offered as part of an award program, fees for the short program must ensure that the pro rata fee for a given course is equal to or higher than the highest student contribution being paid by any Commonwealth supported student for the same course in an award program.
5.4 Fees will be collected and managed by the organisational unit responsible for providing the short program, in accordance with University financial procedures.
6. Assessment
6.1 The assessment requirements of a short program will be specified and approved as part of the short program approval process. Either the University's graded or non-graded assessment may apply.
7. Transcripts and Certificates
7.1 As short programs do not lead to an award of the University, participants do not graduate and are not eligible for a transcript. Participants in short programs will be provided with a record of results.
7.2 Schools or divisions may also seek to recognise the achievement of the endpoint of the short program through issuing a certificate. Such certificates are not awards of the University. The determination to issue a certificate or other form of documentary recognition of achievement should be made as part of the short program approval process.
7.3 Certificates will be issued by Student and Academic Services using the standard University template.
