Course and topic approval

The Educational Quality Framework recognises that educational quality is not an end goal but an ongoing pursuit.

Educational quality assurance policies, processes and resources have been developed to support this principle and to ensure your educational quality improvements comply with legislative and regulatory requirements and reflect excellent practice in core academic structures.

In this area you will find all the resources you need to seek approval for continuous improvements to your curriculum.

For information about CourseLoop refer to the FAQs.

Course and topic approval overview

The first step is to discuss your concept with your Teaching Program Director or Dean (Education).

When you are ready to seek approval for new, improved or discontinued curriculum, contact the Educational Quality Team. They will work with you to clarify the scope of your proposal and confirm the approval level. They will initiate and populate the required online templates in CourseLoop for you to review prior to progressing through the approval workflow.

See FAQs for further CourseLoop information.

Curriculum change timeframes

Frequently asked questions

What is CourseLoop and does it change the course and topic approval process?

CourseLoop is the university’s curriculum management system, providing a central repository for all governed course and topic data and approvals.

Whilst the system itself is new, the electronic approval workflows are based on the Award Courses Policy (and procedures) therefore the approval process and level of approval required for new and changed curriculum has not changed.

The CourseLoop templates are based on the 2020 Word templates but are now online, pre-populated with curriculum data (when changing existing curriculum) and are attached to a proposal with a couple of clicks. Version control issues have also been eliminated as all stakeholders have access to the same set of templates in real time and the numerous files submitted to governance committees have been replaced with a URL that links to the one set of templates from the Agenda. Please delete any saved Word template files on your computer – you won’t be needing them anymore.

The Educational Quality Team will continue to support the development of your course and topic proposals, discussing your needs carefully so we can create the proposal in the system for you to review, edit and finalise. A FLO site of resources has been created to complement the one on one support provided by the Educational Quality Team. This is not a training site but a repository of step-by-step instructions, videos and other useful information. Contact the team today so they can best support you in your use of CourseLoop and the FLO site.

It has never been easier to improve your curriculum!

Where do I start?

Contact educational.quality@flinders.edu.au.

Who approves what?

Approving authorities (and associated approval processes) are based on the nature and complexity of the new course, course specialisation or component (major, minor, topic) and/or the changes proposed to these structures.

Approval authorities and their scope are clearly specified in Section 4 of the Award Courses Policy.
Here is an extract:

4.1 Courses

Where multiple changes are proposed for a course, including changes to the topics within it, all changes must be submitted together as a package and will be aligned with the change that requires the highest level of approval.

Level	Scope of authority	Approving authority
Level 4	Approval of new courses, (including double and combined courses), new specialisations, majors or minors where the course, specialisation, major or minor is substantially in a field of study new to the University.	Academic Senate
Level 3a	1. Approval of: i. New courses*, including double and combined courses, except where they are substantially in a field of study new to the University ii. Combined courses where the constituent courses already exist iii. Internal reaccreditation of courses after review under section 3.11 of this policy iv. Suspension and discontinuation of courses v. Establishment and discontinuation of specialisations, majors, minors and micro-credentials.	*Coursework courses:* Deputy Vice- Chancellor (Students) or sub-delegate, on the advice of the Education Quality Committee of Academic Senate *Higher Degrees by Research courses:* Deputy Vice- Chancellor (Research) or sub-delegate, on the advice of the University Higher Degrees by Research Committee of Academic Senate
Level 3a	2. Approval of changes to: i. The name of a course or a specialisation ii. The course learning outcomes iii. The program of study where that change alters the learning outcomes iv. Admission requirements v. Progression rules where the changes further restrict student progress. vi. Any course or topic (including a proposal for a new topic) that requires the university to establish a new agreement with a third party	*Coursework courses:* Deputy Vice- Chancellor (Students) or sub-delegate, on the advice of the Education Quality Committee of Academic Senate *Higher Degrees by Research courses:* Deputy Vice- Chancellor (Research) or sub-delegate, on the advice of the University Higher Degrees by Research Committee of Academic Senate
Level 2	1. Approval of changes to: i. The program of study where the change does not alter the learning outcomes ii. Mode of delivery* iii. Name of a major, minor or micro-credential, as the change will not affect the award name on the parchment. iv. The learning outcomes of a specialisation, major or minor, or a change to the criteria of a micro-credential, where these changes do not alter the learning outcomes of the course. 2. Approval of changes to a course that are not specified at Level 3 or Level 4.	*Coursework courses:* Vice-President and Executive Dean or sub-delegate *Higher Degrees by Research courses:* Dean of Graduate Research or sub-delegate
Level 1	Approval and management of the text of a Course Rule, and amendments to the same, where these are consequential on other approved changes, or do not alter the content or the intention of matters that require approval as indicated above.	Associate Director, Educational Quality or sub-delegate

*The following two activities constitute the development of a new course, and must be approved at Level 3a:

development of a new, fully online offering of an existing course
a change to the duration of an existing course

Level	Scope of authority	Approving authority
Level 2	Approval of the establishment of, amendment to, and discontinuation of topics.	Vice-President and Executive Dean of College or sub-delegate
Level 1	Approval and management of the text and/or system configuration relating to a topic, and amendments to the same, where these are consequential on other approved changes, or do not alter the content or the intention of other matters that require approval as indicated above.	Associate Director, Educational Quality or sub-delegate

Why does approval take so long?

Approval process steps represent important quality checkpoints and approval timeframes are based on the meeting schedules/priorities of Approving Authorities specified in Section 4 of the Awards Courses Policy. Colleges may also add extra approval/endorsement steps that can result in increased approval timeframes.

Why are some lead times for obtaining approval so long? Are there any deadlines?

There are no approval deadlines for establishing or changing curriculum but there are consequences when proposals are approved late in the year and miss important recruitment, enrolment and government reporting deadlines. These dates are set by both Flinders and external organisations (e.g. SATAC) and are based on ensuring compliance with regulatory and legislative requirements as well as ensuring an optimal student recruitment, admissions and enrolment experience.

Contact the Educational Quality Team to discuss ideal timeframes and to begin your proposal– the earlier the better!.

Why are so many stakholders involved in my proposal?

Establishing, changing or discontinuing new courses, course specialisations, majors, minors and topics has implications for many portfolios across the university. Seeking inputs and feedback from all relevant teams will increase the quality of the proposal, identify and address potential challenges and ultimately lead to a better student experience when the approved proposal has been implemented. It is a vital part of the process and all teams are endeavouring to provide their feedback in a timely fashion.

How do I manage the approval of my proposal?

You don’t. An Educational Quality Officer will collaborate with you during the development of the proposal to ensure all stakeholders have been consulted and necessary inputs have been collected. When the proposal is complete and ready for approval, the Educational Quality Officer will coordinate this process and liaise with the relevant approving authorities and associated committees.

How do I know if my proposal has been approved?

When a proposal is approved, you will receive an automated email from CourseLoop that notifies you (and all relevant stakeholders) of the approval. The final proposal document can be viewed from the link provided in the email. If your proposal has been rejected or more work has been requested, the Educational Quality Officer will communicate this to you and support the coordination of this extra work.

I am just establishing one new topic – why do I need to complete a change to a course template as well?

A new topic must be offered within a course, course specialisation or course component. It serves little purpose as a separate entity. Therefore, if a new topic is being established it will only be approved if it is to be added to a course, course specialisation or course component.

What is the difference between a specialisation, major, minor, stream, pathway?

Component	Definition
Specialisation	i. Consists of at least 36 units at the undergraduate level, or at least 18 units at the postgraduate level ii. represents a specific sub-area of a discipline that is recognised as a valuable discipline sequence of study in its own right iii. may be available for applicants to apply to directly, or may be available for students to transfer into after gaining admission to the course that supports the specialisation iv. will appear on a student’s parchment and transcript and forms part of the name of an award
Major	i. consists of 36 units ii. represents a discipline sequence of study that will add value to or accommodate the individual interests and aspirations of students iii. is relevant or complementary to the field of study aligned with a student’s course iv. can be selected and declared by a student who has gained admission to a course, provided a program of study allows for it v. will appear on a student’s transcript but will not appear on a student’s parchment and does not form part of the name of an award
Minor	i. consists of 18 units ii. represents a discipline sequence of study that will add value to or accommodate the individual interests and aspirations of students iii. is relevant or complementary to the field of study aligned with a student’s course iv. can be selected and declared by a student who has gained admission to a course, provided a program of study allows for it v. will appear on a student’s transcript but will not appear on a student’s parchment and does not form part of the name of an award
Stream	This course structure is no longer available for use under the Award Courses Policy and over time, existing stream structures will be restructured and replaced by approved structures.
Pathway	A pathway provides a student with an alternative method of entry to a degree where they have not achieved the admission requirements for that degree. The pathway includes the Program of Study and specific criteria that must be met for the student to be eligible for transfer into the named degree. The pathway must also provide students with advice on transferring to alternative degrees should they not meet the criteria. A pathway is not an Award course and students cannot graduate from a pathway. A student applies for a pathway via SATAC.

Section 3.3 of the Award Courses Policy specifies the definition of a specialisation, major and minor.

What is a micro-credential?

The university’s definition of a micro-credential is provided below. Please contact Educational Quality team if you wish to discuss the establishment of a micro-credential.

Definition:
A micro-credential recognises and certifies a set of specific learning elements, knowledge, competencies and professional skills or a combination thereof.

A micro-credential may be achieved in one or more ways, including but not limited to the following:

i. It may be drawn across one or more topics

ii. It may be drawn across one or more topics, combined with recognised prior learning or professional assessment

Micro-credentials within awards are to be approved in accordance with the Award Course Approval Procedures.
Where the micro-credential is offered outside of an award course refer to the Non-award Courses Policy (under development).

Source: Award Courses Policy

How do I request changes to the course information page that is linked to the course rule?

Course information pages contain content from a variety of University portfolios and unlike the course rule pages, are not part of the course and topic change approval process.

To request corrections or changes to course information pages, please scroll down to the very end of the relevant course info page and click on the website feedback link under the SA logo.