UMG: New Courses 2012Thursday 22 April 3.15pmEconomics and Commerce Conference Room

Topics

• New courses website and brochures

• The Handbook

• University Rules for Academic Courses

• Scholarships Review

• Prizes Review

• Exchange & Articulation Agreements Review

• Admissions

• Student Advice

• Transitioning to New Courses

• Q & A

New Courses: Website and brochures

• www.newcourses2012.uwa.edu.au/

University Rules for Academic Courses

• Framework & Definitions Working Party

– Focusing on simplifying and standardizing the set of rules governing the University’s academic courses

– Wherever possible definitions, rules, procedures and nomenclature will be made consistent across the University

– Policy statements will be removed from the rules

• Note: separate comprehensive course advice will also be published

Scholarships

• Review eligibility criteria for both university-wide and faculty-oriented undergraduate scholarships

• Review current undergraduate scholarships models - should undergraduate scholarships in the future be awarded independent of the degree course in which the student is enrolled?

• Develop University directive on managing Faculty-based undergraduate Scholarships:

– How will Faculty-based undergraduate scholarship be managed in the future?

– What steps should the University take to prevent a decline in the number of undergraduate scholarships as a result of a decision taken, on the part of Faculties, to redirect their focus on undergraduate scholarships toward scholarships for students in professional postgraduate degree courses?

– In such an instance, should there also be university-based scholarships for each of the new undergraduate degree courses?

• Complete by November 2010

• Required for “Study at UWA” prospectus (printed Jan 2011) & “Scholarships and Awards” (printed June 2011)

2009 Scholarships, Prizes & Endowments (SPE)Summary Scholarships

UG 133

PG 90

Other 3

Total 226

Summary  Prizes

All 9

AHSS 95

ALVA 17

BUS 70

EDU 13

ECM 114

LAW 50

LPS 69

MDHS 96

NAGS 41

Guild 2

Other 5

Total 581

Scholarships – the likely issuesThe scholarship is:

• Tenable in a named course that will no longer be offered at UG level (e.g. Bachelor of Medical Science; Bachelor of Engineering, LLB etc)

• Tenable in a particular course code (e.g. Bachelor of Science (50110))

• Tenable in a particular ‘programme’ (terminology issue)

• Tenable in an UG course owned by a Faculty (new UG degrees belong to the University)

• Tenable for a particular major (will all the current majors continue to be offered?)

• Only available to students in combined degrees.

Prizes – Review scope

• Activities required to ensure that: – all prizes currently awarded to commencing and continuing

undergraduate students can continue to be awarded after the implementation of the restructure of undergraduate courses, to commence in 2012, unless they have been specifically designed to expire before then;

– all prizes for commencing and continuing undergraduate students established from now until the implementation of the restructure of undergraduate courses, to commence in 2012, can continue to be awarded in and after 2012, unless they have been specifically designed to expire before then;

– prizes will continue to be available for students commencing in current courses until 2012;

– prizes will continue to be available for continuing students in current courses until these courses are taught out; and

– all prizes that have been established in the past but are not currently offered, for example because their terms are too narrow or out of date, will be reviewed in a timely way so that they can be either:

– (a) offered after the implementation of the restructure of undergraduate courses, to commence in 2012; or

– (b) rescinded.

Admissions (part 1)

• Review University’s policy on setting subject prerequisites vis-à-vis eligibility requirements for admissions to new undergraduate degree courses (Admission Committee complete June 2010)

• Consider expanding other options (such as offering enabling/bridging units or foundation packages) to satisfy subject prerequisites (this may also involve reviewing current Admissions policies relating to admission to the existing foundation packages or enabling/bridging units) (Admission Committee / BCS complete June 2010)

Admissions (part 2)

• Review current operational arrangements and procedures for assessing

– Group 2 applications for admission– Determining credit assessment– Admission to professional postgraduate degree courses– Course Transfer applications– Qualifications seeking recognition through articulation (from

both local and external providers) into UWA Admissions Centre, International Centre and Admissions

Committee complete August 2010 for referral to Academic Council September meeting

• Review policies relating to and develop a framework to guide assessment of the following:

– Group 2 applications for advanced standing– Course transfer applications from enrolled students– Qualifications seeking credits through Articulation agreementsBoard of Coursework Studies complete June 2010

Student AdviceStudent Advice Working Party 1st Report: Undergraduate Student

Advising: Recommendations

1. That a series of staff development activities and / or briefings be developed for all University staff who are engaged in student recruitment and outreach activities

2. That the Future Students’ Website be revised3. That comprehensive course information, including study plans, be

published on a central website4. That a ‘hub and spokes’ approach to student advising be adopted5. That an induction manual and training course for student advisers

be developed6. That all central and faculty-based advising staff complete the new

training course7. That additional content for ipoint and askUWA be developed8. That a simple to use on-line journal system for recording summary

records of all student advising sessions be developed or acquired and implemented

9. That FFIC consider further the issue of degree management and administration and the relationship of student advisers to the Board of Coursework Studies / Interim Boards of Studies

2012 University Handbook

• Working Group established to consider revision of the Handbook (and if applicable the Future Students’ Website)

UQ Example: BA

http://www.arts.uq.edu.au/study-arts/

Comprehensive course information, including study plans

• Study Plans

– 23 of the 24 units in the following four study plans are the same. All four plans satisfy the following requirements for a new undergraduate degree:

– 24 units– No more than 12 level @ 1 units– At least 4 units @ level 3– A degree-specific major, consisting of 8 units, which provides the

rationale for the nomenclature of the degree (Note: at least one unit within the degree-specific major must have an explicit focus on oral and written communication skills)

– No more than four units that are complementary to the degree-specific major

– Four broadening units taken from outside the area of knowledge of the degree-specific major, including one unit that focuses on the globalised and culturally diverse environment (Category A)

Bachelor of Commercewith degree-specific major in Economics and 12 electives

Bachelor of Commercewith degree-specific major in Economics and second major in Engineering Science

Bachelor of Sciencewith degree-specific major in Engineering Science and 12 electives

Bachelor of Sciencewith degree-specific major in Engineering Science and second major in Economics

That a ‘hub and spokes’ approach to student advising be adopted

• Hub services: Procedural guidance and administrative assistance General advising Frontline course advising aimed particularly at

students transitioning to university study

That a ‘hub and spokes’ approach to student advising be adopted

• Spokes: faculty-situated advising centres partnership with the central hub specialist advising about one of the new

undergraduate degrees partnership with specialist services located in the

central administration

That a ‘hub and spokes’ approach to student advising be adopted

• Spokes: senior staff will possess a deep understanding of:

– At least one of the new undergraduate degrees, including its structure, rules and requirements;

– The set of degree-specific majors offered by the Faculty – Opportunities for study abroad, student exchange, project

work, internships and research experience etc– Further study options including opportunities to transfer to

or from the BPhil (Hons), progression to end-on honours and postgraduate study, including initial professional education, and

– Typical career outcomes with referral to specialist Career Advisers where appropriate

New student centre?

Transitioning to the new courses

• Working Party established to:– Devise a plan of course specific transition options for students on the

basis of faculty consultation, which would address the following:• The process of identifying those current students who could (and

could not) transition, outlining how the gaps in course requirements will be recognised and identify bridging opportunities to address identified gaps.

• The process by which the transition would be managed, including student advising needs.

• Any changes required in the regulatory framework. • Devise a communication strategy for current students.

– To clarify and mitigate issues and risks for those students transitioning from the current courses to the new courses (for example, equity issues in relation to discontinuing current courses).

Other issues - roundtable

• CAPS

• Unit Reduction

• Unit outlines