NOTICE OF MEETING: ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND QUALITY COMMITTEE DATE AND TIME: Tuesday 23 October 2012 at 9.30 am PLACE: Room 310, Lincoln Student Services Building D Anderson REGISTRAR 14 October 2012 A G E N D A 1. MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 18 SEPTEMBER 2012 The minutes of the meeting held on 18 September 2012 are attached (Attachment 1). FOR APPROVAL 2. BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES 2.1 Report to Academic Senate Academic Senate at its meeting on 2 October 2012 approved the recommendations of the ASQC meeting held on 18 September 2012. FOR NOTING 3. INDIVIDUAL STUDENT CASES 3.1 Faculty Reports Individual Case Reports have been received from the Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Human Sciences. (Attachment 2) FOR NOTING 3.2 Student Appeal (s/n 41487818) An appeal against a Faculty decision has been received. Chair will report. 3.3 Student Appeal (s/n 41970004) An appeal against a Faculty decision has been received. Chair will report. FOR DISCUSSION S:\APS\ASQC\Agenda\2012\10 - 23_Oct\Agenda 23 Oct 2012.docx 4. REPORT OF THE UNDERGRADUATE SUB-COMMITTEE The Undergraduate Sub-Committee met on 9 and 16 October 2012. The agenda and associated papers for the Sub-Committee’s meetings can be found for review by members on the ASQC web site at: http://senate.mq.edu.au/apc/sub_committees.html The report of the Sub-Committee’s meetings will be tabled. FOR DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION TO ACADEMIC SENATE 5. REPORT OF THE POSTGRADUATE SUB-COMMITTEE The Postgraduate Sub-Committee met on 11 October 2012. The agenda and associated papers for the Sub-Committee’s meeting can be found for review by members on the ASQC website at: http://senate.mq.edu.au/apc/sub_committees.html The report of the Sub-Committees meeting will be tabled. FOR DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION TO ACADEMIC SENATE 6. 2013 DRAFT DEGREE RULES Part 2 of the discussion paper has been prepared for consideration. (Attachment 3) A summary paper has been prepared for discussion. (Tabled Paper 3) A Calendar of Governance 2012 tracked changes document is available on the asqc website http://senate.mq.edu.au/apc/agendas/2012/10_23_Oct.html for your information. FOR DISCUSSION 7. MASTER OF RESEARCH EXIT AWARD Professor Nick Mansfield has been invited to attend the meeting and provide an update on the recent changes to the Master of Research and the exit award of Bachelor of Philosophy. (Attachment 4) FOR DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION TO ACADEMIC SENATE 7.1 Program The Research Office has submitted the attached program structure for the Master of Research. (Attachment 4A) FOR DISCUSSION 8. GLOSSARY PROJECT – UPDATE TO ENTRIES FOR 2013 The Marketing Unit has submitted a proposal for an update to entries in the Glossary for 2013 (Attachment 5). FOR DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION TO ACADEMIC SENATE S:\APS\ASQC\Agenda\2012\10 - 23_Oct\Agenda 23 Oct 2012.docx 2 9. ADDENDUM TO AQF – GRADUATE CERTIFICATE AND GRADUATE DIPLOMAS The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) First Edition July 2011 has released an addendum regarding Graduate Certificates and Graduate Diplomas which all requirements must be implemented by 1 January 2015. (Attachment 6) FOR DISCUSSION 10. ENGLISH PATHWAY STRATEGY Macquarie International has revised its English Pathway strategies with providers and a paper has been submitted for noting. (Attachment 7) FOR NOTING 11. MQC – FOUNDATION PROGRAM 11.1 Changes to Credit Points MQC is proposing to change the credit points for three units currently available in the Foundation Program with effect from 1 January 2013. (Attachment 8) FOR DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION TO ACADEMIC SENATE 11.2 Changes to Grading of Units MQC is proposing to change the grading of several units currently available in the Foundation Program with effect from 1 January 2013. (Attachment 9) FOR DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION TO ACADEMIC SENATE 11.3 New Units MQC is proposing the addition of new media units (FPME001 and FPME002) to be introduced with effect from 1 January 2013. (Attachment 10) FOR DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION TO ACADEMIC SENATE 11.4 Changes to Program Structure MQC is proposing amending the program structure for the Fast Track and Standard Foundation Program to include the new media units (FPME001 and FPME002) to be introduced with effect from 1 January 2013. (Attachment 11) FOR DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION TO ACADEMIC SENATE 12. PROPOSAL FOR DIRECT ENTRY QUALIFICATION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS This proposal has previously been considered by the Coursework Admissions Committee (CAC) in May 2012. CAC requested further information on the curriculum, calculations and other Universities utilising this qualification. This briefing provides further information as requested by the committee as well as a Quality Assurance Assessment. (Attachment 12) FOR DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION TO ACADEMIC SENATE 13. ANY OTHER BUSINESS S:\APS\ASQC\Agenda\2012\10 - 23_Oct\Agenda 23 Oct 2012.docx 3 14. NEXT MEETING The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 20 November 2012 commencing at 9.30am. The meeting will be held in Room 310 Lincoln Student Services Building. FOR NOTING S:\APS\ASQC\Agenda\2012\10 - 23_Oct\Agenda 23 Oct 2012.docx 4 ASQC - 23 October 2012 Agenda Item 1 Attachment 1 Page 1 of 14 ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND QUALITY COMMITTEE Minutes of the meeting of the Academic Standards and Quality Committee held on Tuesday, 18 September 2012 in Room 310, Lincoln Student Services Building, from 9.35am to 11:35am. PRESENT: Mr K Baird Ms J Bowden-Everson Ms M Brodie Associate Professor H Carter Ms L Clarke Associate Professor P Coutts Professor J Fitness (Chair) Associate Professor M Hitchens Associate Professor N Klein Professor A Ross-Smith Ms S Spinks Mr G Tomossy APOLOGIES: Ms D Anderson Dr N Anderson Dr A Bosanquet Mr A Burrell Ms F Burton Professor J Sachs (Provost) Dr A Semple IN ATTENDANCE: Mrs R Grewal Mrs H Harris Mrs S Kelly Mrs B Liu Mrs K Shorrock Ms Z Williams Mr J Wylie 1. MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 14 AUGUST 2012 The minutes of the meeting held on 14 August 2012 were approved. 2. BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES 2.1 Report to Academic Senate The Committee noted that Academic Senate at its meeting on 4 September 2012 approved the recommendations of the ASQC meeting held on 14 August 2012, with the following amendments: 4.3 Session 3 – Limitations on Required Units Offered in Session 3 ASQC Recommendation: …The Committee RECOMMENDS THAT ACADEMIC SENATE approves that a guideline be S:\APS\ASQC\Minutes\2012\9 - 18 Sep 2012\ASQC minutes 18 September 2012 Final.docx ASQC - 23 October 2012 Agenda Item 1 Attachment 1 Page 2 of 14 established stating that a required unit cannot be offered in Session 3 only; it must also be offered in Session 1 or Session 2, noting that this guideline will become part of the policy regarding Session 3 offerings. Academic Senate Resolution 12/275 A required unit would not normally be offered in Session 3 only; it should also be offered in Session 1 and Session 2. However a case can be presented for approval for offering a required unit exclusively in Session 3 in particular circumstances. 7. Guidelines for Variation to Examination Policy ASQC Recommendation: …the Committee RECOMMENDS THAT ACADEMIC SENATE approves the following principles and guidelines for both implementation and consideration of exception requests: 1. Any case for a request for an exception to the provisions of the Final Examination Policy must be approved by the Faculty Standards and Quality Committee or the Executive Dean and submitted for consideration to the Academic Standards and Quality Committee which will make a recommendation to Academic Senate. 2. Any request for an exception, and consequent decision, will be valid for one teaching session only for units offered in 2012. 3. Any request for an exception to the policy must be made on the basis of a sound pedagogical or operational argument. 4. In the case of a request for an exception to the requirement to publish final examinations because of the use of particular question types (e.g. multiple choice items) the department must: a. Provide evidence that the assessment regime for the unit is consistent with the University Assessment Policy, Procedure and Guidelines; b. Provide evidence and a sound pedagogical framework or sound operational argument to support the re-use of the question sets; c. Provide information about the measures that will be taken to ensure that the integrity of the unseen examination paper is not compromised once the first cohort of students has sat the examination. Academic Senate Resolution 12/276 Academic Senate approved the above recommendation subject to removal of point 2. 3. INDIVIDUAL STUDENT CASES 3.1 Faculty Reports The Committee noted Individual Case Reports that have been received from the Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Business and Economics. The Committee noted that there was a large number of deeming cases for PICT students in the Faculty of Arts report and agreed that there is a need for the Faculty to backmap the relevant units to avoid the need to invoke the Deeming provision in the future. Members discussed the role of ASQC in relation to overseeing the Faculty-based Individual Case processes. It was noted that in accordance with its terms of reference, ASQC will monitor faculty based processes for the consideration of individual student cases involving the invocation of the Saving clause or the Deeming provision. Faculties have been providing periodic Individual Case Reports to ASQC for this purpose. In addition to this oversight role, it had been resolved that ASQC will consider the effectiveness of the operation of the S:\APS\ASQC\Minutes\2012\9 - 18 Sep 2012\ASQC minutes 18 September 2012 Final.docx 2 ASQC - 23 October 2012 Agenda Item 1 Attachment 1 Page 3 of 14 Individual Case arrangements through an annual review.