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Delegations of Authority Policy is the key document for who is responsible to exercise a delegation – Note: Policies and procedure documents may not reflect the current delegations. Please refer to the Delegations of Authority Policy to identify who the delegate is.
Course Delivery by Third Party Providers Policy
Purpose:
This policy provides the guiding principles for the delivery of University of Canberra (the University) units and courses by third party providers, in Australia and in other countries.
Scope:
- This policy applies to:
- all students enrolled in a University accredited unit or course wherever the course is delivered by a third party provider and whatever the mode of delivery;
- all persons teaching students enrolled in a University accredited unit or course whether employed by the University of Canberra or by a third party provider;
- all third party providers whether delivering a unit, group of units, or whole course.
- This policy covers both award and non-award courses and units of study, including, but not restricted to:
- accredited units and courses;
- non-accredited units, courses and other education packages that are provided to learners for a nominal fee or at no cost;
- non-accredited units of knowledge delivered as applications (apps) for mobile devices which are made available to the public for a nominal fee or at no cost; or
- accredited units offered on a non-award basis for a specific purpose.
- For non-accredited and non-award offerings, this policy should be applied to the extent the context requires and is deemed reasonable given the circumstances of delivery.
Principles:
- Students
This policy applies to all students enrolled in a University accredited or non-accredited unit or course wherever that unit or course is delivered and whatever the mode of delivery (unless otherwise described in the legal agreement for the course). - Services
Unless prohibited by laws and policies of the third party provider’s jurisdiction, the University will ensure third party providers provide students with services comparable to those that the University provides. - Staff
- Academic staff teaching University accredited units or courses will be appropriately qualified and experienced in accordance with the Higher Education Standards Framework 2021.
- The University will ensure staff engaged with third party provider units or courses are appropriately prepared for the cultural context in which they work.
- All staff employed by a third party provider to manage or teach University accredited units or courses will apply the University’s rules, policies, and procedures deemed applicable to that course.
- The University will provide all staff employed by a third party provider to manage or teach University accredited units or courses, or provide administrative support for University students, with appropriate orientation and induction into the relevant University rules, policies and procedures.
- The University has the right to approve academic staff employed by third party providers to teach University accredited units or courses.
- Quality assurance
- The responsibilities of the University and the third party provider for delivering a unit or course will be set out in legal documentation developed according to University legal process and procedures.
- University accredited units and courses delivered by a third party provider will be of equivalent academic standard and lead to the same learning outcomes as accredited units and courses provided by the University. Equivalence of learning outcomes are only to be utilised when approved by Academic Board.
- University non-award units and non-award courses delivered by a third party provider will be of the same academic standard (or equivalent where localisation is required) as units and courses provided by the University.
- The University will monitor academic standards and the quality of unit and course delivery by third party providers through:
- the Third Party Providers Committee (TPP), a sub-committee of the University Education Committee (UEC);
- the University Quality and Standards Framework; and
- University policy and procedures.
- University
The University is responsible for compliance with the relevant legislation and standards, the quality of its accredited units and courses, and student experience. - Governance
- The University will enter into a contract with each third party provider. The terms of a contract for course delivery with a third party provider will support the University’s mission and the achievement of the goals of its Strategic Plan.
- The University will undertake due diligence prior to entering into third party provider contracts and will identify, manage and monitor risks associated with its third party provider contracts.
- The University will maintain a database of the details of its third party provider contracts and will appropriately resource the management and monitoring of its third party provider contracts.
- Third party provider contracts will provide for exit strategies that enable the University to meet its obligations to students.
Responsibilities:
Responsibilities of each party will be set out in the contract for a third party arrangement. Where the contract provides for specific services to be managed or delivered by the third party, the responsibility of the relevant University support unit may be limited to overseeing service provision and ensuring that academic standards, learning and teaching, facilities or services meet the needs of students and are equivalent to those provided by the University in other locations and delivery modes. Responsibilities in this section must be considered in this context.
Who | Responsibility |
Third Party Providers Committee (TPP) | In accordance with its terms of reference and these Procedures the TPP will:
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University Contact for third party provider arrangements |
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Dean of a faculty responsible for delivery of a course by a third party provider [or the Associate Dean (education) under delegation from the Dean] |
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Associate Dean (Education) in a faculty responsible for the delivery of a course by a third party provider [or, where determined by the dean, the relevant head of discipline or associate dean (international) or other nominated staff member/s] |
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Associate dean (international) | Where the third party provider is outside Australia, the associate dean (international) may exercise the responsibilities of the associate dean (education), as determined by the faculty. Allocation of responsibilities should be documented. |
Head of discipline or school | As determined by the faculty. This position may exercise or share relevant responsibilities of the associate dean (education) or course convener. Allocation of responsibilities should be documented. |
Course convener/ University academic course contact |
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Course coordinator at the third party provider |
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Unit convener | A UC unit convener will be identified for every unit. The unit convener is responsible for their nominated unit at all delivery locations. Where the following duties are shared between the University and the third party provider, the responsibilities of each institution should be set out in a document approved by both parties and endorsed by the owning faculty. A unit convener responsible for the delivery of a unit in a course delivered by a third party provider will:
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Office of the Vice-President, Operations | Prepare and update annually the Schedule of Evaluation Reports, and prepare all regular scheduled quality assurance reports. |
Human Resources, Faculties, Dean of Students, Student Connect, and Learning and Teaching Directorate |
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Academic Quality and Development |
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Learning and Teaching Directorate | Where necessary, provide academic advice and resources and services to support students and staff at third party providers in the use of centrally-supported educational technologies, such as the learning management system. |
Student Connect |
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Library |
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Information Technology and Management |
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Dean of Students |
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Legislation:
Governing framework or legislation
- University of Canberra Act 1989 and its Statutes and Rules
- Higher Education Support Act 2003
- Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) Act 2011
- Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021
- Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000
- National Code (2007)
- Human Rights Act 2004 (ACT)
- Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
- Course Delivery by Third Party Providers Procedure
- Credit Procedure
- Course Quality Framework
- Third Party Provider Operations Manual
- Student Information Manual
- Annual Course Report template
Definitions:
Terms | Definitions |
Academic staff | Staff of the University or a third party provider employed to conduct and/or manage teaching and/or research. |
Accredited unit | An accredited unit is a single component of a qualification, or a stand-alone unit, that has been accredited by the same process as for a whole AQF qualification. In Australia an accredited unit may be called a ‘module’, ‘subject’, ‘unit of competency’ or ‘unit’. |
Contract | Legal and enforceable agreement between the University of Canberra and a third party provider. This may take the form of a Memorandum of Agreement, an Affiliation Agreement, or a contract. |
Course | A course of study and instruction, leading to an award, provided under rule 5 of the Courses and Awards (Courses of Study) Rules 2005. A course is the total program of studies in which a student is enrolled. Successful completion of all the requirements of a course is the normal prerequisite for the granting of a University award. |
Mode of delivery | Modes of delivery may be face to face, distance education, blended/flexible learning, online, intensive or some combination of one or all of these. |
Moderation | Moderation is a process whereby academic staff responsible for assessment in a unit reach consensus about levels of student performance in relation to a set of agreed standards. |
TEQSA | Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency |
Third Party Provider | A legally established entity separate from the University (although it may be a controlled entity of the University) with which the University has a legal relationship for the purposes of delivering University accredited units and courses to students. |