MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY SENATE LEARNING AND TEACHING COMMITTEE Meeting of the Senate Learning and Teaching Committee will be held at 10:00am on Monday 11 August 2014 in the Senate Room, Lincoln Building C8A, Level 3. Members who are unable to attend the meeting are requested to send their apologies to Ms Amanda Phelps, University Committee Secretary (phone +61 2 9850 7316 or e-mail [email protected]). A G E N D A 1. WELCOME AND APOLOGIES 2. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING • Minutes of meeting held on 14 July 2014. Pages 3– 18 3. BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES 3.1 See action list (refer to Minutes of previous meeting) 4. ORAL REPORTS 4.1 Professor Janet Greeley 4.2 Chair 4.3 Reports from the Offices 4.3.1 Centre for Open Education Pages 19– 23 4.3.2 Macquarie City Campus Pages 24 – 31 4.3.3 Learning and Teaching Centre Pages 32 – 36 4.3.4 PACE Pages 37 – 46 4.3.5 Library Pages 47 - 49 5. GENERAL BUSINESS 5.1 Policies/Procedures 5.1.1 Reasonable adjustments in PACE Units Procedure and Guideline For consideration Pages 50 - 68 5.2 Proposed C5A flat floor forums For discussion Presentation by Mark Broomfield 5.3 Six term year proposal For discussion and endorsement Pages 69 - 71 1
Transcript
MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY SENATE LEARNING AND TEACHING COMMITTEE
Meeting of the Senate Learning and Teaching Committee will be held at 10:00am on Monday 11 August 2014 in the Senate Room, Lincoln Building C8A, Level 3. Members who are unable to attend the meeting are requested to send their apologies to Ms Amanda Phelps, University Committee Secretary (phone +61 2 9850 7316 or e-mail [email protected]).
A G E N D A
1. WELCOME AND APOLOGIES
2. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING • Minutes of meeting held on 14 July 2014.
Pages 3– 18
3. BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES 3.1 See action list (refer to Minutes of previous meeting)
4. ORAL REPORTS 4.1 Professor Janet Greeley
4.2 Chair
4.3 Reports from the Offices
4.3.1 Centre for Open Education Pages 19– 23
4.3.2 Macquarie City Campus Pages 24 – 31
4.3.3 Learning and Teaching Centre Pages 32 – 36
4.3.4 PACE Pages 37 – 46
4.3.5 Library Pages 47 - 49
5. GENERAL BUSINESS
5.1 Policies/Procedures
5.1.1 Reasonable adjustments in PACE Units Procedure and Guideline
For consideration
Pages 50 - 68
5.2 Proposed C5A flat floor forums For discussion
Presentation by Mark Broomfield
5.3 Six term year proposal For discussion and endorsement
5.4 Evaluation of Student Experience – Final report For noting
Pages 72 - 85
5.5 Theme Presentation: Placements
• Presentation by Professor Janet Greeley and Lindie Clark
Presentation
5.6 Working Party update
5.6.1 Assessment, Grading, Unit Outcome and Examinations 5.6.2 Academic Honesty / Integrity Policy
For noting
Pages 86 - 88 Oral update
5.7 Report from the meeting of the Academic Senate held on 18 July 2014 For noting
Oral update
5.8 Matters arising from Academic Senate meeting of 18 July 2014
• Examination Reports from Executive Deans - Session 1 2014:o Student engagement and attendance at lectureso Consistent approach to penalties for late submission of
assignmentso Managing expectations – ongoing disability support
(review of disruption to study requests in Session 1)o Managing expectations – non ATAR entry English language
requirements.o Efficient and considered university wide approach to special
consideration and alternate arrangement for assessments(currently each Faculty deals with these separately)
o Grade distribution data
For discussion
Oral update
5.9 Disruptions to Studies update Paper to be tabled
5.10 Academic Appeals Policy update Paper to be tabled
6. OTHER BUSINESS
7. NEXT MEETINGThe next meeting of the Senate Learning and Teaching Committee will aspecial presentation meeting held on Monday 22 September 2014 duringLearning and Teaching week.
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Senate Learning and Teaching Committee Agenda
11 August 2014 ITEM 2: MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING Minutes of the Senate Learning and Teaching Committee meeting held on 14 July 2014. For approval.
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SENATE LEARNING AND TEACHING COMMITTEE Minutes of the meeting of the Senate Learning and Teaching Committee held on 14 July 2014 at 10:00am in the Council Room, Building E11A, Level 2.
PRESENT: Professor Sherman Young (Chair) Dr Wylie Bradford Mark Broomfield Lindie Clark Dr James Downes Jane Franklin Professor Janet Greeley Dr Mark Hancock Elaine Huber Maureen Kattau Dr Peter Keegan Professor Jim Lee A/Professor Susan Page Dr Mitch Parsell Darren Peters Benjamin Roe A/Professor Ian Solomonides A/Professor Leonie Tickle A/Professor Lisa Wynn
APOLOGIES: Dr Trudy Ambler Deidre Anderson
Dr Nicole Anderson Dr Ayse Bilgin Andrew Burrell A/Professor Jenny Donald Professor Nick Mansfield A/Professor David Pitt Jeff Stewart Professor Dominic Verity Susan Vickery Professor Leigh Wood Dr Rod Yager
IN ATTENDANCE: Jacqueline Cadwgan
Ainslee Harvey Laura Heron Amanda Phelps Zoe Williams Jonathan Wylie
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1. WELCOME AND APOLOGIES
The Chair extended a welcome to Associate Professor Lisa Wynn to her first Senate Learning and Teaching Committee meeting as one of the representatives from Academic Senate. The Chair noted that Elaine Huber, Acting Director for the Centre of Open Education would be attending for member Andrew Burrell for the next few months. The Committee noted apologies from Dr Trudy Ambler, Deidre Anderson, Dr Nicole Anderson, Dr Ayse Bilgin, Mr Andrew Burrell, A/Professor Jenny Donald, Professor Nick Mansfield, A/Professor David Pitt, Jeff Stewart, Professor Dominic Verity, Ms Susan Vickery, Professor Leigh Wood and Dr Rod Yager.
2. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING
The Committee RESOLVED TO APPROVE the minutes of the meeting held on 16 June 2014 as a true and accurate record, subject to the following amendment:
Item 4.3.4 Report from PACE – PACE Strategic plans The wording in the minutes should be amended to the following:
“The strategic plan is currently under development, the draft proposal will not be ready for circulation in July but will be distributed shortly thereafter for comment. The PACE team has asked members to encourage comment from within their department and Faculty.”
3. BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
From the meeting held on 14 July 2014 Matter Responsibility Date Due Comments/Status
1. That a recommendation is made to Academic Senate to consider the timing of the release of examination results to students.
Prof Young/ Deputy Registrar
Prior to end of 2014
2. Review current Academic Year session dates to overcome the issues of overlap between Session 2 and 3.
Prof Young August 2014
Items in progress/pending from previous meetings Matter Responsibility Date Due Comments/Status
3. Formulation of a Student at Academic Risk Policy. The Chair suggested for Associate Deans – Learning and Teaching to share their intelligence on Students at Academic Risk and, in liaison with other input/data gathered, SLTC would progress further discussions on student retention strategies.
Prof Young/ Associate Deans
Feb 2014 Verbal update provided by the Chair at meeting on 17 February. In progress.
4. Development of expanded Academic Integrity Policy. Formation of working party, development of working paper and initial consultation.
Prof Verity 2014 Prof Verity provided a brief verbal update at the meeting on 10 March 2014. Update to be provided in August In progress
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5. Establish working party to discuss development of guidelines for supporting students part-way through a subject who become incarcerated (or otherwise unable to attend campus).
Ms Williams/ Mr Burrell/
Ms Freeman
Revised to early
2014
Mr Burrell provided an update that Continued Access Guidelines have been drafted, but not widely consulted yet. Will be a Schedule to the Disruptions to Study policy. Update to be provided in August
6. It was agreed to endorse the proposed amendment to the calculation of student GPAs to be commensurate with the attainment of a High Distinction and also align it with most other Australian institutions. The Chair to investigate the practicalities of this change with the Deputy Registrar’s Office and report back to a future meeting of the Senate Learning and Teaching Committee.
Prof Verity Early 2014
Prof Verity to arrange a group to discuss implementation. Student system changes planned for S1 2015 implementation. Deputy Registrar to move student system changes forward
7. Investigate a regulatory structure for MOOCs. Prof Verity/ Prof Young/ Ms Freeman
Early 2014
Part of the Learning and Teaching Framework
8. Working party to develop University wide protocols for the training and remuneration of students in such roles. This working party would be developed by the Associate Deans in conjunction with the PVC’s Office.
2014 Prof Young. Ms Heron, Dr Ambler to develop a proposal for minimal standards moving forward.
Items completed/closed since last meeting
Matter Responsibility Date Due Comments/Status
Nil
A/Professor Ian Solomonides provided further comment in relation to the Student Feedback on Learning and Teaching and Curriculum policy (completion of this business arising matter was noted at the 16 June 2014 SLTC meeting), noting that ongoing work is required and that a report to update on these activities would be provided at a future meeting of SLTC.
Professor Janet Greeley attended the meeting from 10:30am.
4. ORAL REPORTS 4.1 Acting Provost
The Acting Provost, Professor Janet Greeley provided an oral update on the following:
• Steering Committee to Implement the Student Attrition, Retention and Progression Strategy Professor Janet Greeley spoke to a tabled paper and updated the Committee on the continued rollout of the Kickstart program and developments in the area of Quality Standards and Analytics through the creation of a student-facing dashboard. A further update is to be reported at the next meeting of SLTC.
• CRIT2 Implementation The CRIT2 group is to be wound up at the end of July with outstanding tasks to be distributed to the Offices within the University. Professor Greeley took the opportunity to acknowledge the extensive work completed by Macquarie
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International to retract and reissue offers to students due to changes made to the volume of learning requirements.
Benjamin Roe requested comment and clarification of a recent situation in which Session 1 examination results were released to students earlier than the published release date of 18 July 2014. The Deputy Registrar addressed this question noting that there had been a technical issue within the student management system that has permitted some Session 1 examination results to be visible to students prior to the results being finalised. Students who had subsequently generated an academic transcript in the window where non-finalised examination results were accessible were contacted to confirm the issue. It was noted that prior to the formal release of examination results on 18 July 2014, there is a window of time in which results may change pending finalisation processes conducted within each Faculty. The Deputy Registrar confirmed that a root /cause analysis would be conducted to review the issues that arose and that a CAPEX proposal would be submitted to address the deficiencies with the current student management system. Discussion then centred around the timeframe for the release of examination results, noting that with the establishment of the Faculty Rule and Delegations of Authority, examination results ratification would reside with each Faculty from 2015 and that there may scope to review the timing of the release of examination results after Faculty ratification. ACTION: That a recommendation is made to Academic Senate to consider the timing of the release of examination results to students. The Deputy Registrar and the Chair are to be involved in the development of this recommendation.
4.2 Chair’s Report
The Chair provided an oral report on the following matters:
• Learning and Teaching Planning day A follow-up day to the Learning and Teaching Planning day held on Friday 30 May 2014 is scheduled for Wednesday 16 July 2014. Over fifty participants have responded to the invitation to participate.
• Recent University announcements The establishment of a Macquarie University operated pathway college was announced, signalling the end of the relationship with Navitas at the end of 2015. Professor Jim Lee and the Chair are both a part of the transition group, noting that the Macquarie operated pathway college is flagged for commencement in Session 1 2016. Professor Jim Lee also noted the coming of age for Macquarie University, joining a long line of other prestigious Colleges/Universities with their own pathway colleges. The Chair briefly spoke to the announcement of the new Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, noting the future addition of a new Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching to SLTC. The appointment of the new Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic would also be confirmed shortly.
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• Global Leadership Entry Program The Chair noted that the new non-ATAR based entry program had received fifty applications to date.
• Orientation A group of stakeholders recently considered the University approach to orientation and it was agreed that it would be beneficial to have one project team responsible for the oversight of all on-campus orientation. A holistic review is to be conducted with a new University wide orientation program to be developed. A position description is to be developed for an Orientation Manager to run this.
4.3 Reports from the Faculties
• Faculty of Arts The report was noted as tabled. The Chair raised a question on behalf of Dr Trudy Ambler, who was not in attendance at the meeting, regarding the Workplace Health and Safety issues around on-line assessments. A number of Committee members also commented that similar concerns had been raised with them. The feedback on this issue provided by Human Resources was that the marking of on-line assessments is to be considered as any other computer based workplace issue. The Chair commented that consistency of approach within the University should be the aim and welcomed constructive suggestions in consideration of this issue.
• Faculty of Business and Economics
Associate Professor Leonie Tickle spoke to this report and highlighted the success of the Kickstart project, noting that 2 units were trialled initially with a further 9 units to now be included. The Faculty of Human Sciences indicated their willingness to commence the Kickstart project with their Faculty. It was also highlighted that the Master of International Business program commenced on-line from Session 1 2014.
• Faculty of Human Sciences
Dr Mitch Parsell spoke to this report and highlighted the large numbers of special and supplementary examinations. Darren Peters commented that it was currently acknowledged that the University struggles to meet student demands in this area, particularly with respect to suitable and available facilities. The Committee discussed the need for a consistent approach to the organising and implementation of supplementary and special examinations and agreed that this should be the goal moving forward.
The Committee also noted the high degree of differentiation that was required to accommodate the request of students requiring special examinations and noted that this process would also be benefited by a more consistent University wide approach.
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• Faculty of Science Dr James Downes spoke to this report and highlighted the review of retention, support for students at academic risk and Learning and Teaching grants. The Chair congratulated Dr James Downes on his recent appointment as the Deputy Associate Dean Learning and Teaching.
5. GENERAL BUSINESS
5.1 Policies/Procedures 5.1.1 Inherent Requirements Working Party – Progress Report
Professor Janet Greeley spoke to this paper and highlighted that the first two objectives of the working party had been completed. Further clarity was sought around whether housing and access to the internet could or should be considered inherent requirements. Professor Greeley commented that inherent requirements are designed to be proactive in making students aware of expectations and to allow for intervention of University support services. The Committee was invited to provide further comment to Professor Greely, via Judy Lawrie contactable via [email protected]. The Committee RESOLVED to endorse the current approach and direction taken by the working party.
5.1.2 Merit Scholars update and Terms of Reference for Proposed Subcommittee
Associate Professor Leonie Tickle spoke to this paper and highlighted the 48 Merit Scholars who are currently part of the Career Accelerator Program and the current international travel opportunities for Merit Scholars, noting that in Session 1 the first Merit Scholar travelled to Nairobi. Darren Peters queried the development of a similar schedule for talented scholars and it was noted that there are ongoing discussions in relation to high achieving athletes. It was proposed that a Merit Scholars Program Sub-Committee of the Senate Learning and Teaching Committee be created to make recommendations and to develop and review the Merit Scholars Program Offering across the University. The Committee agreed that the creation of a formal subcommittee was not required and that the Terms of Reference should be amended accordingly. The Merit Scholars Program group would report directly to SLTC. The Committee RESOLVED to accept the Terms of Reference subject to the specified amendment.
5.1.3 English Language Working Party – Progress Report
5.1.4 Academic Appeals Policy Working Party – Progress Report
Zoe Williams, Manager of Governance Services provided an oral update on the first meeting of the working party on 17 June 2014 and noted that the first meeting was chaired by Associate Professor Pamela Coutts, future meetings are to be chaired by Professor Dominic Verity, Chair Academic Senate. The working party includes members from the following existing Committees across the University, the Academic Appeals Committee, Ranking Committee, High Degree Research Appeals Committee and a representative from Campus Wellbeing. At the Academic Senate meeting on 18 July 2014, the Working Group will propose that the current terms of reference for the committees that hear appeals will continue and the membership is to be extended until the end of 2014. The scope of the working party at this stage includes consideration of appeals against admission, readmission, enrolment and exclusion and will also include appeals against disruption to study and third time enrolment determinations. The draft policy will be considered by SLTC and then forwarded to Academic Senate for final approval.
5.2 Report on Session 3 2013-2014
The Committee noted the report and reinforced the view that Session 3 is to be considered a formal part of study at Macquarie University.
The Committee noted that recommendation five should be aligned with current policies, particularly in relation to the use of their own websites.
The Chair confirmed that further work around the Academic Year was required and that a paper would be presented to the next SLTC meeting in August.
ACTION: The Chair to review current Academic Year session dates to overcome the issues of overlap between Session 2 and 3.
The Committee RESOLVED to approve the following recommendations:
1. That Faculties ensure student assessment in Session 3 aligns with both the Assessment and Core Hours Policies
2. That the projects and findings of the Learning, Teaching and Curriculum Working Group of the Steering Committee to Implement the Student Attrition, Retention and Progression Strategy be monitored for projects and processes which benefit student study/work/home life balance
3. That the PVC (Learning, Teaching and Diversity) inform the Director Property of the expectation that Session 3 teaching venues be air conditioned
4. That faculties offer a greater range of units at 200, 300 and postgraduate levels in Session 3
5. That faculties ensure staff teaching in Session 3 use existing enterprise learning management solutions
6. That student workload be clearly outlined in Unit Guides
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7. That the SLTC investigate options for organising the Academic Year to overcome issues of overlap between Sessions 2 and 3.
5.3 Theme Presentation: Indigenous Curriculum
Associate Professor Susan Page presented to the Committee on the subject of Indigenising the curriculum (refer to Attachment 1 to these minutes for a copy of the presentation). The presentation included a table of the number of units that explicitly mentioned indigenous across the University, one Faculty was without any such units. For full copy of the Curriculum Mapping : Indigenous Knowledges & Perspectives 2013 Project report can be accessed in Truth via the following link: Curriculum_Map_Indigenous_Knowledges_Project_Report Professor Ian Solomonides suggested that a review of graduate capabilities should also be considered with reference to indigenous knowledge and perspectives in the future. The Chair thanked Associate Professor Susan Page for her presentation. Darren Peters departed the meeting at 11:54 am. Lindie Clark departed the meeting 11:56 am.
5.4 Report from meetings of the Academic Senate held on 3 June 2014
The Chair, who was also Acting as Chair of Academic Senate at its meeting of 3 June 2014 noted that Senate had approved the revised Learning and Technologies Policy as recommended by SLTC on 12 May 2014. The Chair noted that the 3 July University Council meeting had approved the awarding of the title of Macquarie University Emeritus Professor to Professor Judyth Sachs, as unanimously recommended by the 3 June 2014 Academic Senate meeting.
6. OTHER BUSINESS
The Deputy Registrar advised the Committee that the new Head of Student Administration had recently been appointed, the successful candidate Ms Kathryn Whittingham commences in September.
7. DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the Senate Learning and Teaching Committee will be held on Monday 11 August at 10:00am in the Senate Room, Lincoln Building C8A, Level 3.
Agenda Items are due by Thursday 31 July 2014. There being no further business, the meeting concluded at 12:00pm.
14 July 2014 ATTACHMENT 1: ‘There is no black Dickens….” Indigenising the curriculum:
Human rights, social justice or (multi)logical? Presentation by Associate Professor Susan Page
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‘There is no black Dickens…’
Indigenising the curriculum: Human rights, social justice or (multi)logical?
Associate Professor Susan Page (with assistance from Indigenous cadet Sarah Treacy)
Warawara Department of Indigenous Studies Senate Learning and Teaching Committee
July 14th, 2014
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National Context: Cultural Competency Framework & Behrendt Review
Recommendation 1: Embed Indigenous Knowledges and perspectives in all university curricula to provide students with the knowledge, skills and understandings which form the foundations of Indigenous cultural competency.
Recommendation 3: Incorporate Indigenous Australian Knowledges and perspectives into programs according to a culturally competent pedagogical framework. (Universities Australia 2011b, p 181). It is “imperative that graduates across a range of faculties are exposed to and build their understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contemporary issues and perspectives. Such knowledge will help to equip them as professionals to better meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations…(Behrendt, L., Larkin, S., Griew, R., & Kelly, P. 2012,p.94).
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Macquarie Graduate Capability 6
Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens
As local citizens our graduates will be aware of Indigenous
perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be
engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and
ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded,
sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and
perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should
be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to
Senate Learning and Teaching Report August 2014 Centre for Open Education – Elaine Huber x9271
1. Update on Unified Support Channels MQSIS Project (Improving Response Quality and Connectedness for Online Coursework Students) From August, Zendesk and Live chat support will be made available to one Law unit (DE) and 8 Conveyancing Units in addition to the 17 OUA Units. This will amount to an extra 320 students (approximately). Work has been going on to produce FAQs for these new units and review FAQs for existing units to ensure Centre staff are able to quickly answer queries across the programs. 2. Conveyancing Program – Scholarships From session 2 2014, one Merit and one Equity Scholarship will be available to Conveyancing - Law and Practice students. The Merit scholarship will be awarded to the student who applies with the highest average mark in the previous Session. The student must have attempted two units in that previous Session. The Equity Scholarship is for students who can demonstrate hardship, which may become a barrier to them continuing their studies. They will be required to submit a 200 word personal statement explaining their circumstances. Applications are encouraged from students who are experiencing educational disadvantage including:
• Disability or long-term/recurrent medical disadvantage • Financial hardship • Indigenous Australian background • Refugee status • Regional or remote location • Carer or sole parent responsibilities An assessment panel comprising staff members from Campus Wellbeing, Law, COE [Lynn Negus] and Scholarships was convened to assess the Equity Scholarship from 16 applicants. The merit scholarship has been selected from 25 applicants. 3. Key Statistics from COE’s Sections (January – June 2014) Pathway and Special Programs (Next Step, Non-award, Session 3, Gifted & Talented, HSC Pathways, Front Counter) (Manager- Adelaide Chan x9497, COE Student Experience- Pepi Weinrauch x7466) Next Step 45 students have been offered a place in the degree program to start in S2 through the accelerated articulation pathway. 14 have been offered a place through the standard articulation pathway. 28 Next Step students are excluded from the program as they have failed 2 or
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Senate Learning and Teaching Report August 2014 Centre for Open Education – Elaine Huber x9271
more units (2 students have applied for withdrawal without academic penalty and we are waiting for the decision from the heads of department.) New applications: There are 70 new Next Step applications and 73 new Non-award applications for S2. Gifted and Talented Students program
Grade No. of Students High Distinction* 7 Distinction 8 Credit 13 Pass 4 TOTAL (completed) 32 Fail 4
* one student got 91 out of 100 and tops the class HSC-University pathway 4 students enrolled in the program and one student withdrew from the unit, another student did not complete the unit and got FW. The remaining 2 students, 1 enrolled in 1 unit and got a distinction. The other student enrolled in 2 units and got HD in both units, (he got 99 and 93 marks in the 2 units he enrolled). Number of Support Interactions based on method of contact:
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Mail F2F Tracker Email Phone
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Senate Learning and Teaching Report August 2014 Centre for Open Education – Elaine Huber x9271
• Unit enrolment statistics OUA 2014 PG S1 UG SP1 UG SP2 Total enrolments 294 2539 2599 No. units offered 25 52 49 Successful unit completion
251 (85%)
1544 (61%)
• Completion numbers degree program (graduating)
OUA students 2014
UG BA 40 (Sp1 and sp2) PG -‐ Certificate 6 (S1) PG -‐Diploma 10 (S1) Masters 16 (S1) Totals 72
• Pathways from OUA to MQ UG degree to date in 2014 – 30 students.
Program Support Services (Manager- Richa Kamrah x6828) PSS Contact with students and academics:
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Tracker solutions
Email student support
Phone student support
Email & phone
academic support
Avg monthly 2012
Avg monthly 2013
Avg Monthly 2014
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Senate Learning and Teaching Report August 2014 Centre for Open Education – Elaine Huber x9271
4. Staff Changes (since last report) Two long serving staff have chosen to retire from their front desk roles as Student Service Officers. Sue Lyn retired on July 11th and Hazel will finish on August 22nd. Both members of staff started at Macquarie on the same day 25 years ago. Sue’s hours are being covered by other members of the department who currently work part time and Hazel’s will be filled by a casual. This will be revisited after the Centre’s review. Elaine Huber is acting as the Director for the Centre whilst Andrew recovers from surgery. Andrew will return to his position in October. Vanessa Chu’s secondment to the Student Admissions team of the Deputy Registrar’s office has been extended until the end of this year.
Please contact any of the COE staff mentioned in this report, for more information.
Elaine Huber Acting Director, COE
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Senate Learning and Teaching Committee Agenda
11 August 2014 ITEM 4.3.2: MQC REPORT For noting.
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Page 1 of 7
MacquarieCityCampus
BriefProgressReport
July2014
Nathan Asher Director & Principal
Macquarie City Campus
Heather Tinsley College Director and Principal
Macquarie Operations
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Page 2 of 7
Contents 1. General .......................................................................................................................................................... 3
Newly appointed Academic Manager, MQC: ...................................................................................................... 3
New role of Learning Technology Manager, MQC and SIBT: ............................................................................. 3
MQC was host to the Macquarie University School of Law “Environmental Finance” Symposium: .................... 3
3. Foundation Program ....................................................................................................................................... 7
Student Events: mixing internationals with domestics ....................................................................................... 7
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Page 3 of 7
1. General Newly appointed Academic Manager, MQC: Debbie Le Roux has recently been appointed Academic Manager at MQC. Debbie spent the past 4 years as years as Academic Manager, Academy of English at Academies Australasia. In addition Debbie had a successful career in South Africa including: Director and Founder, The Concise Business Language Institute Pty Ltd; Director of Studies, John Povey Centre for English Studies in Southern Africa, University of South Africa. Debbie’s qualifications include: Certificate in Outcomes Based Education, University of South Africa; Bachelor of Arts (Languages) from Northwest University South Africa; Higher Education Diploma, Pretoria University and Master of TESOL Northwest University South Africa. New role of Learning Technology Manager, MQC and SIBT: Justin Devlin, MQC’s previous Academic Manager has been appointed to the role of Learning Technology Manager covering both MQC and SIBT. Justin has been working with the Learning and Teaching Centre to implement Echo360 Lecture Recordings into MQC classrooms and work with lecturers to implement a range of blended learning initiatives consistent with those at Macquarie University. MQC was host to the Macquarie University School of Law “Environmental Finance” Symposium: The Macquarie University School of Law, in conjunction with QUT, ran a one day “Environmental Finance” Symposium on 25th July 2014 at MQC. Other participants included staff from ANU, UTAS and UNSW.
2. Academic Matters Implementation of iTeach / iLearn Assisted by Lucy Arthur, Projects Manager within the Learning and Teaching Centre, MQC has now moved to the new iTeach / iLearn system for unit guides, consistent with Macquarie University. Lecturers and students have responded positively to this improvement. Master of International Business / Master of International Relations MQC has commenced offering the Master of International Business/Master of International Relations program from Session 2, 2014. The MIB/MIR complements the MIB Masters already running at MQC and introduces the new discipline of International Relations. Monitoring Attendance / Pass Rates post Echo360 Implementation MQC commenced offering Echo360 lecture recordings in 5 units in S3 2013, increasing to 18 units in S1 2014. While supportive of the concept, staff had expressed concern that availability of lecture recordings may lead to a concomitant drop in student attendance. There was also interest in whether the pass rates varied. As a result, MQC has been monitoring attendance and pass rates in the units in which lecture recordings are made available. Attendance scores were calculated as a percentage of the entire cohort’s attendance in every lecture and tutorial across the nominated study period.
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Page 4 of 7
(a) Attendance
In the S3-2013 pilot Echo360 was introduced in 5 undergraduate units. There was no significant reduction in attendance levels, which staff found encouraging. Possible contributors to this result include:
significant staff preparation to adjust and improve their presentation style; student communication strategy advising these are an “add-on” not a replacement for lectures; and block timetabling at MQC with tutorials running immediately after lectures.
Table 1: Attendance rates in S3-2013 pilot offering Echo360 in 5 undergraduate units Unit Code
Unit
CUL120 Living Culture ACCG200 Fundamentals of Management Accounting ECON110 Microeconomic Principles ISYS100 IT and Society AFIN253 Financial Management
Monitoring continued Session 1 in 2014, with a further roll-out to 18 undergraduate units and 7 postgraduate units. Attendance at postgraduate units is typically high although the data below suggests that even in the semester prior to implementation of lecture recordings, this started to fall. However, there does not seem to be any suggestion at this point that overall attendance will decline in postgraduate offerings as a result of offering lecture recordings. Indeed, in some cases, it improved. It is acknowledged that it is early days and this will continue to be monitored. Table 2: Attendance Rates of a postgraduate sample of units in S1-2014 offering Echo360 Unit Code
Unit
ACCG611 Principles of Accounting ACCG614 Business and Corporation Law ACCG615 Quantitative Methods ACCG923 Accounting Standards and Practice ECON649 Economic Analysis AFIN867 International Financial Management
Attendance Rates in S3-2013 Pilot Offering Echo 360 in 5 undergraduate units
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(b) Pass Rates There was no significant difference in pass rates in the initial pilot of 5 undergraduate units in in Session 3 2013. Outcomes were variable with two of the units improving against the prior offering and two dropping slightly. More data over time will no doubt contribute to a better understanding of any impact in pass rates. Table Pass Rates in S3-2013 pilot Offering Echo360 in 5 units Unit Code
Unit
ACCG200 Fundamentals of Mgmt Accounting ECON110 Microeconomic Principles ISYS100 IT and Society AFIN253 Financial Management
MQC Pass Rates for units pre and post implementation of Echo360 2013-S3
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Page 6 of 7
Pass rates in the postgraduate units in which Echo360 was offered in Session1 2014 all fell against the previous Session. However, in all except AFIN867, there was no significant variation in attendance rates. AFIN867 experienced a 12% decline in attendance against the previous offering and a 14% decline in pass rates. This, and other units, will continue to be monitored to identify any trends over time. Table 3: Pass Rates in PostGraduate Units 2014-S1 Unit Code
Unit
ACCG611 Principles of Accounting ACCG614 Business and Corporation Law ACCG615 Quantitative Methods ACCG923 Accounting Standards and Practice ECON649 Economic Analysis AFIN867 International Financial Management
Peer Assisted Learning As part of MQC’s support strategy and consistent with Macquarie University, MQC commenced delivery of the Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) program in Session 1, 2014. Strong support was received from the PAL team in the Faculty of Business and Economics. Two units which typically experience high failure rates were selected for PAL: ACCG 224 and AFIN253. At the end of Session 1, 2014 the pass rate in ACCG224 improved on the previous Session from 55% to 65% (+ 10%) and in AFIN253 increased 71% to 73% (+ 2%). Whilst there is no evidence to link a direct correlation between PAL and the improved pass rates given the implementation of a range of strategies to address these challenging units, it is no doubt a contributing factor. PAL will continue into Session 2, 2014 using the same two units. Once processes and procedures have been refined, MQC intends to extend PAL to other units from 2015.
Pass Rates in Postgraduate Units pre and post-implementation of Echo360 2014-S1
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3. Foundation Program Updated statistics and tracer studies are currently being compiled and will be ready for the next report.
4. Campus Experience Update Internships MQC has enabled students to participate in an Internship program for a number of years. Over 250 students have taken advantage of this program to date. Currently 35 MQC students are placed in internships and companies participating have included:
Alcatel Lucent (global communications); Strategy& (formerly Booz & Company) – part of the PWC network; Westpac; 1001 Optical; and BNP.
Student Events: mixing internationals with domestics MQC’s standard student events (both entertainment and practical/development) were conducted in Session 1, 2014. In addition, as part of a strategy to reduce barriers between domestic and international students (identified in the ISB Student Barometer Student Satisfaction Survey 2013), MQC has been working with the Sydney Swans AFL Team. Tickets were purchased for three Sydney Swans games with the intention of pairing an international student with a domestic student to attend the game. Altogether, 26 internationals and 24 domestic students took advantage of the tickets. Domestic students are briefed to share the rules of the same with the internationals, with some from MQC and others from SIBT. It has proved so successful, the concept will be repeated with other events.
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Senate Learning and Teaching Committee Agenda
11 August 2014 ITEM 4.3.3: LEARNING AND TEACHING CENTRE REPORT For noting.
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Learning and Teaching Centre Report to Senate Learning and Teaching Committee, August 2014 Promoting pedagogical excellence and encouraging the adoption of good practice in scholarly learning and teaching across the University Learning and Teaching Week 2014. Following the peer review of submitted abstracts, the program is in the process of being finalised. Highlights include: • 65 presentations, including posters, demonstrations and workshops • Student panel on 'The Student Voice' • Keynotes and panel discussions on 'Open Education and Open Access' and 'A Teaching-only
University is Not a University' • Panel discussion on 'What is effective teaching'?
Digital design projects (Faculty Partnership Program - FPP) • The LTC completed 15 digital design projects in partnership with academics from all faculties
and with staff from the Library and PACE. Design teams including educational developers, designers, video producers and academics worked together to embed student-centred learning and teaching practices in a range of programs including International Studies, Archaeology, the Institute of Early Childhood, Education, Applied Finance, Environmental Science and Marine Biology.
• One particular highlight from the projects in the Faculty of Human Sciences involved partnering with student alumni to produce some authentic video resources for a flipped classroom delivery. Judy Adnum, Lecturer in Education, uses social media to facilitate an active community of practice for alumni students. These alumni returned to the university to share their workplace experiences with the current cohorts, and the result was a series of inspiring videos that can be used across the Secondary Teacher Education Program.
3D • 3D was a partnership event between The Education Studio, Macquarie University and Museums
& Galleries of NSW held at Macquarie University on 8 July 2014. • A number of Macquarie projects were highlighted at the event and noted in a story featured in
The Conversation: http://theconversation.com/please-touch-the-artefacts-3d-technology-is-changing-museums-28724. • Digitisation, 3D modelling, analysis, preservation and replication of small objects of
antiquity, is an unusual partnership between Dr Jaye McKenzie-Clark, a historian of the ancient world, and Professor John Magnussen, from the Australian School of Advanced Medicine; and Innovations in Hands-On Anthropology: 3D Printed bone fragments led by Associate Professor Greg Downey is recreating bones with the help of 3D printing facilities for use in anthropology classes, both projects supported by The Education Studio.
• Dr Yann Tristant, in conjunction with staff from the LTC, has developed the Virtual Egyptology program to support his teaching with the development of rich graphic activities for students through the use of 3D-scanned artefacts. The web-based interface lets students view the models without the need for worrying about plug-ins or learning complex standalone software. The prototype that was developed during the course of this
project is now being developed into a university-wide platform to enable interactive in-browser delivery of 3D media to learners and enthusiasts anywhere in the world.
Professional Development Program: • A diverse and challenging program of professional development workshops has been
conducted, with strong staff participation as evidenced in the January to June 2014 attendances:
General Academic Other External Total
F M F M F M
Totals 141 74 499 280 293 194 24 1505
• New resources are available online for Session 2. Resources have been updated to reflect the new iLearn theme.
• iTeach resources have been updated to reflect the new system. • iLearn drop-in clinics are running over the three weeks at the start of Session 2
Teaching Evaluation for Development Service • This year, to June 2014, TEDS has processed some 1,911 surveys involving 107,233 student
interactions. Details of surveys are below:
2014 - FHFYR
Surveys Requested & processed 1,911
Total forms produced/emails sent 107,233
No. LEU type 602
No. LET 1,025
No. Other 22
No. Wastage 262
% Learner Evaluation of Unit (LEU) 31.5%
% Learner Evaluation of Teaching (LET) 53.6%
% Wastage 13.7%
% surveys administered online 20.0%
Valid count 944
Valid % 49.4%
Net valid % (excludes wastage) 57.2%
Students per survey 56
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Building and maintaining a high quality, safe and sustainable physical and social environment A number of significant milestones have been achieved in relation to Learning Systems & Services: • In July eReserve was completely migrated to iShare. • A new Moodle theme has been developed and released in time for Semester 2 • iTeach: The integration of of two previous systems iTeach and Units has been completed and is
now available for Semester 2. We are also investigating the ongoing requirements to tighten the integration between systems such as iLearn and AMIS. Currently our learning and teaching systems have a centric view, when increasingly our users are demanding the ability to operate at different levels such as program or at class level. Further there is strong demand for enhanced Gradebook integration between iLearn and AMIS.
• LS&S has been trialling a video publication and distribution system known as Kaltura. • Turnitin: The number of assignments submitted using Turnitin has increased from 79,380
assignments submitted in 2011 to 351,857 in 2013. The number of papers marked online using Grademark increased similarly from 1,876 in 2011 to 121,741 in 2013.
• January-June LS&S statistics are attached. Historically this has grown at 30% per year. For example, usage on the predecessor system WebCT peaked at 600 concurrent users. Moodle usage has increased from 1000 concurrent users in 2012 to 1400 concurrent users in 2014.
• In Session 1 2014 Echo 360 recorded an average of 1546 hours of lectures in 759 units.
iLearn Logins 11,552,614 6,729,440 1,347,241
Active Staff Users 1,790 2,774 1,982
Active Students Users 35,020 48,922 37,251
Active Other Users 354 367 272
Teaching Units (iTeach) 3,270 1,652 28
Echo 360
Accesses 1,762,016 1,080,852 312,207
Recordings created 30,784 15,258 1,624
Hours recorded 41,605 23,244 2,732
Active Echo 360 Units 1,371 759 695
iShare
Records added to iShare N/A 1,210 217
Documents accessed on iShare N/A 52,390 11,024
Training and Support
LTC Help Desk Tickets 8,404 3,463 465
Workshops and clinics 243 58 4
Workshop and clinic attendances 2,206 532 19
ACODE Inter-Institutional Benchmarking Summit • The Learning and Teaching Centre facilitated Macquarie University’s participation in an
international inter-institutional benchmarking exercise using the recently revised ACODE Benchmarks for benchmarking capacity in technology enhanced learning. (http://www.acode.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=23).
• The ACODE Inter-Institutional Benchmarking Summit for universities benchmarking their capacity in technology enhanced learning (TEL) was held at Macquarie University in June. This was an unprecedented event within our higher education sector, with 24 institutions from five different countries coming together to benchmark their capacity in TEL. A draft report on the outcome of the benchmarking exercise has been sent to the PVC(LTD) for consideration.
Recent publications by LTC staff Bosanquet, A., Cahir, J., Huber, E., Jacenyik-Trawöger, C., & McNeill., M. (2014). An intimate circle:
reflections on writing as women in higher education. In C. Aitchison & C. Guerin (Eds.),Writing Groups for Doctoral Education and Beyond: Innovations in Practice and Theory (pp. 204-217). Abingdon and New York: Routledge.
Boud, D., Brew, A., Dowling, R., Kiley, M., McKenzie, J, Malfroy, J., Ryland, K. & Solomon, N. (2014) The coordination role in research education: emerging understandings and dilemmas for leadership. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management 36, 4, 440-454.
Cahir, J., McNeill, M., Bosanquet, A., & Jacenyik-Trawoger, C. (2014). Walking out the door: casualisation and implementing Moodle. International Journal of Educational Management 28, 1, 5-14.
Jones, S., Harvey, M. & Lefoe, G. (2014). A conceptual approach for blended leadership for tertiary education institutions. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management 36, 4, 418-429.
Lodge, J. & Bosanquet, A. (2014). Evaluating quality learning in higher education: re-examining the evidence. Quality in Higher Education 20, 1, 3-23.
Lyubovnikova, J., Napiersky, U. & Vlachopoulos, P. (2014). How are task reflexivity and intercultural sensitivity related to the academic performance of MBA Students? Studies in Higher Education. DOI: 10.1080/03075079.2014.894016
Napier, J., Riazi, M., & Jacenyik-Trawoger, C. (2014). Leadership: A Cultural Perspective on Review as Quality Assurance versus Quality Enhancement. In J. Sachs & M. Parsell (Eds.), Peer Review of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education - International Perspectives (pp. 53–66). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.
Parsell, M., Ambler, T., & Jacenyik-Trawoger, C. (2014). Ethics in higher education research. Studies in Higher Education 39, 1, 166–179.
Vlachopoulos, P. & Cowan, J. (2014). Reconsidering humanistic perspectives on the functions of an e-moderator in virtual learning contexts. In F. Garcia-Penalvo, & A.M. Seonane Padro, (Eds.), Online Tutor 2.0: Methodologies and Case Studies for Successful Learning. IGI Global.
Wilson, M., Diao, M. & Huang, L. (2014). 'I'm not here to learn how to mark someone else's stuff': an investigation of an online peer-to-peer review workshop tool. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. DOI: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02602938.2014.881980#.UurPYdiIpaQ
Wilson, M.J., Wood, L., Solomonides, I., Goos, M., & Dixon, P. (2014). Navigating the career transition from industry to academia. Industry and Higher Education 28, 1, 5-13.
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Senate Learning and Teaching Committee Agenda
11 August 2014 ITEM 4.3.4: PACE REPORT For noting.
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PACE REPORT AGAINST TOP 8 PRIORITIES PURPOSE: The purpose of this report is to update SLTC on progress against the PACE Top 8 Priorities for the period March to July, 2014.
PROGRESS REPORT
1. PACE operations and approval protocols integrated into key governance structures at MQ, and all PACE activities better integrated into the University’s policies, planning and resources infrastructure • PACE Strategic Plan 2014 -2016 Work on the PACE 2014-2016 Strategic Plan has continued with the following
outcomes: o three meetings of the PACE Strategic Planning Working Party were held (5/3/14, 14/4/14 and 21/7/14); o a retreat day (30/4/14) was attended by 16 people and resulted in valuable discussion and feedback related
to the next phase of PACE including aims, operations, resources and program growth; and o a first draft of the plan was developed and was considered by the Working Party at its meeting of 21/7/14. Once the draft plan is revised to accommodate the Working Party’s input, a period of comment will follow to allow all stakeholder groups to give feedback. It is anticipated that the plan will be finalised during September after the Working Party has considered feedback received during the period of comment.
2. Resource base and frameworks secured to ensure the ongoing sustainability of the PACE initiative in 2013 and
beyond, particularly in terms of staffing, general expenditures, funding models and revenue streams • Staffing Updates
o PACE Science has recently welcomed Angela Powell as the new Faculty PACE Officer. Angela holds a BA in Communications and has worked in the University of Technology for 10 years as an administrator in their Management Discipline Group and as the industry contact in their Professional Internship and Business Internship Program. Angela is a great addition to the team bringing a great deal of experience from her previous role as the industry contact at UTS and having worked with students, partners in industry and academic staff.
o FBE is currently recruiting for two PACE Officer positions. o The PACE hub is currently recruiting for a Program Officer to further support the development and
implementation of policies and procedures for students undertaking international PACE activities outside of the AVI collaboration.
• New Colombo Plan – PACE International was successful in submission under the government’s New Colombo Plan funding stream. The funding will enable a group of ten engineering students to travel to Indonesia to facilitate robotics workshops in local schools with the aim of engaging more young people in science.
• Asia Bound Grants – the University’s submission for funding under the government’s Asia Bound Grants scheme includes ten PACE International projects in Philippines, Cambodia, Malaysia, India and Vietnam.
3. All required processes, protocols, systems and tools developed to enable PACE to operate effectively and efficiently across the University • Audit of PACE: PACE hosted a site visit from the University’s internal auditors from 7 to 16 May, 2014. During
this period a number of PACE staff were interviewed about the following audit focus areas: partner selection and engagement process; allocation of activities to students; risk management; induction and orientation processes; emergency management; processes and controls for identifying and contacting students; and systems and records, together with degrees of integration between the various systems. Sample testing of PACE policies and procedures was also undertaken during the visit. The auditors provided their draft report of findings and
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recommendations to PACE for review in June and the final report will be presented to the Audit and Risk Committee at its meeting in early August.
• PACE IT and Business Process Update: o PACE staff in the FoHS began using the new IT system in May 2014. Information about PACE activities is now
being captured through the use of the Activity Statement, which is being sent to partners via Qualtrics. Students in FoHS are also using the new IT system to select their preferences for placements online. Placements will be allocated to these students during the first week of August.
o PACE staff in the other three faculties have met with the IT team to discuss how and when their PACE units will be incorporated into the new IT system.
o Resources to support the new Ethical Partner Guidelines are currently under development. o Applications are now open for students to apply for the annual Professor Judyth Sachs PACE Prizes 2014. o The PACE Equity Travel Grant guidelines and application forms have been reviewed and updated in
consultation with the Equity and Diversity Unit, Campus Well-being and the Scholarships/Prizes unit. • Risk Management Update
o The PACE Risk register has been translated into a Risk profile template that is being used across the University and is a part of the University-wide risk management framework.
o The first meeting of the newly formed PACE Risk Management Committee, chaired by Trudy de Vries, was held on 19th May. The Committee has responsibility for keeping the PACE Risk profile up to date and for the development and monitoring of risk assessment and management policies, procedures and guidelines for the PACE initiative. Between meeting Forums are also held by the Chair to provide advice and guidance on risk issues and events identified by frontline PACE staff. The first Forum took place on the 30th June.
o Workshops for Unit Convenors and related staff on risk assessment in PACE units were held on 30 May and 5 June, 2014.
o An iLearn Risk assessment module for staff has been developed in conjunction with the LTC through their Faculty Partnership Program and is currently being reviewed. It is planned to have the module available in Session 2 2014.
o A student WHS module has also been developed and, pending amendments, it is planned to be trialled in Session 2, 2014.
4. Sufficient partnerships established, developed and maintained to deliver the quality and quantity of PACE
activities required to meet the learning needs of our students and serve the mission/goals of our partner organisations
Overall statistics • As at early July 2014, there were 898 PACE partners recorded on Tracker with the following sectoral distribution:
o 58% Private o 17% Government o 24% Not-For-Profit
FoA
• The Arts PACE team are currently working with all PACE unit convenors with units offered in semester 2. The majority of units already have activities confirmed.
• SOC 301 (Social Research Internship) has a wide range of activities for students in semester 2. There are internships with new partners including Books in Homes, The Cancer Council and the NSW Aboriginal Land Council.
• There are a large number of students enrolled in the semester 2 offering of LAW 551 (Professional and Community Engagement). While students are responsible for sourcing their own placement, there have been
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ongoing partnerships established with Cochlear (Asia Pacific Legal Team) and Coca Cola Amatil, as well as potential future projects with the Cancer Council.
• There is a new opportunity for students selected to participate LAW 488 (Access to Justice). The unit convenor Debra Ronan has established a placement with the NSW Land & Environment Court. Students will be under the supervision of the Senior Commissioner and will be able to observe and engage with land and environment court practice. LAW 488 has been the first Arts PACE unit to use the integrated technology system for the semester 2 offering.
• The Arts PACE website is fully operational and is now housing all available opportunities for student placements. A large proportion of PACE activities in the Faculty are student initiated and partner development can be challenging for this reason. Partner organisations who have taken students previously through student initiated placements are now able to include their internships on our website. This has provided an opportunity to work organisations that did not exist previously.
FBE
• ACCG315: The partners that were secured for Session 1, 2014 included Deloitte, KPMG, Lane Cove Council, EFS Strategic, PwC, Rubik Financial Ltd, The Whiddon Group, Commonwealth Bank, Pfizer, CIMA, Cochlear and CPA Australia. Dr Rahat Munir organised a partner networking event before session started as an opportunity for all partners to meet each other and understand their roles in the program. All partners presented their guest lecture on their industry topic at the start of the session and across the last 4 weeks of Session 1 were invited back on campus to sit on a guest panel to judge the students’ presentations and provide feedback. A networking evening, hosted by the Vice Chancellor, was held for partners and students in week 13 to allow for additional feedback from both industry partners and students as well as present prizes to students.
• MKTG304: Optus was secured as the partner organisation for MKTG304 for Session 1, 2014. At the end of session Optus hosted a special event for the top performing teams in the unit to learn more about careers in the marketing profession and in particular career paths available at Optus. The acting CEO of Optus hosted the students with other senior executives in attendance.
• BUS303: Partnership development is currently underway for ‘International Business Project ’, with organisations such as Lend Lease and Nudie Juice already confirming their involvement. The FBE PACE team continues to work closely with Associate Professor Yue Wang in securing partners for this unit.
• FOBE201 Working with and Employing People with Disabilities: has commenced partnership development in preparation for Session 2 for up to 10 students. Partners that have previously hosted students have been contacted with 10 placements already available for Session 2, 2014.
• ACST359 Actuarial Modelling: Academic staff have approached diverse industry representatives with guest speakers being secured from industry and through the Institute of Actuaries of Australia. The PACE Development Grant provided for this unit has assisted with the partnership development.
• FOBE200 and FOBE300 (Faculty PACE Units): Over 100 partners who are either currently hosting students or have hosted students during 2013 were approached in May to seek expressions of interest in preparation for Session 2, 2014. Deloitte FASTRACK Challenge (FOBE300) and Serious Games in Business (FOBE200) have both been run again for Session 1, 2014 with students participating in the program being mentored throughout semester by Deloitte and Ernst & Young consultants respectively. Both programs will also be available to students in Session2, 2014.
• 2014 Round of PACE Development grants resulted in 7 applications from FBE, well representing the focus of PACE in our faculty. It is important for the new units to apply for these grants to secure financial assistance for partnership development and evaluation purposes. The grants were very well received by faculty staff.
• PACE unit enrolments in FBE appear in Appendix 1.
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FoHS
• A broad partner development campaign has been undertaken to secure enough PACE Activities for session 2, when it is expected that there will be in the vicinity of 450 students enrolled in PSY399, and approximately 27 students in HLTH300.
• Activities to support this campaign have included outbound calls and emails to a large number of organisations who have hosted students or are interested in hosting students. Early in the year, the partner contact list for this unit included 415 ‘established’ contacts, 97 contacts ‘in negotiation’ and 112 contacts noted as ‘leads’, who were contacted in the second round of partner development.
• The PACE team in the Faculty conducted four Activity Development Workshops in March, April and May for established and potential new partners. Unit Convenors for PSY399, HLTH300, ECHP424 and FOHS300 gave presentations and interacted with Host Supervisors to assist them conceptualise, scope and design Activities for PACE students.
• Many of these organisations expressed interest in hosting students in session 2 and beyond and have completed online Activity Statements. Sixteen Established Partners who attended the workshop included: White Ribbon Australia; MQ - Equity and Diversity; Macquarie University English Language Centre; LifeCircle Australia Limited; Jewish Aid Australia; SetonVilla; Inner West Neighbour Aid; MQ - Campus Wellbeing & Support services; The Resilience Centre; Ku-ring-gai Council; Salvo Care Line; Alzheimer's Australia NSW; Uniting Care Ageing – Northaven; Hornsby Council; MGSM;The Benevolent Society. Seventeen Potential new Partners who attended the workshops included: The Beach School; White Ribbon Australia; Sydney Centre for Creative Change; Ren Education Centre; Hornsby Shire Council - Families NSW; CatholicCare Diocese of Broken Bay; Crestwood High School; Centre For Hope; Soccajoeys Foundation; EarlyEd; Special Olympics Australia; Lexxe Pty Ltd; FACS Northern Sydney; FACS Western Sydney; Books in Homes Australia; YMCA NSW; Ravenswood School for Girls
• Partner development activities have also included meeting and presentations with other organisations including: o FoHS team were invited by Jason Guest from Ku-Ring-Gai Council to give a presentation to approximately 20
people from various community-based organisations at the Hornsby and Ku-Ring-Gai Youth Forum. There is good potential to engage with these organisations in the future; meeting with the CEO of the Mental Health Association of NSW was held in June; discussions with PR Coordinator from the City of Ryde; Cancer Council of NSW are hosting multiple students for PSY399 and HLTH300 in session.
o A number of meetings with Anne-Marie Elias from FaCS (Chatswood Office) have led to our involvement in The Collective (formerly the Community Investment Collective), which has been established to address issues of homelessness and domestic violence. Not only will it involve student placements in PSY399 and HLTH300, but also research opportunities.
o A presentation was given to members and delegates of the Executive of Northern Sydney Local Health District – NSW Health. Ongoing negotiations are underway to update PACE Units in the NSW Government Health Agreement.
o A multi-Faculty PACE Activity “Short films to address interpersonal racism in the City of Ryde” is being developed with the Salvation Army and the City of Ryde Council. This project will span three sessions with potential to include students from PSY399, MAS390, FOAR300, MAS350 and FOBE200/300.
o The PACE Team have begun discussions with The Department of Education and Communities to develop PACE Projects for Psychology students in regional areas in Specialist Network Centres providing school counselling services.
o Cross Faculty discussions have also involved “Books in Homes” to establish placement and research opportunities, again in the Northern Territory, as well as locally. Initially a HLTH300 student will work on the project and then a SOC301.
• As a result of this partner development work 44 new accounts were established and who have agreed to host an activity in Session 2. For example new partners hosting PSY399 students include Sydney Institute of Business and
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Technology (SIBT), Seasons of Growth Psychological Services, Merrylands Community Health – WSLHD, The Beach School and “Child Life” at Westmead Children’s Hospital.
• The PACE Team have successfully negotiated 151 Activity Statement for a total of 470 PACE Placement activity for PSY399 in session 2 to allow for late enrolments.
• Additionally, a small number of ‘PACE-like’ activities are being developed as pilots for ECHP424, TEP402 and EDTE404 in session 2. These have included, ECHP424 at West Pennant Hills Public School and Ravenswood School for Girls, along with activities for TEP402 with the Salvation Army Oasis Program and Momentum Cloud.
• We are very happy to have received a PACE Development Grant, titled “Developing a Relationship and Engagement model in regional Australia”, which will involve staff from across Faculties as well as an undergraduate scholar. The research team will embark on a fieldtrip in Early September to Gunbalanya. This trip will coincide with travel of 2 students undertaking a placement for ECHP424 at the school in Gunbalanya.
FoS
• The Faculty of Science PACE team have recently calculated the total number of students that will seek to enrol in PACE units in the coming years as PACE becomes a requirement for all BSc students.
2014 421 2015 446 2016 500 2017 923 2018 1,149
• These projected numbers help us understand the amount and type of partners that we will need in order to ensure we maintain the quality and quantity of PACE activities for our students. These numbers also help us strategically plan our continued networking and relationship building with new and established partners.
• Being new to the University the FPM has met with all the convenors of PACE units in the Faculty to enhance understanding of how the units are currently delivered. This has also helped her understand their needs and plans for their units and how she might be able to assist them in Session 2 and beyond.
• Since starting the FPM has developed new relationships with the following organisations: Centre for Genetics Education, Mosaic Multicultural Programme (operating under Willoughby Council). These two new partners are hosting students in FOSC300 during the Winter Vacation. We have also met with the National Measurement Institute who are very interested in developing a strong relationship with the Faculty of Science and are looking at a number of ways our students can work with them.
• We have also met with an International representative from the University of Richmond, Virginia in relation to how Macquarie exchange students might be able to avail of their Bonner Centre for Civic Engagement based on campus. The Bonner Centre shares a lot of similarities with the PACE vision, and we will work to further build on this initial meeting with them. We also hope to broaden our scope with another US partner, HQ Raleigh, North Carolina. They have advised us that they would like to expand the number of places open to Macquarie students. This year they were looking for 12 students over the Winter Vacation and hope to grow that number again next year. They work closely with a large number of start-up organisations, which may also be attractive to other students outside of Science.
PACE International partner update
• PACE International currently have 20 partners across 6 countries (see below) with three new partnerships in India with organisations working in the legal aid and child rights area to facilitate more placements for students enrolled in LAWS552 as well as a conservation organisation in Peru.
o Vietnam – Know One Teach One o Philippines – Bahay Tuluyan
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o India – Restless Development, PRAVAH, as well as new partners; Human Rights Legal Network, HAQ centre for Child Rights, Butterflies
o Peru – Peru’s Challenge, Amazonian Conservation Association o Malaysia – PACOS Trust o Cambodia - Legal Aid Cambodia (LAC), Cambodia Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), Arbitration
Council Foundation (ACF), NGO Forum (NGOF), Cambodia Human Rights Development Association (ADHOC), Asian International Justice Initiative (AIJI), Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), Cambodian Disabled Peoples Organisation (CDPO), Marist Solidarity (MSC), Deaf Development Program (DDP).
• There are a number of new partnerships currently under development in Fiji including; University of the South Pacific, Empower Pacific and Save the Children. Further partnerships are also under development in Cambodia with; Persons With Disabilities Foundation (PWDF), Kien-Kies Health Education Network (Battambang), RULE University and Pannasastra University.
• Kids View. Long term PACE International partner Bahay Tuluyan were recently in Australia to facilitate their annual Kids View youth conferences. Kids View aims to engage young people in issues of inequality and poverty and empower them to contribute to solutions. Macquarie supported Bahay Tuluyan to run one of the Sydney based conferences by providing a venue at Dunmore Lang College and Working with the Future Student’s team to promote to local schools the conference attracted 82 secondary school students. . Participating schools included; Pittwater High School, Brigidine College St Ives, The Forest High School, Burwood High School and Riverside Girl's high school. The event was a great success and we hope to support the event again next year.
Regional/Indigenous
• Two TEP students returned from a five week education practicum in Tiwi in May/June. • Three Early Childhood education students have been selected to go to Gunbalanya from 30 August to 20
September, 2014. They will undertake a pre-departure induction session at Macquarie on 6 August, 2014. • The possibility of working with a school in Yirrkala in East Arnhem Land is currently being explored.
Bridges to Employment (BTE)
• PACE presented to Marsden High teachers (45+ in attendance) on Monday, July 14th at their Teacher Development Day which was especially developed by Tristan Tulloch in Marketing. The presentation included an overview of PACE, review of BTE activities (both PACE and non-PACE) at Macquarie which are scheduled from 2014-2016, and an introduction to reflective practice. A workshop on reflective practice for the BTE students has been proposed for S2, 2014 so that students can develop their reflective practice skills over the course of the program and make sense of their learning upon graduation.
5. Clear articulation of how PACE operates, and how key stakeholders (students, partners, staff) can contribute to, engage with, and benefit from the initiative • PACE Public Lecture Series ‘T talk’ event – ‘Engage and Innovate: Community-based Research in the 21st century
and Beyond’. The second T talk for 2014 was held on 30 July. Dr Kerry Strand, an Engagement Australia Visiting Scholar from the USA presented on using community-based research as a catalyst for creating university-community connections. The event was fully subscribed with 80 attendees comprising many PACE partners and members of the local community.
• New PACE videos in production. Production has commenced for a new suite of videos about PACE. Eight videos were produced in 2013 which showcase the mutual benefit that PACE provides to partners and students, and the current production phase will result in a further four videos as well as some niche videos with specific audiences in mind such as students and partners. A formal Expression of Interest process was carried out in April to attract interested video suppliers, which resulted in five suppliers being chosen for our ongoing video work.
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6. Academically rigorous PACE units and activities developed and delivered that strengthen graduate capabilities and maximise student learning through engagement • Rolling cycle of unit evaluations. Kate Lloyd and Ruth McHugh are preparing a report identifying the methods and
strategies currently used by faculties to evaluate units with the aim to inform the development of a rolling cycle of PACE unit evaluations. This report will inform the development of an institution wide evaluation framework being developed by the PVC (LT&D).
7. New knowledge generated and disseminated through rigorous research on, and evaluation of, PACE
• PACE Research & Evaluation Strategy Update. The PACE R&E Strategy 2014-2016 has recently been finalised and a revised set of priorities adopted for 2014-2015. The PACE R&E Strategy will be reviewed on an on-going basis to ensure alignment with MQ's Research and Learning and Teaching Strategies.
o Rowe, Clark, Bilgin & Cantori, “Academic and professional staff workload in WIL: Qualitative research findings” (research paper);
o Rowe & Winchester-Seeto, “Exploring the complementary roles of academics and host supervisors in debriefing for student learning” (showcase).
o Lloyd, Clark, Hammersley, Baker, D’Ath, Rawlings-Sanaei, Powell ‘Unintended outcomes? Building organizational capacity with PACE International partners’ (research paper)
o Harvey, Baker, Fredericks, Lloyd, McLachlan, Semple, and Walkerden ‘Reflection: Alignment of practice as a strategy for building capacity for learning’ (research paper)
o Baker, Corderoy, Hammersley, Lloyd, McLachlan, Semple, and White ‘Building capacity through ethical understanding and practice’ (research paper)
• ACEN Grant - o Dr. Maria Amigo (Sociology, Macquarie University), Dr. Justine Lloyd
(Sociology, Macquarie University) ‘Learning and teaching through PACE: Changing roles and environments’.
Brief Overview: WIL projects require radical and far-reaching transformations in routine roles and working environments of academics, students and workplace supervisors. This study seeks to investigate the challenges, opportunities, and practicalities entailed in this dynamic, in order to better understand how to brief and support the three groups of stakeholders involved.
8. Expanded number of appropriate opportunities for students (and staff) to engage in PACE:
• PACE is now a requirement in degrees enrolling 60% of undergraduates. We estimate that over 4,000 students will enrol in PACE units in 2014. This is a lower estimate than originally forecast (5,000+), as the new Accounting unit will enrol around 500 students this year, rather than the 1,400 predicted to complete that unit in future years. In addition the changed location of the Human Relations Management unit in the HR major (from 200-level to 300-level) has meant that enrolments in the unit in 2014 are about 300 students down on usual levels.
• Our overall target for this year is to embed PACE as a requirement of degrees accounting for 80% of new undergraduate enrolments in 2015. To date Senate has approved in principle 12 additional PACE units for the 2015 Academic Program, which will bring the total number of accredited units to 69. There are at least 3 more potential PACE units in the pipeline:
o ANTH225: Field school in Anthropology (Fiji) o LAWS542: Local and International Peer-Assisted Learning Leadership in Law o MHIS300: Making History: Capstone Unit (Modern History Capstone unit).
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• PACE International project/student update • This winter vacation 52 students have been participating in projects with 5 partners across 4 countries. For the
first time PACE International will be sending full teams to all international projects. This is a result of an increase in academic units available, increase in applications but also due to changes in the recruitment processes which mean that students now apply to the program as a whole (rather than a specific project) and are placed on a project which matches their skills and interest areas.
• PACE International Winter Vacation projects:
Country Partner Project Number of students
India Restless Development & PRAVAH
Supporting in the implementation of youth engagement activities including research, HR, M&E activities, financial audit, policy analysis, workshop delivery, needs assessment and development of social media and web presence
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Peru Peru’s Challenge Supporting in community development activities in the community of Quilla Huata including construction of classrooms, teaching, health promotion and development of social media presence.
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Vietnam KOTO Support program activities including facilitation of English language and life skills sessions, marketing and fundraising, and coordinating field trips for trainees.
10
Malaysia PACOS Trust Support in the production of community resources to support local Indigenous communities to make land rights claims.
8
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APPENDIX 1 – FBE PACE UNIT ENROLMENT ESTIMATES FOR 2014
Units 2012 Enrolments
2013 Enrolments
2014 S1 Enrolments
Estimated 2014 S2 Enrolments*
2014 Enrolments (estimated)
FOBE200 – Professional and Community Engagement
19 92 68 60 128
FOBE300 – Leadership in Community Engagement
114 129 78 80 158
FOBE201 – Working with People with Disabilities
15 27 0 10 10
BBA360 - Business Project
229 182 87 100 187
MKTG304 – Marketing Project
204 332 97 250 347
BUS303 – International Business Project
0 148 0 150 150
HRM207 – Human Resources Learning and Development
0 283 15 0 15
ACCG315 – Accountants in the Profession
0 0 255 250 505
ACST359 – Actuarial Modelling
0 0 0 85 85
TOTAL 581 1193 600 985 1585
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Senate Learning and Teaching Committee Agenda
11 August 2014 ITEM 4.3.5: LIBRARY REPORT For noting.
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LIBRARY
Macquarie University Senate Learning and Teaching Committee
Library Report 11 August 2014
A. Service Enhancements
1. Indigenous Learning Space
A learning space for indigenous students is now available on Level 1 of the Library. We have been working closely with Warawara this year to ensure that the room is a welcoming, accommodating and successful space. Developments to the room included changing the colour of the walls, hanging new artwork and providing a variety of furniture to facilitate different learning styles.
The room has been available since June and will continue to be managed jointly by Warawara and the Library. We are presently in discussion with Campus Elders regarding an indigenous name for the room.
2. Recent Collection Developments
Significant recent additions to the Library’s online collection include:
Alexander Street Press –
o Women and social movements in the US, 1600-2000, scholar’s edition.
o Women and social movements, international, 1840 to present.
o Theatre in video.
o American history in video.
o World history in video.
Ovid’s Joanna Briggs Institute EBP database.
American Society of Mechanical Engineers ebooks and journal package.
IBISWorld upgrade includes Australia specialized industry reports module.
B. Learning and Teaching Strategic Initiatives – Session 2
1. Digital Research Skills Objects on iLearn
We are partnering with the Learning and Teaching Centre (LTC) to develop customised digital learning objects on research skills for use on iLearn. These objects can either be embedded into individual units or made available as sequential learning modules. Content for the objects will be produced by the Library and will involve revitalising and replacing much of the information previously available in the Information Skills Online modules (infoskills.mq.edu.au). The new modules will be trialled with SOC224 and OUA Unit SGY240.
2. Faculty Partnership Program – “Getting Started with Legal Research for you JD”
Library staff are partnering with Shayne Davenport (LAWS818) and the LTC to develop a Legal Research Skills module for use in iLearn. The module will re-purpose existing training material into a practical, self-paced and professionally focused digital resource. The module will be structured to enable students to revisit the
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content as required to reinforce their learning. To improve engagement and skill acquisition, the module will contain a number of glossaries and multimedia including videos, quizzes and animated graphics.
C. Website Launch and MultiSearch Developments
Website improvements including enhancements to MultiSearch and a new homepage were successfully launched earlier this month on July 7th. Developments have been well received by users and feedback on the changes has been very positive.
As previously noted, all changes were guided and determined by user centred design principles, user testing results and general feedback received to date.
The Library is pleased with the results and is continuing with user testing for ongoing improvement and to meet changing client expectations. In particular, MultiSearch developments have led to greater navigational control and simpler terminology for clarity.
Library staff attended iLearn drop-in clinics for Semester 2 to assist teaching staff with their use of
MultiSearch.
D. iShare Update
Online articles and book chapters, previously in eReserve, are now being made available through iShare, the University’s Learning Content Management System. This is a significant milestone for the University’s content management platform. Unit readings (chapters and articles) are available through the ‘Unit Readings’ tab in MultiSearch (http://multisearch.mq.edu.au?course). Searching by unit code will simultaneously retrieve titles available either online, or in physical form in the Library’s print Reserve Collection. These changes have been communicated to all faculties and across the University through various communication channels.
These changes will offer teaching staff improved capacity to link to unit readings in iShare from iLearn. Two options will soon be available – a link to individual readings or one link to all unit readings.
Contacts: Ian Argent Team Leader, Collections and Content Development Phone: 9850 7894 or email: [email protected]
Library Collections and Content Development Phone: 9850 7551 or email: [email protected]
E. International Visitors
On July 30th the Library co-hosted a successful all-day visit to the University by 14 senior Burmese medical academics and bureaucrats. The contingent were visiting Sydney as part of an Australian Awards Fellowship and had participated in the recent Aids Congress in Melbourne. Tours of the Hospital, ASAM and the Library were provided in addition to a talk on health economics by Associate Professor Sean Turnell. The contingent also met the Vice Chancellor and DVC International during lunch and engaged in an informal discussion session with various academic staff across campus with research interests relating to Burma.
11 August 2014 ITEM 5.1.1: REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS IN PACE UNITS PROCEDURE AND
GUIDELINE For consideration.
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PROCEDURE
Reasonable Adjustments in PACE
Units Procedure
Purpose
To outline the key stakeholders involved and the required steps to be taken that:
• encourage an early disclosure of a disability and/or mental health concern, and
• the subsequent arrangement of reasonable adjustments in PACE units.
Procedure This procedure requires actions by the following: • PACE Student • PACE Unit Convenor • Faculty PACE Manager • PACE International Program Officer • Campus Wellbeing and Support Service • PACE Partner Organisation
The steps and/or actions that must be undertaken:
• Disclose disability • Follow management plan
• Provide information about disclosure • Discuss reasonable adjustments • Allocate appropriate placement
• Encourage disclosure • Assess needs • Negotiate reasonable adjustments with student, Unit Convenor /
Faculty PACE Manager / PACE International Program Officer • Develop management plan • Liaise with PACE Partner Organisation
• Monitor effectiveness
PACE Student DISCLOSE Contact Campus Wellbeing and Support Service, prior to enrolling in a PACE unit and/or selecting/nominating your PACE Activity to:
• disclose any condition which may impact on your ability to meet the inherent requirements of the PACE unit and PACE Activity, e.g. access course materials/content or environments, meet the learning outcomes of course unit, and/or meet the assessment requirements
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• provide the disability support staff with documentation that
confirms the likely impact of your disability on your studies which needs to:
o disclose and describe your disability o detail the impact of the disability on your capacity to
study o state whether the disability is temporary, permanent /
unchanging, or likely to fluctuate over time
For conditions that are indicated to be temporary or fluctuate over time, disability support staff may need to request updated disclosures, via new supporting documentation from the student’s health professional, prior to completing their assessment and recommending reasonable adjustments to be implemented.
• discuss any further disclosure that may be required to assist you to undertake the PACE Unit
• discuss any possible reasonable adjustments which need to be
arranged to enable you to undertake the requirements of the PACE Unit.
• allow disability support staff to communicate the impact of your disability on your studies to your unit convenors, relevant faculty staff, partner organisations and staff employed to implement their reasonable adjustments (You can choose whether you wish your exact disability to be disclosed as well as the impact of your condition)
Follow the agreed individual education access plan. Liaise with Campus Wellbeing and Support Service at any stage during your PACE Unit if the adjustments prove ineffective and you need further assistance.
PACE Unit Convenor / Faculty PACE Manager / PACE International Program Manager
PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT DISCLOSURE
Encourage PACE student to disclose to Campus Wellbeing and Support Services any condition which may impact on their ability to meet the requirements of the PACE Unit e.g. via Unit guide, iLearn, handbook, lectures / tutorials, application forms.
NEGOTIATE REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS
Work with Campus Wellbeing and Support Services in order to accommodate any adjustments that need to be put in place in order for the student to undertake the PACE Unit.
ALLOCATE APPROPRIATE PACE ACTIVITY
Allocate the student to a PACE Activity which accommodates the
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required adjustments, in accordance with Campus Wellbeing and Support Services recommendations.
Where necessary, and where permission is given by the student, discuss the reasonable adjustments with the Partner Organisation to negotiate for arrangements to be made with the assistance from Campus Wellbeing and Support Services.
Campus Wellbeing and Support Services
ENCOURAGE DISCLOSURE
Ask students registering with Campus Wellbeing and Support Services when they will be undertaking their PACE Unit and provide students with information about why disclosure is important in order for the student to successfully undertake their PACE Unit.
ASSESS NEEDS
Assess needs of the student and potential reasonable adjustments required for the PACE Unit.
LIAISE
Liaise with the relevant Unit Convenor /Faculty PACE Manager / PACE International Program Officer in order to discuss any necessary reasonable adjustments.
MANAGEMENT PLAN
Develop an individual education access plan, in conjunction with the student and Unit Convenor / PACE International Program Officer in the case where student has higher level support needs.
When necessary, assist in discussing reasonable adjustments with Partner Organisation.
MONITOR EFFECTIVENESS
Liaise with the PACE student / Unit Convenor / PACE Partner Organisation, as outlined in the case management plan, to monitor effectiveness and discuss any further adjustments.
PACE Partner Organisation
LIASE
Work with the Unit Convenor, with the support of Campus Wellbeing and Support Services, to accommodate the reasonable adjustments.
Liaise with the Unit Convenor / Campus Wellbeing and Support Services at any stage during the PACE Unit in order to discuss if the adjustments put in place prove to be insufficient.
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Contact Officer PACE Academic and Programs Director Date Approved Draft 20 May 2014 Approval Authority Senate Learning & Teaching Committee Date of Commencement tba Amendment Dates n/a Date for Next Review July 2015 Related Documents Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy
Reasonable Adjustments in PACE Units Guideline Macquarie University Disability Action Plan PACE Operational Disability Action Plan Campus Wellbeing and Support Services
Long term or chronic health condition Chronic fatigue Crohn’s disease Thyroid disease Inflammatory bowel disease Diabetes Cystic fibrosis Auto-immune diseases
Learning disability Dyslexia Auditory processing disorder Information processing disorder Dysgraphia Memory and cognitive impairment
Hearing impairment Mild hearing loss Partial hearing loss Profound deafness
Complex Where more than one disability type is reported, such cases are generally classified as ‘complex’. Some examples of a ‘complex’ disability were an applicant reported:
Hearing Impairment/Deaf • Auslan for job interviews • Auslan for workplace use • Auslan for co-workers to learn Auslan • amplified telephones • phones with flashing lights • strobe lighting or vibrating pagers linked to emergency alarm systems • iPad/iPad minis/iPhone • live captioning
Learning impairments • Support to help with learning new or changed role • technology to assist with memory and task structure (pictorial overview of tasks,
electronic access to store info) Mobility Impairment Work specific wheelchairs or mobility devices
work specific vehicle modifications access modifications (automated doors, adding/lowering security access panels,
changing door knobs, ramps) bathroom and kitchen modifications (way the door swings, lowering soap and hand
towels, under bench access, devices such as kettle tippers) ergonomic chairs adjustable desks monitor arms
Mental health condition • Support in the workplace to assist with adjusting to a new role, communication breakdown, induction
• Mental Health Awareness training for the workplace • equipment to assist with time management and organisational skills
(smartphones, tablets) • iPod/MP3 players to use as a distraction from hearing voices
Source: JobAccess
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Examples of reasonable adjustment types Reasonable adjustment Examples Job design Modification to how tasks are to be carried out
Supervision/ additional support A mentor/ buddy in the workplace for additional support and supervision. This can involve proof reading of written work, additional training, and feedback on work performance as well as social interactions in the workplace.
Flexible working hours Flexibility to work part time, have shorter working days, adjustments to start/finish times, extra breaks during the working day.
Ergonomic equipment Provide an ergonomic chair, ergonomic keyboard or mouse.
Workstation accommodation Review workstation set up, location of the workstation, or where the student would be situated in the office space (for example, an individual may require a workstation in a low traffic, quiet area, or next to a window, or away from florescent lighting).
Accessible premises Accessibility to the built environment, ramps, lifts, access ways to be accessible, access to facilities and accessible bathrooms.
Auslan interpretation / Captioning Auslan interpreters or live captioning may be required for interviews, presentations or meetings. Materials such as videos may need to be
Adjustments to communication styles Alternate modes of communications such as email instead of phone calls, speaking face-to-face and one-on-one communication, giving instructions in written format instead of verbal instructions or both, providing electronic format of written documents instead of print versions.
Assistive technology and equipment Screen readers, screen magnifiers, voice-to- text computer software, Dictaphones , recording devices and transcription software, headphones, desk lamps, amplifiers on telephone and hearing aid compatible phones.
Counselling / Psychological support Counselling sessions may be required on a regular or ongoing basis during a PACE Activity, including having access to a counsellor or psychologist.
Source: Australian Network on Disability
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EXAMPLES OF KEY MESSAGES TO ENCOURAGE DISCLOSURE
General partner communications
Macquarie University is committed to supporting both students and our Partners to ensure that PACE Activities are successfully completed.
Where the University is aware of special requirements of a student, we will work with the student to develop a management plan, prior to the commencement of the Activity. Management plans may include reasonable adjustments for a disability or medical condition. Arrangements are considered on a case-by-case basis, and may include varied adjustments, an example being flexible work hours or the provision of ergonomic equipment. If required, these arrangements will be fully discussed with the Partner Organisation, prior to the commencement of the Activity.
The University will offer support to the Partner Organisation throughout the PACE Activity. If there are any concerns prior to or during the PACE Activity, please discuss with the Unit Convenor or a PACE staff member.
General student communications
What do I do if I have personal requirements which need to be taken into consideration such as disability, carer’s or cultural responsibilities?
Macquarie University is committed to matching you with a suitable PACE Activity/PACE International Project to maximise your success. There are a number of factors which may impact on the choice of your PACE Activity/PACE International Project. It is helpful if we know about your personal circumstances that might have an impact on the Activity/Project before it is allocated. This will ensure that arrangements are in place before the Activity/Project commences. These arrangements may include reasonable adjustments for your disability or medical condition, flexible time arrangements, or leave days for official observances. Arrangements are considered on a case-by-case basis and evidence may be required.
Please contact Campus Wellbeing and Support Services, to discuss your disability or medical requirements prior to/when enrolling in a PACE unit on 9850 7497 or campus [email protected].
For students who require special or flexible arrangements for reasons other than disability or medical circumstances, please alert or discuss these with your Unit Convenor / Faculty PACE Manager / PACE International Officer prior to selection of the PACE activity.
Reasonable Adjustment Request clause for Unit guide, iLearn, Student application for a PACE Unit/PACE International project and other means of communication with students
There may be personal circumstances that require consideration when assigning a suitable PACE Activity that students can undertake for unit [insert the unit name and code here]/ for a PACE International project. These personal circumstances may be physical or psychological and can include (but are not limited to) medical condition(s), disabilities or previous psychological trauma and may impact your capacity to undertake some tasks, or to travel to the Partner organisation /overseas.
Please contact Campus Wellbeing and Support Services, to discuss your disability or medical requirements prior to selecting your PACE Activity/PACE International Project on 9850 7497 or [email protected].
For students who require special or flexible arrangements for reasons other than disability or medical circumstances, please alert or discuss these with your Unit Convenor / Faculty PACE Manager / PACE International Officer prior to selection of the PACE Activity.
Complete Sections 1-6 and send together with the Word version of the draft Policy/Procedure/Schedule to [email protected]. A Checklist is not required for a Guideline.
. 1. NAME OF POLICY / PROCEDURE / SCHEDULE 2. Macquarie
One Checklist can be used for all documents. Memory File No.
Reasonable Adjustments in PACE Units Procedure
Reasonable Adjustments in PACE Units Guideline
3. CONTACT OFFICER
Indicate who can be contacted regarding this submission.
Name: Katarina Hall Ext: 6398 Position and Section: PACE Local and Regional Program Coordinator Name: Samantha Gilchrist Ext: 1970 Position and Section: PACE International Program Officer 4. DEVELOPMENT / REVIEW SUMMARY Macquarie University has a strong commitment to equity and inclusion. On 28 August 2012 the University has launched its Disability Action Plan 2012-2017 which aims to be responsive to the needs of all people with disability; to find creative solutions and best practice approaches to tackle barriers to access and participation; and to provide a welcoming and inclusive campus where the dignity and worth of each person is respected, and everyone has the opportunity to flourish. All the students commencing their degrees in 2016 will undertake a PACE unit as a part of their degree. This new procedure and guideline will enable the University to meet legislative requirements, respond to the University Disability Action Plan (DAP), and enable the University to cater for the needs of all students (including students with disabilities) when undertaking their PACE activities. This procedure and guideline is a direct outcome of the PACE Operational Disability Action Plan, which draws on the University- wide Disability Action Plan. The University DAP has been developed in compliance with the following legislation and policies: • UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities • Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992 • NSW Anti-Discrimination 1977 • Fair Work Act 2009 • The Australian Disability Standards for Education 2005 5. CONSULTATION
a) Confirm the Office of General Counsel has been consulted
Gayathri Wijesuriya, the University Solicitor, has been sent all the documentation on 24th June 2014.
b) Describe the consultation undertaken, including the dates and names of all relevant committee, staff and student meetings where the submission was considered.
Meetings to discuss documents and impact: • 3 Feb – Australian Network on Disability Research Study Report Presentation-
Funding of reasonable adjustments in PACE units: Lindie Clark, PACE Academic and Program Director Katarina Hall, PACE Local and Regional Program Coordinator Emily Whitehouse, PACE Local and Regional Program Coordinator Samantha Gilchrist, PACE International Program Officer Kumudhini Perera, Finance Coordinator, DVC Provost Michaela Baker, PACE Academic director, Faculty of Arts Sian Paine, PACE Officer, Faculty of Arts Benjamin Wilkes, Manager, Allied Heath Steve Bailey, Manager, Health and Wellbeing Administration Michelle Falconer, Senior Equity and Diversity Officer • 28 March - Planning Day, PACE International and AVI: Eryn Coffey, PACE International Program Coordinator Samantha Gilchrist, PACE International Program Officer Tristanne Durairajah, PACE International Officer Treaisa Rowe, Program Manager – Student Programs, AVI Rachel Berman, PACE International Project Coordinator, AVI Sabrina Fuechsle, PACE International Project Coordinator, AVI Amy Hunter, PACE International Project Coordinator, AVI Steve Bailey, Manager, Health and Wellbeing Administration • 12 May – Funding of Reasonable Adjustments in PACE units: Lindie Clark, PACE Academic and Program Director Katarina Hall, PACE Local and Regional Program Coordinator Samantha Gilchrist, PACE International Program Officer Benjamin Wilkes, Manager, Allied Heath Steve Bailey, Manager, Health and Wellbeing Administration Kumudhini Perera, Finance Coordinator, DVC Provost Email consultation seeking feedback: • Campus Wellbeing and Support Services – Darren Peters, Steve Bailey, Ben Wilkes • Equity and Diversity – Kate Wilson, Michelle Falconer • Faculty Academic Directors of PACE – Michaela Baker, Anne-Louise Semple, Kath
McLachlan, Leanne Carter • Faculty PACE Managers – Ruth McHugh, Marie Kelliher, Diana Caruso, Judy
Hutchinson, Catherine Ennis • Unit Convenor, Psychology – Wayne Warbuton • Unit Convenor, Health Placement- Jette Bollerup • Australian Volunteers International (AVI) – Treaisa Rowe • PACE International – Eryn Coffey
c) Indicate how the expected impact of implementation (on resources, workloads, budget and time) has been considered.
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We commissioned a report on the potential funding required for reasonable adjustments in PACE Units over the next 3 years. The report was completed by the Australian Network on Disability (AND), in collaboration with PACE staff and Campus Wellbeing. After the report was finalised and presented, further discussions took place to consider the processes around reasonable adjustments in PACE units, in particular: • the funding model for educational related adjustments, compared to the costs associated
with living adjustments • the assessment and management of the reasonable adjustments • key stakeholders involved It was agreed that the cost of funding educational reasonable adjustments (as defined in the procedure and guideline) will be covered by the Campus Wellbeing central budget. Equitable and eligible living adjustments will be covered by the PACE Equity grant scheme. The key Unit in the process of assessment of the reasonable adjustments and their administration will be Campus Wellbeing. Communication around the procedure and the reasonable adjustments and disclosure will be done jointly by PACE Office, Faculty PACE teams, PACE Unit convenors and Campus Wellbeing. 6. COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Indicate how the submission will be communicated to allow for implementation. Note that an MQ Announcement and publishing on Policy Central are assumed; information about additional communication strategies must be provided.
Extensive consultation with key stakeholders has taken place over the last 6 months. The new procedure and guideline will be communicated through PACE meetings at various levels and targeted information sessions. An additional training will be offered to PACE staff, to develop their understanding of the new procedures, and to consider reasonable adjustment case studies.
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GUIDELINE Reasonable Adjustments in PACE
Units Guideline
Purpose To provide good practice information for students and staff to encourage early disclosure of a disability and/or mental health concern and the subsequent arrangement of reasonable adjustments when enrolling or participating in a PACE Unit.
Guideline BACKGROUND What is a PACE Unit? PACE units foster professional and community engagement by enabling students to work with partner organisations in a range of workplace activities as part of their degree. Through an academic framework, students engage with the community, learn through participation, develop their capabilities and build on the skills that employers value, whilst gaining academic credit. This document refers to the PACE unit, which includes workplace PACE Activities. What is a disability? The definition of disability under the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992 encompasses physical, sensory, mental and intellectual disability. As per the Act, disability, in relation to a person is defined as: • total or partial loss of the person’s bodily or mental functions; or • total or partial loss of a part of the body; or • the presence in the body of organisms causing disease or illness;
or • the presence in the body of organisms capable of causing
disease or illness; or • the malfunction, malformation or disfigurement of a part of the
person’s body; or • a disorder, illness or disease that affects a person’s thought
processes, perception of reality, emotions or judgment or that results in disturbed behaviour
and includes a disability that: • presently exists; or • previously existed but no longer exists; or • may exist in the future (including because of a genetic
predisposition to that disability); or • is imputed to a person A disability that is otherwise covered by this definition includes behaviour that is a symptom or manifestation of the disability.
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Wellbeing at Macquarie In the general population, approximately 20% of Australians will experience a disability or mental health concern in any 12 month period. In 2013, with 38,000 students enrolled at Macquarie University, this would mean that as many 7,600 may have a disability or mental health concern. Of Macquarie University domestic students, only 5% have registered with the Disability Service at Campus Wellbeing and Support Services. There is a vast range of disabilities which can be grouped in the following general categories:
• Mental Health Condition • Mobility impairment • Neurological disability • Long term or chronic health condition • Hearing impairment • Learning disability • Vision impairment
More than 30% of the registered group have indicated that they have a mental health concern. Based on the known statistics, it is likely that there are large numbers of students with a disability that have not registered with Disability Service. As PACE becomes a compulsory part of every undergraduate degree, it is estimated that around 10,000 students will be undertaking a PACE unit each year. This equates to potentially 2,000 of these students with a disability or mental health concern (disclosed or undisclosed). What is Reasonable adjustment? A reasonable adjustment is a change to a process, practice, procedure or environment that enables a student or employee with a disability to perform their job or task in a way that minimises the impact of their disability. The term ‘reasonable adjustments’ is used because, under the Disability Discrimination Act (1992), education providers and employers are obligated to make adjustments to accommodate an individual’s disability, unless that adjustment would result in unjustifiable hardship. Reasonable adjustments are also often called ‘workplace’ adjustments. Reasonable adjustments allow a person to: • maximise productivity • perform the inherent or essential requirements of their job safely
in the workplace • have equal opportunity to participate in employment and
education • experience equitable terms and conditions of employment and
education
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A person’s experience of a disability is unique to them. Two people who have the same diagnosis of disability may require different adjustments to achieve the same outcome. For some students, a reasonable adjustment may simply require a change of PACE Activity. For others, a more detailed management plan may be required. In all cases, Campus Wellbeing and Support Service provide advice and a service to Unit Convenors to assess and manage cases of reasonable adjustment. Please refer to the appendix for further examples of reasonable adjustments. PROCESS There are multiple opportunities for students with a disability to disclose during their degree. For PACE Units, two key pathways have been identified.
1. At/after enrolment or at any stage of their study 2. When/after enrolling in PACE unit
If reasonable adjustments are required, both options require registration with Campus Wellbeing and Support Services. This enables the University to consider ways to centrally fund reasonable adjustments, ensure that the student is registered for insurance purposes, mitigate any potential disruption to studies incidents and ensure that privacy of medical related information is maintained. 1 Process of Reasonable Adjustments at/after enrolment • Student registers with Campus Wellbeing and Support Services
• Student is contacted by / has appointment with the Disability Service
• Disability Service, as a part of their initial assessment, discuss PACE with the student and ask when they plan to undertake PACE unit
• Disability Services contact the student closer to the PACE Unit taking place, as part of their annual contact procedures
• Disability Service discuss inherent requirements of the PACE Unit with the student, and any reasonable adjustments that (s)he might require and whether a disclosure to the PACE Unit Convenor / Faculty PACE Manager / PACE International Program Officer / Partner Organisation would be beneficial
• Disability Services provide Unit Convenor / Faculty PACE Manager / PACE International Officer with the recommended adjustments (not the nature of the disability) that will need to be put in place for the student with a disability to undertake their PACE Unit. The PACE Unit Convenor / Faculty PACE Manager / PACE International Program Officer and Disability Services work in collaboration with student (and Partner Organisation) to make reasonable adjustments to PACE Activity as needed
• PACE Activity arranged in appropriate organisation / role, which
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accommodates the student’s needs
• Disability Services works with Unit convenor / Faculty PACE Manager / PACE International Officer to establish Management/Monitoring Plan with student in cases where higher needs for support during the PACE Activity may be required
• Disability Service and/or Unit Convenor (if disclosure allowed) monitors and checks with the student according to the Management/Monitoring Plan.
2 Process of Reasonable Adjustments via PACE Unit • Disclosure and registration with Disability services is encouraged by
Macquarie at the beginning of the session by including a paragraph (please refer to the Communication in section 5) in the following sources:
• Unit Guide • PACE Activity Handbook • Lecture / Tutorial • iLearn • any general email communication • PACE International Application process
• Student contacts / has appointment with the Disability Service
• Disability Services conducts the assessment and discuss with the student any inherent requirements of their PACE unit and, reasonable adjustments that (s)he might require, and whether a disclosure to the PACE Unit Convenor / Faculty PACE Manager / PACE International Officer / Partner organisation would be beneficial
• Disability Services provide Unit convenor/ Faculty PACE Manager/ PACE International Officer with recommended adjustments (not the nature of the disability) that will need to be put in place in order for the student with a disability to undertake their PACE Unit. If student agrees to disclose, PACE Unit Convenor/ Faculty PACE Manager/ PACE International Officer and the Disability Services work in collaboration with student (and Partner Organisation) to make reasonable adjustments to PACE Activity as needed
• PACE Activity arranged in appropriate organisation / role, which accommodates the student’s needs
• Disability Services works with Unit convenor / Faculty PACE Manager / PACE International Officer to establish Management/Monitoring Plan with student in cases where higher needs for support during the PACE Activity may be required
• Disability Service and/or Unit convenor monitors the student according to the Management/Monitoring Plan.
• Disability Service and/or Unit Convenor (if disclosure allowed) monitors and checks with the student regularly throughout the duration of the PACE Activity
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IMPORTANT • Students are to be encouraged to liaise with Campus Wellbeing-
Support services to discuss reasonable adjustments prior to selecting their PACE Unit/ applying for PACE International project.
• Students should not be requested to disclose their disability and provide evidence to unauthorized/non-medical staff. Student might wish to disclose to those other than Campus Wellbeing staff (eg Unit convenor, Faculty PACE staff) after discussed with Campus Wellbeing.
• If a student chooses to disclose to a Unit Convenor/Faculty PACE Manager/PACE International representative, the student should be advised to also speak with Campus Wellbeing to discuss reasonable adjustments and develop a management plan. Reasonable Adjustments will be funded through Campus Wellbeing.
• Students with pre-existing disability/medical condition are not eligible for special consideration under the Disruption to studies policy on the grounds of their pre-existing disability/medical condition (note: they are still eligible to apply in case of other eligible circumstances). They are required to register with Disability services and arrange any reasonable adjustments before starting their PACE Unit. (please refer to the Disruption to Studies Policy.)
COMMUNICATION Staff Information and reference to the relevant documents will be included in the PACE Activity Handbook, Risk assessment handbook for unit convenors, relevant PACE International documents, on PACE for staff website. If a reasonable adjustment is required at the Partner Organisation, Campus Wellbeing will be available to assist Unit Convenors with this discussion. Partners Information will be included in the PACE Activity Handbook, relevant PACE International documents and on PACE website. Moreover, it is recommended that the information is included/covered in the individual faculty/unit Partner seminars/workshops. EXAMPLES OF DISABILTY TYPES AND REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS See Appendix A
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EXAMPLES OF COMMUNICATION MESSAGES See Appendix B
Contact Officer PACE Academic and Programs Director
Date Approved Draft 20 May 2014
Approval Authority PACE Academic and Programs Director
Date of Commencement tba
Amendment Dates n/a
Date for Next Review July 2015
Related Documents Reasonable Adjustments for a Disability in PACE Units Procedure / Appendix A Examples of Disability Types and Reasonable Adjustments Disruption to Studies Policy PACE for Staff Website PACE Website
11 August 2014 ITEM 5.3: SIX TERM YEAR PROPOSAL For consideration and endorsement.
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SLTC 11 August 2014
6x6 Proposal
The University currently has a number of official periods during which it offers its programs of study. The key periods are Session 1 and Session 2, both of which offer 13 teaching weeks, and Session 3, which allows compressed teaching over a period of approximately 6 weeks over the Christmas break. In reality parts of the university offer teaching across a number of other periods (see appendix), which leads to confusion and increased workload for academic and professional staff. In addition, of all the offering periods, only Session 1 and Session 2 have a formally integrated timeline for results assurance and approval. More importantly, Faculties have been requesting a more flexible approach to delivery, and in particular many have expressed the desire to enable an intensive mode of delivery. For example, MMCCS in Arts have requested the ability to teach video production in ‘block mode’ and FBE are keen on teaching the MIB in intensive mode online. It is also becoming increasingly important to enable both multiple points of entry, and accelerated pathways for appropriate students. In order to address these needs, it is proposed that we introduce a consistent, more flexible pattern of offerings for all MQ teaching across the academic year. This would consist of six terms, each of six weeks roughly aligning to existing teaching periods as per the following diagram. Term1 Term2 Term3 Term 4 Term 5 Term 6 Session 1 WinterVacation Session 2 Session 3
• Each term would have a corresponding entry, census date, examination and results reporting period
• Faculties can use combinations of those terms as appropriate. For example, should unit convenors wish to continue their existing practices, a combination of Term 1 and Term 2 would mirror the existing Session 1. (So existing practices could continue with little amendment to existing offerings).
• Careful consideration would need to be given to program design to ensure that students were limited in the number of intensive units they could do (as per the existing Session 3)
• All Macquarie Teaching (including pathway colleges, MGSM, ASAM etc – and OUA if possible) would align to the agreed term dates for each academic year
CONSULTATION PROCESS The following offices have been consulted prior to the submission of this paper:
• Deputy Registrar’s Office • MQ Property • Associate Deans Learning and Teaching in the Faculties • Chair, Academic Senate • Learning and Teachng Centre • A range of University staff
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RECOMMENDATION That SLTC recommend to Academic Senate the adoption of an academic year consisting of six terms of six weeks, with each term incorporating appropriate results reporting periods. (Complete details to be determined by the Office of the Deputy Registrar). Further, it recommends that all MQ teaching should align to the timing of those terms, or combinations thereof. Office of the PVC (Learning, Teaching and Diversity) July 28th 2014 Appendix. 2014 MQ Offerings
Date
Dates of Offerings 2014 Session 1, North Ryde, Day S1 Day 3/3/2014 - 5/7/2014
Sessions 1 and 2, February to November, North Ryde, Day FY1 Day 3/3/2014 - 5/12/2014
Session 2, North Ryde, Day S2 Day 4/8/2014 - 5/12/2014
Sessions 2 and 1, August to June, North Ryde, Day FY2 Day 4/8/2014 - 27/6/2015
Session 3, North Ryde, Day S3 Day 8/12/2014 - 23/1/2015
Winter vacation session, North Ryde, Day WV Day 4/7/2014 - 18/8/2014
Macquarie City Campus Study Period 1, Day, March to June MQC1 Day 17/3/2014 - 13/6/2014
Macquarie City Campus Study Period 2, Day, July to October MQC2 Day 14/7/2014 - 10/10/2014
Macquarie City Campus Study Period 3, Day, November to February MQC3 Day 10/11/2014 - 13/2/2015
MGSM Term 1 North Ryde, January to March, Day Term 1 NR Day 30/12/2013 - 23/3/2014
MGSM Term 2 North Ryde, March to June, Day Term 2 NR Day 24/3/2014 - 15/6/2014
MGSM Term 3 North Ryde, June to September, Day Term 3 NR Day 16/6/2014 - 7/9/2014
MGSM Term 4 North Ryde, September to December, Day Term 4 NR Day 8/9/2014 - 30/11/2014
Applied Finance Centre January North Ryde, November 2013 to June 2014 AFC Jan NR 13/11/2013 - 18/6/2014
Applied Finance Centre July North Ryde, May to November AFC Jul NR 18/5/2014 - 27/11/2014
OUA SP1 OUA SP1 3/3/2014-1/6/2014
OUA SP2 OUA SP2 2/6/2014-31/8/2014
OUA SP3 OUA SP3 20/8/2014-30/11/2014
OUA SP4 OUA SP4 19/11/2014-1/3/2015
OUA Session 1 OUA Session 1 3/3/2014-8/6/2014
OUA Session 2 OUA Session 2 21/7/2014-26/10/2014
OUA Session 3 OUA Session 3 17/11/2014-22/2/2015
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Senate Learning and Teaching Committee Agenda
11 August 2014 ITEM 5.4: EVALUATION OF STUDENT EXPERIENCE – FINAL REPORT For noting.
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Senate Learning and Teaching Committee Agenda
11 August 2014
ITEM 5.4: FINAL REPORT: EVALUATION OF STUDENT EXPERIENCE Issue: Prompted by a growing realisation that feedback on the student experience relied heavily on survey instruments but that there was little coordination of these surveys, Executive approval was sought and secured to investigate the situation and to make improvements. A working party was formed and has met regularly in the first half of 2014. This brief report details the scope and work; progress made, risks and opportunities identified, along with further recommendations emerging from the deliberations to date. Consultation Process: The following offices have been consulted prior to the submission of this paper:
Chair of SLTC; members of the working party
Recommendation: For discussion and approval of the recommendations. Submitted by: Ian Solomonides For enquiries contact: Ian Solomonides [email protected] x9857
Update on work conducted in relation to the student experience
Issues 1. Develop student experience framework & measures 2. Identify experience trends and issues 3. Implement actions to improve student experience Discussion The Student Experience Sub-Committee was formed to report and make recommendations to the University Council on overall student experience. The University Executive has concurrently endorsed the development of a framework to describe and measure the student experience, and a workgroup was established to develop this framework and to seek improvements to survey practices. The framework is now complete and is set out in Appendix 1. Further effort, beyond the immediate control of the workgroup is required to secure improvements to practice and is discussed in greater detail overleaf. Evaluation trends at Macquarie were examined using existing, useful data. There are inconsistent and sometimes conflicting practices across the University. The student experience differs by person, cohort, program, mode of study, and discipline; there is no homogenous student experience (or measure). Ideally and to better identify the holistic student experience, the University would harmonise evaluation practices. It may also be possible to seek consent, track student progression, and enable interventions as required, with an aim to improving the student experience and context. This data could form the basis of student experience dashboard. Students have raised some concerns about the number and types of experience measures being used. Some staff have raised concerns with this and highlighted a need for better coordination and access to valid data to explore the student experience with an aim to improve retention, progression and conversion rates. Faculty has stated a desire to retain some existing survey approaches, and questioned the role of central versus bespoke surveying. Some aspects of survey distribution, results, volume and cost have been examined (Appendix 2). Consultation Deidre Anderson, Neil Fraser, JoAnne Sparks, Mareen Kattau, Leigh Wood, Mia Kwok (PG Student Rep), Kristofer Gilmour (UG Student Rep), Craig Oliver, John Simons, Sherman Young, Nicole Brigg, David Sams. Recommendations That the Student Experience Committee notes: a) The student experience framework b) Ongoing work to develop a student experience dashboard c) Action to develop and enact policy and procedure for surveying Developed by Ian Solomonides, Director L&T Centre; Darren Peters, Director Campus Wellbeing; Jonathan Wylie, Deputy Registrar Approved for discussion by Sherman Young PVC (LTD) & Deidre Anderson DVC S&R
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Student Experience Committee Working Party Final Report: Evaluation of Student Experience
July 2014 by Ian Solomonides Director L&T Centre Overview Prompted by a growing realisation that feedback on the student experience relied heavily on survey instruments but that there was little coordination of these surveys, Executive approval was sought and secured to investigate the situation and to make improvements. A working party was formed and has met regularly in the first half of 2014. This brief report details the scope and work; progress made, risks and opportunities identified, along with further recommendations emerging from the deliberations to date. The report focuses on survey work and acknowledges there are alternatives (some preferable) to surveying. Findings The project has identified the wide range of surveys in use across the institution. There is a mixture of stakeholders and stake-owners, users and service providers holding a variety of beliefs and views about how best to manage surveying and the use to which the resulting data may be put. In part, this exacerbates the difficulty of establishing a common understanding of the strengths, weakness and opportunities for surveying and thereafter subscription to policy and practice. Subjective practices appear most in the use of Teaching Evaluation for Development Services (TEDS) surveys. Phenomena observed regarding TEDS (as well as other surveys ‘owned’ elsewhere) include differing opinions regarding survey benefits and their operation; misconceptions about who ‘owns’ the survey and choices of items therein; mixed understanding of how best to maximise returns; mixed understanding of sample versus census surveying and which to adopt when, with what likely outcome; and, evidence of normativity, biases and values occluding the interpretation of results and influencing survey practices. Resolving these issues requires consensus and collective action beyond the immediate reach of this project. The project has produced a framework to characterise the student experience and therein some indicators of that experience. Used appropriately this could help the University community understand and illuminate the various factors that impact on the student experience so that it might consider evaluating those things through a range of mechanisms that may or may not include perception surveys. Importantly, used in isolation from other data, perception surveys cannot yield an understanding of teaching quality or level and quality of student learning. The project has promoted discussions and highlighted issues associated with variable practices in evaluating the student experience. This report illustrates the complex nature of surveying and some of the related dependencies associated with it. It raises more questions than it answers and for now, student surveying practice at Macquarie remains highly variable and somewhat chaotic. If we want a more robust and systematic survey landscape that produces higher fidelity and more reliable data then we need to firstly understand that we are all part of the (wicked) problem; the issue is more people dependent than technical. Despite this there are some excellent local practices in surveying that can serve as examples to the University.
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Summary of Recommendations
1. A survey policy, procedure and schedule is developed and enacted with clear expectations for surveying type, permissions, frequency, application and reporting.
2. The UES is regarded as the primary external survey instrument for completion and is provided cross-University support in promotion and a ‘clear space’ in which to operate.
3. Develop and pilot an internal holistic experience survey based on the Experience Framework.
4. Faculty and Office survey needs are clearly identified.
5. TEDS survey practices are independently reviewed and improved.
6. The Quality, Standards and Analytics Working Party, informing the Attrition, Retention and Progression Strategy become involved in survey practice discussions.
7. Partnership opportunities such as including students in survey administration and analysis are considered within the ‘students as partners’ aspects of the emerging learning and teaching framework
8. Marketing continue to inform best practice in communication to and from students.
9. Include student feedback data in learning analytics work and develop a student experience dashboard.
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Background information Five meetings have been held. The initial meeting to agree terms of reference, membership and implementation plan for the recommendations emerging from the briefing paper previously endorsed by Executive in June 2013:
● Establish a framework based on the five domains, together with protocols and a compliance regime for surveying students within the institution;
● Consider reinstating a University wide, comprehensive experience questionnaire in lieu of the AUSSE and possibly ISB, to be delivered using a sampling approach;
● Through central and local management, clearly schedule the timing, mode and application of all paper based and online surveys across the student life-cycle;
● Ensure that any student survey is conducted through the new framework with appropriate and timely approval mechanisms;
● Develop marketing practices for surveys and provide resources for their implementation where appropriate; and,
● Ensure underlying technologies are sufficiently developed and robust to enable the further development of comprehensive student and staff facing dashboards.
Discussion on each of the implementation points and sub-actions follows. Establish a framework based on the five domains, together with protocols and a compliance regime for surveying students within the institution There were four actions or dependencies associated with this:
1. Develop taxonomies and nomenclature appropriate for the framework. 2. Establish domains with policy and procedure where appropriate, e.g. Student
Feedback on Learning, Teaching & Curriculum under review through SLTC. 3. Develop an institutional data analysis and reporting mechanism. 4. Establish a mechanism for students to lead the design and implementation of an
alternative feedback system and artefacts. 1. A taxonomy proved to be the wrong approach and the Characteristics of Student Experience framework was developed as an alternative (Appendix 1). The framework has been designed to illustrate the possible indicators of experience across the different phases of the student lifecycle and the various domains of interaction with the University. The framework is intended as a working document and the criteria statements and the content under each column of the framework will continue to be refined. 2. Development of a compliance regime for surveying students at Macquarie has proven to be a much more difficult issue and more work is required. Protocols can be developed and in some cases already exist (most obviously the University's policy on Student Feedback on Learning, Teaching and Curriculum) but there is little compliance. There has been good progress in identifying the location and ownership of surveys currently in use. It is noted that ‘policing’ of compliance is unlikely to work; other possibilities include individuals and departments developing plans and schedules for evaluation in cognisance of information such as that found in Appendix 2. 3. Development of an institutional data analysis and reporting mechanism/source of truth is beyond the scope of the project at this moment in time. A centralised approach to
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surveying and sources of truth is partially in place through TEDS using the EvaSys Technology and comparison tables1 are available through the LTC website. However, page view data suggest that these comparison tables are rarely used. Macquarie Analytics have control over some but not all institution wide surveys and data sets. Macquarie Analytics reports to Council in February of each year on externally mandated surveys and updates are made to the Executive dashboard each quarter. 4. A mechanism for students to lead the design and implementation of an alternative feedback system has not yet been developed. Some preliminary discussions and ideas have been investigated, including the use of the LMS and adoption of integrated devices to allow students to respond to a very quick and simple feedback question delivered at the end of each week in iLearn, consisting of a single item relating to a particular aspect of the unit. There are technical and ethical issues that require further exploration, along with questions about who drives the process. Consideration could be given to a trial of simple ‘rate my class’ type feedback similar to examples found externally. Ongoing Risks: Continued over-surveying leading to poor quality data; limited opportunity to improve the student experience; waste of University resources, staff and student time; competing demands by surveys for student attention; simplistic interpretation of results based on normativity, biases and values. Opportunities: Use the evidence from data available on surveys currently in use across the University to develop an overall protocol and schedule for surveying. Discussions on this continue between LTC and MQ Analytics. Implement a compliance regime that ensures that the quality of survey data is maximised. This is especially important given the role of the UES and where internal surveying data is expected in institutional reporting. Further refine ideas and develop mechanisms to allow students to lead an alternative feedback system, to encourage active student participation in evaluation, perhaps through the employment of a UG scholar working in association with a project team. Consider reinstating a University wide, comprehensive experience questionnaire in lieu of the AUSSE and possibly ISB, to be delivered using a sampling approach. There were three actions associated with this:
1. Decommission existing surveys cognisant of current timeframes. 2. Refine and establish ‘MUSEQ’ (synergistic with framework). 3. Develop methodological and implementation plan for above.
1. Decommissioning of some surveys has occurred; the AUSSE will not be used again, and the AGS (including the GDS and CEQ) will cease in 2015. The Government will mandate new surveys, including a Graduate Outcomes Survey and Employer Satisfaction Survey2. Macquarie International has agreed to work with the University to ensure that the ISB is applied to maximum benefit and not at the expense of other survey requirements such as the UES. 2. A MUSEQ like instrument could be developed and trialed from the Characteristics of Student Experience framework.
3. A methodological implementation plan, which takes into account a sampling approach and stratification/clustering, would also need to be developed. Ongoing Risks: Low response rates; poor quality of data; incomparable data-sets; waste of resources and effort; limited impact in effecting change. Opportunities: Development of a single customised Macquarie survey to replace multiple other surveys. Increasing returns on mandated surveys for Government reporting and institutional planning. Creation of survey items that directly inform strategic issues especially retention, progression, and conversion from UG to PG. Through central and local management, clearly schedule the timing, mode and application of all paper based and online surveys across the student life-cycle. There was one action associated with this:
1. Investigate current state and develop recommendations for future state. 1. There is no action to report on resolving scheduling of surveys but a list of surveys currently in use has been created. This shows who owns or distributes which surveys, what part of the student lifecycle they are applied and when in the year data collection takes place. This list has already highlighted some surveys that compete at similar points in the calendar. Consideration must now being given to a timeframe for implementation and enforcement of a new student feedback policy. This should be responsive to issues such as which surveys to use, and why; what can be done to increase return rates; the rate of viable return, etc. In any event the UES must be provide with ‘clear space’ and students encouraged to complete it with the aim of reaching a 50% return rate (currently 25%). Ongoing Risks: Mis-timed surveys negatively impacting return rates; tensions between service users and providers regarding the best use of surveying and underpinning evidence base; triple bottom line costs associated with paper-based surveys. Opportunities: Achieve an integrated, centrally coordinated schedule and methodology that minimises the risks of students suffering survey fatigue and ensures viable return rates. Ensure that any student survey is conducted through the new framework with appropriate and timely approval mechanisms. There was one action associated with this:
1. Make guidelines clear in policy and procedure See above. It is likely that compliance issues will continue even with the implementation of a new framework, unless approval mechanisms are enforced or policy and procedure are subscribed to. Ongoing Risks: Overuse of unrelated surveys; multiple survey requests competing for student attention; ongoing degradation of evaluation data. Opportunities: Greater efficiency load on students and in delivery and reporting; more robust data; cost savings.
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Develop marketing practices for surveys and provide resources for their implementation where appropriate.
There was one action associated with this: 1. Communication strategy for survey awareness and results (staff and students) and
institutional reporting against results. Limited work has been undertaken in this area given the need to resolve other issues upstream. Ongoing Risks: You said/We did type policies may further promote a consumer culture unless balanced with a meaningful partnership with students3; uncoordinated approaches to communicating with students. Opportunities: Partnerships with students to review feedback and actions; opportunities to inform Informatics services; opportunities to create and leverage multiple communication channels (iLearn, web, SMS, Apps etc.). Ensure underlying technologies are sufficiently developed and robust to enable the further development of comprehensive student and staff facing dashboards. There was one action associated with this:
1. Commission a report on current infrastructure capability and requirements As above, LTC is currently scoping end-to-end data handling in the iLearn and there is data analytics work through MQ Analytics, albeit with an uncertain future relative to funding projects of this nature via Informatics capex or similar. Ongoing Risks: Difficulty in monitoring survey application and data collection; inefficient data analysis and reporting. Opportunities: Development of end-to-end data management through iLearn and into AMIS; creation of a better technologies integration and awareness through reconstituted iLearn Steering Committee/MACALT.
3 comments on this and other potential impacts of surveys here http://teche.ltc.mq.edu.au/satisfied/
Appendix 1 Characteristics of the Student Experience OUTCOMES BEFORE DURING AFTER
Organisational Goals and Values
Individual Goals Academic Para Academic Student Support & Welfare
Amenity, Extracurricular & Social
Administration
Transformative learning Student engagement Student representation Student employability Effective teaching Discovery and innovation Research training Good Reputation Effective services Scholarship Integrity Empowerment Inclusiveness Sustainability
Learning. Research and enquiry. Life experiences. Optimism & confidence. Engagement with curricular & co-curricular activities. Attendance at key activities. Positive relationships with others. Effort & vitality. Resilience. Emotional stability. Positive emotion. Competence. Positive self-esteem. Organisation of self & tasks. Appropriate time on task. Academic integrity. Reflection. Aptitude. Sense of belonging to institution, cohort, discipline etc.
Awareness Attraction
Feeling of curriculum having coherence. Consistent & common values. Involvement in authentic & experiential tasks. Involvement in work integrated learning. Good interaction with teachers. Cooperation between students. Small group teaching. Timely & effective feedback. Learning with & about diversity. High expectations & defined standards of achievement for programs. High quality of teaching. Research & industry materials & activities as part of learning. Social integration for learning. Clear pathways & sequencing. Easily accessed materials. Community & service learning. Culminating projects & expositions. Choice & negotiation in assessment. Good advice available. Clear assessment criteria. Up-to-date learning materials. Relevant & in-context learning materials.
Integrated student induction. Effective orientation. Appropriate room allocation & timetabling. Flexible scheduling relevant to need & preference. Access to just-in-time help. Effective learning infrastructure. Transparent student evaluation cycle. Well-organised University activities. Access to supplementary instruction. Access to resources when needed. Easy-to-navigate University systems & procedures. Helpful staff. Positive campus climate & culture. Access to regular & structured academic advising.
Access to student support, information & advice. Feeling that students have representation in decision-making. Access to effective formal mentoring programs. Involvement of minority students, professional & academic staff as mentors. Access to financial aid. Access to counseling & medical services. Affordable housing. Sense that MQ cares.
Involvement in social integration activities that promote belonging. Access to appropriate or ‘fit for purpose’ facilities. Availability of social, recreational & competition sport, dance, cultural clubs societies & venues. Perceived quality or value for money of consumables. Perceived quality or value for money of services & facilities. Acceptable transport options.
Student-university congruence (through gatekeeping). Communications with families. Efficient enrolment. Converged services. Timely & consistent advising. Timely notification of results. Good service quality. Helpful staff. Coherent communication. Effective communication & dissemination.
Employability Leadership Attachment Allegiance
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Appendix 2 The examples below are based on analysis of TEDS LEU ordering and reporting data. LEUs and the survey items therein are chosen by staff and provided by TEDS. TEDS does not schedule the units to be surveyed but does provide Faculties with information on which units have recently been surveyed, and which are due for survey (see Example 4 at the end of this appendix). Current policy recommends that Faculties and Department develop a schedule informed by this data. Example 1: Session 1 2104 Survey Report Efficiency Table 1 shows that in Session 1 of 2014, there were 781 units taught (excluding any ‘new’. Based on the history of previous survey requests, TEDS identified 493 of those units that had not been surveyed in the previous 24 months. TEDS received orders for 328 LEU surveys, representing approximately 30,000 individual forms and 54% of the enrolled students. 185 (56%) of the 328 survey orders were for units recommended for evaluation by TEDS – i.e. units being offered for the third time or not surveyed in the previous 24 months. Table 1: Session 1 LEU ordering history for units not survey for 24 months or more
Unit offerings available for
survey
Number of surveys
ordered
Number of units where survey was
advised Actually
surveyed Mismatch
FBE 79 39 24 12 -12
ARTS 318 131 231 75 -156
HUS 220 75 147 48 -99
SCI 164 83 91 50 -41
Totals 781 328 493 185 -308
Table 2 shows that the of remaining 44% (145 unit surveys), 95 were ordered for units survey in the previous 12-24 months and 50 were ordered for units surveyed in the previous 12 months. Table 2: Session 1 LEU ordering history for units surveyed in the previous 24 months
Valid survey in the
previous 12-24 months
Actually surveyed
Valid survey in the
previous 12 months
Actually surveyed Total
Inefficiency Index
FBE 33 20 22 7 27 1.00
ARTS 54 39 33 17 56 1.62
HUS 47 13 26 14 27 1.68
SCI 41 23 32 12 35 0.92
Totals 175 95 113 50 145 1.30
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To provide an impression of inefficiency based on under or over surveyed units, and an ‘inefficiency index’ is provided based on the sum of the number of under and over surveyed as a percentage of unit offerings (zero is ideal). Another ‘measure’ of efficiency may be identified from the data in Table 1. The number of units available compared with the number surveyed indicates a rate of 40%, or the equivalent of surveying units at a frequency of every 2.5 offerings. Current policy recommends surveying a unit at every third offering. Table 3 shows the actual survey rate for Session 1 2014 compared with the notional or recommended number of surveys assuming a 33% or one in every third offering. Table 3: Session 1 LEU ordering history showing survey rates
Available Surveys Survey % Rate Notional Difference
FBE 79 39 49% 26 + 16%
ARTS 318 131 41% 106 + 8%
HUS 220 75 34% 73 + 1%
SCI 164 83 51% 55 + 18%
781 328 40% 260 + 10.75%
Table 3 shows an average over surveying of 11% that suggest that a modest saving of effort, time and resources could be achieved. However, compared with Table 1 it can be observed that although the actual number of surveys and ‘ideal’ number of surveys are similar, many of the surveys are targeting units that have already been surveyed in recent times, and missing units that have not been surveyed for some considerable time. The situation is exacerbated when issues of validity and return rates are included. The next section looks at this using examples drawn form 2013 LEU ordering data. Note that at the time of writing 2014 data is not available relative to validity. Example 2: Session 1&2 2013 Invalid Reports LEUs like any quantitative survey require a sufficient number of returns relative to the number of survey items and size of population to provide a valid response, reduce margin of error, and to make reliable judgements. Return rates required to achieve validity range between 25% for cohorts of more than 100 to 70% for cohorts of less than 25. Table 3 shows the LEU survey ordering history in 2013 and the number of valid and invalid responses. The ‘all losses’ column refers to the actual number of individual forms lost as a consequence of invalid return rates at the unit level. Table 4: Session 1&2 2013 LEU ordering history and valid/invalid returns
Mode of delivery, within current administration practice makes a difference to the valid/invalid return rate. Tables 4 and 5 overleaf, compare paper and online mode of administration. Table 5: Session 1&2 2013 LEU ordering history and valid/invalid returns (paper)
Comparing Tables 5 and 6 it may be seen that administering the surveys online significantly negatively impacts the valid return rate. It should however, be noted that many universities administer online surveys and achieve much higher return rates than at Macquarie, suggesting the issue is more process related than technical. Example 3: Effects of Sample Versus Census Surveying An area of survey methodology often overlooked or misunderstood is sample size. There is a general tendency in LEU ordering behaviour to request a census survey (in other words all of the cohort) regardless of size of the population. Table 7 shows what the impact would be on individual survey forms of taking a sampling approach to surveying units that have cohort populations of more than 100 students. Table 7: Effects of sample versus census surveying based on 2013 units with >100 students
Units surveyed Forms used Sample required Potential saving ARTS 64 14,943 3,736 11,207 FBE 119 41,898 10,475 31,424 HUS 40 10,255 2,564 7,691 SCI 61 15,319 3,830 11,489 Totals 284 82,415 20,604 61,811 Table 7 shows how it is possible to achieve valid results with far fewer forms than was actually used. One way to achieve this might be by administering the survey through tutorial groups.
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Senate Learning and Teaching Committee Agenda
11 August 2014 ITEM 5.6.1: ASSESSMENT, GRADING, UNIT OUTCOME AND EXAMINATIONS
WORKING PARTY UPDATE For noting.
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Senate Learning and Teaching Committee
Agenda 11 August 2014
ITEM 5.6.1: PROGRESS REPORT FROM THE ASSESSMENT, GRADING, UNIT GUIDE AND EXAMINATIONS POLICY WORKING GROUP
Issue: to update SLTC on the direction of the working party and suggested timeframes for delivery Consultation Process: The following offices have been consulted prior to the submission of this paper:
• Associate Professor Kevin Baird, Department of Accounting and Corporate Governance • Rahat Muir, Department of Accounting and Corporate Governance • Dr Robyn Beirman, Department of Chiropractic • Dr Marcelle Frieman, Department of English • Dr Christophe Doche, Department of Computing • Lucy Arthur, Learning and Teaching Centre • Associate Professor Pamela Coutts, Faculty of Human Sciences • Penelope Watson, Department of Law • Ellen Whitehead, Examinations Manager • Ellen Carlson, Policy Manager
Recommendation: For noting/discussion Submitted by: Ainslee Harvey, Project Officer Academic Senate For enquiries contact: Professor Dom Verity [email protected] or 9850 9522
ASSESSMENT, GRADING, UNIT GUIDE AND EXAMINATIONS POLICY WORKING GROUP
PROGRESS REPORT: AUGUST 2014
Objectives • To review the Assessment, Grading, Unit Guide and Examination policies and their operation • To identify operational issues with existing policies • To benchmark existing policies against those of comparator institutions • To identify interactions with other Macquarie University policies both current and under
development • To consider possibilities for rationalisation and amalgamation of these policies • To draft a new suite of polices to replace the current assessment, grading, unit guide and
examination policies • To ensure that required policy elements identified in the academic rule review (undertaken
in 2013) are reflected in these revised policies • To draft plain English statements of purpose for these revised policies
Members: • Professor Dominic Verity / Chair of Academic Senate (Chair) • Dr Trudy Ambler / Associate Dean (Learning & Teaching) - Faculty of Arts • Dr Marina Harvey / Subject Expert (Learning & Teaching) • Dr Wylie Bradford / Elected Member of Senate – FBE • Dr Rod Lane / Expert Member of SLTC – Human Sciences • Mr Morgan Foulsham / Student Member of Senate – TBC • Ms Ainslee Harvey / Academic Senate Project Officer
Progress The working group has met twice to review the policies and their operation across the University. The group has identified a number of operational issues and possible solutions to address some areas of concern. Further consultation, in particular with students, is scheduled to occur in the next few weeks. The policies are currently being benchmarked against those of other institutions to inform the discussion and proposed approach. Issues identified Professor Verity to provide verbal update of issues identified. Next steps
• Finalise stage one of the consultation process regarding the identification of operational issues of current policies
• Draft position paper and option sets for amendments / insertions to current policies and present at SLTC meeting on 20 October 2014 for comment
• In accordance with feedback received from SLTC, circulate position papers and options sets to Faculty Learning and Teaching Committees and attend meetings to provide presentation.
