Academic senate projects

Senate Projects

Academic Senate Rules and Academic Senate and Academic
Senate Committees Procedure - Review

Q4

Senate Committee Projects

Review of teach-out plans

October 2023

ASQC

Academic Progression and non-standard teaching periods

October 2023

August 2023

Professional Development for Learning and Teaching

Q3 2023

SLTC

Policy Development

COMPLETED - Policy approved by Academic Senate at its meeting of 28 March 2023 (Res AS23/22)

Q2 2023 (continuing from 2022)

Post-Implementation Reviews

Post-implementation Review of Assessment Policy and Procedure

S2 2023 (continuing from 2022)

SLTC

Post-implementation Review of Academic Integrity Policy

S1 2023

Policy Reviews

Review of Special Consideration Policy and Procedure

Q1 2023 (continuing from 2022)

Review of Curriculum Architecture Policy and Schedules

Review commenced in Q4 2022. Will continue in to 2023

ASQC

Review of Admission Policy and Procedures, Course Transfer (Undergraduate Coursework) Policy and Procedure and development of policy on Exit Awards

Will continue on from 2022 - amendments to the Admission Policy were approved by Academic Seante at its meeting of 28 March 2023 (Res AS23/25)

ASQC

Review of Recognition of Prior Learning Policy and Assessing Recognition of Prior Learning Applications Procedure

Late Q2 2023 onwards

ASQC

Late Q2 2023

Review of PACE Activity Management Procedure

Q1 2023

SLTC

Review of HDR Thesis Preparation, Submission and Examination Policy and Procedure and MRes Thesis preparation, Submission and Examination Procedure and HDR iThenticate Procedure

October 2023

RRTC

Review of HDR Doctoral Equivalence Policy

November 2023

RRTC

Review of Macquarie University Code of the Responsible Conduct of Research and Macquarie University Research Code Complaints, Breaches and Investigation Procedure

May 2023

RRTC

Review of General Coursework Rules

Q2-Q3 2023

Senate Projects

Review of Indigenous Connected Curriculum

This project will review the implementation of the Indigenous Connected Curriculum in alignment with the Curriculum Architecture Undergraduate Principles. It will also consider inclusion of a comparable principle within the Curriculum Architecture Postgraduate Principles to enable delivery of an indigenous connected curriculum across the full coursework suite at Macquarie University.

Final report submitted to Academic Senate meeting of 22 February 2022.
COMPLETED

Adoption of recommendations of PIR of Recognition of and Partnership with Student MembersThis project is preparing an implementation plan for the recommendations from the review of student recognition

Academic Senate Membership

This will

- implement ongoing sessional staff representatives

- examine membership for alignment with new staff structures

- consider recommendations arising from findings of Diversity and Inclusion matrix

-consider recommendation from SRC review.

Final report submitted to Academic Senate meeting of 22 March 2022.
COMPLETED

Senate Committee Projects

Principles of co-teaching (i.e. co-teaching, co-locating, and co- badging).  Review and recommendations regarding principles, monitoring and quality assurance

Final report submitted to  Academic Senate meeting of 22 November 2022.

ASQC

Inherent requirements for courses with external accreditation (e.g., LANTITE in education) incorporating review of fitness to practice procedures

This project has become a Thematic Review. Terms of Reference for the Review were approved at the Academic Senate meeting of 22 March 2022.

Ratification of Results Quality Assurance Framework (approved by Senate in 2016).  Review to determine alignment with the new Curriculum Policy Suite.

Progress report submittedd to Academic Senate meeting of 22 November 2022. To continue in to  2023.

ASQC

Defining standards-based assessment at Macquarie

COMPLETED The final report was submitted to Academic Senate on 30 August 2022.

SLTC

Critically evaluating the quality and effectiveness of educational innovations or proposals for innovations

COMPLETED The final report was submitted to Academic Senate on 11 October 2022.

SLTC

Promotion and support of the scholarship of teaching

This project has been removed and instead will become a broader conversation and study between the Chair of SLTC and the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Performance and Development).

Policy Development

Development of Academic Language and Literacies (English Language) Policy

COMPLETED The draft policy was approved by Academic Senate at its meeting of 30 August 2022.

SLTC

Affiliation Policy

This project was rescheduled for 2023

RRTC

Post-Implementation Reviews

Post-implementation Review of Micro-credentials Policy

A review of the Policy by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Programs and Pathways) has led to the removal of this post-implementation review for 2022.

Post-implementation Review of Assessment Policy and Procedure

This project will continue in to 2023

SLTC

Policy Reviews

Review of Academic Progression Policy and Procedure

COMPLETED The revised Policy and Procedure were approved by Academic Senate at its meeting of 26 July 2022

Review of Special Consideration Policy and Procedure

Will continue in to 2023. First tranche of amendments approved at the Academic Senate meeting of 24 May 2022

Review of Curriculum Architecture Policy and Schedules

Review commenced in Q4 2022. Will continue in to 2023

ASQC

Review of Admission Policy and Procedures, Course Transfer (Undergraduate Coursework) Policy and Procedure and development of policy on Exit Awards

Will continue in to 2023

ASQC

Review of Academic Appeals Policy and Procedure

COMPLETED The revised Policy and Procedure were approved by Academic Senate at its meeting of 24 May 2022

SLTC

Review of Learning Technologies Policy and Procedure

COMPLETED The revised Policy and Procedure were approved by Academic Senate at its meeting of 24 May 2022

SLTC

Review of Peer Assisted Learning and Peer Assisted Study Sessions Policy and Procedure

COMPLETED The revised Procedure was approved by Academic Senate at its meeting of 11 October 2022

SLTC

Review of HDR and MRes Termination of Candidature Procedure

COMPLETED The revised Policy and Procedure were approved by Academic Senate at its meeting of 26 July 2022

RRTC

Review of HDR Offsite Research Commencing and Continuing Procedures

COMPLETED The revised Policy and Procedure were approved by Academic Senate at its meeting of 30 August 2022

RRTC

Review of HDR Degree Transfer Policy

COMPLETED The revised Policy and Procedure were approved by Academic Senate at its meeting of 24 May 2022

RRTC

Post-Implementation Review of Shared Academic Governance
Shared Academic Governance is a model of academic governance that shares decision-making between central academic governance bodies, Academic Senate and its committees, and faculty boards and their subcommittees.

The shared model has been implemented in a pilot phase with faculty boards authorised as agents of Academic Senate until such time as Academic Senate conducts a post-implementation review and recommends more permanent delegations.

This project will conduct the post-implementation review.

Completed Final report provided to Academic Senate meeting of 30 November 2021

Post-Implementation Review of Support and Recognition for Students involved in Academic Governance
The project is reviewing the support and recognition initiatives for students introduced by the Support and Recognition for Students involved in Academic Governance project, that ran in 2017.

The 2018–2020 cohort of student senators was the first cohort to have access to this suite of initiatives for the duration of their term.

Completed

Review of Indigenous Connected Curriculum
This project will review the implementation of the Indigenous Connected Curriculum in alignment with the Curriculum Architecture Undergraduate Principles. It will also consider inclusion of a comparable principle within the Curriculum Architecture Postgraduate Principles to enable delivery of an indigenous connected curriculum across the full coursework suite at Macquarie University.

Continued in to 2022

Review of Diversity and Inclusion on Academic Senate
This project will develop a process to assess the range of expertise, diversity and inclusiveness of the membership of Academic Senate and to develop a process to identify and co-opt in the case that a gap in the membership is identified.

Completed Final report provided to Academic Senate meeting of 30 November 2021

Operating Plan 2020–2024 — Academic Senate engagement with academic and other related matters
To contribute to academic matters arising from the Operating Plan 2020–2024 program boards and work streams in a timely fashion.

This includes:

• facilitating consultation with Academic Senate
• establishing and leading working groups of Academic Senate if required
• providing feedback to Program Boards and workstreams.

Removed as project, noting that the relevant Program Boards and workstreams contain staff who are also members of Academic Senate.

Review of University Medal Policy
This project will review the eligibility criteria for the prize of University Medal as described in the Policy, including through benchmarking both domestically and internationally to ensure the prize remains externally competitive and relevant.

It will also review the recent nominations and recipients of the award to highlight disciplines where the opportunity to put students forward for this award is underutilised, in particular under the category of the postgraduate course/program (AQF level 9) — which can be shown to include a substantial piece of independent work.

Completed Final report provided to Academic Senate meeting of 30 November 2021

Preparations for the TEQSA re-registration, including self-assessment and planning for standards relating to academic governance.

Work underway led by Executive Manager, DVC(A)

Quality Assurance Framework (Academic Domain)

Work underway led by Executive Manager, DVC(A)

Curriculum Architecture 2.0

Work underway led by DVC(A)

Policy review schedule

Completed. Policies review/development table available on Policy Central.

Recommendations from the post-implementation review of the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF)

On hold until release of TEQSA response to Noonan Review of the AQF.

Review of General Coursework Rules for Practical, Clinical and Professional Courses

Completed. Presented at Council meeting in December 2020.

Post-Implementation Review of Support and Recognition for Students involved in Academic Governance

Continues into 2021.

External Review of Academic Senate

Completed. Also see response project, below.

Composition of Academic Senate

Completed. Amendments to Senate Rules available on Calendar of governance, legislation and rules.

Post-Implementation Review of Shared Academic Governance

Continues into 2021.

Response to Recommendations from External Review of Academic Senate

Complete. Implementation plan approved by Academic Senate.

Preparations for the TEQSA re-registration, including self-assessment and planning for standards relating to Academic Governance.

Work continues in 2021, led by Executive Manager, DVC(A)

Quality Assurance Framework (Academic Domain)

Work continues in 2021 led by Executive Manager, DVC(A)

Curriculum Architecture 2.0

Work continues in 2021, led by DVC(A)

Implementation of Shared Academic Governance

This project of Academic Senate recognises the role of faculty boards and empowers them to have a greater level of autonomy over coursework curricula.

The project will deliver a greater activation of faculty boards and senate committees through devolved decision-making, supported by threshold standards, robust frameworks and annual reporting cycles to be established by Academic Senate and the Academic Standards and Quality Committee.

Phase 2B has:

• Established a best practice approach to meaningful cross-faculty collaboration and communication, in collaboration with the chairs of faculty boards and faculty board committees (eg FSQC, FLTC or FEC).
• Reviewed rules to ensure alignment with the new approach.
• Collaborated with executive deans for consideration of resourcing.
• Collaborated with the Office of the DVC(A) to ensure appropriate system functionality and required business process design is embedded within the CMS.

A post-implementation review will review the project in quarter 1, 2020.

See the Shared Academic Governance page for more information.

Leads:
Professor Mariella Herberstein, Chair of Senate; Professor Kevin Jameson, DVC(A)

Contact:
Zoë Williams, Head of Governance Services and Assistant Registrar
E: senate@mq.edu.au

Status:
Complete. Post-implementation review in 2020.

Review of General Coursework Rules

This project is reviewing the practical, clinical and professional program requirements outlined in the General Coursework Rules and recommend necessary amendments to reflect University policy.

Leads:
Faculty-elected member of Academic Senate

Contact:
Zoë Williams, Head of Governance Services and Assistant Registrar
E: senate@mq.edu.au

Status:
Continued into 2020

Macquarie University and Freedom of Speech

This project will:

• Review existing policies and documents to assess their effectiveness in protecting and promoting freedom of speech and inquiry.
• Consider how and to what extent should freedom of speech, inquiry and assembly be protected at Macquarie and whether the current policy approach is adequate.
• Conduct national and international sector analysis to determine how freedom of speech is protected at other institutions.
• Review and discuss recommendations of the French Review, when available, making appropriate recommendations to Academic Senate.

Leads:
Chair of Senate and Vice-Chancellor’s nominee

Contact:
Zoë Williams, Head of Governance Services and Assistant Registrar
E: senate@mq.edu.au

Status:
Complete

External Review of Academic Senate

The Higher Education Framework Standard 6.1.3(d) requires the governing body to undertake ‘periodic’ (at least every seven years) independent reviews of the effectiveness of the governing body and academic governance processes.

This project will facilitate an external review.

See more information on the External Review of Academic Senate.

Leads:
Professor Mariella Herberstein, Chair of Senate; External Chair. Emeritus Professor Richard Henry AM

Contact:
Zoë Williams, Head of Governance Services and Assistant Registrar
E: senate@mq.edu.au

Status:
Continued into 2020

Post-Implementation Review of Support and Recognition for Students involved in Academic Governance

This is a post-implementation review of the 2017 Support and Recognition for Students involved in Academic Governance project.

It will be led by the Student Senators. The project will review the support and recognition initiatives for effectiveness, and check for alignment with the themes and targets contained within Student Success Strategic Framework.

Leads:
Student Representatives

Contact:
Antonia Dykes, Project Officer
E: senate@mq.edu.au

Status:
Continued into 2020

Recommendations from the Post-implementation review of the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF)

The AQF Second Edition was released in January 2013, and an Addendum for Masters Degrees was released in June 2014. From 1 January 2015 all new enrolments were required to be in qualifications that meet the requirements of the AQF Second Edition.

In 2018, a desk audit was conducted to document, assess and report on the University’s response to the implementation of the new AQF.

A project was scheduled for 2019 to respond to the recommendations from the desk audit. Following the announcement of a review by the Department of Education, this project was put on hold. The report was released in late October 2019. This project will commence when the report from the review has been endorsed by TEQSA.

Contact:
Paul Fairweather
Quality Assurance and Compliance Manager
E: senate@mq.edu.au

Status:Continued into 2020

Supporting DVC (A) work in a review of the University approach to quality

In 2018 an audit was conducted of quality assurance across the University. This included a benchmarking analysis of peer institutions to determine different approaches to academic quality assurance, and furthermore, to detail how higher education institutions address regulatory requirements.

A report identified appropriate business owners for different review categories, allowing for the appropriate referral of both academic governance and management recommendations.

This project will respond to the academic governance recommendations.

Leads:
Member of Academic Senate

Contact:
Zoë Williams, Head of Governance Services and Assistant Registrar
E: senate@mq.edu.au

Status:
Continued into 2020

Project

Leads

Contact

Status

Purpose and Composition of Academic Senate

Working group chair: Professor Mariella Herberstein

Zoe Williams, Head of Governance Services
E: senate@mq.edu.au

Complete

Developing the Model for Shared Responsibility of Academic Governance

Steering group co-chairs: Professor Mariella Herberstein, Chair of Senate;
Professor Kevin Jameson, DVC(A)

Working group co-chairs:
Professor Mariella Herberstein, Chair of Senate; Associate Professor Catriona Lavermicocca, Chair of ASQC

Zoe Williams, Head of Governance Services
E: senate@mq.edu.au

Phase 1: Complete. Principles for Delegated Authority approved by Academic Senate in November

Phase 2A: Resources. This phase is a project of ASQC.

Phase 2B: Cultural Change.
Continuing in 2019

Post-implementation review of the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF)

Working group chair: Professor Jim Denier

Paul Fairweather. Quality Assurance and Compliance Manager
E: senate@mq.edu.au

Continuing in 2019

Post-implementation review of the Higher Education Standards Framework (HESF)

Working group chair: Professor Jacqueline Phillips, Deputy Chair of Academic Senate

Paul Fairweather. Quality Assurance and Compliance Manager
E: senate@mq.edu.au

Continuing in 2019

External Review of Academic Senate

TBC

Zoe Williams, Head of Governance Services
E: senate@mq.edu.au

Postponed to 2019

Curriculum Architecture

Professor Mariella Herberstein, Chair of Senate; Professor Kevin Jameson, DVC(A)

Zoe Williams, Head of Governance Services
E: senate@mq.edu.au

Complete

Policy Review

Working group chair: Professor Peter Radan

Ellen Carlson, Policy Manager. E: senate@mq.edu.au

Ongoing