| Course: |
A coherent combination of Units approved by Academic Council that leads to a particular qualification. All bachelor degree courses shall include at least one Major, except in the case of General Arts which will comprise three Minors. The requirements of the Course therefore comprise the requirements of the qualification plus the requirements of the Major.
In the case of double degrees, a Course may lead to more than one qualification. In the case of all postgraduate Courses, the Course and the qualification are equivalent. |
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| Discontinuation: |
The permanent removal of a Course, Major, Minor or Unit offered by the University. Once a Course, Major, Minor or Unit is discontinued no further enrolments shall be accepted into it. |
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| Major: |
In undergraduate level courses, a Major is a prescribed, academically coherent grouping of Units approved by Academic Council, which prescribes at least 24 Part II points and at most 12 Part I points. Specific approval must be granted by Academic Council to prescribe more than 12 Part I points [based upon AC 104/99(e) - 10/11/99]. A primary major is the major associated with the course. |
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| Minor: |
In undergraduate-level courses, a Minor is a prescribed, academically coherent grouping of Units that requires completion of fewer points than a Major. A minor can be within or outside the area of a studen'ts Major and has the purpose of specialisation or diversification.
A Minor has a points value of between 11 and 19 points, including no more than 9 Part I points and at least 8 Part II points. At least 6 Part II points of a Minor cannot be counted towards a major or another Minor.
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| Unit: |
A Unit is the basic component of study, normally completed over a single teaching period. A combination of required Units (i.e. core Units plus specified elective Units) and general elective Units make up a Course. |
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| Unit Set: |
A Unit Set is used to define a student's nominated path of study and to assist in the assessment of progression and completion of the student's Course attempt. For academic purposes, Unit Sets are a grouping of related Units. The Units represent a defined area of study within a degree. Unit Sets can be broken down into types such as Majors and Minors. They all have their own completion rules and most have a level of choice. |
| 1. Review of Academic Offerings |
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1.1 |
Schools are required to review their academic offerings each year as part of academic planning. At undergraduate level the introduction of a new Course, Major or Minor will often be justified by the discontinuation of another Course, Major or Minor. The introduction of a new Unit will often be justified by the discontinuation of an existing Unit. |
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1.2 |
School Deans, Faculty Deans and the University will review the overall academic profile of each Faculty annually on a range of criteria that meet the operational needs of the Faculty and the strategic goals of the University. |
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| 2. Discontinuing a Course or Major |
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2.1 |
As part of annual academic planning, Schools through their Faculty Deans may recommend to Academic Council that particular Courses or Majors be discontinued. A rationale for the discontinuation must be provided as well as a statement of the implications of the change. |
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2.2 |
Once a Course or Major has been discontinued no new enrolments will be accepted into it. |
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2.3 |
When a Course or Major is discontinued, Schools must afford students the opportunity to complete their Course or Major with an equivalent structure to that published in the Handbook when they commenced their studies in that Course or Major. Students completing a Course or Major which has been discontinued will be required to complete core Units and specified electives Units, subject to prerequisite requirements, prior to completing general elective Units. |
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2.4 |
The Faculty is responsible for determining the options available to students already enrolled in the Course or Major. These include but are not limited to: |
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(a) |
Transferring to a replacement Course or Major, as long as students are not subject to any additional requirements;
or |
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(b) |
Continuing their enrolment in the discontinued Course or Major and being advised how long the core and specified elective Units will be available so that students can plan their study accordingly; |
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(c) |
In the event that no alternative Units are available students will be permitted to undertake an Independent Study Contract (ISC) or an equivalent Unit(s) at an equivalent institution; |
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In circumstances where students are not able to complete core Unit and specified elective Unit requirements in the timeframes determined, Schools may: |
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(d) |
Substitute certain core Units with academically coherent alternatives; |
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(e) |
Monitor the enrolment of students to ensure that core Units are completed as early as possible. |
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(f) |
Provide for all students the name(s) of contact persons to help them determine how to complete their Course or Major core and specified elective Unit requirements within four years. |
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2.5 |
Schools in conjunction with the Faculty officer responsible, must provide written notification to each student currently enrolled in the Course or Major that is being discontinued. This advice must be provided to students within one month of the Academic Council decision, unless an extension is approved by the President of Academic Council. This advice must include: |
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(a) |
The effective date the Course or Major is to be discontinued; |
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(b) |
Their options in relation to completion of their core and specified elective Unit requirements; and |
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(c) |
Their entitlements as prescribed in the relevant regulations. |
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2.6 |
Undergraduate Courses and Majors must be discontinued prior to the TISC deadline. |
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| 3. Discontinuing a Minor |
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3.1 |
As part of the academic planning Schools may recommend to Academic Council that a particular Minor be discontinued. A rationale for the discontinuation must be provided as well as a statement of the implications of the change. |
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3.2 |
Once a Minor has been discontinued no new enrolments will be permitted into that Unit Set. |
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3.3 |
The School is responsible for determining the options available to students already enrolled in the Minors. These include, but are not limited to: |
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(a) |
Transferring to a replacement Minor, as long as students are not subject to any additional requirements; or |
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(b) |
Continuing their enrolment in the discontinued Minor and being advised how long the core and specified elective Units will be available so that students can plan their study accordingly; |
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(c) |
In the event that no alternative Units are available students will be permitted to undertake an Independent Study Contract (ISC) or an equivalent Unit(s) at an equivalent institution; and |
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(d) |
The name(s) of contact persons to help students determine how to complete their Minor core and specified elective Unit requirements. |
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3.4 |
Schools in conjunction with the Faculty officer responsible, must provide written notification to each student currently enrolled in the Minor being discontinued. This advice must be provided to students within one month of the Academic Council decision, unless an extension is approved by the President of Academic Council. This advice must include: |
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(a) |
The date the Minor is to be discontinued; |
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(b) |
The planned discontinuation of core and specified elective Units; and |
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(c) |
The name(s) of contact persons to help students determine how to complete their Minor requirements. |
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| 4. Discontinuing a Unit |
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4.1 |
Schools may recommend the discontinuation of particular Units. Academic Council may over-rule any decision made by a School on Unit offerings where, in its view, this is against the interests overall. Information on discontinued Units is collected via the Academic Planning Database. |
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4.2 |
If a Unit is to be unavailable for a single year, its offering should be identified as NA (Not Available), rather than discontinued. |
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4.3 |
Where a Unit is flagged for discontinuation and is a core Unit or a specified elective Unit in any Course, Major or Minor adequate consideration must be given to the potential effects the discontinuation may have. The School should consult with affected parties to ensure there are no unintended consequences and that replacement Units are inserted where appropriate. |
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4.4 |
Schools may have to delay discontinuing certain Units to accommodate the requirements that students are entitled to complete Course, Major or Minor structures in which they initially enrolled. |
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4.5 |
A summary list of all new, amended and discontinued Units must be submitted to Academic Council for noting. |
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