Approved on	5 November 2003	by	Academic Council	Res. No.	AC/168/2003
Last Amended	18 June 2008	by	Academic Council	Res. No.	AC/89/2008
Next Review Date	January 2009
Keywords	External, Units, Majors, Courses, Onshore, Offshore, Flexible Learning, Online
Trade Practices Act	Users of this policy need to be aware of the Trade Practices Act which can be found at https://www.legal.murdoch.edu.au/common/tradepractices.html

External offering of units, majors and courses (onshore and offshore)

PREAMBLE

Murdoch University is committed to providing a flexible learning environment for its students: one that enables students to access units from both on and off campus [AC/40/2002 (1) (i)]. In support of this vision, Academic Council adopted [AC 40/2002 (iii)] a flexible unit model which enables schools to design and offer teaching materials and activities so that students can access them in the most appropriate format.

Units have the following elements which can be offered through both traditional (face-to-face and in print) and online mechanisms (subject to copyright restrictions).

Element	Description	Traditional	Online
Unit description	General, public information about a unit	Handbook	Online Handbook and online Unit Welcome Page
Unit Information and Learning Guide	Information specific to an individual unit offering, e.g. assessment requirements	Print	Learning Management System
Learning Materials	Resources used to support teaching in all offerings of a unit, e.g. unit reader, lecture notes, laboratory manual	Print	Electronic Course Materials Service
Teaching Activities	Verbal delievery of content in a one to many setting	Lectures	Lecture recordings (Lectopia)
Collaboration and communication	Opportunities for students to communicate with other students and their lecturers	Tutorials, laboratories, group work, etc.	Learning Management System and other technologies

Murdoch values face-to-face teaching but acknowledges that not all students can attend campus at all times. Murdoch tries to accommodate the needs of students by providing flexivle, but equivalent, access to unit materials and teaching and assessment activities. Students will have the opportunity to access materials needed for their units in the way that is most convenient for them.

The decision on which formats to use within a particular unit should be based primarily on what is in the best interests of the students and what is consistent with the learning outcomes of the specific unit. For example, audio-only digital recording may not be appropriate when visuals or in-class discussions are crucial, online discussion may not be appropriate if face-to-face communication is essential, and online assessment may not be appropriate when manipulative skills are essential.

Council has previously passed a number of other resolutions regarding the offering of units, majors and courses externally (AC/125/1996, AC/41/2000 and AC/171/2001). This document combines these previous resolutions, which have been updated as necessary to reflect the flexible unit model.

1.	ONSHORE

	1.1	Units

		1.1.1	Faculty Boards, on the basis of the Faculty's strategic, academic and equity goals, budget considerations and workload considerations for academic and general staff, decide which units can be accessed externally. On behalf of Academic Council the President of Academic Council approves units to be accessed externally.

		1.1.2	Unit Co-ordinators are responsible for the management of internal and external students. For internal students, unit materials are normally delivered via the bookshop and assignment exchange will be via whatever system the Unit Coordinator nominates. For external students, unit materials and assignment exchange are normally provided centrally. Unit Coordinators are responsible for determining tutors for both internal and external students.
		1.1.3	Some units that are available externally include a requirement to attend laboratories or other activities on-campus or to participate in field work. Such requirements must be included in the Handbook unit description. Students who are unable to meet such requirements should not enrol in the unit.

	1.2	Majors and Courses

		1.2.1	Faculty Boards, on the basis of the Faculty's strategic, academic and equity goals, budget considerations and workload considerations for academic and general staff, decide which majors and courses will be recommended for approval to be accessed externally offshore.

		1.2.2	If a major or course is offered externally onshore:

			all core units are to be available externally; as broad a range of specified elective units as possible in the major are to be offered externally so that external students are not unduly disadvantaged in comparison with internal students. However, it is accepted that this range may be smaller than that available to internal students.
2.	OFFSHORE

	2.1	Undergraduate

		2.1.1	Undergraduate courses will not be approved for offering externally to offshore international students.

		2.1.2	In exceptional circumstances Academic Council may provide approval for individual offshore international students to undertake an undergraduate course externally. This is subject to teaching materials and support services being of a suitable standard and the relevant Faculty Deans providing the following sign-off to Academic Council: Murdoch International will only offer a place to the nominated offshore international student in the external mode (and not whilst the student is in Australia nor whilst the student is enrolled in a Murdoch course offered through a partner institution offshore) once it has been satisfied the student has access to the necessary facilities (such as e-mail, the Internet, library and other resources) relevant to the particular units the student will be required to complete.

		2.1.3	The Learning and Teaching Committee of Academic Council will review the enrolment, retention and success of postgraduate offshore international students on an annual basis, and as part of the review of Boards of Examiners outcomes.

	2.2	Postgraduate

		2.2.1	Postgraduate courses which have been approved for offering in the external mode may be available to offshore international students following approval by Academic Council.

		2.2.2	Murdoch International will only offer postgraduate offshore international students the external mode (and not whilst the student is in Australia nor whilst the student is enrolled in a Murdoch course offered through a partner institution offshore) once it has been satisfied the student has appropriate access to the necessary facilities (such as e-mail, the Internet, library and other resources) relevant to the particular units the student will be rquired to complete.

		2.2.3	The Learning and Teaching Committee of Academic Council will review the enrolment, retention and success of postgraduate offshore international students on an annual basis, and as part of the review of Boards of Examiners outcomes.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Responsible Officer	Secretary to Academic Council
Implementation Officers	Faculty Deans; Director, Office of Central Student Administration
Information Contact Officer	Secretary to Academic Council

RELATED MATERIALS / POLICIES:

Academic Planning Guidelines
Bachelor Degree Regulations
Faculty Regulations
Offshore Course Offerings
Postgraduate Coursework Regulations

REVISION HISTORY:
Approved / Amended / Rescinded	Date	Committee	Resolution Number
Approved	5 November 2003	Academic Council	AC/168/2003
Amended	2 February 2005	Academic Council	AC/8/2005 (iv)
Amended	25 January 2006	Academic Council	AC/16/2006 (i)(b)
Amended	1 November 2006	Academic Council	AC/133/2006
Amended	18 June 2008	Academic Council	AC/89/2008