Policy No	N/A
Approved on	20 November 2003	by	Records Manager/Archivist	Resolution No	N/A
Last Amended	10 November 2005	by	Records Manager/Archivist	Resolution No	N/A
Next Review Date	10 November 2008
Keywords	Establishment and Operation of Offshore Courses, Records Management, Accountability, Operational Efficiencies, State Records Act 2000

Printable Offshore Programs Policy [46.8 KB pdf]

Offshore Programs: Record-keeping Requirements

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance about the record-keeping requirements pertaining specifically to the establishment and operation of offshore courses.

It is a requirement of the State Records Act (2000) that full and complete records of the University’s business activity must be created and maintained to ensure sufficient evidence of the University’s performance of those functions. This includes documentation that shows university policy, procedures and guidelines relating to the development and implementation of offshore courses have been followed, eg business plans and feasibility analyses.

All staff with responsibilities for offshore courses are expected to maintain a high standard of record-keeping to ensure the University’s compliance with legislative and administrative requirements. Ensuring a high standard of record-keeping for offshore courses will also assist Divisions/Schools in being prepared for periodic quality reviews and auditing purposes as well as helping to maintain an overall high standard of operational efficiency.

Records in all formats, i.e. hardcopy and electronic, are covered by this document.

The responsible officer must ensure the following records are identified, documented and maintained by the appropriate Office/School/Division in an appropriate record-keeping system. In many cases these records are created and maintained by electronic systems such as the Callista Student Management System.

Record Type	Description	Responsibility
Assessment and Academic Progress	Course assessment lists (electronic or hardcopy)	Division Student Services or School Office
Assessment and Academic Progress	Application for an intermission from an offshore course	Central Student Administration
Assessment and Academic Progress	Appeals by students against a final grade awarded in a course or examination	Secretary to Student Appeals Committee
Assessment and Academic Progress	Appeals by students against exclusion from an offshore course	Secretary to Student Appeals Committee
Assessment and Academic Progress	Applications for deferred assessment and associated correspondence	Central Student Administration (Examinations and Graduations)
Assessment and Academic Progress	Final checklists of intending graduates from offshore courses	Central Student Administration (Examinations and Graduations)
Committees	Agendas, minutes and reports of: 1. Offshore Course Proposal Advisory Group 2. Academic Policy Committee 3. Senior Executive Committee 4. Academic Council 5. Senate 6. Divisional Boards 7. School Committees 8. Working Parties Extracts to be added to applicable central files	Records Management & Archives
Correspondence	General correspondence with offshore partners and students including relevant e-mail communications	Division Student Services or School Office
Correspondence	General correspondence with offshore partners where negotiations and authorisations for new courses are involved	PVC (Strategy)
Establishment of Course - planning and approval process	Business Plan plus any amendments	PVC (Strategy)
Establishment of Course - planning and approval process	Feasibility analyses	PVC (Strategy)
Establishment of Course - planning and approval process	Risk Management reports	PVC (Strategy)
Establishment of Course - planning and approval process	Financial viability reports for offshore course proposals	PVC (Strategy)
Establishment of Course - planning and approval process	Reference checks of offshore partners	PVC (Strategy)
Establishment of Course - planning and approval process	Approval process for qualifications to be issued to offshore students successfully completing the course	Central Student Administration (Examinations)
Establishment of Course - planning and approval process	Offshore course approval forms (formerly LOTE)	Academic Policy Committee
Examinations	Examination question papers (including supplementary and deferred Examination question papers)	School Office
Examinations	Examination scripts/answer booklets	School Office
Financial Reporting requirements	Monthly financial reports for each offshore course	Head of School
Financial Reporting requirements	Half-Yearly financial reports for each offshore course	Executive Dean
Financial Reporting requirements	Annual financial reports for each offshore course	PVC (Strategy)
Financial Reporting requirements	Annual Report	Executive Dean
Legal documentation	Offshore course agreements including any English translation	Legal & Governance
Legal documentation	Course licence agreements issued in host country plus annual renewal of licence	PVC (Strategy)
Legal documentation	Other legal agreements including in-country legal jurisdiction documents	Legal & Governance
Payments to Murdoch teaching staff	Authorisations, and support documentation, for payments made to staff through the central payroll system including payments for teaching and payments for marking examination papers	School Office
Payments to Murdoch teaching staff	Spreadsheets maintained by Schools for recording remuneration payments to staff where payments are made via the School and not the central payroll system	School Office
Payments to Murdoch teaching staff	Payments to reimburse staff for sundry expenses associated with offshore teaching commitments such as transport, meals and incidentals	School Office
Reviews	Six monthly review of contractual issues	PVC (Strategy)
Reviews	Annual Review of contractual issues	PVC (Strategy)
Reviews	Five-yearly review	PVC (Academic)
Reviews	Quality reviews including academic quality assurance reviews	PVC (Academic)
Reviews	Reports and working papers of the Office of Audit & Review	Internal Audit & risk Management
Reviews	Reports and working papers of other specific investigations	Records Management & Archives
Staffing	Approval of teaching arrangements including Executive Dean's authorisations for allocation of teaching staff	Executive Dean
Staffing	Teaching timetables	School Office
Staffing	Course outlines and course content used in teaching courses	School Office
Staffing	Travel arrangements including scheduling and payment of airfares and accommodation expenses	School Office
Student enrolment details	Applications, offers and admissions - new students	Murdoch International
Student enrolment details	Annual enrolment, change of address - existing students	Central Student Administration (Fees & Enrolments)
Student Fees	Invoices generated for offshore courses (Callista-generated, but also includes non Callista-generated invoices)	Central Student Administration (Fees & Enrolments)
Student Fees	Fee liability reports (Callista-generated)	Central Student Administration (Fees & Enrolments)
Student Fees	Payment receipts issued by Cashier and returned to School	School Office
Student Fees	Monitoring of payments and monies outstanding including reconciliation activities and reminder notices for overdue payments	School Office / Central Student Administration (Fees & Enrolments)

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Responsible Officer	General Counsel & University Secretary
Implementation Officers	Records Manager/Archivist
Information Contact Officer	Records Manager/Archivist

RELATED MATERIALS/POLICIES:

Manual for the Development and Implementation of Offshore Courses

Printable Offshore Programs Policy [46.8 KB pdf]

Records Management & Archives

Offshore Programs: Record-keeping Requirements