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Wednesday, 20 April 2011
  • General progress
  • Project timelines and milestones
  • Work program priorities for 2011, and measures being taken

General progress

There continues to be strong and widespread support within and beyond the University for the principles that underpin the new course structures. Although implementing such a large set of changes is a complex process, the work has gone according to plan, a collaborative spirit predominates, and we are meeting our targets. Nevertheless the Implementation Committee recognises that with less than a year to go before the new courses begin there can be no room for complacency.

Project timelines and milestones

The Timelines and Milestones document, available on the New courses 2012 web site , is continually checked and occasionally modified as the project proceeds. It is based on frequent consultation with relevant individuals and groups, and used as a frame of reference by the Implementation Committee and its working parties. It illustrates steady and timely progress.

Work program priorities for 2011, and measures being taken

Priorities for attention

1.    Intensifying and expanding internal and external communications
2.    Ensuring a good fit between classroom capacity and teaching needs.
3.    Ensuring that equity, access and social outreach plans are advanced through NC2012
4.    Adjusting budgetary arrangements to reflect different teaching costs
5.    Providing options and support to all students during transition.
6.    Safeguarding the cohort experience
7.    Establishing a “hub and spokes” model for student advising.
8.    Modifying some course administration arrangements.
9.    Ensuring that service learning opportunities are well regulated and recorded.
10.  Completing the alignment of postgraduate course structures with agreed principles
11.  Gaining government approval for key changes.


Priorities for attention and measures being taken


1. Intensifying and expanding internal and external communications

This year it will be necessary to intensify and widen our efforts to communicate information externally and internally about the new course arrangements, and to ensure that they are attractively marketed.

External publicity will include:

•    Further meetings with school reps and other stakeholder groups
•    TV campaign promoting UWA generally (not just new courses)
•    Enhancement of NC2012 website (averaging 2000 visits a week – site  traffic from external visits increasing
•    Wide range of publications and events, e.g. prospectuses, Open Day, sessions with career advisers etc.
•    Different way of presenting course details through TISC to ensure all majors are clearly visible.
•    Comprehensive planning documents to guide publicity on specific aspects of NC2012, e.g. a marketing strategy for B.Phil(Hons).

Internal communication will include:

•    Information Workshops for staff members on implementation developments and strategy updates.
•    Regular written reports and newsletters to various committees and groups around the University
•    Updates through the News link in the staff section of the NC2012 website
•    Further presentations to Heads of Schools arranged by Organisational and Staff Development Services
•    Sessions at events such as the recent Leadership Day, and various ad hoc meetings by invitation.
•    Consultations arranged in partnership with the Guild, such as a meeting with the Guild Education Council and an open Student Forum.


2. Ensuring a good fit between classroom capacity and teaching needs.

As noted in the Risk Register, it is necessary to guard against the possibility that the demand for student places in some disciplines may exceed the capacity of the buildings and specialist facilities such as laboratories.

Venues Management has revised its preliminary modelling of the impact of NC2012 on space and timetabling requirements in the light of further analysis and trend data provided by Planning Services. Final numbers will be rechecked in July after all unit details are approved. The modelling predicts that enrolments in some units will increase, but that existing venues can accommodate the additional numbers – in some cases through the use of repeat lectures, recorded lectures, video-linked classrooms, more flexible scheduling, and/or (in a few special cases) capped numbers for certain units. The University will not need to create more teaching space in the short term. A new large-capacity lecture theatre is likely to be required within 5 years.

3. Ensuring that equity, access and social outreach plans are advanced through NC2012

While the new course structures are intrinsically more equitable than current structures (notably in providing a more level playing field for those wanting to pursue professional careers), other strategies will be necessary to support the University’s aspirations to diversify its student body.

Aspire UWA is working with schools, communities and educational organisations to raise aspirations amongst high school students from backgrounds typically under-represented in higher education.

Special entry mechanisms for domestic students are also being extended. In addition to the UWAY, CountryWay and Mature Access programs, two new schemes will be operating – Fairway and Broadway.

4. Adjusting budgetary arrangements to reflect different teaching costs

The proportion of postgraduate students within the total load will increase significantly when professional courses such as Law, Medicine, Engineering and Dentistry move up from the undergraduate level.

Teaching at the higher level will incur additional costs, and the Faculty Funding Model will need careful modification to reflect this load shift.

A subcommittee of the Planning and Budget Committee is considering several possible measures such as budget weights, capping of places, and a smoothing mechanism.

The subcommittee will also consider the results of modelling by Financial Planning in conjunction with Planning Services, based on projected new course loads, and present the results at a Planning and Budget Workshop in June. Recommendations from the workshop will be considered for introduction in the 2012 UWA Budget Process.

5. Providing options and support to all students during transition.

One of the recommendations in the Review of Course Structures report (2008) emphasised the University’s responsibility to ensure that careful provision should be made for the needs of students already enrolled before 2012 as well as for new students.

Academic Council has endorsed the recommendations of a report from the Student Transition Working Party, based on extensive faculty consultation. The main principles outlined in this report are:

•    Students completing courses that will be phased out should not suffer disadvantage during the transition;
•    Transition to new courses will be voluntary but encouraged where feasible;
•    Special consideration will be given to the educational needs of students not making the transition to the new courses;
•    No student commencing in 2011 should be disadvantaged merely because of the enrolment year.
•    Faculties recognise a need to deploy adequate resources for such things as developing study plans and checking enrolments.

Each Faculty was asked to prepare its own detailed transition plan, reflecting these principles. Student Services is liaising with faculty managers on this basis.

Public Affairs in consultation with the Marketing & Communications Working Party has produced a Communications Strategy for Current Students, and an information leaflet is being printed to publicise transfer options, postgraduate study opportunities, etc.

6. Safeguarding the cohort experience

In moving to fewer and broader undergraduate degrees, it will be important to minimise any possible loss of students’ sense of belonging to a relevant cohort of peers – a community of interest. In partnership with the Guild, a new working party is currently being formed to explore the issues and remedies, and develop consultatively a report and recommendations.

7. Establishing a 'hub and spokes' model for student advising.

Recognising that the new undergraduate courses will be University-wide and that the broadening component requires students to take units from more than one degree, the Student Advice Working Party has recommended a ‘hub and spokes’ approach to advising. The central hub (both physical and virtual) will provide information, frontline guidance and referral to specialist services. The spokes will comprise a series of faculty-situated advising centres offering specific course advice on at least one of the new undergraduate courses.

The objective is to ensure the provision of consistent advice to NC2012 students across central administration and faculty offices.  This requires establishment of a common set of policies and procedures to guide advising functions and decision making.

There is strong support for the hub-and-spokes concept and the details are being fleshed out through an ongoing consultative process involving key staff across faculties and central administration to ensure that implementation of the model is consistent, efficient and harmonious.

A project devoted specifically to operational planning for the hub and spokes has been funded for 2011 and is well under way. It involves intensive workshops with key staff to agree upon and develop the policies, procedures and guidelines to support the new student advice model.  The project also will address the need for ongoing training programs, an online manual for advisers and accurate record-keeping procedures, as well as establish ongoing governance for the new model.

A separate project is in place to redesign the current students’ web sites, which will be re-launched for New Courses 2012, and elements of the University handbook to provide online comprehensive course advice.

A process will be established to monitor the success of the new model and a formal review scheduled for late 2012.

8. Modifying some course administration arrangements.

As primary administrative responsibility for undergraduate courses moves from faculties to the University as a whole, it will be necessary to alter some existing mechanisms and delegation arrangements. A discussion paper setting out options for possible changes (e.g. in admission procedures, academic progression and course transfer applications)was sent to Deans and faculty officers. Consultations have been held with representatives from all faculties, and the Frameworks & Definitions Working Party will soon advise the Implementation Committee on these matters.

9. Ensuring that service learning opportunities are well regulated and recorded.

Senate has agreed that the aim of increasing students’ engagement with the wider community through service activities should be pursued through a staged process. We need to ensure that these activities are professionally supported and formally regulated in accordance with national guidelines for involving volunteers in not-for-profit organisations.

We also need to persuade more staff to integrate community service activities into the units they teach. On this matter the University is working in close partnership with the Student Guild, which has a joint venture with Volunteering WA. One important step is to develop an appropriate way of recording a student’s community service experience and recognising it on the academic transcript. Career Hub software is adaptable to this purpose and an implementation plan is currently being prepared.

The Service Learning Working Party has also been promoting the value of service learning through workshops with staff, e.g. at a session during Leadership Day in February.

10. Completing the alignment of postgraduate course structures with agreed principles

While the new undergraduate courses have been through a rigorous process of approval, more remains to be done with postgraduate coursework.

Almost all existing postgraduate courses have now been aligned with the principles adopted by Academic Council to ensure consistent standards and practices for admission, course length, articulation and other matters.  A standing subcommittee of the Board of Coursework Studies is systematically reviewing concept plans submitted for new postgraduate courses, and providing feedback to faculties. When these new course proposals have gone through further development, the Board will advise Academic Council on approvals.

11. Gaining government approval for key changes.

The University has sought formal assurances that domestic students will receive Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) on admission to a professional-entry postgraduate course.

Further, we are seeking agreement that CSPs for various other postgraduate courses in areas of national importance (e.g. Physics and Maths) will also be HECS-based.

Discussions with DEEWR have been protracted because of national events beyond our control. There continues to be regular contact between the University Executive and DEEWR on this matter. We still await formal confirmation from the Minister that our requests will be met but we anticipate a positive decision.


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Media references

Winthrop Professor Ian Reid

Senior Academic Reviewer

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