Students Employed as Casual Teaching Staff

Intent

To define principles for the employment of students in teaching roles to ensure that:

(i) the quality of the learning of other students is enriched and not compromised, and

(ii) the validity of assessment is not compromised.

Scope

Covers all levels and kinds of casual teaching for which students are employed.

Does not cover teaching activities designed primarily to enhance the professional skills of the student and conducted under the direct supervision of a university staff member who is responsible for the quality of the activity and the assessment of other students participating in the activity.

Key Objectives

To ensure that academic standards, quality of learning, and quality assurance are maintained in teaching.

To ensure that there is sufficient flexibility so that it is possible for students with special expertise to be employed in teaching roles.

To ensure that employment conditions are followed when students perform teaching roles.

Definitions

Teaching: Includes all activities defined as occurring in 'classes' in the Union Collective Agreement 2006: lectures, tutorials, demonstrations, practical sessions or fieldwork (including assessment associated with such activities).

Policy and Procedures

The Head of School and Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor are responsible for the observance of this policy in the ways specified below.

Introduction

This policy defines the conditions for selecting and advising casual teaching staff who also happen to be enrolled as students. The policy is conceived from a teaching and learning perspective and recognises that serious quality assurance matters and the perception of equity are at stake.

Rationale

There is virtue in having students acting as paid teachers on occasions. There is a significant literature outlining the value of peer learning and teaching. There are benefits to both the teacher and the student. For example, the students conducting the teaching consolidate their own understanding of a subject by teaching it. The students being taught may well identify with the student doing the teaching and engage more willingly with the subject matter. It is also obvious that university staff are often educating their future colleagues and the development of teaching skills is an important component of that academic professional education.

In many of our courses there are also students who demonstrate significant skills, understandings and values from relevant experience in the workforce. However, for quality assurance and to maintain a strong and visible stance of impartiality and objectivity in assessment practice some basic principles must to be observed. These principles may seem like common sense, but significant violations of them in the Australian system indicate that clear statement is necessary. This policy should be read in conjunction with the James Cook University Code of Conduct regarding ethical teaching practice :

3.3 Ethical teaching practice

A member of the University's academic or research staff must seek explicit written permission from the relevant Pro-Vice-Chancellor if they wish to enrol in a subject or degree program for which there is potential for conflict of interest between his or her roles of student and assessor. eg staff member enrolled in postgraduate degree teaching in the coursework component of, or supervising other students in, the same or associated degree program; staff member giving specialist lectures in a subject in which he or she is enrolled.

Policy detail

In keeping with the Code of Conduct:

1. Normally a student may not be employed to teach or participate in the assessment1 of a subject in which he or she is enrolled (See 5).

2. Normally a student will be a graduate (or eligible to graduate) before being employed to teach or participate in the assessment of a subject (See 5).

3. No student may be employed to teach or participate in the assessment of a subject at the same level as any subject in which he or she is enrolled without the written permission of the Pro Vice-Chancellor.

4. The gap between general level of undergraduate enrolment and the teaching level will normally be at least two years. For example, an Honours student in a four year honours degree would normally not be permitted to teach above second year of the relevant undergraduate program. Exceptions must be approved by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor. No student employed under this exception may be responsible for the assessment of another student.

5. There are exceptional cases where the specialised professional or workplace expertise of students may be called upon in the teaching of a subject in which they are enrolled. This might occur for example in course work programs at the postgraduate level, or when suitably experienced mature age students are enrolled in undergraduate courses, Occasionally, the extent of this teaching might warrant payment. Such payment requires the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor. Whether or not payment is made on such occasions, the student

5.1. Must not participate in the assessment of any part of that subject,

5.2. Must not have access to any more information about assessment for the subject than any other student, and

5.3. Must not have access to any information about any other student's performance in this or any other subject.

6. It is recognised that in some classes some or all students participate in the assessment of each others' work. This may be educationally desirable, but its training purpose must be recognised by allocating a weighting of ten per cent or less to such assessment unless it is moderated and authorised by the subject coordinator. Provided student assessment (up to 10 per cent) is invigilated, it may count as part of the minimum invigilated component specified by Academic Board.

Related documents, legislation or JCU Statutes

Union Collective Agreement (Current)

Australian Workplace Agreement where applicable

Code of Conduct

Teaching and Learning Plan

Approval Details

Modification History