Comprehensive Course Review Procedure

Intent

These Procedures provide the structure and processes for undertaking comprehensive reviews of all James Cook University (JCU; the University) programs leading to an award, in accordance with the Coursework Approval, Accreditation and Review Policy and clause 5.3 (Monitoring, Review and Improvement) of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (HESF). Findings of the Comprehensive Course Review will be used by the University in ensuring continued compliance with clause 5.1 (Course Approval and Accreditation) of the HESF.

Scope

These Procedures apply to staff engaged in all programs leading to an award at any JCU campus or location.

This Procedure does not apply to review of Higher Degree by Research programs, however these reviews may follow a modified process generally consistent with this Procedure.

Definitions

Unless specified otherwise, the meaning of terms used in this procedure are defined in the Policy Glossary.

Annual Course Performance Report: The regular review of course performance which is used to inform quality improvement activities. Courses to be reviewed will be determined each year.

Comprehensive Course Review (CCR): Cyclical course review (at least every 7 years) to comprehensively review each course’s quality and improvement activities, ‘fit’ and contribution to the University. This review includes scope to review the design and content of each course of study, the expected learning outcomes, and the methods for assessment of those outcomes where the data suggest this is required. The review is expected to consider the extent of student success, the contexts of the student cohort admitted to the course and takes account of emerging developments in the field of education, modes of delivery, the changing needs of students, and the identified risks to the quality of the course of study.

Approved Associated Courses (AACs): Courses that are nested or that are sufficiently similar in intent and outcomes that they can be reviewed together.

Introduction

JCU is committed to conducting systematic reviews of course quality for all JCU coursework programs leading to an award. The purpose of course reviews is to ensure the academic quality of JCU’s coursework programs are of the highest quality possible, and to meet course monitoring and review obligations under the HESF.

A comprehensive course review will be conducted on all courses of study or groups of associated courses at least once every 7 years for the purposes of renewal (i.e., internal re-accreditation).

Procedure

1. Establishing Review Requirements

Comprehensive Course Reviews (CCRs) are undertaken with reference to a set of CCR Quality Indicators as listed in Appendix 1. The review commences with a First Pass assessment which determines the type of review to be undertaken. The timing of review for any particular course is determined by a 7-year schedule of reviews and annual prioritisation of reviews for the current year. The Quality Indicators, the First Pass assessment, and the schedules are all subject to regular refresh.

1.1 Comprehensive Course Review Committee (CCR Committee)

1.1.1 Academic Board will convene a CCR Committee consisting of:

• Deputy Chair or Academic Member of Academic Board (as the Chair of the CCR Committee)
• Dean, Education Design, Quality and Standards
• Manager, Education Quality and Evaluation
• Manager, Reporting and Analytics.

1.1.2 The CCR Committee will meet at least annually, and as often as is required to discharge the following duties:

• Maintain a schedule of CCR activities;
• Monitor implementation of CCRs;
• Verify the type of CCR required for each course;
• Appoint CCR Panel members including the Panel Chair;
• Identify specific foci for the Course Portfolio of Evidence, determined on analysis of the First Pass Assessment and the course’s application for renewal;
• Assuring the fitness-for-purpose of the Panel Report and recommending approval to Academic Board; and
• Maintain the fitness-for-purpose of the CCR Quality Indicators and the First Pass Assessment, by regular review.

1.1.3 The CCR Committee Secretariat will be provided by the Quality and Standards Coordinator and will maintain all records pertaining to this Procedure.

1.1.4 Requests to change the schedule of review or dates for submission of reporting requirements as covered in this Procedure must be made in writing to the Chair, CCR Committee for determination. Requests based on workload or scheduled leave will not normally be granted. The Chair, CCR Committee’s decision is final. Changes to schedules and/or submission dates are to be reported by CCR Committee Secretariat to Academic Committees and relevant stakeholders as appropriate.

1.2 Setting of Comprehensive Course Review Quality Indicators and First Pass Assessment

1.2.1 CCR Quality Indicators, as listed in Appendix 1, or as amended in accordance with this procedure, provide quantifiable measures used for the purposes of:

• evaluating the quality of course performance; and
• developing a risk profile for each course based on performance against the indicator thresholds.

1.2.2 The First Pass assessment is undertaken to establish the risk profile of a course based on a weighted risk analysis of a course’s performance against the CCR Quality Indicators. The risk score determines the type of review required and the distribution of contributing Quality Indicators influences the type of evidence required in the portfolio. There are three types of CCR:

• Desktop Review (Low Risk);
• Panel Interview (Moderate Risk); and
• Panel Visit (High Risk).

1.2.3 The CCR Committee will, in Q4 of each year, or as proposed by a majority of the CCR Committee, review and confirm the design, scope, and impact of the CCR Quality Indicators and the methodology for the First Pass assessment. Amendment to the CCR Quality Indicators or First Pass assessment will be proposed to Curriculum Committee for endorsement and approved by Academic Board.

1.3 Schedule of Comprehensive Course Reviews

1.3.1 The schedule of CCRs is set in consideration of prior CCRs within the context of the 7-year cycle, external accreditation scheduling, and recommendations or conditions set down by other internal reviews or audits.

1.3.2 The Dean, Education Design, Quality and Standards will, in Q1 of each year, review the existing 7-year Schedule of CCRs and as appropriate, will recommend revisions to that schedule to the CCR Committee for approval. Amendment to the Schedule of CCRs will be noted by the Academic Board.

1.4 Comprehensive Course Review Course Groups and Exclusions

1.4.1 Based on the 7-year Schedule of Comprehensive Course Reviews, the Academic Program Quality Advisor will in Q1 of each year, confirm the list of courses and course groups (main course plus approved associated courses) to be reviewed in that year in consultation with the Dean, Education Design, Quality and Standards and CCR Committee Secretariat.

1.4.2 Courses may be excluded from the review for that year if they are in teach-out (with pending discontinuation) or have not yet reached a cohort completion. Courses may be scheduled to undergo a review prior to completion of the first cohort, particularly for courses of five years’ duration or more.

1.4.3 Where a course is planned to be discontinued or suspended, a review may be requested by the CCR Committee to inform future program development.

1.4.4 Courses undertaking a CCR are not required to undertake the annual Course Performance Reporting process in the same calendar year.

2. Undertaking the review

2.1 First Pass Assessment

2.1.1 The First Pass assessment provides a risk assessment based on course performance against the CCR Quality Indicators.

2.1.2 First Pass assessments are produced by the Reporting and Analytics team at the request of the Academic Program Quality Advisor and provided to the CCR Secretariat after ‘fact checking’ and review by the Dean, Education Design, Quality and Standards.

2.2 Portfolio of Evidence

2.2.1 A Portfolio of Evidence, prepared by the Course Coordinator and approved by the College Dean, will be submitted to support their application for internal course accreditation renewal.

2.2.2 The Portfolio of Evidence must:

• be submitted in accordance with the nominated timeframe as determined by the CCR Committee;
• address issues of course quality and compliance with the HESF;
• respond to the First Pass risk assessment, and where the risk rating is medium or high, provide the supporting evidence of action to redress or mitigate the risks; and
• respond to the CCR focus questions provided.

2.2.3 The CCR focus questions are selected by the Chair, CCR Committee and the Manager, Education Quality and Evaluation, after consideration of the First Pass assessment risk rating, relevant context, and other reviews. Additional questions may be specified by the College Deans (or equivalent).

2.2.4 The portfolio of evidence for externally accredited courses under CCR will be informed by compliance with external accreditation requirements and the CCR Quality Indicators.

2.2.5 Table 1 illustrates the determination of the CCR type and requirements based on the Risk Score from the First Pass assessment.

Table 1: Determination of Comprehensive Course Review Activity Types and Requirements

2.3 The Comprehensive Course Review Panel

2.3.1 The CCR Committee will appoint appropriate staff to serve on the CCR Panel to undertake desktop reviews, panel interviews and panel visits as required. The Panel composition will vary across course reviews.

2.3.2 Desktop Review and Panel Interview Reviews will comprise:

• one academic staff member from another College, who is not affiliated with the course under review;
• one Course Coordinator from another College; and
• an academic in a leadership role: a member of the Academic Board or Academic Board Advisor; or a previous Academic Board Member; or College Academic Leaders from another College (Deans, Associate Deans and Academic Heads), Professors and Associate Professors.

2.3.3 Panel Visits will comprise:

• one Course Coordinator from another College, who is not affiliated with the course under review;
• the Dean, Education Design, Quality and Standards;
• an academic in a leadership role: a member from the Academic Board or Academic Board Advisor; or a previous Academic Board Member; or College Academic Leaders from another College (Deans, Associate Deans and Academic Heads), Professors and Associate Professors; and
• an external expert from Alumni, industry, or another institution (proposed by College Dean and approved by CCR Committee).

2.3.4 The Academic Board Member or Academic Board Advisor; or a previous Academic Board Member; or College Academic Leaders from another College (Deans, Associate Deans and Academic Heads) will chair each of the Panels listed above and prepare a summary report for submission to the CCR Committee (Section 3).

2.3.5 The CCR Committee Secretariat will provide administrative support to all CCR Panels including coordinating the collection and dissemination of First Pass reports, and the CCR information brief as required to undertake the review.

2.3.6 The CCR information brief provided to the Panels will include:

• Portfolio of Evidence; and
• First Pass assessment.

2.4 The Desktop Review

2.4.1 The Desktop Review is primarily intended for those courses that achieve a First Pass assessment of low risk. A Desktop Review will typically require supporting evidence to address a limited but specific scope of review, including the most recent external accreditation portfolio and outcomes.

2.4.2 The CCR Panel members will individually review and report on the Simple Portfolio of Evidence.

2.4.3 Following reviews, the CCR Panel members will convene virtually or physically to make determinations and/or recommendations to be included in the panel summary report.

2.4.4 Once completed, it is the responsibility of the Panel Chair to submit the summary report to the CCR Committee Secretariat.

2.5 The Panel Interview

2.5.1 Panel Interview reviews will consider the information sought in a Desktop Review plus additional information derived from 1-2 interviews with key academic staff. The CCR Panel members will individually review and report on the Comprehensive Portfolio of Evidence, informed by interviews.

2.5.2 Panel interviews will be held with members of the senior academic management team for the course. The Panel Interview will be facilitated by the respective College (or Academy as appropriate). Any costs associated with the review are the responsibility of the College (or Academy as appropriate). A Panel Interview review is intended to be administratively simpler than a Panel Visit Review.

2.5.3 The Dean, in consultation with the Course Coordinator, will provide the CCR Committee Secretariat with a recommended list of senior academics with management responsibilities in the relevant course to attend an interview with the Panel. The CCR Committee (or Chair, CCR Committee) will determine from this list which academics will be interviewed and advise the CCR Committee Secretariat to arrange the time and invitations for those interviews to take place.

2.5.4 Where the Panel determines, additional information will be requested.

2.5.5 Questions from the Panel will be provided to the interviewees prior to the interview based on the sufficiency of evidence provided. The Panel may ask additional questions during the interviews.

2.5.6 Following the interviews, the CCR Panel members will convene virtually or physically to make determinations to be included in the summary report.

2.5.7 Once completed, it is the responsibility of the Panel Chair to submit the summary report to the CCR Committee Secretariat.

2.6 The Panel Visit

2.6.1 Panel Visit reviews will consider the information sought in a Desktop Review plus additional information derived from a range of interviews (virtual or physical) with senior academic management, external/industry and student stakeholders. The CCR Panel members will individually review and report on the Comprehensive Portfolio of Evidence, informed by interviews.

2.6.2. Panel Visit reviews will be held with members of the senior academic management team for the course, external/industry and student stakeholders. The Panel Visit review will be facilitated by the respective College (or Academy as appropriate). Any costs associated with the review will be the responsibility of the College (or Academy as appropriate).

2.6.3 The Dean, in consultation with the Course Coordinator, will provide the CCR Committee Secretariat with a recommended list of senior academics with management responsibilities in the relevant course to attend an interview with the panel as well as a list of external/industry and student stakeholders. The CCR Committee (or Chair, CCR Committee) will determine from this list which academics and others will be interviewed and advise the CCR Committee Secretariat to arrange the time and invitations for those interviews to take place.

2.6.4 In view of the risk profile of a course schedule for a Panel Visit, a Comprehensive Portfolio of Evidence is required addressing all CCR focus questions.

2.6.5 Questions from the Panel will be provided to the interviewees prior to the interviews based on the sufficiency of evidence provided. The Panel may ask additional questions during the interviews.

2.6.6 Following the interviews, the CCR Panel members will convene virtually or physically to make determinations to be included in the summary report.

2.6.7 Once completed, it is the responsibility of the Panel Chair to submit the summary report to the CCR Committee Secretariat.

3. Panel Reporting

3.1 CCR Panels (desktop, panel interview, panel visit) provide individual reports plus a summary report to the CCR Committee. The summary report will reference the CCR Quality Indicators and other relevant information, along with a consensus proposal to either:

• Renew the internal accreditation of the course of study (with no specified recommendations and/or conditions);
• Renew the internal accreditation of the course of study with specified non-binding recommendations;
• Renew the internal accreditation of the course of study with specified binding conditions;
• Renew the internal accreditation of the course of study with specified non-binding recommendations and binding conditions;
• Suspend the course for a specified time-period (date provided as a binding condition); or
• Discontinue the course.

3.2 Where a review panel does not reach a consensus proposal through member disagreement, the CCR Committee will specify a proposal (as per 3.1) following assessment of summary and individual panel reports. The CCR Committee may resolve the matter by vote if necessary, however the Chair, CCR Committee will determine the outcome.

3.3 Panel reports specifying binding conditions must include for each:

• Definition of the matter generating the issue, including risk;
• Specific actions to address the issue;
• Timeframe for completion;
• Required outcome regarding identified risk; and
• Specific reporting requirements (if any).

3.4 Binding conditions specified may include an early or additional CCR (i.e., before that next scheduled).

4. Panel Summary Report Checking and Endorsement

4.1 The CCR Panel Summary Report, together with individual reports, are reviewed by the CCR Committee for suitability (Section 3). Where a CCR Panel Summary Report does not provide binding conditions in the required format (3.3), or is considered unsuitable for other reasons, the CCR Committee will request the CCR Panel Chair to revise and resubmit the panel reports.

4.2 The CCR Panel Summary Report is endorsed by the Chair, CCR Committee.

4.3 The CCR Committee Secretariat, on behalf of the CCR Committee, forwards the CCR Panel Summary Report to the College Dean, Academic Head and Course Coordinator for ‘fact checking’.

4.4 College-endorsed Panel Summary Reports (signed by the Dean) are forwarded to the Curriculum Committee to assure they are fit-for-purpose.

4.5 CCR Panel Summary Reports with specific recommendations or conditions pertaining to the Student Experience or Learning and Teaching may be forwarded to Education Committee for noting and/or consideration, at the discretion of the CCR Committee or Curriculum Committee.

4.6 CCR Panel Summary Reports assured by the Curriculum Committee are forwarded to the Academic Board for consideration and approval. The Academic Board determination affirms renewal of course internal accreditation (or otherwise) including non-binding recommendations and/or binding conditions.

5. Action Plans and Reporting

5.1 Following Academic Board approval, CCR Panel Summary Reports (and individual panel reports where requested) are forwarded by the CCR Committee Secretariat to the Course Coordinator for action and reporting, and to the Academic Program Quality Advisor for Academy records. Reporting must comply with JCU policies and procedures including the Coursework Approval Procedure, be processed in accordance with associated schedules, and may be referenced in subsequent CPRs.

5.2 Where a course is renewed with non-binding recommendations, the Course Coordinator, with approval from the College Dean, will determine and implement appropriate actions without formal reporting requirements.

5.3 Where a course is renewed with binding conditions, the Course Coordinator, in consultation with the College Dean, will provide an interim report to the CCR Committee Secretariat within eight weeks of receipt of the approved CCR Panel Summary Report. The interim report will specify actions to be undertaken in response to binding conditions in the form of a time-bound action plan, for Curriculum Committee approval.

5.4 The CCR Committee Secretariat will monitor the action plan and will be provided with a progress report from the Course Coordinator for each 6-month period of action plan time duration. Actions plans progressing behind schedule will be reported to Curriculum Committee for noting and recording in the CMS. If a course consistently fails to meet conditions or specified time frames, a revised risk assessment and review may be requested.

5.5 Upon completion of the action plan specified in the interim report, the Course Coordinator, in consultation with and approval from the College Dean, will provide a close-out report to the CCR Committee Secretariat. The close-out report will specify outcomes from the interim report action plan.

5.6 The CCR Committee Secretariat will forward interim and close-out reports to the CCR Committee for endorsement, and to Curriculum Committee for approval.

5.7 Approved close-out reports are forwarded to Academic Board, and (where required per clause 4.5) to Education Committee, for noting.

6. Courses Suspended or Discontinued by the Academic Board

6.1 Actions arising from suspended or discontinued courses are the responsibility of Academic Board.

Related policy instruments

Coursework Approval, Accreditation and Review Policy

Coursework Approval Procedures

Course Performance Reports Procedures

Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021

Schedules/Appendices

Appendix 1 – Comprehensive Course Review Quality Indicators

Administration

NOTE:  Printed copies of this procedure are uncontrolled, and currency can only be assured at the time of printing.

Approval Details

Revision History