Professional Experience Placement Requirements Procedure

Intent

This procedure supports the Academic Progression Policy by outlining the actions the University will take to monitor student’s compliance with Professional Experience Placement Requirements while admitted to their course. Students who fail to comply with Professional Experience Placement Requirements within the prescribed timeframe will have sanctions applied to their enrolment and if withdrawn from subjects after census date, may incur financial penalties.

Scope

This document applies to all JCU students who are required to participate in Professional Experience Placements, either within Australia or overseas, as part of their course.

Definitions

Except where otherwise indicated in this procedure, the definitions used in this procedure are found in the Policy Glossary.

Agreement or Deed: The agreement or deed between James Cook University and a Facility, which details the responsibilities of both organisations with respect to Professional Experience Placement for students.

Placement Coordinator: This refers to any position or team within a College or Academic Division, which coordinates and oversees the Professional Experience Placement program relevant to a course and/or within a discipline.

Facility: Any facility or organisation that hosts students for Professional Experience Placement. This includes but is not limited to any public health/animal/educational facility, public or private hospital and clinic, school, community based service and James Cook University teaching clinic where a Professional Experience Placement is undertaken.

Professional Experience Placement: Is a clinical or practical education experience, which is a required component of a Course, in a Facility that may be on campus or off-campus. It may also be known as professional practice, work-placement, work experience, practicum, internship, clinical experience, clinical placement, student placement.

Professional Experience Placement Requirements (PEPR): Before attending Professional Experience Placements, students must complete and provide evidence of a number of mandatory prerequisites as prescribed by Host Facilities, Legislation and OHS procedures. These requirements are for the protection of the student and for those who come into contact with the student during their Professional Experience Placement.

PEPR Warning Notice: Notification sent to a student who has not submitted all Professional Experience Placement Requirements no less than 5 University working days prior to the deadline.

PEPR Breach Notice: Notification sent to a student who has been sanctioned for not submitting all Professional Experience Placement Requirements by the required deadline, including the effects of the sanction and their right to appeal.

PEPR Exclusion Notice: Notification sent to a student who is unable or unwilling to meet or continue to maintain their post-admission obligations for their course relating to Professional Experience Placement Requirements.

PPR Sanction: flag in the Student Management System to indicate the student has not met Professional Experience Placement requirements, or currency has not been maintained.

Student Contract - Terms and Conditions: The terms and conditions agreed to when accepting the University’s offer of a place on a course.

Introduction

Student Placement Agreements or Deeds between the University and a Facility require the University to agree that its students will follow the rules and regulations of the Facility and uphold the privacy of the Facility, its clients/patients/customers, and staff.

Professional Experience Placement Requirements are listed in the Course and Subject Handbook for relevant courses, in the offer package for students, in subject outlines of subjects with placements and on the JCU website.

A student who accepts an offer of a place at James Cook University agrees that if Professional Experience Placement Requirements for a subject or course in which they are enrolled are not met and maintained the University may withdraw the student from their subjects and/or may exclude the student from the course.

In order to attend any Facility for Professional Experience Placements, all students must be compliant with the relevant current requirements of that Facility. Requirements may differ between Facilities, between states and territories of Australia and between Facility branches or locations. Students must continue to meet the requirements of a Facility as amended from time to time throughout the duration of their Course.

The University is under no obligation to provide a Professional Experience Placement to a student who has not completed the Professional Experience Placement Requirements by the due date.

Procedure

1. Prior to commencing a Professional Experience Placement

1.1  A student admitted to a course with a Professional Experience Placement component must complete all Professional Experience Placement Requirements as outlined in the Course and Subject Handbook, and in the offer package, by due dates as advised by the University.

1.2  Students are advised to commence gathering their requirements as soon as possible as some elements take several months to obtain.

1.3  The University will ensure that documented evidence of all Professional Experience Placement Requirements are stored securely for the duration of the student’s course.

1.4  Students must maintain currency of all requirements (e.g. Blue Card for working with children, National Criminal History check and Immunisations) throughout their enrolment in a course with a Professional Experience Placement component in order to attend all placements and complete the requirements of the Award.

2.  Monitor compliance

2.1  Students will be sent periodic notifications regarding their Professional Experience Placement Requirements.

2.2  A student who is not able to maintain currency of any Professional Experience Placement Requirements must notify the Placement and/or Subject Coordinator as soon as they become aware and prior to the expiry date.

2.3  The Manager, Student Placements (Compliance and Accommodation) will provide details of students not compliant with their Professional Experience Placement Requirements to the Manager, Student Finance and Examinations, who will send a PEPR Warning Notice to the students.

2.4  The PEPR Warning Notice will:

2.3.1 advise the student which Professional Experience Placement Requirements are outstanding;

2.3.2 advise sanctions will be imposed and a PEPR Breach Notice issued if the outstanding Professional Experience Placement Requirements are not received by the due date; and

2.3.3 direct students to contact the relevant College or Division Professional Experience Placement Team for further advice and assistance in submitting the requirements.

3.  Students not compliant with Professional Experience Placement Requirements

3.1  If the student has not completed their Professional Experience Placement Requirements on or before the due date stated in the Warning Notice, a PPR Sanction will be applied to the student’s enrolment. The Placement Coordinator (or nominated academic staff member) will confirm the students to be sanctioned and withdrawn from all future subjects.

3.2  The Manager, Student Finance and Examinations will issue a PEPR Breach Notice advising the student of the sanction and withdraw subjects noted in clause 3.1.

3.3  The PPR Sanction prevents the student from:

3.3.1 undertaking the placement;

3.3.2 completing the subject relevant to the placement; the student will be withdrawn from the placement subject

3.3.3 enrolling in any future subjects;

3.3.4 viewing subject results; and

3.3.5 completing the Award of the course.

3.4  The PPR Sanction will remain in place until the Professional Experience Placement Requirements are met.

3.5  The PEPR Breach Notice will:

3.5.1 advise students of the breach and sanction imposed;

3.5.2 advise the students of any subject withdrawals;

3.5.3 advise students of the requirements which must be met in order to remove the sanction and the date by which they must be met;

3.5.4 direct students to contact the relevant College or Division Professional Experience Placement Team for further advice and assistance in submitting the requirements;

3.5.5 advise international students that failing to submit their Placement Requirements may affect their ability to complete their course within their expected course duration and to contact the International Student Support team as detailed in clause 6;

3.5.6 advise students that if they have a foreign government (FED) sanction that any variation to their enrolment may have significant implications to their funding; and

3.5.7 advise the student’s right to appeal the decision within 20 University working days of notification of the decision, in accordance with the Student Review and Appeals Policy and Student Reviews and Appeals Procedure (General).

3.6  Where a student subsequently submits the outstanding Professional Experience Placement Requirements, the PPR Sanction will be lifted.

4.  Students unable or unwilling to meet Professional Experience Placement Requirements

4.1  If after receiving a PEPR Breach Notice, a student who is either unable or unwilling to comply with the  Professional Experience Placement Requirements for their course and therefore cannot meet the Award requirements will be excluded from their course.

4.2  Upon advice from the Manager, Student Placements (Compliance and Accommodation), the Manager, Examinations and Graduations will issue a PEPR Exclusion Notice to the student.

4.3  The PEPR Exclusion Notice will advise:

4.4.1 which Professional Experience Placement Requirement has not or will not be met; and

4.4.2 the date by which the exclusion is to apply; and

4.4.3 the student’s right to appeal the decision within 20 University working days of notification of the decision, in accordance with the Student Review and Appeals Policy and Review and Appeal of Academic Progression Outcomes Procedure

4.4  The Manager, Student Placements will advise in the case of international students, International Student Support of the names of students who will receive an PEPR Exclusion Notice.

5. Appeals

5.1  Students who receive notification of being sanctioned or excluded have the right to appeal in accordance with the Student Review and Appeals Policy and relevant Procedure.

6. Additional requirements for international student visa holders studying in Australia

The International team will monitor international student’s enrolment and completion within expected course duration separately to the Professional Experience Requirements Procedure.

6.1  Where an international student’s withdrawal from a subject impacts their expected course duration the student should apply for an extension to their Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE).

6.2  An international student’s CoE can only be extended in limited circumstances. CoE extension requests should be made to the International Student Support team for consideration in accordance with the ESOS Act and National Code.

6.2.1 If a CoE extension is approved, the International Student Support team shall report to the relevant government departments in accordance with the ESOS Act and National Code.

6.2.2 If a CoE extension is not approved, the student will be notified of their right to appeal the decision in accordance with the Student Review and Appeals Policy and Student Appeals Procedure.

7. Requirements for International students studying in Singapore

Students, studying in Singapore, enrolled in a Course that has Professional Experience Placement will be advised by the Placement Coordinator at the commencement of their course of the Professional Experience Placement Requirements that are necessary to obtain to enter local and regional host organisations in their handbook.

Related policy instruments

Academic Progression Policy

Student Review and Appeals Policy

Academic and Statutory Decisions Review and Appeal Procedure

Complaint and Conduct Decisions Appeal Procedure

Other related documents and legislation

Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and control of Infection in Healthcare

DTHM Procedure for Infectious Disease

Privacy Act 1988

Professional Experience Placement Procedures for Students within the Division of Tropical Health and Medicine

Public Health Act 2005

Queensland Health Guideline for Vaccination of Health Care Workers

Queensland Health Service Directive Vaccine Preventable Disease Screening for Contractors, Students and Volunteers

Queensland Government Work Health and Safety Act 2011

Administration

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

Approval Details

Revision History