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Unit and Module Information Policy

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Section 1 - Purpose

(1) Units and modules provide the component elements of QUT’s approach to curriculum and whole of course design. This Policy sets out the essential information which is communicated to students and other stakeholders and which meets relevant national regulatory requirements.

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Section 2 - Application

(2) This policy applies to all coursework units (including as part of a postgraduate research program) and modules offered by QUT, and to all staff and students involved with unit and module information.

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Section 3 - Roles and Responsibilities

Position	Responsibility
Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)	Ensures provision of training on and curriculum support for academic staff who design and implement units and modules. Approves procedures and guidelines on units and modules made under this policy. Ensures dissemination of policy and procedures. Monitors unit completion data and advises University Academic Board as necessary.
Vice-President (Digital) and Chief Digital Officer	Ensures provision of curriculum information through information technology resources.
Executive Dean	Oversees and assures unit and module information within a faculty as Chair, Faculty Academic Board.
Course Coordinator (or equivalent)	Oversees unit design aligned to course level design.
Study area coordinator (or equivalent)	Oversees unit and module design aligned to study area design.
Unit Coordinator (or equivalent)	Develops and revises unit outlines aligned to course level designs and informed by evidence. Provides additional information to students enrolled in the unit in the week prior to the commencement of the relevant teaching period. Implements unit-level design consistent with the accredited unit outline.
Unit staff (teaching and marking)	Contributes to the implementation of unit-level design consistent with the accredited unit outline.
Head of School	Oversees and assures units and modules within a school. Ensures allocation of resources to support implementation of units and modules within a school.
Associate Dean (learning and teaching)	Consults with other discipline areas and faculties when new units/modules or changes to units/modules may have consequences for curriculum beyond the immediate discipline. Determines the area that is most appropriate to teach particular units and modules.
Student	Engages with unit and module information.
Faculty Academic Board	Approves new or changed unit outlines (may be delegated) (Curriculum Design, Approval and Accreditation Policy). Approves new or revised modules and module information (may be delegated except where the module provides the basis for advanced standing or entry into an award course).

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Section 4 - Unit Information and Outlines

(3) All units must have associated unit information approved by the relevant Faculty Academic Board or delegated authority (Curriculum Design, Approval and Accreditation Policy), before the unit can be offered. The specifications of a unit are described and approved through the unit information, and a subset of this information is made available to prospective and continuing students through the unit outline.

(4) This information is prepared by the Unit Coordinator (Academic Leadership Roles in Teaching and Learning Policy) and must conform to the requirements outlined in the Unit and Module Information Protocols available from the Digital Workplace (QUT staff access only).

(5) Unit information is considered within the context of the course or courses that it serves consistent with relevant course approval requirements.

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Section 5 - Publishing Dates and Additional Information

(6) Unit outlines must be available prior to the commencement of the relevant teaching period to provide students with sufficient time to plan their studies and enrol in classes.

(7) Changes to published unit outlines must be kept to a minimum to avoid any adverse impact on students.

(8) Any additional information must be consistent with the unit outline and not alter intent or detail of the unit outline.

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Section 6 - Consultation with other Disciplines

(9) Faculties consult with other discipline areas and faculties when:

reviewing, changing, discontinuing or establishing a new unit or module that may have consequences for a range of courses beyond the immediate discipline, including the period of offer;
establishing a new or changed course will have consequences for units or modules from other disciplines that were previously included in a course; and
establishing a new or changed course to determine which area is most appropriate to teach particular units and modules. Curriculum which provide a discipline base are most appropriately taught by whichever school or discipline area is recognised as most expert in the discipline. The professional application of a discipline, however, may be best taught by the school or discipline area responsible for the course.

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Section 7 - Module Information

(10) Module information is prepared by the responsible curriculum leader and is approved by the relevant Faculty Academic Board or delegated authority (Non-award Study Policy). The specifications of modules are described and approved through the module information and must conform to the requirements outlined in the Unit and module information protocols available from the Digital Workplace (QUT staff access only).

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Section 8 - Definitions

Term	Definition
Module	Means the most basic component element of learning offered at QUT. Modules may be stand-alone elements of learning or may be grouped to achieve stated learning outcomes in award or non-award study. Typically, they provide a structured and coherent set of learning and/or assessment activities that work alone or in concert with other forms of learning. A module may or may not have a credit point value but may lead to a credential, provide a basis for advanced standing into an award course (Non-Award Study Policy) and/or contribute to meeting entry or other requirements for an award course (Recognition of Prior Learning Policy). Where a module leads to a credential or advanced standing, the learning must be quality assured and assessed formally and provide a credit point equivalence.
Unit	Is a structured and coherent set of learning activities that normally work in concert with other units to contribute to one or more course learning outcomes. Each unit is assigned a unit code and a credit point value (Award Courses Policy) and approved by faculty academic boards. The list of faculty/school codes and level indicators for Units is available on the HiQ website (QUT staff and student access only).
Unit outline	Provides information to current and prospective students and other stakeholders, and is also used for approval of the unit.