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Teaching and Learning Expectations for Staff and Students

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Section 1 - Vision

(1) The University of New England (UNE) is committed to excellence in teaching and learning by providing a secure, supportive and stimulating environment that facilitates a positive student learning experience. We will utilise innovative technologies to create learning opportunities that challenge both on-campus and online students to develop core skills in critical thinking, problem solving, effective communication, social awareness and responsibility, and the capacity to work independently and collaboratively.

(2) The University believes that it is important to continually strive for an atmosphere of mutual respect, acknowledgement, and responsibility between staff and students. Our Strategic Plan promotes active engagement and collaboration with and between our students embedded in a learning environment that is flexible and responsive to change.

(3) The University is committed to high standards of professional conduct in all activities, and holds its commitment and responsibilities to its students as being of paramount importance. Likewise, it holds expectations about the responsibilities students have as they pursue their studies within the University environment. The following expectations have been formulated to build the environment that we wish to create.

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Section 2 - Student Expectations

Course and unit design

(4) Courses and units offered to meet the requirements of relevant government and professional accreditation bodies, and benchmarked through a regular review cycle.

(5) Course design is coherent, aligned to learning outcomes, and current and responsive to relevant academic discussion and research.

(6) Unit content and learning outcomes are current and relevant, utilise active, blended and peer-based learning where relevant, incorporate integrated theory-practice links and are benchmarked through a regular review cycle.

(7) Learning opportunities for each unit, whether they are lectures, tutorials, seminars or workshops delivered online or face-to-face, and the assessment tasks to demonstrate learning and understanding, have been designed to achieve quality student learning.

(8) Course and unit information is accessible, clear and consistent. Clear and aligned expectations are provided for unit assessments in accordance with the relevant rules and procedures.

(9) Staffing and course leadership are appropriate.

(10) Staff are conversant and comply with relevant University Rules, Policies, Procedures and Guidelines.

Course and unit delivery

(11) Access to a relevant Learning Management System (LMS) that will provide students with:

  1. access to relevant University, Faculty and School policies, learning materials and resources;
  2. unit information and assessment overview (including a welcome to the unit, information on the Unit Coordinator and teaching team, learning outcomes, prescribed resources, how to study the unit, assessment task information and study timetable);
  3. assessment task details, including instructions, marking criteria (except for examinations), submission information, alignment with learning outcomes, due dates, and any other relevant information.  Teaching staff will provide regular and constructive feedback for assessments.  Assessment is moderated and regularly benchmarked; and
  4. teaching and learning materials associated with the unit topic of study providing content and context.

(12) Relevant staff engage with the unit's Learning Management System (LMS) site/s and are responsive to student queries.

(13) Unit and course teams collaborate to ensure consistency and coherence in delivery.

(14) Opportunities to participate in scholarly dialogue conducted in a flexible manner using learning technologies suited to the teaching approach adopted by the Unit Coordinator.

(15) Opportunities for formative learning activities, based on the teaching approach adopted in a unit (for example, recorded lectures or tutorials, discussion forums, notes on tutorial questions posted online for self-review, online tutorials, etc.).

(16) Students enrolled on-campus in Trimester 1 and 2 will have appropriate levels of face-to-face contact in the form of workshops, tutorials, lectures, or some combination of these activities per trimester (exceptions to this may include project, special topic and/or reading units).

(17) Students enrolled online will have access to unit content and resources equivalent to on-campus students and afforded equivalent opportunities to achieve unit learning outcomes through actively engaging with peers and teaching staff (e.g. online tutorials).

(18) Scheduling and delivery of learning programs is responsive to student needs.

Student support

(19) Student administration is timely, efficient and navigable.

(20) Students are treated with respect, professionalism and courtesy.

(21) Students are aware of and have access to appropriate levels of course advice and learning support; are supported by those they encounter in the learning environment, and can expect reasonable access either on-campus or online throughout the trimester to relevant teaching and professional staff.

(22) Peer engagement activities are facilitated.

(23) Learning environments are accessible, safe, appropriate and well maintained.

(24) Library services and resources are available and relevant.

(25) Online and ICT infrastructure is up-to-date, reliable and appropriate.

(26) Access to clear, fair and reliable mechanisms for resolving issues.

(27) A timely response to a personal email (using UNE email addresses only), where possible.

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Section 3 - Staff Expectations

UNE staff expect that students will:

(28) Be conversant and comply with relevant University Rules, Policies, Procedures and Guidelines.

(29) Be prepared for academic study, for example by:

  1. completing online study skills workshops through the Academic Skills Office;
  2. completing the Academic Integrity Module and tUNEup course to enhance the skills required for successful university study; and
  3. utilising the resources provided by First Year Advisors.

(30) Be aware of the seriousness of academic misconduct and plagiarism and ensure students submit only work that is their own.

(31) Engage with the unit’s Learning Management System (LMS) site/s to understand unit requirements (e.g. assessments, online tutorials, laboratory classes, etc.) from the commencement of the trimester, and access their student UNE email address regularly for important communications.

(32) Contact UNE staff via email in the first instance, using their UNE email address only.

(33) Meet expectations communicated by the Unit Coordinator with respect to study requirements such as completing prescribed reading and other activities.

(34) Promptly seek assistance from the Unit Coordinator and relevant staff when issues arise. Check whether an answer is readily discoverable before posting on LMS or emailing teaching staff.

(35) Conduct themselves courteously and with respect when interacting with their peers, lecturers and professional staff.

(36) Attend and/or actively participate in scheduled teaching and learning activities.

(37) Strive toward being accountable for their own learning by practising independent, self- directed learning and professional and ethical conduct.