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Professional Accreditation Procedure

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Section 1 - Purpose and Scope

(1) This Procedure sets out the processes for the preparation and submission of professional accreditation documentation to professional bodies and the requirements around the follow up and monitoring of any subsequent recommendations. It also includes guidance for handling decisions to discontinue accreditation.

(2) This Procedure applies to all UNE Representatives involved in the preparation and submission of professional accreditation documentation.

(3) Within this Procedure:

  1. Part A provides an overview of professional accreditation;
  2. Part B outlines the requirements for professional accreditation;
  3. Part C outlines the responsibilities involved in professional accreditation; and
  4. Part D outlines the procedure for professional accreditation.

Part A - Professional Accreditation Overview

(4) Professional accreditation of university courses of study is intended to ensure that a course of study meets essential criteria in the training and education of its students in the relevant professional discipline, and that graduates from that discipline achieve the professional competencies and learning outcomes necessary for entry into the relevant level of professional practice.

(5) Accreditation may also significantly boost the attractiveness of a course to prospective students by demonstrating alignment with industry standards and expectations. Additionally, it may contribute to the long-term viability of the course by ensuring its relevance and competitiveness in the evolving educational and professional landscape. Professional accreditation can be either regulated or non-regulated.

(6) Governments, on behalf of the public, regulate some professions where they wish to assure public safety and designate authority for bodies to accredit professions. In unregulated professions, professional associations may establish an accreditation function as part of their wider professional services and operations.

(7) Professional accreditation bodies act as evaluators of university courses of study with the goal of professional accreditation of those courses (2016 Universities Australia and Professions Australia Joint Statement of Principles for Professional Accreditation).

(8) Typically, in the professions, professional accreditation of courses precedes professional registration of successful graduates, in that accreditation is an endorsement that a course produces graduates who can meet registration standards and may begin professional practice.

(9) The accreditation processes used by the various professional bodies vary significantly. Some are very formal, involve lengthy site visits and require significant input by academic and professional staff, whereas others are less formal and involve limited staff input.

Part B - Requirements

(10) Professional accreditation of a UNE course is:

  1. mandatory where:
    1. students must graduate from an accredited course in order to be eligible to apply for registration to practice; and/or
    2. students must graduate from an accredited course in order to be eligible to sit examinations or other formal assessment which lead to registration.
  2. strongly recommended where students, graduates and the University would derive positive outcomes from professional accreditation; and
  3. optional in all other cases but strongly encouraged where it can demonstrably enhance a course's market appeal and financial sustainability.

(11) If professional accreditation is necessary for graduates of a course of study to be eligible to practice, it is required that this course of study maintain current accreditation status with the relevant professional body.

(12) Courses or units of study must not be described or advertised as accredited, either by TEQSA or any professional accreditation body for the purpose of registration to practice, until such accreditation has been officially obtained.

(13) If a course is provisionally accredited, due to its relative newness and the lack of a representative graduate cohort, this provisional status must be made explicit to prospective and current students.

Part C - Responsibilities

(14) Education Quality Directorate is responsible for:

  1. ongoing management and oversight of the operations of this Procedure;
  2. providing guidance to schools and faculties, including standard templates and other documents common across multiple accreditation requirements, throughout the accreditation process;
  3. monitoring of accreditation process to assist quality and compliance;
  4. ongoing management of register of all UNE professional accreditations; and
  5. quality assurance reporting on accreditation matters under this Procedure.

(15) The Executive Team is responsible for:

  1. determining whether recommended or optional professional accreditations will be sought; and
  2. deciding on proposals to withdraw professional accreditation.

(16) The Deputy Vice-Chancellor is responsible for:

      a. approving all initial submissions for professional accreditation and submissions for renewal of professional accreditation.

(17) Executive Deans are responsible for:

  1. submitting requests for accreditation to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for approval and if approved, submitting to the professional body;
  2. responding to professional accreditation body reports and for approving implementation plans for submission to the professional body; and
  3. ensuring that for all accredited courses, accreditation requirements are continuously met.

(18) Head of Schools (or delegate) are responsible for:

  1. managing, with the relevant Course Coordinator and other relevant staff, the accreditation approval process for each relevant course, including meeting deadlines for submissions and for advising Education Quality Directorate of the progress of accreditation approval;
  2. ensuring, in coordination with Curriculum and Academic Management, that all publicly available statements about the professional accreditation status of courses are accurate;
  3. ensuring that any matters that could pose a risk to achieving or maintaining professional accreditation are reported to the Executive Dean; and
  4. providing Education Quality Directorate with a copy of any professional accreditation standards or guidelines from the relevant professional body and updated versions.

(19) Unit and Course Coordinators are responsible for:

  1. assisting the Head of School with the accreditation process for each relevant course;
  2. notifying the Head of School of any risks to achieving or maintaining professional accreditation; and
  3. notifying the Head of School of any breach of professional accreditation requirements.

Part D - Procedure

(20) Education Quality Directorate will establish and maintain a register of all UNE professional accreditations, visible to all staff through UNE’s internal systems. Each UNE course that involves professional accreditation will be appropriately tagged. Education Quality Directorate will seek required information from the relevant schools.

(21) Schools must notify Education Quality Directorate of all proposals for new courses involving accreditation or for existing courses adding, changing or withdrawing accreditation. The Executive Team will determine if recommended or optional accreditation will be sought, and decide whether a proposal to withdraw accreditation is accepted.

(22) Education Quality Directorate will initiate a discussion with the relevant Head of School, ideally 2 years before the expiry of the term of accreditation, to plan for renewal of the professional accreditation or to develop a submission on why renewal of professional accreditation is not being sought.

(23) Education Quality Directorate will contact each Executive Dean by June each year to confirm the scheduled professional accreditations for the following calendar year and record any postponements or deferrals as well as any expected new professional accreditations.

(24) Education Quality Directorate will agree with the Head of School whether a scheduled course review can be replaced by a submission for accreditation or renewal of accreditation to the professional accreditation body.

(25) The Head of School (or delegate), working with the relevant Course Coordinator and other staff, is responsible for managing the accreditation process and preparation of documentation required by professional bodies. This includes:

  1. overseeing communications with the professional body;
  2. providing regular reports on accreditation progress, including any identified issues, to Education Quality Directorate, School Education Committee and Faculty Education Committee;
  3. ensuring all submission documentation and communication with the professional body is recorded in the University’s Records Management System (RMS); and
  4. coordinating site visits and meetings with staff in accordance with the requirements of the professional body, working in consultation with Education Quality Directorate to coordinate arrangements. On completion of the site visit, the members of the professional body will meet with the Executive Dean to discuss any major issues identified during the visit.

(26) Once completed, the final draft submission will be endorsed by the Executive Dean. The Executive Dean will ensure that a copy of the draft submission is provided to Education Quality Directorate at least four weeks prior to the planned sign-off by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor. Education Quality Directorate will review the draft submission for quality and compliance with requirements and provide any advice back to the Executive Dean.

(27) The Executive Dean will provide the draft submission to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for approval before provision to the professional body.

(28) Upon provision of the submission, the professional body considers the information that it has collected and produces a report that identifies any issues that need attention by the University in order to satisfy the requirements for accreditation. The Executive Dean will ensure that copies of the report are provided to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Education Quality Directorate as soon as they are provided by the professional body. The Executive Dean will ensure that a response addressing any issues is developed and forwarded to the professional body in the timeframe specified by the professional body.

(29) Within three months of receiving the report, the Executive Dean will ensure that an implementation plan to resolve any identified issues is developed and implemented by the end of the following major study period. The Faculty’s response and implementation plan must also be provided to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and to Education Quality Directorate.

(30) If accreditation is approved, the relevant faculties and schools are responsible for:

  1. ensuring accreditation outcomes are communicated to all relevant stakeholders, including students through course handbook (in coordination with Curriculum and Academic Management);
  2. ensuring all accreditation requirements are continually met;
  3. any changes to courses that impact accreditation are managed through the Course and Unit Policy;
  4. reporting any risks to professional accreditation to Head of School and Executive Dean;
  5. notifying the relevant Head of School of any breaches of accreditation requirements.

(31) Following each accreditation process, Education Quality Directorate will facilitate a review of the process with the relevant school to identify opportunities for improvements to processes and this Procedure.

(32) Where accreditation is withdrawn, the relevant school will organise and manage transition arrangements for students remaining in the course. Education Quality Directorate will communicate the cessation of accreditation to TEQSA.

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Section 2 - Authority and Compliance

Authority

(33) The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, pursuant to Section 14 of the Academic Quality Assurance Policy, makes this Procedure.

Compliance

(34) UNE Representatives and staff must observe this Procedure.

(35) This Procedure operates as and from the Effective Date. Previous procedures on professional accreditation are replaced and have no further operation from the Effective Date of this Procedure.

(36) To provide for exceptional circumstances arising from application of this Procedure, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, on the recommendation of an Executive Dean or Executive Principal, may relax any provision of this Procedure.

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Section 3 - Quality Assurance

(37) Education Quality Directorate will provide an annual report to the Curriculum Committee and to Academic Board on professional accreditation outcomes, issues and schedules.