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VET Course Registration Procedure

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Section 1 - Preamble

(1) This procedure outlines the requirements and approval steps for the registration, transition, amendment and discontinuation of VET courses (additions new, additions continuing and transfers) and explicit units on the University’s scope of registration and Vocational Training Programs (VTPs).

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Section 2 - Purpose

(2) This procedure outlines the process to approve, register, transition, amend and discontinue VET courses and explicit units on the University’s scope of registration and VTPs.

(3) This procedure outlines the processes, approval workflows and delegations across a common curriculum lifecycle of product prioritisation, plan, design and review that are aligned to academic governance.

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Section 3 - Scope

(4) The procedure applies to all new, superseded and discontinued (removal from scope) VET courses and explicit units on the University’s scope of registration and VTPs.

(5) The procedure does not apply to the approval of HE courses, Higher Degrees by Research, non-award courses and non-accredited micro-credentials.

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Section 4 - Procedure

(6) As a Registered Training organisation (RTO) CDU must ensure that the development, approval, delivery and discontinuance of all new, superseded and amended courses and units comply with professional accrediting and licencing bodies and the following regulations as set out in the Educational Quality and Excellence Framework Policy:

  1. VET Quality Framework;
    1. Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015;
    2. Fit and Proper Person Requirements;
    3. Financial Viability Risk Assessment Requirements;
    4. Data Provision Requirements; and
    5. Australian Qualifications Framework;
  2. Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000;
  3. ELICOS Standards 2018; and
  4. National Standards for Foundation Programs.

(7) VET courses and units are based on nationally endorsed training packages and accredited courses and the University plans, resources and delivers these courses and units according to the mandated requirements specified in the training package and accredited course.

(8) The VET course registration cycle is determined by Industry Skills Services Organisations (SSO), which make changes to VET courses and units to align with current industry trends and requirements. These SSOs also determine whether these changes are ‘equivalent’ (transfers) or ‘not equivalent’ (continuing additions) to the previous course or unit. This process is termed in the legislation as a ‘transition’ and these must occur within 12 months of the revised course or unit as published on the National Register of VET.

VET Product Prioritisation

(9) The first phase of the curriculum lifecycle is Product Prioritisation where the Vice-Chancellor decides as to the strategic fit and financial viability of a new or continuing addition to scope. The product prioritisation phase does not apply to transfers to scope or VTPs.

(10) Prior to VET course registration for new and continuing additions to scope, the Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor must prepare a Business Case.

(11) Business cases for VET product prioritisation are categorised as:

  1. new additions to scope outside current core business or markets (i.e. fields of education) requiring significant development that are subject to robust analysis.
  2. new additions to scope within current core business or markets or continuing additions to scope subject to a fast-track business case approval process.

(12) Business cases for continuing additions to scope must be submitted within 4 weeks of the University receiving notification from the National Register of VET that a VET course or explicit unit is superseded.

(13) The business case must provide adequate information to decide whether the product should be added or replaced in the University’s product portfolio, including:

  1. industry engagement;
  2. market and student demand;
  3. past performance for a continuing addition to scope;
  4. compliance history for a continuing addition to scope;
  5. risks and risk mitigation;
  6. resource and staffing requirements; and
  7. additional associated costs beyond the CDU TAFE or Faculty budget.

(14) The next stage of the procedure, course planning, cannot commence for new and continuing additions to scope until the Business Case is submitted by the Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor to the Vice-Chancellor and approved.

VET Course Plan

(15) The second phase of the curriculum lifecycle is Course Plan where the relevant Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor approves the overarching course or explicit unit structure for new and continuing additions to scope, transfers to scope or VTPs.

(16) Once a new or continuing addition to scope has been prioritised and approved for curriculum development by the Vice-Chancellor, the CDU TAFE or the Faculty must prepare a VET course or explicit unit plan in the Curriculum Management System (CMS) within four weeks of the Vice-Chancellor's approval of the business case.

(17) For a transfer of scope or VTP, where a business case is not required, CDU TAFE or the Faculty must also prepare a course, explicit unit or VTP plan in the CMS within four weeks of notification being received via the national register of VET that a VET course or explicit unit is superseded.

(18) All VET course, explicit unit and VTP plans must include downloaded information from training.gov.au, as well as information regarding:

  1. course description;
  2. student transition arrangements for superseded courses and explicit units;
  3. unnamed electives;
  4. third party arrangements;
  5. online delivery arrangements;
  6. interstate delivery;
  7. international onshore or offshore arrangements;
  8. apprenticeship and/or traineeship information;
  9. resources including staff, equipment, technology, facilities and teaching and learning materials; and
  10. funding sources.

(19) The next stage of this procedure, curriculum design, cannot commence for new and continuing additions transfers or VTPs until the Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor approves the VET course plan in the CMS workflow.

VET Course Design

(20) The third phase of the curriculum lifecycle is Course Design where the Academic Programs Committee (APC) conducts a quality review and ensures compliance with the academic requirements of the University and the legislation as prescribed in section 1.2 and makes a recommendation for Academic Board approval.

(21) The CDU TAFE or the Faculty must prepare and submit a course design in the CMS once a new or continuing addition, transfer to scope or VTP course plan is approved by the Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor within 4 weeks of the Course Plan being approved.

(22) In the course design phase, a Training and Assessment Strategy (TAS) is developed in the CMS and must include the following downloaded information from training.gov.au where applicable:

  1. industry engagement on training and delivery strategy;
  2. specialisation streams;
  3. resources and equipment listed for each unit;
  4. third party teaching and learning resources; and
  5. inci.dental fees and costs.

(23) Every TAS must include a plan for every student cohort in the CMS detailing:

  1. course offering;
  2. student characteristics;
  3. third party arrangements;
  4. training and assessment details;
  5. learning activities;
  6. volume of learning and rationale;
  7. sequence of training; and
  8. mandatory assessment conditions.

(24) Detailed information regarding trainers and assessors involved in the delivery of a TAS must be entered into the VET Lecturer Competency Matrix in the CMS, specifically:

  1. industry and VET training qualifications;
  2. VET lecturer competence mapped to the units they are training and assessing; and
  3. professional development record.

(25) Every TAS that indicates any online delivery for any student cohort must include an application for Learnline sites in the CMS.

(26) All core and elective units selected for every student cohort plan described in the TAS must be entered into the CMS.

(27) Once the Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor approves a TAS for a new or continuing addition to scope in the CMS, it is reviewed by the Academic Programs Committee and recommended to Academic Board for submission to ASQA and/or CRICOS.

(28) Once the Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor approves a transfer to scope or a VTP in the CMS, it must be approved by the Academic Programs Committee prior to student transitions or submission to CRICOS.

VET Course Review

(29) The fourth phase of the curriculum lifecycle is Course Review where every VET course, explicit unit and/or VTP is subjected to an annual TAS Review.

(30) TAS Reviews may result in amendments and/or discontinuation of VET courses, explicit units and/or VTPs.

(31) There are two amendment workflows for minor and major amendments.  

  1. Minor and major amendments must consider and minimise the potential impact on students and across courses.

(32) A minor amendment involves amendments that do not involve substantial change and include:

  1. changing delivery location to an existing NT location already known by ASQA; and
  2. adding and removing elective units in student cohort plans (not unnamed electives).

(33) Minor amendments to a VET course, explicit unit and/or VTP are submitted through the CMS and approved by the VET Team Leader.

(34) A major amendment to a VET course, explicit unit and/or VTP involves amendments that involve a significant change such as adding:

  1. a new delivery location in NT not known to ASQA;
  2. delivery locations interstate and offshore;
  3. an unnamed elective not on scope;
  4. an international onshore or offshore student cohort;
  5. any amount of online delivery;
  6. or changing Third Party arrangements or providers; and
  7. a course to the NT Apprenticeship and Traineeship database.

(35) Major amendments to VET courses are submitted through the CMS and approved by the Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor and submitted to APC for final approval before any notifications are made to ASQA and/or CRICOS and or NT Apprenticeship Board.

(36) Proposals for VET course or explicit unit discontinuations are submitted through the CMS with a teach out plan, and approved by the Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor, then submitted for approval to the Vice-Chancellor before a request is made to ASQA to remove from scope. However, the Vice-Chancellor may initiate and approve course discontinuation without the approval of the Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor.

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Section 5 - Non-compliance

(37) Non-compliance with Governance Documents is considered a breach of the Code of Conduct - Staff or the Code of Conduct - Students, as applicable, and is treated seriously by the University. Reports of concerns about non-compliance will be managed in accordance with the applicable disciplinary procedures.

(38) All staff members have an individual responsibility to raise any suspicion, allegation or report of fraud or corruption in accordance with the Fraud and Corruption Control Policy and Whistleblower Reporting (Improper Conduct) Procedure.