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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 and 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(4) The procedure applies to all new, superseded and discontinued (removal from scope) VET courses and explicit units on the University’s scope of registration and VTPs.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Training Organisation (RTO) CDU must ensure that the development, approval, delivery and discontinuance of all new, superseded and amended courses and units comply with professional accrediting and licencing bodies and the following regulations as set out in the Educational Quality and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 Jobs and Skills Councils (JSCs), which make changes to VET courses and units to align with current industry trends and requirements. These JSCs 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 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 VET Team Leader 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 12 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 VET delivery budget.

(14) The next stage of the procedure, course plan and design, cannot commence for new and continuing additions to scope until the Business Case is submitted by the Deputy Chief Executive to the Vice-Chancellor and approved.

VET Course Plan and Design

(15) The second phase of the curriculum lifecycle is Course Plan and Design where the Academic Programs Committee conducts a quality review and ensures compliance with the academic requirements of the University and the legislation as prescribed in clause 6 and reports approvals to Academic Board.

(16) Once a new or continuing addition to scope business proposal has been prioritised and approved for curriculum development by the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive CDU TAFE, the VET Team Leader must prepare and submit a course design in the Curriculum Management System (CMS) within eight weeks of the business case approval.

(17) For a transfer of scope or VTP, where a business case is not required, the VET Team Leader must also prepare a course, explicit unit or VTP course design in the CMS within eight weeks of notification being received via the National Register of VET that a VET course or explicit unit is superseded.

(18) Within eight weeks from either the approval of the business case or notification being received via the National Register of VET, the VET Team Leader must provide to the Senior TAFE Quality Manager a schedule for a VET Assessment Panel to review the full suite of assessment tools and practices for all VET units of competency listed on the TAS for all student cohorts at least three months before the intended delivery date of the VET course.

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

  1. duration;
  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.

(20) In the course design, 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. qualification description and packaging rules;
  2. course mandatory requirements;
  3. entry requirements;
  4. industry engagement on TAS;
  5. assessment conditions
  6. specialisation streams;
  7. resources and equipment listed for each unit;
  8. third party teaching and learning resources; and
  9. incidental fees and costs.

(21) 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; and
  7. sequence of training.

(22) 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.

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

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

(25) The VET Team Leader must ensure the full suite of VET assessment tools and practices for each unit of competency undergoes pre-assessment validation by the trainers and assessors who will deliver the course. Pre-assessment validation must be documented in the VET Unit Validation Quality Assurance Tile in the CMS. 

(26) Once the VET Team completes the pre-assessment validation, the Team Leader must submit the full suite of assessment tools for each unit of competency as per the agreed schedule with the Senior TAFE Quality Manager.

(27) The Senior TAFE Quality Manager or authorised representative organises and Chairs a VET Assessment Panel before submission to the TAFE LTC and/or APC. The VET Assessment Panel reviews and approves the pre-assessment validation in the VET Unit Validation Quality Assurance Tile in the CMS.

(28) Once the TAFE Learning and Teaching Committee (TAFE LTC) approves a TAS for a new or continuing addition to scope in the CMS, it is reviewed and approved by the Academic Programs Committee and submitted to ASQA and/or CRICOS.

(29) Once the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive CDU TAFE approves a transfer to scope in the CMS, it must be reviewed and approved by the APC prior to student transitions.

(30) Once new, continuing addition and transfer to scope are approved by the Academic Programs Committee these are reported to Academic Board.

(31) The VET Team Leader approves a VTP or skill set in the CMS.

VET Course Review

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

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

(34) 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.

(35) 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;
  2. adding and removing elective units in student cohort plans (including unnamed electives on scope);
  3. adding a unit for credit transfer
  4. changing VET lecturer names
  5. changing descriptions of training; and
  6. correcting minor errors and typos.

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

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

  1. changing assessment tools or assessment practices;
  2. adding elective units, including unnamed electives in student cohort plans that have new assessment tools and practices not previously pre-validated;
  3. a new permanent delivery location in NT not known to ASQA;
  4. delivery locations interstate and offshore;
  5. an unnamed elective not on scope;
  6. an international onshore or offshore student cohort;
  7. any amount of online delivery, where there has previously been no online delivery;
  8. or changing Third Party arrangements or providers; and
  9. a course to the NT Apprenticeship and Traineeship database.

(38) Any major amendment, to the assessment tools or practices must be submitted to the VET Assessment Panel for review and approval before submission to the TAFE LTC and/or APC.

(39) Major amendments to VET courses are submitted through the CMS, approved by the TAFE Learning and Teaching Committee, and submitted to the Academic Programs Committee for final approval before any notifications are made to ASQA and/or CRICOS and or NT Apprenticeship Board.

(40) Proposals for removal of scope are submitted through the CMS with a teach out plan, and approved by the TAFE Learning and Teaching Committee, then submitted for approval to the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive CDU TAFE and Academic Programs Committee 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 Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive CDU TAFE.

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Section 5 - Non-Compliance

(41) 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 outlined in the Charles Darwin University and Union Enterprise Agreement 2022 and the Code of Conduct – Students.

(42) Complaints may be raised in accordance with the Code of Conduct – Staff and Code of Conduct - Students.

(43) 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.