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    Annual Course Review Policy

    Policy name Annual Course Review Policy
    Policy number CDD005
    Date approved 8 February 2024
    Approving body Academic Board
    Responsible officer Dean
    Implementation officer Deputy Dean (relevant discipline)
    Next review date 3-5 years from date of approval
    Related Policies
    • Quality Assurance and Benchmarking Policy
    • Major Course Review Policy
    • Course Advisory Committee Terms of Reference
    Related forms and documents
    •  Annual Course Review Template

    1. Purpose of this policy

    The Cairnmillar Institute (the Institute) values reflective practice across all teaching and learning matters. The Annual Course Review (ACR) is designed to allow course teams to come to together to review the operation of their course in a systematic and cyclical manner. It contains both historical annualised data reflecting operation of the course, together with plans for course development over the coming year.

    2. Policy

    2.1 Commitment to quality

    The Faculty of Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy (the Faculty) is the teaching division of the Institute, which is a TEQSA registered higher education provider. The Institute must regularly review its courses for currency and relevance. The ACR forms part of the continuous improvement cycle for teaching and learning at Cairnmillar encouraging a team approach that reflects on content, delivery, and the student experience.

    3. Procedure

    3.1 Annual Course Review Guidelines

    3.1.1. Course teams must ensure reliable and continuous review of course and unit performance and complete an ACR. An ACR is not required during the year that the course undergoes a Major Course Review.

    3.1.2. The ACR serves to:

    1. Assist in quality improvement of the course and in teaching and learning activities
    2. Assist in benchmarking the course
    3. Assist the enrolment planning cycle
    4. Identify staff capacity building requirements and staffing gaps
    5. Provide an ongoing record of performance and improvement
    6. Inform professional accreditation and other course review activities

    3.1.3. The process for conducting and reporting on ACRs is as follows:

    1. The Academic Registrar populates the course and unit performance data from the previous year and distributes to course coordinators in the first half of the year.
    2. The Course coordinator sets a meeting date as early as possible within the next two weeks with the relevant course team.
    3. The Course team members meet to reflect on how the course has performed over the previous 12-month period, what could be improved and how those improvements could be implemented.
    4. The meeting will inform the completion of the reflection and course commentary responses in the ACR keeping 3.2.1 in mind, the responsibility of which lies with the Course coordinator.
    5. The completed ACR, which must bear the signature of the relevant Deputy Dean is added to the Agenda for the relevant Course Advisory Committee to review.
    6. The Course Advisory Committee then refers the ACR to the Course Standards Committee for Institutional level review prior to being presented to the Academic Board for noting.

    4. Resources and references

    Legislative and compliance framework relevant to the development of this policy:

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