RMIT University. Equivalent Accreditation and Standing of Staff Qualifications. Teaching and Learning and Research

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1 RMIT University Equivalent Accreditation and Standing of Staff Qualifications Teaching and Learning and Research 1. Background The TEQSA Threshold Standards require that staff teaching into programs within the higher education sector hold a qualification one level higher than the AQF level of the program they teach into. TEQSA allows for staff to have equivalent professional experience in cases where they do not have the formal qualification. For staff assigned as the primary (senior) supervisor of Masters or PhD by research students the standards require that they are actively carrying out research and publishing in their discipline. In addition to holding a formal qualification the threshold standards may also be met through recognition of other qualifications of staff, professional development, experience in and contributions to an industry or profession, creative output and scholarly output such as publications. This process is criteria based equivalent accreditation and standing of staff qualifications. 2. Prevalence of Equivalent Accreditation within RMIT Equivalent Accreditation recognises that a high level of learning, research and achievement occurs in professional practice, disciplines and in design and creative areas outside the formal setting of the university. In view of RMIT s close links with industry, professions and creative areas, it is entirely consistent with its mission to recognise artistic, professional and practice based achievement for the purpose of equivalence that will continue to enable such practitioners to teach and our students and supervise research. Equivalent accreditation is acknowledged under the in the University skill base and formal qualification requirements for academic appointments A through to E and is particularly detailed for applications from level A to B. It is also acknowledged in the appointment criteria for adjunct professors. There is no formal statement, policy or set of principles underlying equivalent accreditation for academic staff, nor of the processes that should be applied to staff without the required level of formal qualification. It should be noted that within the context of the TEQSA Threshold Standard the requirement applies to the qualifications of staff, not to the appointment level (i.e. Academic A-E) within an institution. The standard clearly applies to existing higher education academic staff without formal qualifications a level above the AQF level of the program they teach into. 3. Proposed Principles The principles cover academic staff of the university assigned to learning and teaching and higher degrees by research supervisory roles. LTU Draft Paper on Academic Accreditation Page 1

2 It is proposed that the following principles guide the operation of the qualification equivalency process within RMIT in order to meet TEQSA regulatory requirements: i. Equivalent professional experience and standing of staff in place of formal qualifications should be applied consistently across all areas where evidence is necessary for employment or regulatory requirements; ii. Equivalence may be applied for on the basis of the criteria and evidence for the relevant AQF level (See 8 below); and/or the RMIT definition of Research Active is met; iii. For the purposes of TEQSA regulatory compliance assessment of equivalence is undertaken by an Equivalence Accreditation Committee established in each College consisting of: The PVC (Chair) Deputy PVC Learning and Teaching Deputy PVC Research Relevant Dean/Head of School of the staff members submitting applications, or the relevant discipline expert nominated by the Dean/Head of School. iv. RMIT Vietnam should convene a separate campus based Equivalence Accreditation Committee consisting of: The Vice President Academic (Chair) Head of the Centre for Commerce and Management Head of the Centre for Technology Head of the Centre for Communication and Design Director of Learning Teaching This committee will endorse outcomes for review and approval by the PVC s of relevant colleges, and consequent reporting to RMIT Human Resources in Melbourne; v. Decisions are academically defensible; vi. The documented decisions of the respective Equivalence Accreditation Committees be held and maintained by Human Resources online and be readily available for reporting, audit or benchmarking purposes. In the formative stage of implementation it may be useful if, in each college, all Heads/Deans of School from that college were involved in the assessment of applications, irrespective of the school they are submitted from. This would enable Heads/Deans to early on acquire thorough knowledge and experience in assessing applications and consolidate the integrity of the process. 4. Quality Assurance, Review and Reporting At the conclusion of the conclusion of the Equivalence process in each College, Human Resources will select a number of successful and unsuccessful applications for equivalence for review by an independent moderator. The purpose is to independently review the process for possible inconsistencies across colleges, and reflects an approach used in other staff processes in the university. LTU Draft Paper on Academic Accreditation Page 2

3 Human Resources should provide an annual report for the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation) against each College on: The number of applications considered for equivalence; The number approved and not approved against each AQF award type; For each School, the relative number of academic and teaching staff with the prescribed qualification for the programs in which they are teaching or supervising (in the case of HDR programs) and those with equivalent professional experience approved by the College committee. In instances where staff may have been assigned to teaching responsibilities where they do not have the appropriate level of qualification, and have not successfully qualified for equivalence to meet regulatory requirements, Human Resources should work with the Head/Dean of the relevant School to develop a process for considering the options available to Colleges and Schools. In instances where staff may have been assigned senior HDR supervision responsibilities where they do not have the appropriate level of qualification, and have not successfully qualified for equivalence to meet regulatory requirements, School of Graduate Research will work with Colleges and Schools to review the arrangements for any affected HDR students. 5. Staff covered by the Equivalence process All academic staff teaching into awards accredited by RMIT from AQF level 5 and above will be covered by the process (see (2) in appendix A for the range of roles concerned). As staff teaching into programs have different roles, including sessional staff, guest lecturers, external work placements etc, the equivalent accreditation process will apply to all academic staff who teach at least one contact hour per week for a full semester or are directly responsible for assessment of students where the weighting of the assessment is 5% or greater for the course. 6. Responsibility for the Process Responsibility for the Process - The Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic and Vice-President; and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation; Approval of the Process - Academic Board. This will include the review of proposed amendments; Implementation College PVC s will convene College Equivalence Accreditation Committees in accordance with the policy. In the case of RMIT Vietnam, the Vice President Academic will convene the Vietnam based committee. The Dean, Learning and Teaching; and Dean, School of Graduate Research will have responsibility for the operation of the process, advice, quality management and improvement, consistency and fairness. Human Resources will develop an implementation plan on the collection and storage of information on staff qualifications and college equivalence determinations. This plan will address the relevant TEQSA Standards, confirm the data to be collected, maintained and reported on, and be developed in consultation with Policy and Planning, the Academic and Research and Innovation Portfolios. This should include all relevant university templates to support the process. LTU Draft Paper on Academic Accreditation Page 3

4 Note: The School of Graduate Research plan to implement an interim equivalence process using the criteria and evidence from this paper. This is due to the time constraints involved in confirming the available research supervisors for Once the policy is approved and implemented, College Equivalence Accreditation Committees will undertake this task. Approval of this interim arrangement is being sought through VCE. 7. Timeline for compliance The Equivalence Accreditation Committee in each College should be constituted in 2012 and commence processing applications from academic and teaching staff who do not hold a formal qualification at the level required for their assigned (or proposed) teaching or HDR supervision duties. PhD equivalences required for staff proposed for new HDR supervisions commencing in 2013 should be considered before offers for these places are made at the end of Records of all academic and teaching staff should be updated by the completion of Human Resources should develop an appropriate application form that includes provision for addressing the criteria and evidence in the attached table in cases where an applicant does not have the relevant formal qualifications. Such applicants for new academic or teaching appointments should be required to provide a portfolio against these criteria as part of the application process. Human Resources will need to amend the information for academic applicants to include advice on equivalence and the attached criteria. Professor Geoffrey Crisp, Dean Learning and Teaching, RMIT Peter Czech, Senior Policy Advisor, LTU Consultation has included: -The School of Graduate Research -Policy and Planning -Deputy PVC s, Learning and Teaching -Executive Director of Human Resources, Marcia Gough -Policy and Planning -University Secretary, Dr Julie Wells -ATN Deans of Graduate Research have reviewed and endorsed the criteria and kinds of evidence for AQF level 10 equivalence in this paper LTU Draft Paper on Academic Accreditation Page 4

5 8. Learning and Teaching and Research Criteria and Evidence by AQF Level Staff can apply for equivalence using the criteria in the table below. For staff who have primarily teaching or research experience, the following criteria may be used in conjunction with the template in (9) that follows: i. Staff must have taught for three years or more ii. Evidence of good teaching should demonstrate CES GTS scores of 65 or above for a period of 3 years for staff primarily teach. iii. Meets the RMIT definition of Research Active and provides evidence of research and of refereed publications iv. Staff may use Teaching and Research Experience in conjunction with the AQF level criteria in the table below Equivalence at Award Level Diploma AQF level 5 Advanced Diploma AQF Level 6 Criteria Demonstrates specific technical skills and knowledge in their professional role or paraprofessional work Demonstrates an ability to adapt knowledge and skills in work situations, sometimes in unfamiliar circumstances, or to meet special requirements Some experience in planning work, including the work of others and evaluating the effectiveness of outcomes Has experience in communicating technical knowledge and skills The application of relevant knowledge and skills in the workplace Demonstrates advanced specialised skills in professional roles or paraprofessional work Able to analyse and solve complex problems Has breadth of experience Developed skills to communicate fundamental technical skills, knowledge and solutions to others Experience in supervisory or management roles Associate Degree The application of relevant knowledge and skills in the workplace Demonstrates breadth of understanding in the application of theoretical and Kinds of Evidence Resume or portfolio of the kinds of work roles held and work undertaken On the job training and development programs completed Evidence of some depth of knowledge in the relevant professional field or area of paraprofessional work Examples of challenging technical or workbased problems and how these were addressed and resolved Experience in the development and delivery of work-based training, coaching and mentoring Experience in communicating work-based technical issues and knowledge to solve problems and/or to provide guidance to others Role in supervising and planning the work of others Resume or portfolio of the breadth of workbased roles held and tasks undertaken On the job training and development programs completed Evidence of some depth of knowledge Examples of challenging technical or workbased problems and of initiative in finding solution independently or with teams Experience in communicating work-based technical issues and knowledge to solve problems and/or to provide training and direction to teams Experience in some management functions and planning that includes responsibility for personal and team-based outcomes Resume or portfolio of the breadth of workbased roles held and tasks undertaken Professional development undertaken Structured and/or informal training you LTU Draft Paper on Academic Accreditation Page 5

6 AQF level 6 Bachelor AQF Level 7 Bachelor Honours Degree AQF Level 8 Masters AQF Level 9 technical knowledge in professional roles or paraprofessional work Ability to analyse and adapt a range of information to known and new situations in the workplace Has strong skills to communicate and transmit fundamental technical skills, knowledge and solutions to others Experience in independent supervisory roles and team-based management. Demonstrates a broad, current and coherent knowledge of the theory and practice of their discipline or profession Has contributed significantly to their profession or industry and /or has a track record of creative output Has teaching qualifications and/or experience, and demonstrated ability to develop and communicate knowledge and ideas Demonstrates a current,coherent and advanced knowledge of the theory and practice of their discipline or profession Able to apply a critical analytical approach to complex problems to find solutions Has contributed significantly to their profession or industry and /or has a track record of creative output Has undertaken professional or practice based research or investigative projects, and demonstrates a developed knowledge of research principles and methodology Has teaching qualifications and/or experience, and demonstrated ability to develop and communicate knowledge and ideas to a variety of audiences Demonstrates a complex and broad understanding of the theory and practice of their discipline or profession Sustained contribution to the knowledge of their profession or discipline Has a substantial knowledge of research principles and methods applicable to their field of work Sustained and acknowledged design, creative or technical achievement Has independently undertaken extensive work-based projects involving research, analysis and written reports or complex project management Publications Has demonstrated high level communication skills and/or has have provided to others Evidence of some depth of knowledge Examples of challenging technical or workbased problems and of initiative in finding solutions independently or with teams Experience in communicating work-based technical problems and the strategic application of knowledge to these problems to produce creative solutions and/or provide direction to teams Management and leadership roles within a work-based context and the wider community. Leadership roles within a work-based context and the wider community Professional development programs undertaken Experience in projects, research or collaborative work in employment or with RMIT Exhibitions of creative work Extra-curricular professional activities Technical achievement Teaching experience Publications, presentations related to their profession or discipline area Management and leadership roles within a work-based context and the wider community Professional development programs undertaken Outputs from projects, research or collaborative work in employment or with RMIT that evidences planning, the development and application of a research methodology Exhibitions of creative work Extra-curricular professional activities Technical achievement Teaching experience Publications, presentations related to their profession or discipline area Professional qualifications, extensive professional development and training Seniority of work-based professional practice Evidence of standing in their profession or discipline Evidence of design, creative or technical achievement Evidence of the scope and nature of workbased projects and/or research undertaken, and the output from these Publication record Evidence of capability to teach at Masters level LTU Draft Paper on Academic Accreditation Page 6

7 PhD AQF Level 10 teaching qualifications Demonstrates a complex and broad understanding of the theory and practice of their discipline or profession Sustained and original contributions to their profession or discipline Has a broad and deep knowledge of research principles and methods applicable to their field of work Has independently undertaken extensive work-based projects involving research, analysis and written reports or complex project management that demonstrates practice-based innovation Has expert skills to design, implement, analyse, theorise and communicate research that makes a significant and original contribution to knowledge and/or professional practice Publications Professional qualifications, extensive professional development and training Evidence of leadership and standing in their profession or discipline Evidence of sustained design, creative or technical achievement Evidence of independent, sustained practice-based research and innovation Evidence of the scope and nature of workbased projects and/or research undertaken, with outputs demonstrating a contribution to the body of knowledge Publication record, particularly refereed publications Evidence of capability to teach/supervise at PhD level LTU Draft Paper on Academic Accreditation Page 7

8 9. Example of the Template for Equivalence by Teaching and/or Research Experience Template for Detailing Teaching and Research Supporting Evidence Name: enumber: Current Appointment level (e.g. Lecturer, Senior Lecturer): Programs you have Taught Into AQF Level No of Years of Experience Evidence of Good Teaching (CES Survey data, GTS data etc) and /or successful research supervision Please detail where applicable: -Highest AQF Qualification attained -Professional Development -- Teaching Qualifications attained -Teaching Awards -Peer recognition -Learning and Teaching Grants -Contributions to learning and teaching innovation -Scholarship and publication -Masters or PhD by Research supervision Dean/Head of School Report: #Recommendation on Equivalence to AQF level: Date: 00/00/00 Signed Dean/Head of School Program Manager/ Discipline Head Report #Recommendation on Equivalence to AQF Level: Date: 00/00/00 Signed Program Manager/ Discipline Head #Note this is a recommendation on the highest AQF qualification the staff member will be recommended to teach into or supervise where research supervision is concerned. Professor Geoff Crisp, Dean Learning and Teaching, RMIT Peter Czech, Senior Policy Advisor LTU, RMIT LTU Draft Paper on Academic Accreditation Page 8

9 Appendix A 1. Issues (This list is part of the working document but will not appear in the final version) There may be sensitive industrial issues related to the implementation: i. It will involve identifying staff with qualifications that are not a level above the AQF level they teach into, and requiring these staff to go through the equivalence process. This may be seen as very contentious by some staff; ii. There may be a number of staff who do not achieve equivalence through the process and can no longer teach into the program they were employed to teach. These staff will have been employed by RMIT in good faith and Human Resources will need to provide advice on this contingency; iii. In the early stages of implementation, validation of equivalence decisions at college level, prior to advice to staff, may assist the development of a rigorous, consistent and fair approach across the university; iv. An appeals process will be required to ensure due process; v. Robust collection, accurate maintenance and availability of information on staff qualifications will underpin this work. This should be automated to support the information requirements internally within RMIT, and for external reporting purposes; vi. Advice should be sought from TEQSA regarding how the threshold standards will apply to our various offshore relationships covering RMIT badged programs taught at: RMIT Offshore campuses Partner delivered covering: -RMIT delivered (Model 1); -Jointly delivered (Model 2); and -Licensed and Quality Assured (Model 3). ix. Operating the Equivalence process may be very difficult when recruiting and appointing sessional academic staff at short notice. 2. Academic Teaching and Research Positions by Activity: Teaching: Professor (Level E) Associate Professor (Level D) Adjunct Professor Senior Lecturer (Level C) Lecturer (Level B) Associate Lecturer (Level A) Research Assistant WIL Field Supervisor Research: Professor (Level E) Principal Research Fellow (Level D) Senior Research Fellow (Level C) Research Fellow (Level B) Research Officer (Level A) LTU Draft Paper on Academic Accreditation Page 9

10 Higher Degrees Supervision Senior Supervisor Second Supervisor Higher Degrees Examination Examiner Casual/Sessional Academic teaching and Research: Lecturer Tutor Clinical Nurse Marker Research Assistant Other: Student mentor Lab Technicians LTU Draft Paper on Academic Accreditation Page 10