Course Accreditation for Orthotic/Prosthetic Training Programs in Australia: Application Guidelines for Interim Accreditation May 2016 0 P a g e
About the Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association The Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association (AOPA) is the peak professional body for orthotist/prosthetists in Australia. AOPA self regulates the profession through the establishment of standards, codes and guidelines, which are upheld by AOPA certified practitioners. Our certified practitioners are qualified orthotist/prosthetists employed throughout the public and private sectors. They provide the full range of orthotic and prosthetic clinical care to support mobility, quality of life, rehabilitation, and participation goals of their clients. AOPA s mission is to provide a robust self regulatory environment for the profession and thereby ensure the delivery of safe and effective orthotic and prosthetic care for the Australian consumer. AOPA also has a role in member representation and the delivery of member benefits, which contributes to the growth of the profession, the shaping of clinical services and maintaining a profession of excellence. For more information about the Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association, visit www.aopa.org.au The Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association 2016 Disclaimer: The Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association has taken care to ensure that at the date of publication, information within this document is accurate, up to date and free from errors, however it may not cover all relevant aspects of the Course Accreditation process dependent upon how the information is being utilised. The AOPA therefore does not make any warranty about the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of the material contained within the document. The AOPA and any individual or organisation associated with the preparation of this document disclaim any and all liability associated with any loss the user of this document may suffer as a result of reliance on the document. Individuals should exercise their own independent skill and judgment before relying on this document. 1 P a g e
Contents 1 Overview of AOPA Course Accreditation... 3 1.1 The Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association... 3 1.2 What is Course Accreditation?... 3 1.3 What are Course Accreditation Standards?... 4 1.4 How does Course Accreditation status relate to AOPA membership?... 4 1.5 Types of AOPA Course Accreditation... 4 1.6 Eligibility for interim Course Accreditation with AOPA... 6 2 Governance of Course Accreditation... 6 2.1 The Board of Directors... 6 2.2 The Accreditation Committee... 6 2.3 The Pool of Assessors... 7 2.4 The Accreditation Assessment Team... 7 3 Application process for interim accreditation... 7 3.1 Notification of intention to seek interim accreditation... 8 3.2 Application for interim accreditation... 8 3.3 What information is required in an application for interim accreditation?... 8 3.4 Outcomes of an application for Interim Accreditation... 10 3.5 Ongoing monitoring requirement... 11 4 Application for full course accreditation... 12 5 Summary of time frames... 13 6 Appeals policy... 13 7 Fees... 13 8 Glossary of terms... 14 9 Templates... 15 2 P a g e
1 Overview of AOPA Course Accreditation This document outlines the application process for interim accreditation of an entry-level orthotic/prosthetic training course, by the Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association (AOPA). Interim accreditation is for new orthotic/prosthetic training programs; please refer to the Applicant Guidelines for Full Accreditation for information about accreditation for established training programs. This document should be read alongside the AOPA Course Accreditation Standards, and the AOPA Competency Standards 2014. 1.1 The Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association The Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association (AOPA) is the peak body representing orthotist/prosthetists in Australia and is responsible for self-regulation of the profession. Approximately 80% of all practicing orthotist/prosthetists are members of AOPA. As part of the self-regulation process, AOPA has established a suite of standards and codes to ensure competent orthotist/prosthetists who provide quality services. Examples include the Ethical Code and Professional Conduct, Competency Standards, mandatory Continuing Professional Development program, and Course Accreditation. 1.2 What is Course Accreditation? Course accreditation is a voluntary process whereby education providers apply to external agencies to evaluate the processes and outcomes of a training course. Course accreditation is one contribution toward the quality assurance mechanisms that oversee the quality of training programs. Universities, for example, are responsible for and have their own policies to maintain the quality of their courses, independent of any external accreditation programs. The difference between this and external Course Accreditation is that Course Accreditation Standards are shaped by the requirements of the profession. Course Accreditation occurs across the majority of health professions in Australia and internationally. There are many benefits of Course Accreditation. Course Accreditation ensures competent orthotist/prosthetists and therefore provides a measure of protection for the public. For education providers, preparing for and undergoing accreditation provides opportunity for change, and promotes a reputation of continuous improvement. Course Accreditation may also facilitate global movement of practitioners by leading to mutual recognition agreements, where two or more countries recognize each other s conformity assessments. In summary, the aim of the AOPA Course Accreditation is to ensure that competent orthotist/prosthetists are graduated. This provides ongoing benefits to the public, students, the education provider and the orthotic/prosthetic profession in Australia and internationally. 3 P a g e
1.3 What are Course Accreditation Standards? Course Accreditation Standards specify the minimum criteria against which a training program is assessed for accreditation. The standards take a comprehensive view of the course and assess the following five domains: 1. Governance, structure and leadership 2. Quality and safety 3. The student experience 4. Curriculum 5. Resource management Within each of these domains are multiple criteria which are separated into individual standards. The Standards do not prescribe the curriculum for orthotic/prosthetic programs. Instead, they define what is expected of a course to ensure it prepares graduates who have the knowledge, competencies and professional attributes required of graduates to practice as orthotist/prosthetists in Australia. The Standards allow each program the flexibility to be innovative and develop a curriculum within the quality assurance mechanisms of the particular education provider. 1.4 How does Course Accreditation status relate to AOPA membership? One of the eligibility requirements for full membership to AOPA is that orthotic/prosthetic practitioners must demonstrate that they meet the AOPA Entry-level Competency Standards. The Competency Standards define the minimum skills and attributes required of an entry-level practitioner to practice in Australia. One aspect of the Course Accreditation Standards is to ensure that graduates are taught and assessed against each of the Competency Standards. Therefore, graduates from an AOPA Accredited training course (i.e., Full Accreditation status) are considered to have satisfied the Competency Standards, and thereby automatically satisfy this requirement for membership to AOPA. Graduates of Non-Accredited courses, or those graduating from a course that has been awarded Interim Accreditation must complete an individual competency assessment (called an Assessment of Competence) in order to demonstrate they meet the same Competency Standards, (refer to the AOPA Competency Assessment Guidelines for more information). 1.5 Types of AOPA Course Accreditation Course accreditation applies to both established and new programs. Established programs can apply for full accreditation, but new programs must apply for interim accreditation. Full accreditation can only 4 P a g e
occur when a course has students in their final year of study and outcomes can be analysed. This can be compared to interim accreditation which occurs before a program has a graduating cohort. The reason for having two types of accreditation is because some of the standards cannot be comprehensively assessed until students are in their final year of study, specifically, those standards pertaining to clinical placement for example; standard 4.5.1 Clinical placements are integrated into the curriculum to allow the achievement of competencies across a wide range of practice areas; satisfying this standard may involve gaining student and clinical placement supervisor feedback. A new program may seek interim accreditation up to 24 months before the first intake of students until the first intake complete their first year of studies. Failure to seek interim accreditation will result in a course being unaccredited until the first cohort of students are in their final year when the education provider can apply for full accreditation. 1.5.1 Interim accreditation Interim accreditation is the process by which a tertiary institution applies to AOPA to have a new course accredited after the course structure and planning is complete, but before the first intake of students. For a course to obtain interim accreditation they must provide evidence that satisfies a selection of the Course Accreditation Standards, referred to as Interim Standards, as well as evidence of sufficient planning to be able to satisfy the remaining standards at a later date, i.e., when full course accreditation is undertaken during the first cohort of student s final year of study. This allows the education provider to advertise a course with an interim accreditation status thereby, indicating to the public that they intent for the course to be fully accredited. In summary, the purpose of interim accreditation is to ensure that a tertiary institution that is preparing to establish a new orthotic/prosthetic training program has: 1. Adequate resources to run the program 2. A curriculum structure in place that prepares students to meet the AOPA Competency Standards 3. Established links with the profession including securing clinical placements 4. Plans in place to achieve full accreditation 1.5.2 Planning for Interim Accreditation Education providers are encouraged to consult with the AOPA National Office prior to a new program being developed. Advice and support will be provided during the planning and development of a new course, and AOPA will provide relevant documentation regarding the Course Accreditation process. This will enable the education provider to ensure that the proposed program is on track to comply with the AOPA Course Accreditation Standards at both the interim accreditation stage, and full accreditation. 5 P a g e
1.6 Eligibility for interim Course Accreditation with AOPA To be eligible to apply for an interim accreditation with AOPA, the course must meet the following criteria: Be offered within an Australian University The University must be accredited by TEQSA to provide qualifications at an Australian Qualification Framework Level 7 or higher. The course title must clearly include reference to both disciplines of orthotics and prosthetics, and use the words prosthetics and orthotics or the equivalent. If the course includes a plan for an early exit point that has not been accredited in its own right, the awarded qualification relating to this exit point must not include reference to prosthetics or orthotics. The awarded qualification relating to this exit point may not, in any way, imply to the public that this provides entry to practice as an orthotist/prosthetist in Australia, or eligibility for membership to AOPA. Sufficient course planning must have occurred to be able to provide evidence against the Interim Standards, and planning to satisfy the Course Accreditation Standards by the time the first cohort is in their final year 2 Governance of Course Accreditation The governance model for Course Accreditation is reflected in the AOPA By-laws. A summary of the role of the AOPA Board of Directors, Accreditation Committee, Pool of Assessors and Accreditation Assessment Team is provided below. 2.1 The Board of Directors The AOPA Board oversee the Course Accreditation process. The board hold ultimate responsibility for approving the Course Accreditation Standards, and in approving or rejecting the outcome of the accreditation process, based on reporting from the Accreditation Committee. The board also ensures the correct process has been followed. 2.2 The Accreditation Committee The AOPA Accreditation Committee is comprised of orthotist/prosthetists, academics, external experts in accreditation, and consumers. The Accreditation Committee has two primary responsibilities: Course 6 P a g e
Accreditation and the Assessment of Competence (a separate process which involves assessment of individual practitioners from non-accredited courses when they apply for AOPA Membership). In relation to Course Accreditation, the role of the Accreditation Committee is to: Set, review and recommend required changes to the AOPA Course Accreditation Standards Recommend the appointment of Accreditation Assessors and oversee functioning of the Pool of Assessors Review the outcomes of the accreditation assessment and make recommendations for the award of accredited status Provide summaries and recommendations from the accreditation process, to the AOPA Board. 2.3 The Pool of Assessors The Pool of Assessors is comprised of orthotist/prosthetists who are AOPA members, experienced accreditors external to the orthotic/prosthetic profession, and consumers. Each member of the assessor pool are appropriately experienced, trained, calibrated and are subject to ongoing review to ensure that applications are assessed in a fair and consistent manner. 2.4 The Accreditation Assessment Team The assessment team is comprised of three people including one (1) experienced accreditation assessor (from a discipline outside of orthotics/prosthetics) and two (2) orthotist/prosthetists, selected from the Pool of Assessors. One member of the team will act as team leader. Responsibilities of the Accreditation Assessment Team include: Conduct course accreditation assessments, including the full accreditation process as well as ongoing annual reviews Complete and submit the assessment report to the Accreditation Committee. 3 Application process for interim accreditation The process for seeking interim course accreditation, leading to a full accreditation involves five key stages: 7 P a g e
Figure 1: Summary of interim accreditation process 3.1 Notification of intention to seek interim accreditation An education provider can apply for interim accreditation up to 24 months prior to commencement of the program and ideally no less than 9 months prior to commencement. Education providers must notify AOPA of their intention to seek interim accreditation by contacting the AOPA Accreditation Committee. You will receive acknowledgement of the receipt of your intention to apply for course accreditation within one week. 3.2 Application for interim accreditation The application for interim accreditation is submitted to the Accreditation Committee. You will receive an acknowledgement of the receipt of your application within one week. The application must use the application template (refer Interim Accreditation Templates, available as a separate document). 3.3 What information is required in an application for interim accreditation? Interim accreditation involves assessment against a sub-set of the Course Accreditation Standards, which are known as Interim Standards. These are outlined below in Table 1 and outline all the standards from the AOPA Course Accreditation Standards that must be met. Suggested sources of evidence that may be used to demonstrate a course meets these standards, can be found in the AOPA Course Accreditation Standards. 8 P a g e
Requirement 1: There are adequate resources to run the program Standard Descriptor 1.1.1 The education provider delivering the course holds current registration with the Tertiary Education and Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA) as an education provider in the Australian University category 1.1.2 The course is governed by a distinct Orthotic/Prosthetic entity within the organisational, corporate and academic governance structures (eg. orthotic and prosthetic department or school) which is equivalent to comparable entry-level professional programs 1.1.3 The course has its own defined mission, objectives, goals, strategic plan and key performance indicators which reflect those of the education provider, the profession and the needs of the community. 1.2.1 The continuity and support of the course is assured. 1.3.1 The course governance structure is well defined and facilitates appropriate planning and resource allocation, and provides general oversight of the program. 1.4.1 The course leader and/or leadership team are appropriately qualified and have demonstrated orthotic/prosthetic expertise. 1.5.1 The course is awarded a minimum Level 7 on the Australian Qualification Framework (Bachelor entry level degree in Orthotics and Prosthetics) 5.1.1 There is an adequate number of appropriately qualified academic, professional and support staff to ensure effective development and delivery of the course. 5.2.1 The general and specialist facilities, learning resources and equipment support effective delivery of the course. Requirement 2: A curriculum structure is in place that prepares students to meet the AOPA competency standards Standard Descriptor 4.1.1 The curriculum prepares students to conduct safe and effective independent practice upon graduation, through meeting the AOPA Entry Level Competency Standards. 4.2.1 The course curriculum is developed and maintained by expert Orthotists/Prosthetists and with reference to the evidence base of the profession. 4.2.2 The curriculum content is relevant to Australia s national, state/territory and local health needs. 4.2.3 The curriculum content includes an appropriate balance of clinical, technical, science and research areas. Requirement 3: There are established links with the profession including securing clinical placements Standard Descriptor 1.2.1 This standard is addressed in Interim Requirement 1. 2.2.2 Ongoing feedback from external stakeholders is sought and responded to in order to inform quality improvement. Requirement 4: Plans are in place to achieve full accreditation Evidence of planning against all the remaining course accreditation standards which will be met by the time the first cohort of students have entered their final year. Table 1: Interim accreditation requirements and standards 9 P a g e
3.3.1 Examples For each of the Interim Standards listed above, the education provider must demonstrate direct evidence of the standard being met. For example, standard 1.1.1 requires that: 1.1.1 The education provider delivering the course holds registration with the Tertiary Education and Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA) as an education provider in the Australian University category. Appropriate evidence for this standard would be a copy of the university s TEQSA registration, or a copy of the most recent accreditation outcome. Refer to the Course Accreditation Standards document for more examples of types of evidence. For all remaining standards evidence of planning to meet those standards must be provided. For example, Standard 2.2.2 requires that: 2.2.1 The effectiveness of the course is evaluated in order to promote continual improvement and to ensure its ongoing relevance Therefore, the evidence for this standard should present a plan for how this standard will be met. This could be done through providing information on the template or format that will be used for course evaluation, or a timeline outlining the course s ongoing monitoring and evaluation. The evidence provided by the education provider will be reviewed by the Assessment Team. Additional information may be requested of the education provider. A response will be provided no later than 8 weeks following receipt of the application fee, or upon receipt of the annual report. 3.4 Outcomes of an application for Interim Accreditation The Assessment Team will make a recommendation to the Accreditation Committee regarding the outcome of the accreditation assessment process. This decision will also be approved by the Board of Directors. For new courses applying for interim accreditation. There are two possible outcomes. These are summarised in the table below: 10 P a g e
Outcome Description Timeframe Interim accreditation awarded Interim accreditation withheld There was sufficient evidence of the ability to meet or plan to meet the Interim Course Accreditation Standards by the time full accreditation assessment would occur. Course is awarded interim accreditation. The Accreditation Committee is not satisfied that the course in its current form would pass full accreditation. This may be due to insufficient evidence of the ability to meet or plan to meet the Course Accreditation Standards, and/or the evidence suggests that major modifications to the program need to be made before interim accreditation is awarded The course is not awarded interim accreditation. Interim accreditation is valid until assessment for full accreditation, before the first cohort of students graduate. Interim accreditation is subject to satisfactory ongoing monitoring (i.e. annual reporting and major change reporting). The education provider will be advised about the areas to be addressed before it will consider a re-application for interim accreditation. Education providers will be eligible to re-apply for accreditation when they believe that the significant and suitable changes which allow them to meet the Standards have been implemented and can be demonstrated. Re-application will incur the standard fee for interim accreditation. Table2: Summary of accreditation status and timeframes 3.5 Ongoing monitoring requirement Interim accreditation is subject to ongoing monitoring which shows ongoing successful program delivery, on track to meet a full accreditation. This involves annual reporting and notification of major change. Both annual reports and notification of major change may be submitted to the Accreditation Committee, using the Annual Report Template and notification of major change templates. 3.5.1 Annual reporting Annual reporting takes a holistic view of course progression. It is not an ongoing assessment of the remaining accreditation standards. Accordingly, the full accreditation process must be undertaken before the first cohort of students graduate. The annual report includes information regarding: report of annual data, e.g. year-level cohort size, retention; program outcomes, benchmarking; evidence of clinical placements; response to any recommendations from the previous report; notification 12 months in advance of any planned major changes to the program 11 P a g e
If the education provider does not provide an annual report within 28 days of the required date, AOPA will notify the education provider. The education provider will have the opportunity to provide the report within 28 days. Failure to do so will result in a loss of interim accreditation status. 3.5.2 Notification of planned major change Apart from annual reports, if any changes; anticipated or unanticipated, occur with an education program, this should be reported to the AOPA Accreditation Committee as soon as the education provider becomes aware of the change. Please use the Notification of Planned Major Change template. A major change is defined as: Any variation in the way the education provider is meeting course accreditation standards, or in the way the graduates are achieving the AOPA Entry Level Competency Standards. Major changes include but are not limited to variations such as: How course content is being delivered (curriculum and/or subject restructure) How competencies are assessed The structure or governance of the academic unit or education provider A change in resources available to deliver the program Changes to student numbers AOPA reserves the right to at any time withdraw interim accreditation if there is non-compliance with ongoing monitoring, including the reporting of major change; or if it becomes apparent that false or misleading information was provided as evidence during the accreditation assessment. 4 Application for full course accreditation When the first cohort of students are in their final year of study, the education provider must apply for full accreditation. The accreditation assessment will occur prior to the graduation of the first cohort of students and this should occur in the first semester of the final year, or after an extended clinical placement. Full accreditation incurs the full accreditation fee, and is conducted according to the full accreditation processes and procedures which are outlined in AOPA Course Accreditation Applicants Guidelines. 12 P a g e
5 Summary of time frames Activity Responsibility Timeframe 1. Notification of intention to seek accreditation 2. Submission of evidence and planning against interim requirements (see 3.3) Education Provider notifies the AOPA National Office in writing. The AOPA National Office acknowledges receipt and provides necessary documentation. Education provider submits documentation to the National Office. Acknowledgement within one week Acknowledgement within one week 3. Notification of Outcome Assessment Team report to the Accreditation Committee; decision Approved by Board of Directors Within 8 weeks of document lodgment 4. Ongoing monitoring Assessment Team report to the Accreditation Committee; decision Approved by Board of Directors Due 12 months following accreditation date 5. Apply for full accreditation Full accreditation occurs via pathway described in full accreditation guidelines When first cohort of students are in final year of study Table 3. A summary of interim accreditation timeframes. 6 Appeals policy Any queries regarding AOPA Course Accreditation should be lodged with the National Office. If the Accreditation Committee determines to reject or withdraw accreditation (for example, for one of the reasons described above in section 3.4), the National Office will notify the education provider in writing, along with the reasons for the determination. The applicant may appeal this decision by addressing the Admission Appeal Committee. This meeting will be held no earlier than fourteen (14) days and no later than sixty (60) days after service of the written notice. The applicant may either attend and speak at that meeting; and/or submit to the Admission Appeal Committee at or prior to the date of the meeting, written representations relating to the determination. 7 Fees The fee for Course Accreditation can be accessed here. 13 P a g e
8 Glossary of terms Academic leader Academic unit Accredited program Accreditation review Accreditation Standards Assessors Assessor Team AOPA Competency Standards Course Education provider Entry-level program The person responsible for the overall development, leadership, management and evaluation of the entry-level and postgraduate orthotic and prosthetic programs delivered by the orthotics and prosthetics academic unit within an education provider. Sometimes called Head of Department, Discipline Head, Head of School, in some academic units academic leadership is provided by a team of senior staff. The academic unit includes all components that comprise the full range of activities conducted within the ambit of orthotic and prosthetic, including entry-level programs, postgraduate education, research, continuing education and community service. The academic unit may also be referred to as school, department or discipline. A program of study that has been assessed as meeting the accreditation standards. The process undertaken to assess whether a program of study meets the accreditation standards. The education provider undertakes a period of self-evaluation followed by formal review and verification by a team of external assessors who evaluate the achievement or otherwise of the standards. The document outlining the standards required of orthotic and prosthetic education programs in Australia. The people who undertake the process of external verification of a program or programs. Assessors are orthotist & prosthetist practitioners with experience and knowledge of the accreditation standards, the orthotics and prosthetics profession, educational matters and accreditation processes. Assessors have completed training specific to their role in the accreditation process. An assessor team is formed to undertake the review of an individual program. The assessor team is usually made up of two or three members, one of whom is team leader. The AOPA Entry Level Competency Standards 2014 A term used differently by education providers, it sometimes refers to an individual subject and sometimes to a curriculum of study (program) that leads to the conferring of an approved award, for example a Bachelor degree. The organisation or institution providing a program of study in orthotics and prosthetics An undergraduate or postgraduate level program that prepares graduates to enter the 14 P a g e
workforce as beginning orthotic/prosthetic practitioners. A specific sequence of study/curriculum that leads to an initial qualification in orthotics and prosthetics. Masters entry-level program Midway Quality Improvement Report Postgraduate Course/Program Program Program leader Self evaluation Site visit Subject Undergraduate program A program of study at Masters level that builds on a prior Bachelor-level qualification and leads to an initial qualification in orthotics and prosthetics. Sometimes referred to as a Graduate Entry Masters or GEM program. The progress report on the actions taken to address the recommendations made to the education provider in an accreditation report. Received from the program approximately 2.5 years after the completion of a Stage 3 or five-yearly review, as part of the monitoring process. A course or program of study that follows a first degree, leading to a formal qualification. A specific sequence of study/curriculum that leads to an entry-level qualification/award/degree in orthotics and prosthetics (programs are referred to as courses by some education providers). The person providing leadership for a specific program of study. Sometimes referred to as program or course coordinator or convenor. An element of the program accreditation review process in which the education provider formally assesses its entry-level programs and its achievements of the standards in a selfstudy submission. An element of the program accreditation review process by which the Assessment Team verifies the information in the self-evaluation through visiting the education provider and undertaking a range of consultations and interviews to gain first-hand information from key stakeholders. The site visit is usually conducted over two to three days, depending on the number of programs being accredited and whether the programs are delivered from more than one site. A definable component of a program of study that has a syllabus, objectives, assessment, references and resources. Also referred to by some education providers as unit, course or paper. Each program of study includes a range of subjects that comprise the curriculum. A sequence of study leading to a first degree at tertiary level. It is usually a Bachelor degree. 9 Templates The interim accreditation application templates should be used when applying for interim accreditation and is available as a supporting document. 15 P a g e