FoHS Curriculum Architecture Update (March 2019)

A great many things have been happening on the Curriculum Architecture front. Here’s an update:

Double degree naming principles

The principles relating to naming conventions for double and combined degrees have been confirmed including the internal processes/conventions and external messaging.

This document outlines the procedures that inform the naming of Double Degrees, with particular emphasis on the order in which the constituent courses are listed.  It is important to remember that under the new CA principles that students completing double degrees receive two testamurs (rather than a single award) so the order is not an issue for them as such.

The PowerPoint slides developed by Group Marketing outline the conventions for Doubles and Combined awards (including what we have previously called “Verticals”.) It outlines the correct application of the terms ‘Double’ and ‘Combined’, the correct application of the terms ‘Course’ and ‘Degree’ and outlines the shift from ‘with’ to ‘and’ as a linking device.

New minor principles

ASQC approved some amendments to the principles for minors, concentrations and Minors and Concentrations in the Flexible zone.

If you are interested in proposing a designated minor, please discuss it with Agnes.

Arrangements for transitioning students to the 2020 curriculum

Draft guidelines for how this will be managed have been provided and the Faculty has provided feedback.
The guiding principles are:

• Continuing students will be transferred to the new architecture in 2020
• Recognition that that there may be some circumstances where some groups of students may need to be taught out.
• Student disadvantage will be taken into account (for example, if student is in a course which does not have a replacement, if it would take them longer to complete, pay more or if replacement is substantially different).
• The Saving Clause and Deeming provision may be used to facilitate transitioning for students.
• Different cohorts within a course may have different solutions eg first year versus final year students may have different transition arrangements
• Course Directors / Departments will be required to prepare a transition plan for their course and specify any teach out arrangements. Further details of the how and when this will happen will be communicated once finalised.

Curriculum Management System (CMS)
A new CMS is nearing completion. This is to be the one source of truth for all course and unit information and will feed into the Handbook, the student system, Coursefinder and iTeach. All course and unit changes will be made through this one system putting an end to having to use a mixture of spreadsheets, paper and on-line forms for requesting changes. All the new 2020 course information will be migrated as the first stage. Following that, the module for UNITS will be released and unit information will be migrated. The CMS will store additional fields of information over and above what was captures previously in webforms and Unit Convenors will be required to interact with the new system to complete additional information (learning outcomes, assessment details etc). Training for all users will be provided centrally so keep an eye out for information about that in Session 2.

The slides from the recent CMS showcase are here for your information.

Unit Learning Outcomes

Unit Learning outcomes for any new 2020 units approved by March 19th will be migrated to the new CMS automatically. The University has developed a plan on how learning outcomes for existing units will be managed. The Faculty is in favour of a combination of Scenarios 1 and 2 that will NOT require you to review all ULOs by April.

We will be seeking approval for ULO’s in the following circumstances to also be migrated automatically:

Any units from courses that were accredited in 2018 or 2019, any NEW units approved by FSQC for 2018/2019 offering, and units where a request to change ULO’s was submitted to FSQC and approved in 2018/2019. 

ULO’s for any remaining units in the Faculty will be required to be manually entered after migration to the new CMS and approved via FSQC as a change.  If you have feedback on the unit learning outcomes process, please provide it to Agnes.

Unit Descriptions and Staff Contacts for 2020

Unit Descriptions and Staff contacts for 2020 units can still be updated at this link until 23 March.