Teaching in a Language Other Than English

Teaching and Assessing in a Language Other Than English Procedure

Policy Code: LT1970

Purpose
Scope
Legislative Context
Definitions
Supporting Documents
Responsibility
Actions
1.Obtaining approval to deliver
2. Determining course entry requirements
3. Staffing
4. Teaching resources
5. Determining assessment requirements
6. Moderating assessments and/or examinations
7. Continuous improvement
Promulgation
Implementation
Records Management

Purpose

This procedure mandates operational activity and assigns responsibilities that are required to support the implementation of Federation University Australia’s Teaching in a Language Other Than English Policy. It aims to protect the standard and quality of the University qualifications taught and assessed in languages other than English and applies to all teaching and assessment in a language other than English.

Scope

This procedure applies to all teaching by Federation University Australia that occurs in a language other than English. All proposals seeking approval to teach and assess in a language other than English must address requirements.

Legislative Context

Definitions

A complete list of definitions relevant to this procedure is contained within the Teaching in a Language other than English Policy.

Supporting Documents

Responsibility

  • Academic Board is responsible for monitoring the implementation, outcomes and scheduled review of this procedure
  • Chair, Academic Board is responsible for maintaining the content of this procedure as delegated by Academic Board
  • Academic Secretariat is responsible for the administration support for the maintenance of this procedure as directed by the Chair, Academic Board

Actions

1.Obtaining approval to deliver

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A. Preparing proposal for approval to offer program partly in a language other than English Faculty
  1. Review the relevant partner provider agreement for international delivery
  2. Develop a detailed proposal in consultation with the Centre for University Partnerships
  3. Collate statements justifying the need to offer program/course in educational, cultural and economic terms
  4. Document adequacy of regular monitoring and periodic formal review process
B. Submitting proposal Faculty
  1. Ensure completed proposal is submitted to Academic Board for approval
  2. Receipt of Academic Board approval must be in place prior to program/course commencement

2. Determining course entry requirements

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A. Confirming equivalence Faculty
  1. Ensure entry requirements are of an equivalent standard to those required for the same program/course taught in English
  2. Minimum English language entry requirements are a component of the program/course entry requirements

3. Staffing

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A. Appointing an assessor Faculty
  1. A University staff member, or external independent examiner accountable to the University, who is proficient in English and the language of instruction, expert in the relevant discipline and where possible a registered interpreter, must be appointed to assess the:
    • Qualifications of proposed teaching staff
    • Quality of teaching
    • Translation of materials
    • Quality of teaching materials
    • Appropriateness of the assessment materials and assessment outcomes (moderation)
B. Appointing teaching staff Faculty
  1. Ensure that all appointments of teaching staff to teach in programs taught and assessed wholly or partly in a language other than English are made using similar criteria for appointments to a similar academic level in the discipline area in Australia
  2. Approval of the appointment of all staff must be obtained from Federation University Australia
  3. Academic staff appointed to assess student work in a language other than English must be proficient in English and the language of instruction, as well as in the discipline
C. Inducting staff Faculty or delegate
  1. Appropriately induct all staff offering programs/courses in languages other than English
  2. Identify and provide staff development opportunities
  3. Ensure mentoring arrangements are in place if appropriate
  4. Engage all staff in consultative processes

4. Teaching resources

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A. Preparing course and learning documentation Faculty or delegate
  1. Check that all course documentation including course outlines and other student handouts which are made available in the language of instruction, are equivalent to those that are provided in English
  2. Ensure that all learning materials, including texts, references and other resources in the language of instruction, are of a standard at least equivalent to the materials available for the same program/course taught in English
B. Translating course materials Faculty or delegate
  1. Ensure all staff involved in translation  are proficient in English and the language of instruction as well as in the discipline

5. Determining assessment requirements

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A. Confirming equivalence Faculty
  1. Ensure assessment requirements and standards are comparable to those for the same course taught in English
B. Marking guidelines Faculty
  1. Ensure all staff utilise the marking guidelines provided and that grading criteria is the same as that used for the equivalent program/course taught in English

6. Moderating assessments and/or examinations

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A. Undertaking moderation

Faculty staff/

Program/course moderators
  1. All moderation of assessments and/or examinations will be undertaken in accordance with the Higher Education Assessment Procedure
  2. All marked assessments and examinations released by partner providers will be subjected to moderation
  3. Examinations and completed scripts will be marked by University staff and subjected to the University’s comprehensive moderation processes, reflecting the weighting process associated with examinations for these programs/courses
B. Recording and releasing marks/grades Head of School//Partners/CUP
  1. Marks/grades will not be released to students until the ratification process is complete
  2. Marks will be entered into the University’s approved student management system
  3. Marks will be made accessible to students via the University’s approved system
C. Responding to student appeals Faculty staff/Partners
  1. Any appeal or request for remarking must be submitted in English by the student in writing – refer Student Appeal Procedure

7. Continuous improvement

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A. Identifying continuous improvement changes Faculty/Partner/CUP
  1. Identify areas for continuous improvement
  2. Implement continuous improvement processes
  3. Review the success of implemented improvements

Promulgation

The Teaching and Assessing in a Language Other Than English Procedure will be communicated throughout the University via:

  1. an Announcement Notice under ‘FedNews’ website and through the University Policy - ‘Recently Approved Documents’ webpage to alert the University-wide community of the approved Policy;
  2. inclusion on the University Policy, Procedure and Forms website; and/or
  3. distribution of e-mails to Head of School / Head of Department / University staff; and/or
  4. documentation distribution, eg. posters, brochures.
  5. Other - please describe

Implementation

The Teaching and Assessing in a Language Other Than English Procedure will be implemented throughout the University via:

  1. Information Sessions; and/or
  2. Training Sessions; and/or
  3. Other - please describe

Records Management

Document Title Location Responsible Officer Minimum Retention Period
Partner Provider Agreement University’s approved records management system Manager, Partner Relationships Destroy 7 years after agreement has expired
Proposal for approval, including supporting documentation University’s approved records management system Business Manager, Faculty Destroy 18 months after administrative use has concluded
Staff appointment documentation University’s approved HR system or where hard copy, on the personnel file Business Manager, Faculty Retain on Personnel file
Staff induction, development and mentoring documentation University’s approved HR system or where hard copy, on the personnel file Business Manager, Faculty Retain on Personnel file
Course and learning documentation including translated material University’s approved records management system Assessor Destroy 3 years after date of last action
Assessments and/or examinations Faculty Business Manager, Faculty

HE - Destroy 18 months after administrative use has concluded

VET - Destroy 7 years after administrative use has concluded
Marking guidelines University’s approved records management system Assessor

Destroy 18 months after administrative use has concluded
Assessments and/or examination results University’s approved student management system

Assessor/

Business Manager, Faculty

 Permanent
Moderation schedule and record University’s approved records management system Business Manager, Faculty

Destroy 3 years after administrative use has concluded
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Teaching and Assessing in a Language Other Than English Guidelines 
 


Approval Authority: Academic Board Original Issue 16/12/2015
Policy Sponsor: Chair, Academic Board Current Version: 16/12/2015
CRICOS Provider Number 00103D Review Date: 16/12/2020
Policy Code LT1970