Federation University courses are developed with clear learning outcomes, coherent structure and manageable workloads for students.

Through a cycle of development, implementation and evaluation, courses are customised and/or contextualised appropriately to meet the needs of the learner and reflect industry trends. Course development incorporates the development of academic knowledge, skills and graduate attributes/capabilities and are designed with clear evidenced based assessment outcomes.

Course designs include opportunities for students to access seamless educational pathways and networks that encourage and support lifelong learning.

The names of awards and post-nominals are proposed and confirmed at the course approval stage. The nomenclature must reflect the level of award and be readily understood within the University sector and the broader community.

New Business Accelerator

The New Business Accelerator has oversight of industry and custom short courses for its clients or those of the Global Professional School. These are approved for academic structure, quality and coherence by the Global Professional School Board, which ensures the short courses meet academic requirements to stack and/or credit are met.

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Research focus

Federation University has rigorous compliance requirements for research governance. Courses that’s incorporate research elements undertake a rigorous planning and approval process, supported by robust ethics, data management and biosecurity procedures to maintain the highest level of academic integrity. Please see Research and Research Training Policy for further detail about research governance.

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Course delivery relies upon a solid foundation of academic scholarship, appropriate resource allocation and links to professional accreditation bodies (dependent upon the course of study).

Teaching and supervision that supports the development of learning is well organised and enhanced through the cyclical process of reflection, revision and improvement.

Through formalised agreements, Third Party Partner Providers deliver Federation University courses online, interstate and overseas.

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Third party delivery

University learning and teaching processes are designed to create a continuous cycle of improvement, following relevant university procedures as well as regulatory requirements. As such, course reviews are crucial to understanding the ongoing needs of learners, incorporating ongoing scholarship and meeting the graduate attributes of learners.

Course reviews in Higher Education must occur at a minimum of every five years, and involve internal and external providers, industry, and student representation to ensure best practice. Courses conducted solely as Higher Education by Research are excluded from the review cycle.

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As part of its quality assurance procedures, the University will conduct Institute Reviews for the purpose of:

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Federation University provides appropriate knowledge, resources, and facilities to support the student learning journey. This includes, but is not limited to library facilities, Information Technology, study spaces, laboratories, simulated environments, and classrooms. These resources are appropriate in size, design, and availability to support students and ensure quality teaching and learning.

The diversity of our students is recognised and welcomed. Equal opportunities will be offered to all students to succeed through reasonable adjustments for protected attributes under law, engagement, reflection and commitment to learning.

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Academic staffing is guided by legislative and regulatory requirements and academic teaching staff must have the appropriate scholarship, skills and experience to teach at Federation University.

Approaches to teaching at the University are varied and adaptive to new demands in learning and will include effective use of appropriate technologies and innovation. Enhanced teaching is achieved through:

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Work integrated learning incorporates a wide range of learning and teaching activities which integrates theoretical learning with its application in the workplace. Federation University promotes Work Integrated Learning (WIL) across a wide variety of courses. Placement opportunities are an important component of employability, engagement and skills development in a variety of Vocational Education Training (VET), Vocational Certificate of Applied Learning VCAL and Higher Education HE learning and teaching environments, ensuring our graduates are fully prepared for entry into the workforce.  

The University may also provide opportunities for students to undertake voluntary placements, industry-based projects, simulated work experiences and Federation University Australia’s Industry Placement Program with a host organisation in the same field as their studies to further enhance the educational experience. Reasonable adjustments will be offered for protected attributes under law.

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Assessment is central to the vision, mission, culture, activities, practices and educational development of the University.

Assessment must:

Assessment seeks to assure all stakeholders that:

Moderation is a crucial mechanism for assessment quality assurance for coursework courses and as a collegial process by which Institutes, Schools and Centres develop, maintain, and monitor good practice in the assessment of students. Moderation contributes to the continuous improvement of assessment practice and to sharing good practice among colleagues.

The assessment of courses undertaken entirely by research is included in the Research and Research Training Policy

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Credit, on the basis of prior formal learning or recognition of skills and knowledge, through the credit transfer process towards Federation University Australia’s Higher Education awards, is available to students. Credit can accelerate student progress, completion and mobility, however, the integrity of Federation University awards is paramount and credit will not be granted if it would impair the integrity of the award, or reduce a student’s likelihood of success in the course.

Credit arrangements for students are made on the basis of:

VET

RPL and Credit Transfer are alternative pathways to achieving an Australian Qualifications Framework AQF qualification. They are distinguished by the way they relate to learning achieved through recognition of equivalence of formal education and training (Credit Transfer) and assessment of an individual's relevant prior learning (RPL). By removing the need for duplication of learning, RPL and Credit Transfer encourages diverse and inclusive pathways to lifelong learning, formal qualifications and improved employment outcomes.

Granting of RPL and Credit Transfers in VET is established and maintained in accordance with:

The University implements an assessment system that ensures that VET assessment (including Recognition of Prior Learning) complies with the assessment requirements of the relevant training package or VET accredited programs conducted in accordance with the Principles of Assessment and the Rules of Evidence.

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Academic integrity is essential to excellence in learning, teaching, research and scholarly endeavour. This policy applies to all Federation University students and staff (both current and former) including those at partner organisations as is consistent with our contractual arrangements. Federation University is committed to honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility in academe and is committed to promoting a culture of academic integrity for students and staff. Federation University also acknowledges that academic integrity is vital to employers and the community and accordingly regards academic integrity as a critical element. 

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The University is committed to minimising any academic misconduct that conflicts with the principles of academic honesty and academic integrity and leads to an unfair advantage. The University undertakes preventative strategies to mitigate the risk of academic misconduct. Academic misconduct is concerned with all breaches of academic integrity, which includes (but is not limited to):

Where allegations of academic misconduct arise, hearings may be conducted through the Student Misconduct Committee. Where a student disagrees with a decision made by the Student Misconduct Committee, they have an opportunity to make an appeal to the Student Appeals Committee based on perception that there is new evidence or there has been a display of procedural failure.

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