1. Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to provide the Institution with a transparent and accountable framework to develop, manage and review strategic collaborations, including agreements and institutional alliances between the Institution and other educational institutions and industry partners both domestically and internationally. These collaborations aim to enhance academic quality, expand educational opportunities, ensure financial strength and foster innovation.
2. Scope
This policy applies to strategic collaborations including institutional agreements and alliances with the Institution. This policy excludes sponsorship and commercial agreements/MOUs and other types of academic-related agreements as determined by the President.
3. Definitions
See Glossary of Terms.
4. Policy statements
4.1. Overview
4.1.1 All articulations, agreements, and alliances must align with the Institution’s strategic goals and standards for academic quality and integrity.
4.1.1. Strategic collaborations are designed to recognise learning achievements, facilitate student progress, minimise curriculum duplication, and ease the transition from one institution to the other.
4.1.2. Strategic collaborations offer pathways to assist students to enter an appropriate course at the Institution.
4.1.3. Strategic collaborations offer similar pathways to assist the Institution’s own graduates, enrolled students, and staff to study in a course with an external institution.
4.1.4. All strategic collaborations with approved partners and institutional alliances are set out in the Articulations, Agreements and Institutional Alliances Procedures and are administered, approved and managed in accordance with these procedures.
4.1.5. The viability of a potential partner for a collaboration, including an agreement, is verified in accordance with national and international regulatory standards with appropriate risk management processes in place.
4.1.6. Institutional partnerships and alliances provide links with industry and professional bodies through recognition of relevant workplace training and industry experience. Refer to the Employability Policy and Employability Procedures – Work Integrated Learning (WIL).
4.1.7. All agreements comply with relevant policies and procedures, Australian legislation and TEQSA registration and course accreditation requirements.
4.1.8. All collaborations are recorded on an institutional register.
4.1.9. To assure the quality of internal and external agreements, these are periodically monitored and evaluated for their effectiveness.
4.2 Proposal and expression of interest
4.2.1. A proposal for a collaboration may be developed by internal staff at the Institution or via the potential external partner.
4.2.2. A completed Expression of Interest (EOI) form must accompany each collaboration proposal before a formal MOU or agreement is considered.
4.2.3. The proposed collaboration is evaluated in accordance with the Articulations, Agreements and Institutional Alliances Procedures, and is assessed in accordance with the following criteria:
- align with the Institution’s international strategy on partnerships and alliances;
- include appropriate and clear key performance indicators (KPIs) or benefit outcomes; and
- indicate timeframe for achieving or meeting the KPI(s) or benefits outcome(s).
4.3 Approval
4.3.1. The Institution evaluates the proposal in accordance with 4.2.3 and the key criteria for approval for each collaboration type as follows:
a. External articulation agreements:
- Equivalencies at the qualification level, ensuring that all AQF level criteria are met;
- equivalencies in subject learning outcomes (SLOs) between the qualifications that comprise the external articulation agreement;
- student eligibility for admission and/or credit and the amount of credit that may be granted;
- ensure a seamless transition of students from one qualification to another; and
- the external institution is recognised at the required level according to qualifications recognition tools or other quality assurance checks as deemed appropriate.
b. Internal articulation agreements:
- Internal articulation of the Institution’s accredited courses is reviewed and approved through the internal governance process by Academic Board; and
- all allocations of advanced standing such as approved block credit are in accordance with the Advanced Standing Policy and Advanced Standing Procedures.
c. Student exchange agreements:
- Prospective students must meet the Institution’s course admission requirements and maintain enrolment at the appropriate level of study;
- suitability assessment of prospective students to ensure appropriate support and learning services are in place; and
- equivalencies at the qualification level, ensuring that the exchange partner’s course is equivalent with the Institution’s course AQF level;
- equivalencies in SLOs between the qualifications for granting advanced standing (e.g. credit transfer) are in accordance with the Advanced Standing Policy and Advanced Standing Procedures; and
- the external institution is recognised at the required level according to qualifications recognition tools or other quality assurance checks as deemed appropriate.
d. Study abroad agreements:
- Prospective students must meet the Institution’s course admission requirements; and
- suitability assessment of prospective students to ensure appropriate support and learning services are in place;
- the external institution is recognised at the required level according to qualifications recognition tools or other quality assurance checks as deemed appropriate.
e. Study tour agreements:
- Suitability assessment of prospective students to ensure appropriate support and learning services are in place.
f. Staff exchange agreements:
- Suitability assessment of the candidate in accordance with the Institution’s position description such as but not limited to:
- the level of qualification;
- duration of work experience;
- appropriate discipline area; and
- meeting the work permit or visa requirements.
g. MOUs:
- Suitability assessment of the potential partner including verification checks of the partner which, for external institutions, means the Institution is recognised at the required level according to qualifications recognition tools or other quality assurance checks as deemed appropriate.
4.3.2. An agreement or MOU is drafted for each approved collaboration using the approved Institutional templates.
4.3.3. Agreements and MOUs are signed by both parties, with the Institution sign-off in accordance with the Delegations of Authority Schedule.
4.4. Monitoring, review and reporting
4.4.1. The Institution is committed to monitoring the activities and performance of all agreements. The monitoring and review of Institutional agreements constitutes the basis for the renewal/non-renewal of Institution’s agreements.
4.4.2. Monitoring, reviewing and reporting of agreements is undertaken in accordance with the Articulations, Agreements and Institutional Alliances Procedures.
5. Responsibilities
5.1.1 The President is responsible for the approval, renewal and termination of all agreements and institutional alliances in consultation with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) and Senior Vice President (Domestic and International Development).
5.1.2 In exceptional circumstances, the DVC (Learning and Teaching) may vary the maximum credit limits of articulation agreements outlined in paragraph 4.7 of the Advanced Standing Policy. Any variations made under this clause are reported to the Academic Board at the next available Academic Board meeting and summarised in the annual Aligned Partnership Report.
5.1.3. The Dean/Associate Dean and Program Manager (IT) (or the Registrar in their absence) are responsible for their respective disciplines to:
- map learning outcomes for the articulating course against the learning outcomes of the relevant course;
- approve credit for block credit arrangements and cross-institutional study;
- approving academic staff exchange
- approving internal articulation agreements;
- reporting articulation agreements and block credit arrangements to the Learning and Teaching Committee at each meeting and annually reporting to the Academic Board as part of the Aligned Partnerships Annual Report.
- in consultation with the Senior Academic Team, implement the study abroad, study tour and exchange program.
5.1.4. The Registrar is responsible admission, enrolment, resulting and issuing of credentials for the study abroad, study tour and exchange program. The Registrar may act for the relevant Dean/Associate Dean and Program Manager (IT) in their absence.
5.1.5 The Admissions team is responsible for assessing applications and granting credit where there are approved block credit arrangements and articulation agreements in accordance with the Block Credit Decision Matrix, and for advising applicants and students in accordance with this policy.
5.1.6 The Associate Vice President (International Operations) is responsible for maintaining the list of approved articulation agreements, including those approved in accordance with paragraph 5.1.2.
5.1.7 The Associate Vice President (Quality Assurance and International Compliance) is responsible for reviewing agreements, MOUs and block credit arrangements.
5.1.7. Academic Board has oversight of the annual monitoring of all academic credit bearing agreements.
5.1.8 The Learning and Teaching Committee approves the Block Credit Decision Matrix and monitors the performance of block credit arrangements.
6. Related documents
Admissions Policy
Advanced Standing Policy
Advanced Standing Procedures
Articulations, Agreements and Institutional Alliances Procedures
Delegations of Authority Schedule
Employability Policy
Employability Procedures – Work Integrated Learning (WIL)
Approved by Board of Directors 10 September 2024 and Academic Board 11 October 2024