Cycle 2 - AUQA Audit 2009
Charles Sturt University (CSU) underwent its second audit by the Australian University Quality Agency (AUQA) in October 2009. The Audit was part of AUQA’s second cycle of audits and was conducted in accordance with the Audit Manual. To manage the audit process the University established an AUQA Audit Steering Committee.
Audit Panel - view
The Audit Panel for the 2009 Cycle 2 AUQA Audit of CSU consisted of:
- Dr Jeanette Baird, Audit Director, AUQA
- Prof Jan Thomas, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Murdoch University (Panel Chair)
- Prof Merv Hyde, Academic Advisor, University of the Sunshine Coast
- Mr Geoffrey Hines, Executive Chairman, Hines Management Consultants
- Dr Stephen Marshall, Acting Director, University Teaching Development Centre, Victoria University of Wellington
Themes - view
Along with reviewing the progress since our Cycle 1 AUQA Audit, the Audit Panel focused on two specific themes. The two themes, as outlined below were selected, in consultation with AUQA and reference to the University’s strategic objectives and associated academic risks.
Theme 1: Internationalisation
AUQA advised the following scope:
- the teaching and learning experience of international students (undergraduate, postgraduate and HDR) in Australia
- teaching and learning experience of international students offshore, including QA and equivalence
- partner arrangements for offshore teaching
- staff and student mobility and exchanges
- internationalisation of the curriculum
- international student support systems
- staff professional development for internationalised education
- International collaboration for research and teaching.
A taskforce was established and the contact for this theme is Ms Sue Moloney, Manager, Office of International Relations.
Theme 2: Professional Education and Practice Based Learning
The following scope was agreed:
- graduate outcomes and academic standards
- graduate and student satisfaction
- graduate attributes
- professional accreditation
- curriculum development, design and review(including design for flexible delivery)
- assessment design and practice
- design and delivery of placements and practice-based learning within courses (all modes)
- support for student placements and practice-based learning
- articulation and credit transfer
- infrastructure to support professional education and practice based learning.
A taskforce was established and led by Professor Joy Higgs from The Education for Practice Institute. The contact person is Donna Bridges (dbridges@csu.edu.au).
Senate Self-Review
In addition to the themes, the University conducted a Senate Self-review which will critically examined Senate’s role and processes as they relate to the student lifecycle. The AUQA “framework” was used as a guide to check that all relevant issues were covered. This was conducted by Dr Nick Drengenberg from the Office of Academic Governance.
Sampling - view
Sample Schools for Main Audit Visit
- School of Policing Studies
- International School of Business
- School of Education
- School of Nursing and Midwifery
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences
Sample Courses and relevant student locations
- Associate Degree (Policing Practice) and Bachelor of Justice Studies (Policing) [Goulburn and internal]
- B Bus Studies [Changchun, internal and DE]
- B Bus (Accounting)/(Marketing) [HELP, Sydney, internal]
- Bachelor of IT [Sydney]
- Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) [on-campus and DE]
- Bachelor of Applied Science/Grad Dip App Sci (Library and Information Management) [SPACE, DE]
- Bachelor of Nursing [internal and DE]
- Postgraduate Diploma of Midwifery [DE]
- Bachelor of Veterinary Science [internal]
In July 2009, in preparation for the Audit, the University submitted a self-assessment the Performance Portfolio which included Supplementary Material to AUQA.
In advance of the main Audit Visit held between 12 and 15 October 2009 on the University’s Wagga Wagga Campus, a delegation of the Audit Panel, the Audit Panel Chairperson and Audit Director, undertook various pre-visits to:
- Three of CSU’s overseas partner institutions: HELP University College, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; SPACE, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; and Changchun Taxation College, Changchun, China (15 September to 21 September 2009); and
- CSU’s Study Centre, Study Group Australia, Sydney; Tertiary Education International, Sydney; the NSW Police College at Goulburn; and CSU’s Wagga Wagga Campus to meet with distance education (DE) students attending residential schools and view online systems and subjects (28 September to 30 September 2009).
On 27 January 2010 AUQA released its findings of its’ Cycle 2 Audit of CSU, Report of an Audit of Charles Sturt University, namely the Audit Report.
As part of the audit process the University submitted a Progress Report against the Affirmations and Recommendations made in the Audit Report to AUQA in December 2010, which was followed by a Follow-up Visit with the Audit Director in February 2011.
Submissions and reports relating to the University’s Cycle 2 AUQA Audit can be accessed below.
- Progress Report (December 2010)
- Additional Information (supplied to Audit Panel)