2008 initiative - Life - Charles Sturt University

2008 INITIATIVES: PREPARING FOR THE 2009 AUQA AUDIT
In 2009 CSU will participate in a Australian Universities Quality Agency’s (AUQA) audit. EFPI has been assigned
the task of assisting the University to prepare for Theme 2 for this audit; Theme 2 refers to professional
education and practice‐based learning. The University determined that, while AUQA is an important process
and responsibility (i.e. to provide evidence, through self audit about how well the University is addressing key
targets in professional education and practice based learning) the primary goals of engaging in review and
development around this theme are to: a) engage in continuous quality improvement (CQI) in priority
education endeavours and b) meet the University’s responsibility as a self‐accrediting and self‐regulating
higher education institution. For this reason, the review (i.e. internal benchmarking) and improvement of
professional education and practice‐based learning subsumes the task of meeting the Audit requirements.
During 2008 the dual goals of CQI and AUQA preparation were promoted by EFPI through the following.
A) Goals ‐ The intended outcomes of the AUQA preparation (2008‐9) are to:
• improve understanding at CSU of CQI and the quality and value of practice‐based education
• realise good practices in professional education and practice‐based learning
• close any gaps identified between a) performance in parts of CSU that are demonstrating good practice
and parts that require improvement, b) CSU practices and external benchmarks of good practices
• facilitate organisational change and renewal (through engagement of all relevant people) in moving CSU
towards becoming a centre for excellent education for practice.
B) Project Groups – engaged in review and development activities around Theme 2 that were commenced in
2008 and pursued through three Project Groups dealing with Overview and Curriculum Development,
Fieldwork Management and Fieldwork Staff Development.
Project Group 1 chaired by Professor Joy Higgs, Director EFPI, coordinated EFPI strategies and focused on
the broad direction and strategies.
Project Group 2 chaired by Associate Professor Lindy McAllister, Deputy Director EFPI (semester 1) and Dr
Megan Smith Deputy Director EFPI (semester 2), commenced a review of fieldwork management and
education programs with the goal of establishing issues to be addressed, goals for improvement and
actions required short and long term to improve systems and strategies (including academic, fieldwork
education and administrative/support systems and programs).
Project Group 3 chaired by Dr Stephen Loftus, Deputy Director EFPI, reviewed and developed strategies
and policies for the staff development and career pathways of fieldwork coordinators, administrators and
educators.
C) Self‐Review Processes to Concurrently Pursue CQI and AUQA Audit Preparation in 2008 .
This involved:
1. Engagement and Participation across the University
• Goals, strategies and ongoing outcomes were communicated through Update newsletters, What’s New
and AUQA websites
• Meetings were held with Sub‐Deans (Learning and Teaching )to involve them in fieldwork education
standards development and the work of the Project Groups.
• Discussion Forums were held to invite staff, student, fieldwork educators and external stakeholder input
• EFPI pursued collaboration with and input from relevant groups including CELT, LMC, The Flexible Learning
Institute (FLI), The CSU Library and DIT, and the CSU Degree Initiative program.
• EFPI sought existing resources (data, reports, websites) to provide input to the self‐audit.
• Discussion groups were conducted at the CSU Education Conference.
2. Identifying and Communicating Good Practices :
• Teaching fellowships identified good practices in fieldwork and other areas of education for practice
• Staff and teaching fellows identified benchmarks relevant to CSU programs and Theme 2.
• The Theme 2 team identified areas and gaps that need to be remediated to achieve good practice in
practice‐based and professional education.
• The team disseminated good practice information via the website and CSU conferences
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