DEEWR DIAC Course Progress Policy and Procedures for CRICOS Providers of VET Courses

Transcription

1 DEEWR DIAC Curse Prgress Plicy and Prcedures fr CRICOS Prviders f VET Curses This plicy must be read in cnjunctin with the adjining explanatry ntes 1. The Natinal Cde Under Standard 11.2 f the Natinal Cde 2007, a prvider wh implements the DIISRTE-DIAC Curse Prgress Plicy and Prcedures fr its vcatinal educatin and training (VET) curses is nt required fr ESOS purpses t mnitr attendance fr thse curses. 2. Indicating the decisin t implement the DEEWR-DIAC Curse Prgress Plicy and Prcedures 2.1 A prvider wh chses t implement the DEEWR-DIAC Curse Prgress Plicy and Prcedures must implement the plicy and prcedures fr all f its CRICOS registered VET curses. The prvider registers this chice thrugh PRISMS. 3. Plicy 3.1 The prvider must mnitr, recrd and assess the curse prgress f each student fr the curse in which the student is currently enrlled. 3.2 The prvider must assess each student s prgress at the end f each cmpulsry study perid. While the length f a study perid is determined by the prvider, study perids are usually terms r semesters. Ten weeks is usually cnsidered the minimum length f time in which it is reasnable fr the prvider t make an assessment f a student s curse prgress. Fr the purpses f this plicy, the maximum length fr a study perid is six mnths. Where a prvider des nt divide curses int study perids, curse prgress must be mnitred at least every six mnths. 3.3 Unsatisfactry prgress is defined as nt successfully cmpleting r demnstrating cmpetency in at least 50% f the curse requirements in that study perid. The prvider must define curse requirements fr each study perid and be able t identify when a student has nt passed r demnstrated cmpetency in 50% r mre f the curse requirements. The curse requirements fr each study perid must als be made clear t the student at the start f the curse, r if variable, each study perid. 3.4 The prvider must have an interventin strategy fr any student wh is nt making satisfactry curse prgress. It must be made available t staff and students and must specify: i. prcedures fr cntacting and cunselling students; ii. strategies t assist identified students t achieve satisfactry curse prgress; and iii. the prcess by which the interventin strategy is activated. 3.5 The interventin strategy must include prvisins fr: i. where apprpriate, advising students n the suitability f the curse in which they are enrlled;

2 ii. assisting students by advising f pprtunities fr the students t be reassessed fr tasks in units r subjects they had previusly failed, r demnstrate the necessary cmpetency in areas in which they had nt been previusly able t demnstrate cmpetency; and iii. advising students that unsatisfactry curse prgress in tw cnsecutive study perids fr a curse culd lead t the student being reprted t DIAC. 3.6 At the end f each cmpulsry study perid, students must be assessed against the curse prgress plicy. If a student is identified fr the first time as nt making satisfactry curse prgress, the interventin strategy as utlined in 3.4 is implemented. The interventin strategy must be activated within the first fur weeks f the fllwing study perid. Hwever, if a prvider identifies that a student is at risk f making unsatisfactry curse prgress befre the end f the study perid, the prvider is encuraged t implement its interventin strategy as early as practicable. 3.7 If a student is identified as nt making satisfactry curse prgress in a secnd cnsecutive cmpulsry study perid in a curse, the prvider must ntify the student f its intentin t reprt the student t DIAC fr unsatisfactry prgress. The prvider des this thrugh the written ntice described in The written ntice (f intentin t reprt the student fr unsatisfactry prgress) must infrm the student that he r she is able t access the registered prvider s cmplaints and appeals prcess under Standard 8 and that the student has 20 wrking days in which t d s. A student may appeal n the fllwing grunds: i. prvider s failure t recrd r calculate a student s marks accurately, ii. cmpassinate r cmpelling circumstances, r iii. prvider has nt implemented its interventin strategy and ther plicies accrding t its dcumented plicies and prcedures that have been made available t the student. 3.9 Where the student s appeal is successful, the utcmes may vary accrding t the findings f the appeals prcess. i. If the appeal shws that there was an errr in calculatin, and the student actually made satisfactry curse prgress (successfully cmpleted mre than 50% f the curse requirements fr that study perid), the prvider des nt reprt the student, and there is n requirement fr interventin. ii. If the appeals prcess shws that the student has nt made satisfactry prgress, but there are cmpassinate r cmpelling reasns fr the lack f prgress, nging supprt must be prvided t the student thrugh the prvider s interventin strategy, and the prvider des nt reprt the student. [See adjining explanatry ntes] 3.10 Where: i. the student has chsen nt t access the cmplaints and appeals prcesses within the 20 wrking day perid, ii. the student withdraws frm the prcess, r iii. the prcess is cmpleted and results in a decisin supprting the registered prvider (ie. the student s appeal was unsuccessful) the registered prvider must ntify the Secretary f DEEWR thrugh PRISMS as sn as practicable f the student nt achieving satisfactry curse prgress.

3 4. Prcedures The administrative arrangements and student management systems will vary between prviders, as will prviders appraches t the prcedures fr implementing the DIISRTE-DIAC Curse Prgress Plicy. Cnsequently, each prvider wh chses t implement the DIISRTE-DIAC Curse Prgress Plicy must write a prcedure which demnstrates hw the plicy will be implemented. This dcument must be made available t staff and students (in paper r electrnic frm) tgether with a cpy f this plicy. When creating the prcedures dcument, prviders are advised t incrprate their answers t the fllwing questins: WHO is respnsible fr each f the steps? Fr example, wh is respnsible fr defining the wrklad fr the study perid, checking prgress, deciding that the student is at risk, implementing the interventin strategy, infrming the student f the prvider s intentin t reprt, hearing an appeal, and reprting the student thrugh PRISMS? Will different staff be required t take respnsibility fr the different steps? Will all staff invlved be respnsible fr maintaining recrds f their part in the prcess, r will this be managed centrally? WHEN will each step take place? Will the interventin strategy be implemented earlier than the end f the study perid r is the entire study perid required in rder t assess the student s prgress? The student must be allwed 20 wrking days in which t initiate a cmplaint r appeal has this requirement been cnsidered when drafting the prcedures dcument? HOW will each step take place? Will the student management system autmatically alert staff t students at risk f making unsatisfactry prgress, r will prgress need t be checked manually? Hw will students be infrmed f the prvider s cncern fr the student s prgress r intentin t reprt the student? Are there pr frma letters which can be mdified manually r generated by the system? Hw and where will recrds f interventins, appeals prcesses and reprting be maintained?

4 ESOS ACT 2000 DIISRTE- DIAC Curse Prgress Plicy and Prcedures fr CRICOS Prviders f VET Curses Explanatry Ntes Indicating the decisin t implement the DIISRTE-DIAC Curse Prgress Plicy and Prcedures T indicate the decisin t implement the DIISRTE-DIAC Curse Prgress Plicy and Prcedures, the prvider must d s thrugh PRISMS. The prvider des this by clicking the Yes buttn fr the field DIISRTE-DIAC Curse Prgress Plicy & Prcedure implemented? The prvider s level f access t PRISMS will determine where this field will appear. Prviders with CE Create r CE Agent access will find the field n the Prvider Infrmatin tab f the Organisatin Details screen. Prviders with CE Administratr access will find the field n the Summary tab f the View/Edit Prvider screen. If a prvider is cnsidering returning t mnitring attendance rather than implementing the DIISRTEDIAC Curse Prgress Plicy and Prcedures, the prvider needs t bear in mind the fllwing: Hw will students be infrmed f the change t the curse prgress plicy? and Hw will the change impact n the rganisatin and delivery f curses that are currently being delivered under the DIISRTE-DIAC Curse Prgress Plicy? If a prvider changes its mind and n lnger wishes t fllw the DIISRTE-DIAC Curse Prgress Plicy, it registers the change in PRISMS by changing the answer t the relevant field t N. A recrd is kept in PRISMS if the prvider has chsen t use the DIISRTE-DIAC Apprved Curse Prgress Plicy and if it changes its mind after indicating it wuld use the plicy. Gd practice is that prviders d nt cmmence a new curse prgress plicy until the beginning f a study perid and nly after students have been infrmed f the intended change. The interventin strategy Prviders must assist students wh are at risk f nt making satisfactry curse prgress in accrdance with the prvider s dcumented interventin strategy. Prviders need t ensure that they fllw their interventin strategy as failure t d s may prvide a student with grunds fr a successful appeal. Failure t implement the interventin strategy may als cnstitute a breach f the Natinal Cde Prviders must make students aware f pprtunities and services t assist them if they are identified as at risk f nt making satisfactry curse prgress. Prviders are advised t keep recrds f the advice and assistance they give students wh have been assisted under the prvider s interventin strategy. The written ntice f intentin t reprt a student fr unsatisfactry prgress Each prvider must create its wn written ntice t reprt a student fr unsatisfactry prgress. Prviders may wish t refer t a sample ntice prepared by DIISRTE, available n the AEI Online website.

5 Reprting students fr unsatisfactry prgress Reprting a student fr unsatisfactry curse prgress ccurs nly when the student has been identified as nt making satisfactry curse prgress in tw cnsecutive cmpulsry study perids, and the student has nt made a successful appeal against this assessment. Curse prgress in a nn-cmpulsry study perid is t be disregarded when cnsidering whether there has been unsatisfactry prgress in tw cnsecutive cmpulsry study perids. If a student is identified fr a secnd, but nt cnsecutive, study perid as nt making satisfactry curse prgress, the prvider des nt reprt the student fr unsatisfactry curse prgress. When a student is reprted fr unsatisfactry curse prgress DIAC will cnsider all the infrmatin available and if they decide t cnsider cancellatin, DIAC will send a Ntice f Intentin t Cnsider Cancellatin (NOICC) prir t a decisin being made t cancel the students visa. Students will be given an pprtunity t respnd t the NOICC and explain their situatin. Sectin 19(2) f the ESOS Act 2000 requires prviders t reprt the student fr unsatisfactry curse prgress as sn as practicable after the breach ccurs. Gd practice wuld be t reprt the student thrugh PRISMS within 5 days f finalising the decisin t reprt (ie. within 5 days f 3.9 i., ii., r iii. ccurring). Cmpassinate r cmpelling circumstances Cmpassinate r cmpelling circumstances are generally thse beynd the cntrl f the student and they have an impact n the student s capacity and/r ability t prgress thrugh a curse. These culd include: serius illness r injury, where a medical certificate states that the student was unable t attend classes bereavement f clse family members such as parents r grandparents (where pssible a death certificate shuld be prvided) majr plitical upheaval r natural disaster in the hme cuntry requiring their emergency travel and this has impacted n their studies a traumatic experience which culd include but is nt limited t: invlvement in r witnessing f an accident r a crime cmmitted against the student r the student has been a witness t a crime and this has impacted n the student (these cases shuld be supprted by plice r psychlgists reprts). Please nte that the abve are nly sme f examples f what may be cnsidered cmpassinate r cmpelling circumstances. Prviders are asked t use their prfessinal judgment and t assess each case n its individual merits. When determining whether cmpassinate r cmpelling circumstances exist, prviders shuld cnsider dcumentary evidence prvided t supprt the claim. Prviders shuld keep cpies f these dcuments, tgether with a recrd f why the decisin was made, in the student s file.

6 Erratic curse prgress as a ptential indicatin f nn-bna fide students If the prvider suspects that a student is nt a bna fide student, the prvider may cancel the student s enrlment, as allwed under Standard 13. Hwever, prviders must ensure that prir t enrlment students were made aware f the grunds n which cancellatin f enrlment may ccur, as required under Standard 2.1f. Fr example, if a prvider takes erratic curse prgress int accunt in identifying nn-bna fide students, erratic prgress must be clearly defined and stated prir t enrlment as ne f the grunds fr cancellatin f enrlment. Similarly, if a prvider identifies bna fide students n the basis f participatin, failure t participate must be clearly stated prir t enrlment as grunds fr cancellatin f enrlment. Mnitring curse prgress fr reprting purpses and fr cmpletin within the duratin Standard 9.1 requires the registered prvider t have and implement dcumented plicies and prcedures fr mnitring the curse prgress f each student t ensure that at all times the student is in a psitin t cmplete the curse within the expected duratin as specified n the student s CE. While mnitring prgress against the curse duratin is a separate requirement t mnitring curse prgress fr reprting purpses, there may be sme verlap in prcedures. Fr example, a prvider s curse prgress prcedure may require that at the end f each study perid, each student s results are checked t determine curse prgress fr that study perid. In rder t avid duplicatin f effrt, at the same time the prvider may als check each student s prgress twards cmpletin f the curse within the specified duratin.