4. Staff Responsibilities
4. Roles and Responsibilities of Staff
Assessment will be conducted in accordance with the Assessment Policy1. The following provides a summary of staff responsibilities at various stages of the study period in relation to each unit and its assessment requirements.
Table 3 – Summary of staff roles and responsibilities in relation to unit assessment
| Timing and category of task | Action required | Responsible officer2 |
| Prior to commencement of the study period | ||
| Design of assessment
| (a) Design assessment3 in accordance with the Assessment Policy. | Lecturer in Charge |
| (b) Consult with lecturers on their own and other campuses to agree to an equitable assessment plan and marking criteria for the unit. Where units are offered on different campuses and/or in different modes, ensure equivalence of assessment tasks and marking criteria in all instances of offering. | Lecturer in Charge | |
| (c) Ensure that assessment tasks are designed to enable students to demonstrate their achievement of the learning outcomes and graduate attributes. | Lecturer in Charge | |
| (d) Establish valid marking criteria and standards and determine a weighting for each task and each criterion (where appropriate.) | Lecturer in Charge | |
| (e) Design assessment to minimise opportunities for cheating and plagiarism. | Lecturer in Charge | |
| Prepare Unit Outline4
| (a) Prepare the Unit Outline in accordance with the Academic Board approved generic Unit Outline for the unit. | Lecturer in Charge |
| (b) Use the extended Unit Outline template5 for the specific study period of the unit offering. | Lecturer in Charge | |
| (c) Provide students with information regarding:
| Lecturer in Charge | |
| (d) Follow the procedures of the Faculty or School regarding review of the Unit Outline and moderation of assessment prior to offering of the unit. | Lecturer in Charge | |
| At commencement of the study period | ||
| Unit Outline and assessment requirements | Provide students with a copy of the Unit Outline on LEO prior6 to the commencement of the study period7. | Lecturer in Charge |
| Class lists | Check accuracy/completeness of class lists and advise students attending class but not included on the class list to check their enrolment. | Lecturer in Charge |
| Throughout the study period | ||
| Communication and advice to students | (a) Be available for student consultation and provision of academic advice on a regular basis, informing students of their availability for consultation (with and without appointments). | Course Coordinator, |
| (b) Explain assessment tasks to students, including the relationship of assessment tasks to the unit and course learning outcomes and graduate attributes/generic skills. | Lecturer in Charge, | |
| (c) Communicate with/provide updates to students through their University email account, LEO and/or any other communication media used for the unit. | Lecturer in Charge, | |
| (d) On request, provide clarification to a student regarding results for an assessment task or final grade in a unit. | Lecturer in Charge, | |
| Running assessment tasks | (a) Ensure that assessment practices are conducted in a consistent and coherent manner. | Lecturer in Charge |
| (b) Undertake the assessment of students’ work in accordance with the requirements specified in the Unit Outline and with the assessment strategy for the unit. | Lecturer in Charge, | |
| (c) Prepare and arrange the conduct of all School-based assessment tasks for the unit. | Lecturer in Charge | |
| (d) Take all reasonable steps to detect and take action in relation to instances of academic dishonesty8. | Lecturer in Charge, | |
(e) Advise the Lecturer in Charge regarding student progress and effectiveness of student learning in the unit. | Lecturers, Markers | |
| (f) Address any breaches of academic honesty in accordance with the Academic Honesty Policy and Procedures. | Lecturer in Charge, | |
| Marking and grading of assessment tasks | (a) Ensure that marking is not delegated to any other member of staff, except to academic staff contracted to mark assessment, without the prior written approval of the Head of School. | Lecturer in Charge |
| (b) Ensure consistency and quality of assessment practice among all staff teaching and/or marking in a unit, including sessional staff (this will involve, for example, cross-marking samples of work to ensure common application of the assessment criteria.) | Lecturer in Charge | |
| (c) Provide appropriate guidelines to lecturers and markers, where used, on assessment criteria, marking procedures, moderation and methods for calculating final results. | Lecturer in Charge | |
| (d) Ensure marks are provided in accordance with University practice. | Lecturer in Charge, | |
| (e) Participate in discussion of and adhere to assessment and marking strategies adopted for the unit. | Lecturer in Charge, | |
| (f) Provide appropriate and timely feedback to students9. | Lecturer in Charge, | |
| (g) Identify students with problems, for example in English language or academic literacy, and advise them to make an appointment with the appropriate services from the Office of Student Success. | Lecturer in Charge, | |
| (h) Provide data relating to results in assessment tasks and attendance, if required, to the Lecturer in Charge. | Lecturers, Markers | |
| (i) Implement internal moderation processes for units with more than one marker. | Lecturer in Charge | |
| (j) Where appropriate, participate in any internal moderation processes to ensure consistency and quality of assessment marking. | Lecturer in Charge, | |
| (k) Participate in post-moderation or benchmarking for the unit as required by the Faculty or School. | Lecturer in Charge, | |
| (l) Ensure that electronic records of results for each assessment item are kept. | Lecturer in Charge | |
| Return of assessment tasks | Establish procedures for return of marked assessment tasks to students in class, electronically or through other means consistent with Faculty policy and ensure they are communicated to students and relevant staff. | Lecturer in Charge |
| Change to assessment task or criteria | (a) Where exceptional circumstances arise, seek written approval of the Head of School to change assessment tasks or criteria for a unit after the first week of the study period10. Such changes must not result in disadvantage to any student. | Lecturer in Charge |
| (b) Evaluate and determine requests from Lecturers-in-Charge for any such change. | Head of School | |
| (c) Advise all students, through LEO and by email, of approved changes. | Lecturer in Charge | |
| Units with minimum or compulsory attendance requirements | Maintain and collate attendance records for relevant classes/activities. | Lecturer in Charge, |
| Applications for extension of due date | Determine applications for extension of the due date for submission of assessment tasks as soon as possible after receipt. | Lecturer in Charge |
| Final grades | (a) Promulgate to staff the date for submission of final result grades for ratification. | Head of School |
| (b) Allocate final result grades and submit them and any subsequent changes for ratification by the Head of School by the prescribed date. | Lecturer in Charge | |
| (c) Determine, ratify and submit final grades11 with particular attention to results that are borderline between grades according to the Faculty quality assurance processes | Head of School | |
| (d) Publish submitted final grades via Student Connect. | Student Administration | |
| Prior to commencement of or during the study period | ||
| Students with disabilities | (a) Assess and determine reasonable adjustments to learning and assessment arrangements for students who have disabilities through an Education Inclusion Plan (EIP). | Disability Advisers |
| (b) Provide the Head of School with approved EIPs. | Disability Advisers | |
| (c) When aware of the existence of an EIP, make reasonable learning and assessment adjustments for students with disabilities in accordance with the EIP recommendations. | All staff | |
| (d) Ensure other lecturers in the unit are aware of the Guidelines on Disability Examination Adjustments12. | Lecturer in Charge, | |
| (e) Oversight implementation of academic adjustments as recommended on EIPs. | Head of School | |
| Applications for Special Consideration | (a) Forward SC applications, together with all supporting documentation, to the appropriate decision-maker in a timely manner so that the decision-maker can notify the student of the outcome of the application within 10 working days from the date the application were lodged. | School Office, |
| (b) Assess and determine SC applications. | Course Coordinator or | |
| (c) Advise students of the outcome of their application within 10 working days from the date the application was lodged. | Lecturer in Charge, | |
| Following release of results | ||
| Reviews and appeals | (a) Facilitate requests for review of examination papers. | Lecturer in Charge |
| (b) Consider requests for review of grade. | Head of School | |
| (c) Consider appeals against final grades. | Head of School, | |
| Documentation of grades | (a) Monitor the conversion of interim grades to final grades by the relevant due date. | Course Coordinator,
|
| (b) Provide an electronic copy of students’ results including the results for each assessment task to the School Office by the due date for the release of final results. | Lecturer in Charge | |
| (c) Keep a secure record (electronic and in hard copy) of each student’s results for each assessment task. | School Office, | |
| Disposal of assessment tasks | Dispose of uncollected assessment tasks through confidential waste, six months after release of final results in the unit. | School Office, Lecturer in Charge |
| Supplementary assessment | ||
| Supplementary assessment task(s) | Prepare and manage supplementary assessment task(s). | Head of School, Lecturer in Charge |
| Notice to students | Provide students awarded an NF grade with at least 10 working days’ notice of the timing and method of the supplementary assessment. | Lecturer in Charge |
| Allocation of final grade | (a) Mark supplementary assessment task(s). | Lecturer in Charge, |
| (b) Allocate final result grades and submit them for ratification by the Head of School by the prescribed date. | Lecturer in Charge | |
| (c) Determine, ratify and endorse final grades. | Head of School
| |
| (d) Submit final grades on Change of Grade (CG) form (endorsed by HOS) no later than the end of the third week of the next standard study period. | Lecturer in Charge | |
1 See also Supplementary Assessment Information for Staff. (http://www.acu.edu.au/policy/256623)
2 Any role assigned to a Lecturer in Charge will also be discharged by a National Lecturer in Charge where such a position exists.
3 In consultation with the National Lecturer in Charge, where relevant.
4 See requirements in Section 4 below.
5 Unit Outline template. (http://www.acu.edu.au/staff/our_university/directorates,_offices_and_their_units/learning_and_teaching_centre/resources/unit_outline/)
6 Normally, the Unit Outline should be published on LEO at least one week prior to the commencement of the study period.
7 In the case of non-standard study periods, this must occur prior to the census date.
8 Academic Honesty Policy and Procedures. (http://students.acu.edu.au/administration_and_enrolment/policies_and_procedures/academic_honesty_policy/)
9 Refer to Assessment Policy. (http://students.acu.edu.au/administration_and_enrolment/policies_and_procedures/assessment_policy_and_assessment_procedures/)
10 Required by the census date in the case of non-standard study periods.
11 Refer to Academic Regulations. (http://students.acu.edu.au/administration_and_enrolment/policies_and_procedures/academic_regulations/)
12 Available on the Equity and Disability Unit website. (http://students.acu.edu.au/office_of_student_success/equity_and_disability_unit_edu/)
Page last updated: 2017-06-27
Short url: https://handbook.acu.edu.au/476319
Page last updated: 2017-06-27
Short url: https://handbook.acu.edu.au/476319