Academic Calendar, Timetable and Schedule Policy

Fact box

Policy owner: Chair, Quality Assurance Committee
Policy category: Academic: Academic Administration
Policy status: Approved
Approval body: Academic Board
Endorsement body: Quality Assurance Committee
Last amended: 15th Dec. 2023
Relevant HESF: 1.1, 7.2

Purpose

This policy outlines the principles relating to the academic calendar, teaching periods and timetabling/scheduling across Alphacrucis University College (AC) delivery sites.

Scope

VET and HE

Policy

Academic Calendar and Teaching Periods

The AC Academic Calendar comprises two semesters per year within which teaching periods are allocated. Semester 1 incorporates Terms 1 and 2, and Semester 2 incorporates Terms 3 and 4.

For Higher Education (HE), a teaching period comprises of 12 weeks of teaching plus 1 week of exams.

For VET, a teaching period comprises of 18-20 weeks of teaching.

If the mode of delivery is via intensive or extensive, the overall teaching period remains 13 (HE)/18-20 (VET) weeks, within which the intensive/extensive teaching occurs.

Principles of Timetabling (HE)/Training and Assessment Schedule (TAS) (VET)

The principles of AC timetabling/scheduling include:

produce and release timetables/schedules in a timely manner;
maximise the appropriate use of AC's teaching faculty, resources and facilities;
ensure that students can complete the required subjects to complete relevant courses of study in minimum time;
upload timetables/schedules to the AC website 6 months in advance (ideally August-Sept every year);
allocate appropriate breaks for staff and students, to include travel time, workload, research and other AC activities e.g. chapel;
appropriate and equitable allocation of faculty.

Teaching Space Allocations

Principles for teaching space allocation include:

teaching spaces on each campus are to be available for classes Monday to Friday, between 8am-10pm;
teaching spaces being utilised due to their specialised functions (e.g. Echo360 rooms, or computer labs) have priority over those classes not requiring these functions in the allocation schedule;
larger classes have precedence over smaller classes;
access for students with disabilities takes priority;
core subjects are given a higher priority over elective subjects;
scheduled bookings to take precedence over ad-hoc booking of teaching space. A class without a booking may be asked to leave.

Responsible for implementation

Chair, Quality Assurance Committee

Key stakeholders

All staff and students

Procedures

Academic Calendar, Timetable & Schedule Procedure

Procedures for development, approval and distribution of timetables/schedules is as follows:

Director of Faculty Operations coordinates the development, approval and distribution of timetables.
Program Directors (or equivalent) develop the timetables in active consultation with Heads of School, Faculty, and State Directors. Faculty members and departments must provide accurate information to the Program Directors (or equivalent) on their subject offerings and availability to avoid timetabling clashes. It is the responsibility of the Department Heads and Program Directors (or equivalent) to sign-off with the Director of Faculty Operations the draft timetable before it is published.
Heads of School review the workload of their faculty so that it is consistent with AC policy.
Facilities Manager or equivalent allocates the appropriate teaching space at each campus.
Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) is responsible for final approval of timetables.

Timetable/Schedule Changes

No changes will be made to the timetable/schedule after QAC approval unless there is:

unexpected enrolment variation (enrolments lower or higher than normal);
unexpected faculty turnover;
subject is deemed no longer viable;
a location is deemed a health and safety risk;
adjustment to provide for students with special needs.

In such events, the Director of Student Experience (after consultation with key stakeholders) may make amendments to the timetable/schedule.