Procedure: Course/Class Cancellation
Purpose
Cancellation of courses/classes has a significant impact on students enrolled in those courses. The purpose of this procedure is to acknowledge the importance of this issue and to provide an operational framework to minimise impacts on the student experience should it be necessary. In this procedure, the word “course” means “courses and classes”.
Scope
This procedure covers all scheduled ANU courses and all ANU staff with educational responsibilities.
Procedure
- A course that has been scheduled via the normal class scheduling activities may be cancelled as follows. Colleges may set earlier times at their discretion.
- Courses involving travel outside Australia may be cancelled at any time for reasons of Duty of Care to staff and students; for example, if Australian Government Travel Advice changes to “Reconsider your need to travel” or “Do not travel”, or a State of Emergency is declared in the country of travel.
- Courses may not be cancelled if it would result in a course that is compulsory in any program, major, minor, or specialisation not being taught at least once that calendar year.
- All courses that do not fall under Clauses 2 and 3 above may only be cancelled as per Clauses 5–8 below, and are additionally subject to the following:
- The College responsible for the scheduling is responsible for preparing the Course Publishing Variation Form and contacting the enrolled students.
- The date and time of course cancellation is the date and time at which enrolment for the course becomes unavailable in ISIS.
- Up to and including two weeks before Class commencement date, a course may be cancelled for any reason on the following condition: all enrolled students must be individually contacted and informed of the cancellation within 48 hours (excluding weekends and public holidays) of the approval by the delegate of the cancellation (this is in addition to any automated notices from ISIS).
- After (5) above but not later than 5pm on the Thursday before the first day of Semester or, for courses taught in intensive mode, up to 5pm on the second business day before the class commencement date, courses may only be cancelled with the approval of the College Dean (or their delegate) if one of the following applies:
- the demonstrated unanticipated and unavoidable unavailability of the staff member scheduled to teach the course; or
- the course has zero enrolment as at the time that enrolment becomes unavailable in ISIS; or
- if a course disestablishment request approved as per standard processes accompanies the cancellation request.
- In all instances of cancellation under Clause 6 the following conditions apply:
- All enrolled students must be individually contacted and informed of the cancellation within 24 hours (excluding weekends and public holidays) of the approval by the delegate of the cancellation; and
- If students have purchased prescribed materials and are unable to return them for a refund or credit, then the relevant teaching AOU must on presentation of receipts reimburse the student from AOU funds for the expenses incurred; and
- If the only course in which a student was enrolled is cancelled as per this paragraph, and the student has incurred reasonable travel expenses that cannot be cancelled with full reimbursement, then the relevant teaching AOU must on presentation of receipts reimburse the student from AOU funds.
- After 5pm on the Thursday before the first day of Semester or, for courses taught in intensive mode, after 5pm on the second business day before the class commencement date:
- A course with at least one student enrolled cannot be cancelled; teaching AOUs are responsible for any additional expenses necessary to ensure that the course runs. If only a single student is enrolled, the course may be amended such that any references to group work (e.g. assessment) are removed.
- Courses may be cancelled if they have zero enrolment as at the time that enrolment for the course becomes unavailable in ISIS.
