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Non-AQF accreditation: Professional development offerings

6.1 Governance

  1. For clarity, Professional Development includes Executive Education.
  2. Approval for professional development to be delivered in languages other than English that does not have as its primary purpose education in language proficiency is contingent on fulfilment of additional requirements which are the same as the requirements for programs and courses, as per Clauses 2.4.23 and 2.4.25 above.
  3. Approval processes described in (4) – (8) only apply when a professional development offering taught as an ANU offering open only to ANU staff and students, an ANU offering open to the public, or taught under a contract between the ANU and a third party results in the issuance of an ANU branded or co-branded certificate of attendance, completion, or participation. In other instances, approval of the contract by the delegate will constitute approval for the professional development offering.
  4. Staff discuss the proposed professional development offering with their supervisor and with relevant colleagues, and seek endorsement from the supervisor and the Head of the Academic Organisational Unit (AOU).
  5. Proposals endorsed by the supervisor and the Head of their AOU are considered for approval by the Associate Dean or delegate of the relevant College.
  6. Once the professional development offering is approved the Associate Dean or delegate informs the relevant College Education Committee.
  7. For quality assurance and viability purposes, professional development offerings are monitored by the relevant College Education Committee.
  8. A consolidated list indicating the title and approving College/CLT of all professional development offered each year is included in the agenda papers for noting at meeting 3 of the following year of the Academic Quality Assurance Committee.

6.2 Teaching staff

  1. Professional development offerings are taught by the relevant AOU for College offerings.
  2. Professional development teaching staff are not bound by the Procedure: Knowledge, Pedagogical Skills, and Qualifications Requirements for Educators, but:
  1. are appointed on academic HR contracts, arranged by the relevant AOU; or
  2. have an honorary academic title conferred under the Policy: Academic titles conferral: Honorary (Clinical)* appointee, Visiting Fellow, Visitor and Emeritus Professor and its Procedure
  1. Professional development teaching staff are qualified by:
  1. a completed qualification in a relevant discipline at AQF Level 7 or above or equivalent; and
  2. demonstrated current knowledge and skills in the relevant area.
  1. The Associate Dean may require professional development teaching staff to undergo ANU learning and teaching professional development (no fee will be charged to the teacher).

6.3 Required information for enrolees

  1. A person enrolled in only a professional development offering is considered an enrollee. An enrollee who is only enrolled in a professional development offering at the ANU is not an ANU student.
  2. Prior to the commencement of an offering, enrolees are provided with published information on:
  1. The content of the offering, the educational background and expertise of the teaching staff;
  2. Any assessment tasks;
  3. The learning outcomes;
  4. The nature of the certificate to be provided upon successful completion of the offering;
  5. Whether completion of the offering may be considered for credit at ANU; and
  6. Fees, associated costs, cancellation advice and refund policy
  1. Enrolees are advised at or prior to the commencement of an offering if the Student grievance and complaint resolution policy and procedure are applicable, or alternatively how they are to redress any grievances. If the Student grievance and complaint resolution policy and procedure are applied, enrolees are informed that although not students, the Student grievance policy and procedure applies as if they are students.
  2. Where enrolees are given access to any ANU infrastructure, they agree to the following and their agreement is recorded: “I agree to abide by the Rules, Statutes, Orders, and Policies of the University and to comply with orders and directions made by the constituted authorities of the University”.
  3. Enrolees are given the opportunity to provide feedback on the offering.
  4. Feedback is de-identified, consolidated and made available to the approver and managing AOU for the purposes of monitoring the viability of the offering and for future improvement to the offering.

6.4 Certificates

  1. Where no assessment is undertaken enrolees may be issued with a Certificate of Participation.
  2. Where assessment has been completed satisfactorily enrolees are issued with a Certificate of Completion.
  3. All certificates issued for professional development offerings contain the text ‘This is not an Australian Qualifications Framework qualification’.
  4. Appropriate records are kept for any certificates issued to enrolees, and assessment results, to facilitate verification, reissuance or credit transfer if required.

6.5 Credit

  1. Where enrolees of a professional development offering apply for credit for that offering towards an ANU qualification, the request is benchmarked against a standard total expected workload of 130 hours for a 6 unit course (comprising face-to-face contact and private study time), and assessment requirements and expectations for a comparable course in accordance with the ANU Recognition of prior and external learning policy.

Information

 Printable version (DOCX)
Title accreditation Handbook Part 6 - Non-AQF accreditation professional development offerings
Document Type HandbookSection
Document Number ANUP_8742794
Version
Purpose
Audience Staff, Students
Category Academic
Topic/ SubTopic Teaching & Learning
 
Effective Date 19 Jan 2026
Next Review Date 19 Jan 2031
 
Responsible Officer: Pro Vice Chancellor (Education and Digital)
Approved By: Academic Board
Contact Area Division of Student Administration and Academic Services
Authority:
Delegations 0