Responsible officer: Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Designated officer: Director, Student Services
Approving authority: Academic Board
Approval: 26 May 2009
Last amended: 26 May 2009
Effective starting date: 30 September 2009
Policies replaced by this policy: none
Policy number: AB10
Related policies:
- Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs - Governing Policy
- Program Accreditation and Course Approval - Governing and Institutional Operating Policy
- Student Conduct and Discipline Policy
- Risk Management Framework - Governing Policy
- Quality - Governing and Institutional Operating Policy
Due date for next review: 26 May 2014
Part A: Preliminary
1. Purpose of policy
Work integrated learning is a central feature of the curriculum at the University. It provides the opportunity for students to acquire and apply knowledge in workplace contexts. This policy describes the University’s approach to work integrated learning, outlines rights and obligations, and describes roles and responsibilities.
2. Application of policy
This policy applies to all staff, students and industry partners involved in work integrated learning at the University of the Sunshine Coast. It does not apply to work or work experience that is not part of a course or program.
3. Definitions
Throughout this policy the following definitions apply:
- Work Integrated Learning: student learning that falls into one of the following three categories:
- Industry/Professional Placement tier: learning in the workplace. It is a generic term for all immersed work integrated learning situations. This includes internships, practicums and clinical placements.
- Industry/Professional Component tier: applying theory to workplace practice. Courses with a workplace component are ‘applied learning’, as opposed to the immersed learning of the Industry/Professional Placement Tier. This includes applied research projects, industry projects, simulations and production workshops.
- Industry/Professional Interaction tier: learning from industry experts. This includes field trips, industry visits, site visits, guest lectures and the Employability Program.
Part B: Policy
4. Purposes of Work Integrated Learning
Student Learning
Practical experience in industry or professional engagement is an important part of student learning, and can serve the following educational and professional purposes:
- To meet mandatory requirements for professional registration and/or accreditation purposes.
- To apply theory in workplace contexts.
- To clarify or determine career directions.
- To apply and further develop the graduate attributes in workplace contexts.
- To enhance teaching and learning of employability skills.
- To enhance the transition from student to professional.
Regional Engagement
The contribution made to businesses, industry and professions within the region through work integrated learning is considerable, including:
- Providing support to micro, small and developing businesses.
- Showcasing the capabilities of USC students as future employees.
- Facilitating knowledge transfer between the University and regional business/industry/professions.
- Opening up opportunities for further mutually beneficial interactions with the University, including research and innovation partnerships.
- Opening an avenue for feedback to the University about the needs and interests of business, industry and professions.
5. Opportunity for Work Integrated Learning
- Every undergraduate program will include an opportunity for an industry placement or industry component.
- Work Integrated Learning is included in postgraduate coursework programs as appropriate.
- Where an industry/professional placement is a compulsory element in the program, each student will be provided with the opportunity to undertake a placement, subject to the student meeting program-specific and course-specific requirements.
- Where an industry/professional placement is not a compulsory element of the program, the selection of students for work integrated learning is based on merit, taking into account issues of access and equity and program-specific requirements.
- Expenses incurred by a student for the duration of their placement are the responsibility of the student.
6. Program and course design and pedagogy
Programs and courses with work integrated learning must align with the following principles:
- Alignment of learning outcomes, graduate attributes, learning and assessment tasks and learning and teaching activities.
- An explicit link between theory and practice.
- Collaboration between industry/professional partners, coordinators and lecturers, with a shared commitment to student learning.
- Supervision which provides appropriately increasing levels of autonomy for students.
- Appropriate support for students before, during and after work integrated learning.
- Inclusion of generic and industry/profession specific employability skills.
- Clarity of expectations to all stakeholders.
7. Minimum Standards for Work Integrated Learning
Industry/professional placement tier
A placement course at USC needs to satisfy minimum standards to ensure academic quality, namely:
- Relevance: the course is to involve a placement in an industry/profession, where the student performs work that is relevant to the program.
- Hours: inclusion of a minimum of 75 hours (the equivalent of 10 working days) in the workplace for a 12 credit point course or pro rata equivalent
- Supervision and monitoring: the course coordinator is responsible for the ongoing monitoring of student work and progress, and the assessment of student learning and performance during the placement.
- Assessment: student learning is assessed by academic staff with input from the industry/professional partner. Assessment tasks should, taken together, provide evidence of learning and reflection in the workplace, and not merely vocational and/or professional competence.
- Professional accreditation: where applicable, the course needs to meet any externally-prescribed professional or accreditation requirements.
Industry/professional component tier
An Industry/Professional Component tier of a course needs to satisfy minimum standards to ensure academic quality, namely:
- Relevance: the course includes tasks that are undertaken for an industry/profession.
- Hours: normally, a student in a 12 credit point course that includes an industry/professional component will spend a minimum of 40 hours on those tasks.
- Supervision and monitoring: the course coordinator is responsible for the ongoing direction and monitoring of student work and progress, and for the assessment of student learning and performance during the component.
- Assessment: student learning is assessed by academic staff, and may include input from the industry/professional partner. Assessment tasks should, taken together, provide evidence of learning and reflection, and not merely vocational and/or professional competence.
- Professional accreditation: where applicable, the course needs to meet any externally-prescribed professional or accreditation requirements.
Industry/professional interaction
An Industry/Professional Interaction component tier of a course at USC needs to satisfy minimum standards to ensure academic quality, namely:
- Relevance: the student has the opportunity to interact with, or learn from, an industry partner/practitioner to gain knowledge and experience.
8. Identification and management of Work Integrated Learning opportunities
8.1 The University will implement a centralised database to monitor and track student placements and opportunities, as follows:
Faculty
- Each faculty will nominate coordinators who will be responsible for the identification and allocation of work integrated learning opportunities. Coordinators will also be responsible for providing course and student information to maintain the centralised database.
Student Services
- The Industry Liaison Officer (ILO) will engage with relevant work integrated learning coordinators in faculties, professions, industries and the community to support the identification and allocation of workplace learning opportunities. The ILO is responsible for coordinating the integrity and currency of the centralised database.
Students
- Students may make initial contact with industry only when this is allowed by the Faculty and approved by faculty staff responsible for work integrated learning. Students will be responsible for providing personal and placement information to the centralised database.
8.2 Conflict of interest
Students should not normally be placed in a workplace where there is a possible conflict of interest (eg where a family member might be responsible for supervising and assessing a student, or in a field placement in a school where the student might be responsible for teaching and assessing a family member). Students are responsible for informing the faculty if such a situation arises. Faculties are responsible for ensuring that processes are in place to deal with such situations.
8.3 Agreements
Any formal agreement made between USC and a workplace must adhere to USC's procedure for management of contracts and memoranda of understanding.
8.4 Sound engagement principles
Staff seeking to identify and establish work-integrated learning opportunities are expected to consider and apply sound engagement principles and practices, particularly to seek mutually beneficial and long term outcomes for both the University and the collaborating communities or organisations.
9. International or interstate placements
Provision of overseas placements is dependent on offers made by international industry/professional contacts or through partner Global Opportunities institutions.
International and interstate placements will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the course coordinator and Faculty management to ensure parity of experience with local placements and compliance with DEEWR requirements.
10. Ethical and legal requirements
Where a program includes one or more compulsory placements, the University is responsible for informing students at the commencement of that program of requirements that they must meet in order to undertake a placement, such as acquisition of a Blue Card or possession of a driver’s license.
The University is responsible for informing students of relevant ethical and legal matters in preparation for their placement. Requirements relating to placements will be included in course documentation.
The host organisation is responsible for informing students of specific ethical and legal matters in relation to their placement.
11. Risk management
Staff involved in work integrated learning will seek to reduce risks associated with work integrated learning through actions such as effective student orientation to the host organisation; reviewing occupational health and safety requirements and identifying potential hazards; accurate record keeping and regular supervision.
All reasonable steps must be taken to ensure the student on work integrated learning is able to fulfill the requirements of the position safely. Staff must complete a risk assessment and subsequently review and implement any risk reporting requirements.
Students undertaking placements are covered by the University's Student Personal Accident, Public Liability and Professional Indemnity Insurances provided they are enrolled in a course or program incorporating work integrated learning.
12. Rights and responsibilities
Students undertaking work integrated learning have certain rights and obligations which are to be articulated in procedures and agreed to by the student prior to commencing a work integrated learning placement. A student who refuses to agree to those rights and obligations will be refused permission to undertake placement.
Students must meet any specified requirements prior to placement, such as holding a valid Blue Card. Students who have not met the specified requirements will not be allowed to undertake placement.
Academic staff supervising placements have certain rights and obligations which are articulated in procedures and agreed to by those staff prior to them commencing a supervisory role.
Host organisations have certain rights and obligations which are articulated in procedures and agreed to by a duly authorised officer in the organisation prior to the student commencing a work integrated learning placement.
Where it is determined that a student is a potential danger to themselves or others; or urgent action to exclude the student is required due to their behaviour or other factors, they may be removed from the placement.
END