• Section 1 - Background and Purpose
• Section 2 - Scope
• Section 3 - Policy Statement
• Section 4 - Procedure
• Timing of Subject Suspension or Closure
• Subjects offered Conditional on Enrolments
• Core and Core-Choice Subjects
• Postgraduate Coursework Subjects
• Subject Suspension
• Subject Closure
• Teach-out Provisions
• Service Teaching
• Consultation With Students
• Section 5 - Definitions

Section 1 - Background and Purpose

(1) These Procedures outline an orderly approach to the temporary suspension or permanent closure of subjects.

(2) The University, via its Colleges, may suspend subjects for up to three years or close them permanently, normally on the advice of the College Academic Committee of the College(s) responsible for the subject.

(3) Where the College decides to suspend or close a subject, appropriate measures must be taken to:

1. protect the interests of students who have active enrolments in any course for which the subject is a component. For purposes of these Procedures, ‘active enrolments’ includes students who are on any form of leave of absence approved by the University.

(4) In general, once the University has enrolled a student in a course, the University has a contractual obligation to enable the student to complete that course so long as the student is maintaining an active enrolment. The University must teach the subject or an appropriate alternative subject until the last student has completed the course for which they enrolled.

Section 2 - Scope

(5) Refer to the Subject Lifecycle Policy (Expires 31/10/18).

Section 3 - Policy Statement

(6) Refer to the Subject Lifecycle Policy (Expires 31/10/18).

Section 4 - Procedure

Timing of Subject Suspension or Closure

(7) A proposal to suspend or close a subject should be processed by the relevant committee of the responsible College at least six months prior to the intended implementation date.

Subjects offered Conditional on Enrolments

(8) In rare cases, where elective subjects are offered conditional on enrolments, this information needs to be clear to prospective students of the subject. If enrolments are not sufficient to justify running the subject, suitable alternative arrangements must be made to ensure that students are not disadvantaged in any way. Further, the subject should be immediately reviewed to determine whether it should no longer be offered. 

Core and Core-Choice Subjects

(9) Closure or suspension of a core or core-choice subject constitutes a course revision and will require Course Lifecycle - Course Revision Procedure (Expires 31/10/18) to be followed. Depending on the number of core subjects being closed or suspended, the course revision may be minor or major.

Postgraduate Coursework Subjects

(10) Colleges should note that students enrolled in shorter postgraduate courses may be particularly affected by decisions to close or suspend a subject, and ensure that appropriate teach-out arrangements are in place.

Subject Suspension

(11) A subject may be suspended for up to three years on advice to the College Academic Committee indicating arrangements made for students enrolled in courses requiring the subject. 

(12) The College is responsible for updating the Course Information Management System (CIMS) when a subject is suspended. 

(13) Note the additional requirements for core subjects above.

Subject Closure

(14) An elective subject may be closed on advice to the College Academic Committee. Where the subject is core, advice to the College Coursework Committee should indicate arrangements made for students currently enrolled in courses. 

(15) The College is responsible for updating the Course Information Management System (CIMS) when a subject is closed.

(16) Note the additional requirements, related to course revisions, for core subjects above.

Teach-out Provisions

(17) The University will allow students to complete the qualification or course in which they originally enrolled. Every attempt will be made to provide the original program; however, where that is not possible, course requirements will be adjusted so that students are not disadvantaged.

(18) If a student’s program is adjusted, a statement of the agreed program must be:

1. given to the student
2. filed with the College General Manager
3. used as the basis for determining the student's academic progress and completion of course requirements.

Service Teaching

(19) Where the subject to be suspended or closed is service taught by another school/department, all parties need to be involved in decisions regarding the suspension and/or closure.

Consultation With Students

(20) Students should be consulted on subject suspension and closure proposals, normally through the relevant College committees.

Section 5 - Definitions

(21) For the purpose of this Procedure:

1. Core Subject: A compulsory subject, required to complete a particular course
2. Core-Choice subjects: a subject that is part of a group from which at least one must be chosen. For example: XYZ111, XZY111 and XBC111 are all core-choice subjects, of which 2 out of the three must be completed.
3. Elective Subject: Subjects which are not core subjects