Abbreviations for University Qualifications - Procedures

Content

Abbreviations for University Qualifications - Procedures

Parent policy: Program Accreditation and Course Approval – Governing Policy
Approval authority: Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Responsible officer: Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Designated officer:
Date of approval: 23 June 2009
Date last amended:
Effective starting date: 23 June 2009
Any procedures replaced by these procedures: Procedures for Determination of Award Abbreviations

Contents

1. Register of Abbreviations for University Qualifications
2. Guide to Abbreviations for University Qualifications
3. Process for approval of official abbreviations
4. Approval of abbreviation
5. Where an unforeseen change of abbreviation is required
6. Post-approval processes

1. Register of Abbreviations for University Qualifications

1.1. A register of abbreviations for University Qualifications will be maintained by the Academic Committees and Program Support Unit as part of its accreditation database.

1.2. The register will contain the official name of a qualification awarded for a program or a higher degree by research together with its official abbreviation, approved either as part of accreditation or as a subsequent change to the original name.

1.3. The register will updated following the accreditation of any new program or higher degree by research or any approved change to its name.

2. Guide to Abbreviations for University Qualifications

2.1. A Guide to Abbreviations for University Qualifications will be produced by the Academic Committees and Program Support Unit and be made available to all staff through the Curriculum Accreditation and Approval section, Academic Committees and Program Support Unit domain on the Staff Portal.

2.2. The Guide will include:

2.2.1. a report generated from the register that is a current alphabetical list of the names of the qualifications awarded for accredited programs and higher degrees by research together with their official abbreviations, or a hyperlink to the report;

2.2.2. an alphabetical list of the standard abbreviated form of each word used in official abbreviations to date, or a hyperlink to the list;

2.2.3. advice that:

(a) where an Australian professional or academic body or similar has specified that a particular abbreviation should be used, that abbreviation should be adopted

(b) the abbreviation for a new qualification must be consistent with any similar abbreviation included in the abbreviations lists, unless special conventions such as in (a) above apply

(c) the abbreviation of a word in any proposed new official abbreviation must be consistent with the abbreviation for that same word used in any official abbreviation included in the abbreviations lists unless special conventions apply

(d) where the abbreviations list has no current abbreviation for a qualification or a word proposed for inclusion in an official abbreviation, a search will be made of the latest edition of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (CU) Yearbook to identify an appropriate abbreviation and that abbreviation will be used

(e) where there is no precedent in the abbreviations list or the CU Yearbook or in advice from an appropriate national professional or academic body, a search will be made to identify a precedent from another Australian university and that abbreviation will be used

(f) where no precedent can be found, an abbreviation should be adopted that minimises potential confusion for students, employers and others, and reflects general use of abbreviations used for words in the qualification.

3. Process for approval of official abbreviations

3.1. The proposed abbreviation for a qualification will be included in documentation submitted for accreditation or for approval of a change to a program or a higher degree by research when that change involves a change of name.

3.2. The Academic Committees and Program Support Unit will check that the proposed abbreviation is consistent with items 2.2.3 (a) to (f) above, and if it is not it will advise the accreditation-proposer to change the submitted abbreviation and advise of a suitable replacement.

3.3. If the proposed abbreviation is not changed by the proposer, the Academic Committees and Program Support Unit, as part of the accreditation or approval processes, will advise the appropriate accrediting or approval body that the proposed abbreviation should be changed, and why, and advise of a suitable replacement.

4. Approval of abbreviation

4.1. The body responsible for accrediting or approving changes to a program or a higher degree by research approves the official abbreviation.

4.2. The approval is implicit when, on the basis of information included in accreditation or approval documentation, accreditation is granted or changes are approved, unless item 3.3 above applies in which case explicit approval will be given.

5. Where an unforeseen change of abbreviation is required

5.1. In the event that there is unforeseen need to change an official approved abbreviation, for example owing to a change in convention, the approval of the Vice-Chancellor or the Chairperson of the Academic Board, as appropriate, acting on behalf of the relevant accrediting body, will be sought for the change.

5.2. Proposals for approval of a change of official abbreviation will be processed through and by the Academic Committees and Program Support Unit.

6. Post-approval processes

6.1. After approval is granted for a new or for a change of official abbreviation, the register of abbreviations and, where applicable, the list of abbreviations for words will be updated by the Academic Committees and Program Support Unit.

END

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