Higher Education - Scholarly Activity Policy

1. Purpose

To ensure that teachers delivering higher education programs conduct appropriate scholarly activity as required by the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all permanent and temporary contract CIT teachers who are teaching higher education subjects at CIT.

3. Principles

3.1 All CIT staff who teach higher education programs must undertake scholarly activity that:

1. encourages research, intellectual and creative enquiry, critical thinking, and learning with practical relevance to CIT
2. informs and enhances learning and teaching
3. develops professional capability
4. reinforces reflection and continuous improvement
5. provides dialogue with colleagues, professional bodies and industry
6. focuses on student achievement of learning outcomes.

3.2 The CIT Teacher's Enterprise Agreement has a provision for teaching staff to access an annual higher education teaching hour reduction to undertake appropriate scholarly activities as agreed with their Head of Department and approved by their College Director. Accessing teaching hour reductions does not apply to casual teachers.

3.3 The reduction in teaching hours will be proportionate to the number of Bachelor degree delivery hours and is calculated in accordance with Clause 156 of the CIT Teachers Enterprise Agreement.

3.4 Teachers must provide reports and present published papers or research reports to appropriate forums such as the Higher Education Network.

3.5 Individual staff members are expected to seek appropriate opportunities for scholarly activity both within CIT and externally.

3.6 Results of scholarly activity may be published and peer reviewed, internally or externally, as appropriate.

3.7 Staff, are required to submit details of scholarly activity to the Higher Education Sub-Committee on a quarterly basis and the Academic Council annually.

3.8 Agreed scholarly activity will be measurable and must be relevant to the higher education program in which the teacher is engaged, and may include:

1. enrolment in a relevant post graduate degree
2. research, which leads to published papers, academic presentation and/or creative output.
3. action research projects
4. conference papers and presentations
5. text books or contributions to text books
6. journal articles (non-refereed as well as refereed)
7. development or design of innovative computer software
8. exhibitions of original creative work
9. design research methodology.

4. Documentation

Higher Education Support Act 2003

Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015

ACT Public Sector Canberra Institute of Technology (Teaching Staff) Enterprise Agreement 2019-2021

5. Definitions

All terminology used in this policy is consistent with definitions in the CIT Definitions of Terms.

6. Policy Contact Officer

Director, CIT Education Services.

Contact CIT Student Services on (02) 6207 3188 or email infoline@cit.edu.au for further information.

7. Procedures

This policy is implemented through the associated procedures. Authority to make changes to the procedures rests with the policy owner.