Annual Program Review

The intent of the Annual Program Review (APR) is to assure the quality and continuous improvement of RMIT Programs. APRs provide an opportunity for Program Managers and teaching staff for reflection about program enhancements.

All RMIT HE coursework programs that are not participating in Comprehensive Program Reviews must conduct Annual Reviews each year, including programs delivered with partner institutions, new programs and those being discontinued/in teach out.

Program reviews are undertaken between August and November. The DSC Quality Enhancement team will send out information directly to Program Managers confirming dates. For more background on the APR process please see the CAQE Resource Hub.

Key Takeaways

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Access the APR Submission Form

Learn the 6 APR sections

Lookup program Datapack

Carrying out your APR

The review will be completed through the Annual Program Review submission form in accordance with the APR Terms of Reference.

APR Submissions Form

Please note that the APR submission form can only be accessed by a single individual. Please identify who will be responsible for filling out and submitting the APR before you commence.

The APR consists of 6 sections:

Section 1: Program details

Section 2: PEP updates

Section 3: Changes to pedagogy or curriculum

Section 4: Changes to staff capability and resourcing

Section 5: Reflective data check

Section 6: Endorsement

Program information including nested programs and program review team.

This section captures basic data for your program (program code, title, campus, delivery mode etc), nested program or equivalent location/mode information. Most information will be prepopulated however please check for any discrepancies.

The student profile question relates to student demographic data and FT/PT mix. Demographic data is in the Program Dashboard, and in the CAQE Program Reviews Dashboard you’ll find FT/PT mix. Your response can be a descriptive reflection of what it means to teach this mix of students more than reporting hard data, which is already available anyway.

PEP updates

Approx. 100-150 words per goal

This section provides an opportunity to reflect on the goals set out in the Program Enhancement Plan(PEP) that emerged from the last Comprehensive Program Review (CPR).

A copy of your most recent PEP goals are in your data pack. However if your program is new and has not yet been through a CPR, there will be no PEP goals.

Changes to pedagogy or curriculum

Approx. 100-150 words per category

The purpose of this section is to record any incremental changes/interventions made to your program’s curriculum, other than those documented in your latest PEP.

Select relevant categories from the list below and provide a short statement. All programs should document external referencing which includes benchmarking (see RMIT definitions and resources). The bolded categories below should be addressed when undertaking benchmarking.

List of categories:

Accessibility
Accreditation
Admission criteria
Alumni relations
Assessment – type
Assessment – weighting
Course content
External validation
Facilities/physical spaces
Global mobility
Inclusion/equity/ diversity
Indigenous perspectives
Moderation practices
Online/digital delivery
Orientation/ Belonging practices
Partnerships/agreements with third parties
Profile/EFTSL
Scaffolded learning
Support staff
Student feedback
Teaching staff
WIL
Other

Staff capability and resourcing

Record any developments undertaken relating to and rationale for any changes made to your program.

Highlight areas where your team can do with support or resources to improve or enhance the program. This section also signals the types of professional development required by teaching staff in your program to maintain currency.

Reflective data check

Tier 2 and 3 programs only. You can look up your tier in the CAQE Program Reviews Dashboard.

200-300 words per section (not per reflective question). Select at least one reflective question to respond to.

This section involves critically reflecting on trends for the parameters below (suggested 200-300 words). Refer to the CAQE Program Reviews Dashboard and the RMIT Program Dashboard for potential areas of improvement in your program’s design or delivery, or opportunities to leverage off existing strengths.

This section is divided into 7 parts:

Accreditation
Student Success
Student Outcomes
Enrolment Trends
Program Experience
Student Demand
Strategic Alignment

Key data to assist you is provided in your data pack (access below). This includes:

Latest year CES summaries and comments
Most recent GOS comments
Program Guide
Previous year APR
Previous PEP

Additionally, you may wish to consult:

CAC, PAB, SSCC and IAC committee meetings for the current year. If you do not have a copy of these, you can obtain them from your school’s academic services team or refer to the program’s datapack.
Program design principles
CAQE Program Reviews Dashboard (Including the heatmap tab to assist in internal benchmarking)
For external benchmarking: Labour Market Information Portal, ComparED and SES POWER BI

Endorsement

Once submitted, your APR will be sent to receive forwarded for endorsement from your Dean of School and the College ADVC Learning and Teaching LTQ. At each stage, endorsers may add a comment, feedback or recommendations for changes and ‘send back’ to the submitter for editing. If this is the case, you will receive an email notification to amend and resubmit.

The APR submission tool allows you to recall your APR after you have submitted for endorsement. Once recalled, it will revert back to draft to which you can go back in, make any amendments and resubmit.

Datapack

Frequently asked questions

Completing the APR Form

How do I access the APR Submission Form?
You can access the submission form here.

Who can fill in the APR form?
The APR submission form can only be accessed by a single individual. APRs should be completed and submitted by Program Managers but we recommend the review is undertaken collaboratively with the Program team.

Can I save my progress?
Yes, you can save your progress. Once you have filled out a section click on ‘save and proceed’ and then you may close your browser.

How long will it take to complete the review?
Programs that have completed the APR report that a minimum of 3 hours should be allowed to consider the sections and complete the form. Only one form should be submitted per program.

I don’t understand what is required of me. Who should I speak to?
Annual Reviews are an opportunity to consider key program performance data to identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. They are designed to enable the monitoring of the quality of teaching, student progress and the overall delivery of our programs. If you need further support, please contact DSC Quality at dsc.quality@rmit.edu.au

Accessing and Understanding your Data

How do I access the Program Reviews Dashboard?
Access the Program Reviews Dashboard here.

I need help interpreting my program dashboard data. Who can I contact for help?
Please contact the DSC Quality Enhancement team at dsc.quality@rmit.edu.au

Timelines and Submission

When do I have to submit my APR?
Your APR must be submitted via the submission form by (date TBC).

What happens after I have submitted my APR?
Studying your program’s CAQE Program Reviews Dashboard may indicate the potential for improvement in a particular area of your program’s design or delivery. Once your APR submission has been endorsed by your Head of School/Dean, you can get started on any interventions or changes to uplift your program. You may also notice that your program is performing particularly well as a result of new changes. It is recommended that these successes are highlighted and celebrated, and escalated for sharing with the Reviews community.

RMIT’s Centre for Academic Quality & Enhancement (CAQE) compiles all Annual Review submissions and submits a summary report to Academic Board each year.