Managing a Teaching Team

The Subject Coordinator has a leading role in ensuring that all teachers in the subject understand subject requirements, are correctly informed of their responsibilities and work collaboratively to provide a high quality learning experience to students. This includes teaching staff at offshore or partner campuses.

Inducting and communicating with teaching staff

When multiple staff teach a subject, the Subject Coordinator ensures that the approach to teaching and marking is consistent and that sessional staff members are aware of University policies and procedures.

University induction

If a sessional staff member has not taught at Western Sydney previously, a formal induction to the University and its policies and practices will be organised by the central University HR Operations team and conducted by the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning Transformations).

Subject introduction

Prior to the start of the teaching session, it is recommended that the Subject Coordinator convene a ‘working meeting’ with staff who will be teaching the subject.

A suggested format for the meeting is as follows:

• Discuss how the subject will be delivered, including learning outcomes and assessment activities. Advise staff that they must follow the learning guide in teaching the subject and cannot make independent changes, as it is a contractually binding document.
• If possible, visit the class rooms together to familiarise staff with the facilities (audio-visual equipment, network access, etc.).
• Ensure all teachers are familiar with Western Sydney policies and practices (particularly student misconduct) and resources including vUWS.

During the teaching session, the Subject Coordinator may wish to use a weekly email as a method of communicating with multiple teaching staff, particularly where face-to-face meetings are impractical.

Assessment meetings

The Subject Coordinator is responsible for ensuring consistency in how grades are awarded and feedback is provided to students. A suggested method is as follows:

• Convene an assessment meeting with teaching staff prior to marking each assessment activity.
• Take samples of students’ work (representing a likely High Distinction, Pass and Fail) and have each staff member mark them. Then discuss how each arrived at the marks.
• Cross-check papers assessed by different staff members to ensure they are placing value on the same criteria.
• Maintain a spreadsheet of grades awarded by each staff member to reconcile marking.

Engaging sessional staff

The requirement for sessional staff will usually depend on student/class numbers and become apparent during the period when class timetables are being formulated.

Process to engage sessional staff

If sessional (casual) staff will be required:

1. The Subject Coordinator discusses the requirement with the Director, Academic Program (DAP) and sends an email request to the School Business Administration Officer containing the name and required teaching of the sessional staff member.
2. The School Business Administration Officer emails the teaching details and budget impacts to the DAP for approval.
3. If approved, the Business Administration Officer organises contracts for new sessional staff members.

Selecting sessional staff

Any sessional staff members that are to be appointed must be on the Academic Staff Eligibility List maintained by (and available from) the School Business Administration Officer.

After discussing eligible sessional academic staff, the Subject Coordinator contacts the preferred sessional staff member/s to determine their availability. Before engaging sessional staff:

• Check their existing teaching commitments with the University to ensure that they are not overloaded and are able to make a positive contribution to the teaching team.
• Familiarise yourself with the standard rates of pay for sessional staff and advise the sessional staff member.

Timeframes

The process to engage a sessional staff member and provide access to Western Sydney systems and buildings takes approximately two weeks. Once the signed contract is received from the staff member, it will typically take three to five days to provide a login for vUWS and building access card.

Welcoming and mentoring sessional staff

Sessional staff members benefit the University by providing flexibility in subject delivery and bringing relevant industry or other university experience into the teaching environment.

Their experience at Western Sydney influences both their retention for future subjects and the University’s reputation. The Subject Coordinator should ensure that sessional staff members:

• Have access before the start of the teaching session to email, systems login, access card and teaching materials.
• Are included in University functions and activities.
• Are included as collaborative partners to improve the teaching and learning experience.

Partner campus and offshore academics

Although Western systems only recognise one Subject Coordinator per subject per teaching session, there may be local teaching academics on partner campuses or offshore locations. Subject Coordinators are required to consult with the local teaching academics regarding particular contexts and student needs for that location. They must also update and provide subject documents and subject learning materials in a timely fashion as well as communicate regularly with local teaching academics to ensure the smooth and consistent delivery of the subject.

Moderation and quality assurance processes must be adhered to for the delivery of subjects in these locations.

Ongoing administration

Advise the School Business Administration Officer via email if a sessional staff member works more or less hours than contracted or misses a scheduled class, so payroll can be adjusted. Advise the Director, Academic Program if a performance problem arises in relation to a sessional staff member.

Information on casual staff pay rates can be found via Academic Staff Agreement 2022.