Subject Coordinator Role Description

This is a guide only, not a formal position description.

Context

The academic structure of Western Sydney includes twelve Schools which are organisational groupings of staff and students which may be located over several campuses. The Dean of each School is responsible for School planning, management and academic quality and reports formally to the Vice-Chancellor. The Dean of each School will also work in close partnership with and be accountable in the relevant domains to the Deputy Vice-Chancellors for planning, budgets and performance.

Each School offers a range of subjects that contribute to courses in the School's areas of disciplinary and professional expertise. The role of Subject Coordinator applies for undergraduate, Bachelor (Honours) and postgraduate coursework subjects. Subjects encompass a very wide range of content and academic activities, including face-to-face and online activities. They also have a wide range of enrolment and staffing arrangements, ranging from a single staff member to large teaching teams of permanent and/or casual staff. Accordingly, although there are core requirements for managing and delivering all types of subjects, a Subject Coordinator's duties may vary significantly depending on the size and scope of the subject. Some multi campus subjects may have campus coordinators who work collegially but under the oversight of the Subject Coordinator.

Purpose/Major Responsibilities

The Subject Coordinator will work closely with the Director of Academic Program and/or their nominee in the provision of high-quality learning and teaching activities for the subject, and will contribute to the course’s curriculum development.

Reporting Relationships

This incumbent reports to the Director of Academic Program through their substantive placement in the School, and liaises with the relevant Academic Course Advisors. Subject co-ordinators are appointed by the Dean on the recommendation of the relevant Director of Academic Program. The allocation of subject co-ordination responsibilities may change from semester to semester, where appropriate.

The Subject Coordinator will work closely with the Director of Academic Program and/or the relevant Academic Course Advisors in co-ordinating and overseeing all aspects of learning and teaching for the subject. The Subject Coordinator will liaise with the Director of Academic Program and/or their nominees in relation to the continuing quality management and review of the subjects for which they have co-ordination responsibilities. The Subject Co-ordinator is expected to work with minimal supervision and to have the ability to prioritise conflicting work demands, manage changing student demands, work with limited resources, coordinate the teaching team for the subject, and devise new procedures or implement change. The Subject Coordinator is expected to work effectively with multiple stakeholders including senior management, professional staff, students, the Academic Registrar’s Office, and industry stakeholders.

Key Functions/Responsibilities/Duties

The duties of a Subject Coordinator will depend on the nature of the subject being coordinated. Some Schools may have checklists or other documents that summarise the requirements for each subject, which are discussed with the Subject Coordinator before the start of a teaching session. Key functions, responsibilities and duties may include:

• Work closely with the Director of Academic Program and/or their nominees in coordinating and overseeing the learning and teaching activities for the subject.
• Provide academic leadership for the subject and coordinate the teaching team.
• Coordinate and manage quality assurance for the subject outline, learning guide, vUWS site and curriculum materials, including online materials, in collaboration with the relevant Academic Course Advisors and/or the Director of Academic Program.
• Ensure that sessional staff are provided with appropriate curriculum materials to support their teaching.
• Coordinate manage and moderate the assessment for the subject, and ensure that students receive formative and summative feedback to determine their performance within the subject, in accordance with University policy.
• Organise the collation and submission of student results to the School Academic committee in accordance with approved timelines, and report any issues that need consideration by the Academic Committee.
• Liaise and work with Academic Course Advisors to facilitate student transition and retention at the University.
• Be available for consultation by and interaction with students, including arrangements during the subject coordinator’s absence, and ensure that any student or staffing matters relevant to the subject are addressed, with escalation to the Academic Course Advisor or Director of Academic Program where appropriate.
• Respond to Student Feedback on Subject (SFS) survey results and identify areas of potential improvement for the subject.
• In collaboration with other Subject Coordinators, Academic Course Advisors and the Director of Academic Program, contribute to quality assurance and improvement for the course, and the review and development of its curriculum, including attendance at curriculum or teaching meetings.
• Exercise relevant academic delegations under the University policies, and contribute to the academic administration of the subject and course, for example by:
  • Responding to applications for special consideration, extensions, and reviews of grade;
  • Investigating allegations of student academic misconduct at the subject level.
• Work collegially with professional staff in exercising other administrative delegations; for example to ensure appropriate timetabling for the subject.
• Where appropriate, work collegially with professional and technical staff to ensure the effective and safe delivery of the subject.
• In collaboration with other staff, ensure that subject-related activities meet work health and safety requirements.
• Where this is relevant to the subject and course, represent the School at broader Western Sydney forums and provide ongoing updated information relating to the development and direction of the subject.
• Where this is relevant to the subject and course, contribute to communications with other Schools and potential students, Badanami, College, the professions, providers of clinical or other work placements, employers, and other stakeholders both within and beyond Western Sydney, including community engagement partners.

General Capabilities

The requirements will depend on the size and nature of the subject, and the following list is indicative only.

• Doctoral or Masters Qualification relevant to the discipline area, or equivalent experience, and any other requirements for professional accreditation of the course or TEQSA registration of the University.
• An ability to provide academic leadership and direction for the subject and to promote and represent the subject in all forums.
• A demonstrated record of achievement and quality improvement in learning and teaching activities, including assessment.
• (For larger and/or more complex subjects) a capacity to bring together a team of staff and work collaboratively with them to implement and maintain effective processes for the quality delivery of the subject(s).
• A demonstrated record of involvement with student advising and ability to assist students to resolve problems and other issues.
• Current knowledge of relevant University and School policies and procedures.
• An ability to foster external relationships and communications with other schools and potential students and other stakeholders.
• A capacity to set and meet timelines and manage multiple tasks concurrently.
• An understanding of and capacity to implement the principles of anti-discrimination, student equity, work health and safety and relevant legislation and Western Sydney policies in the academic program.