Implementation Strategy
Background to implementation
The Sydney Graduate project has developed over several years and has involved various stages of work.
Stage One: (2002 - 2007). The first stage of the project was the development of a research-based policy describing the attributes of a Sydney Graduate to replace the previous policy. The development of the new Academic Board statement of Graduate Attributes (approved by Academic Board in December 2004) involved active participation and contributions from staff and students, other members of the university community, external agencies and professional organisations, in order to develop the new policy and disciplinary statements of graduate attributes. This was coordinated through the ITL Graduate Attributes Working Group. This group which included Dean's nominees and senior colleagues from units such as Careers and the Library also commenced the process of embedding the development of these attributes in university curricula in 2005 and 2006. Project plans and reports from this stage are available on the ITL Graduate Attributes Working Group pages.
Stage Two: (2007 - 2008) The University recognised that the implementation of the Academic Board policy would benefit from prioritisation in some areas of the university. The Provost's Working Group on Graduate Attributes and the Sydney Experience was formed and the 2008 report confirmed the 2004 Academic Board statement of graduate attributes and proposed implementation recommendations to better achieve the stated graduate attributes. The key recommendations relating to Graduate Attributes focussed on the Provost (via the Deans), improving the implementation of existing curriculum and teaching processes relating to graduate attributes and developing a suite of new, stand-alone, generic skills units of study.
Stage Three: (2008 - 2009). A new Provosts Working Group was established to support the implementation of some specific recommendations from the previous Group's report. This group focussed on: 1) curriculum mapping - initially in the BLAS, 2) the development of foundation skills units of study within the new Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Science 3) A strategy for supporting staff in embedding graduate attributes in existing curricula. Three curriculum groups were established to develop three foundation skills units for the BLAS on writing, inquiry and ethics. Curriculum mapping was noted to be dependent on the curriculum mapping functions of the FSAP. The ITL provided recommendations to the Provosts group for strategies to embed graduate attributes in curriculum. An outline of this strategy is available here.
Stage Four: (2010 - 2012) With the development of the AQF and TEQSA’s new focus on learning outcomes and in light of insights from national ALTC projects on Graduate Attributes (ie National GAP), and the development of Discipline Threshold Standards, a new SEG Education Working Party was established to identify the Sydney Signature Learning Experiences that would foster the development of graduate attributes. In 2011 a new SEG Curriculum Committee was also established to develop a Curriculum Renewal mechanism to support the University in assuring both graduate attributes teaching and learning processes and learning outcomes. In 2011/12 The University is leading a nationally funded (DEEWR) project to identify principles and practices within and across the disciplines to assess and assure graduate learning outcomes. The University is also a member of the G08 Quality Verification Standards initiative, which assures the standard of achievement of final year learning outcomes using external peer review.
To get involved in your faculty's curriculum renewal work contact your Associate Dean L&T.