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Student Professional Experience Policy

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Section 1 - Executive Summary

(1) Professional experience is intended to give Students an opportunity to apply their knowledge in a work environment.

(2) Students in professional experience should:

  1. be given a clear explanation of the expectations and learning outcomes of the professional experience;
  2. comply with standards of professional behaviour, reasonable directions from the host organisation and the University's Student Conduct Rule and Student Code of Conduct at all times while participating in a professional experience; and
  3. be adequately supervised while participating in a professional experience.
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Section 2 - Purpose

(3) The purpose of this policy is to provide the minimum requirements for the management of professional experience.

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Section 3 - Scope

(4) This policy applies to all professional experience.

(5) This policy does not apply to other work experience or paid employment.

(6) ‘Student’ has the same meaning as in the Student Conduct Rule.

(7) If a student intends for other work experience or paid employment to satisfy a program and/or course requirement, the student must ensure the College or School has approved the other work experience or paid employment. This approval may be conditional.

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Section 4 - Inherent Requirements and Reasonable Adjustments 

Inherent Requirements

(8) Students will be required to acknowledge at enrolment that inherent requirements may apply in relation to a program and/or course which includes professional experience.

Students with Disability

(9) The University will provide reasonable adjustments for students with disability who are required to complete professional experience in accordance with the Supporting Students with Disability policy.

(10) A student with disability will provide the host organisation with a copy of a plan which outlines reasonable adjustments for professional experience where it is agreed by the host organisations that it can assist in providing these reasonable adjustments.

Health and Performance Assessment

(11) The University may require a student to provide evidence of a health and performance assessment before professional experience occurs.

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Section 5 - Host Organisations 

General Requirements

(12) The University should take steps to confirm that the host organisation has the ability to meet its responsibilities under this policy and is an appropriate environment for professional experience.

(13) The University will satisfy itself that the host organisation has acknowledged and is prepared to accept its responsibilities outlined in this policy.

Agreements with Host Organisations

(14) A written agreement between the University and the host organisation will be required before the host organisation accepts students for professional experience if:

  1. reasonable recommendations have been made for a written agreement following a risk assessment; or
  2. payment by the University to the host organisation is necessary for the host organisation to provide professional experience; or
  3. if the host organisation is acting as the University's agent.

(15) The written agreement between the host organisation and the University must contain statements which address:

  1. the responsibilities of the host organisation in providing professional experience;
  2. insurance;
  3. work health and safety requirements; and
  4. handling personal information.

(16) Where the University approves other work experience or paid employment to satisfy a program and/or course requirement, the University may request the work experience provider or employer to:

  1. acknowledge a host organisation's responsibilities under this policy; and/or
  2. enter into a written agreement with the University as provided at clause 15.

Insurance

(17) The University has insurance to cover students undertaking professional experience.

(18) The University may provide the host organisation with a copy of the University's certificate of currency for a relevant insurance policy.

(19) The University's insurance will only extend to cover students performing work experience not covered by this policy where approval is granted by the University's Governance and Assurance Services.

Personal Information

(20) The host organisation must assist the University to comply with its obligations under all laws in relation to personal information about students.

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Section 6 - Responsibilities 

University Responsibilities

(21) The University has a duty of care to provide a safe environment for students. It is responsible for making students and host organisations aware of this policy and ensuring that students and the host organisations understand:

  1. the requirements for professional experience;
  2. assessment of professional experience;
  3. the circumstances under which professional experience may be terminated.

(22) Before professional experience occurs, the University will take reasonable steps to:

  1. inform host organisations of the requirement to provide a work health and safety induction to all students completing professional experience;
  2. ensure host organisations report any work health and safety concerns about professional experience to the University;
  3. inform students of relevant work health and safety issues before they commence a professional experience;
  4. ensure professional experiences comply with all relevant professional accreditation requirements; and
  5. ensure students and host organisations understand all relevant legal obligations which apply to professional experience.

(23) During professional experience, the University will:

  1. provide an appropriate professional experience coordinator, who will also be a point of contact for feedback regarding professional experience;
  2. monitor student progress during professional experience; and
  3. keep accurate records about professional experience.

Student Responsibilities

(24) Students are expected to:

  1. be familiar with the College or School's professional experience requirements outlined in this policy and in program and/or course documentation;
  2. complete any program and/or course requirements or prerequisites associated with professional experience;
  3. ensure they meet any industry standards, registration and/or legal requirements relevant to their professional experience;
  4. complete any documentation for professional experience required by the University and/or the host organisation;
  5. seek approvals from the University as required and as necessary for professional experience;
  6. be aware that the host organisation may collect their personal information on behalf of the University, in addition to collecting and storing it for their own purposes;
  7. acknowledge that they may be allocated a professional experience that requires travel and/or relocation, at the student's own expense; and
  8. comply with any reasonable requests for information by the University and/or the host organisation.

(25) During professional experiences, students will:

  1. comply with standards of professional behaviour described in the University's Student Conduct Rule and Student Code of Conduct at all times;
  2. comply with all laws which apply to the professional experience;
  3. participate in any required training as reasonably requested by the host organisation;
  4. comply with the host organisation's instructions in relation to its policies, rules or procedures;
  5. be present at the host organisation's site at nominated working hours;
  6. participate fully in tasks and activities as directed by the host organisation;
  7. take due care with the host organisation's equipment and property;
  8. promptly report to the College or School, and to the host organisations, any matters that might affect their ability to undertake or continue with professional experience;
  9. promptly inform the College or School, and the host organisation, of any absences from professional experience;
  10. notify the University and the host organisation of any accident or incident which involves the student as soon as it is safe to do so;
  11. communicate any concerns about professional experience to the College or School;
  12. advise the College or School of any requests the host organisation makes of the student which are reasonably beyond what is expected for professional experience; and
  13. meet all expenses identified in program and/or course, documentation, if these expenses are necessary to undertake professional experience.

Host Organisation Responsibilities

(26) Host organisations are responsible for:

  1. providing all students who attend their site to complete a professional experience with a work health and safety induction and orientation before the professional activities start;
  2. ensuring that the health and safety of students is not put at risk during professional experience;
  3. complying with all laws which apply to the professional experience;
  4. appointing a suitably qualified person to supervise the student's day-to-day activities while completing professional experience;
  5. where agreed with the University, implementing reasonable adjustments for students;
  6. providing students with necessary equipment, resources and training to participate in professional experience;
  7. informing University staff of any work health and safety concerns about students during professional experience;
  8. providing feedback to the University about a student's performance during professional experience; and
  9. notifying Colleges and Schools about any circumstances that alter, change or delay the provision or completion of professional experience.
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Section 7 - Professional Experience Issues 

Student Performance

(27) If a student undertaking professional experience:

  1. fails to maintain satisfactory attendance; or
  2. fails to complete a specified component of the professional experience; or
  3. fails to maintain an appropriate standard of professional conduct, not specified at clause 28

    the College or School may determine the student is at risk of failing to maintain adequate progress and will review the student’s performance in accordance with the process outlined in the relevant program and/or course documentation.

(28) If a student undertaking a professional experience demonstrates:

  1. academic misconduct; or
  2. non-academic misconduct or
  3. concerning behaviour; 

    the University must manage these circumstances in accordance with the Student Conduct Rule.

Withdrawal of Professional Experience

(29) If a student is subject to the processes outlined at clauses 27 and 28, the University may withdraw the student from professional experience for a specified period and attendance at a further professional experience may be subject to specified conditions.

(30) A student may not withdraw without academic penalty from a professional experience other than as advised in the relevant program and/or course documentation.

Termination of Professional Experience

(31) The University may terminate a professional experience if a student:

  1. does not remediate their progress after the University has reviewed the student's progress in accordance with clause 27; or
  2. poses an unacceptable risk to the host organisation, its clients and staff, the public, other students or themselves; or
  3. has been found to have breached the Student Conduct Rule.

(32) The University's decision in relation to termination of professional experience will be communicated in writing.

(33) Host organisations may choose to terminate a professional experience at their absolute discretion and at any time.

(34) Where a professional experience is terminated for reasons not related to the student, the College or School will advise the student in writing that the professional experience has been terminated and will determine whether the completed professional experience satisfies course and/or program requirements.

(35) If the student is required to complete professional experience following termination of the professional experience under clause 34, the College or School will make, or assist the student to make, alternative arrangements for professional experience.

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Section 8 - Assessment of Professional Experience 

(36) Professional experience will be assessed in accordance with:

  1. Course Management and Assessment Manual; and/or
  2. Program Management Manual - Coursework; and/or
  3. the program and/or course documentation provided by the relevant College or School.