• Section 1 - Preamble
• Section 2 - Purpose
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Procedure
• HE academic teaching staff qualifications and scholarship
• Documenting HE academic teaching staff qualifications and scholarship
• Section 5 - Non-Compliance

Section 1 - Preamble

(1) Charles Darwin University (‘the University’, ‘CDU’) is committed to employing qualified and experienced higher education (HE) academic teaching staff to teach and assess students in higher education coursework courses and units.

(2) HE academic teaching staff credentials, experience, and scholarship in both discipline area and teaching and learning directly impact the quality of the delivery of the HE course of study.

(3) The Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 mandate specific requirements regarding HE academic teaching staff credentials, scholarship in disciplinary field, and scholarship in teaching and learning.  

Section 2 - Purpose

(4) This document outlines the University’s procedures to:

1. ensure that all HE academic teaching staff at the University have the requisite qualifications, discipline expertise and scholarship in teaching and learning; 
2. ensure HE academic teaching staff undertake ongoing scholarly activity in their discipline or field;
3. ensure HE academic teaching staff undertake ongoing scholarly activity in teaching and learning;
4. determine and implement guidance for those HE academic teaching staff who do not currently hold the requisite credentials; and
5. confirm, document, and retain evidence of qualifications and scholarly activities for all HE academic teaching staff.

Section 3 - Scope

(5) This procedure applies to current and prospective HE academic teaching staff, including casual HE academic teaching staff, who teach and/or assess students in higher education coursework courses and units, including those employed on a continuing, fixed-term, casual, or sessional basis or engaged under third-party arrangements. 

(6) This procedure does not apply to:

1. guest lecturers;
2. internships or other forms of work-integrated learning; or
3. the supervision of HDR candidates (refer to the Higher Degree by Research - Supervision Procedure).

Section 4 - Procedure

HE academic teaching staff qualifications and scholarship

(7) To ensure the delivery of quality education, HE academic teaching staff must hold a qualification at least one (1) AQF level higher than the course of study in which they are teaching.

(8) Where an individual does not hold the requisite qualification described above, a determination of the individual’s professional experience and expertise may be used to ensure teaching requirements are met. This determination will be made in accordance with the HE Teaching - Professional Experience Equivalence Policy and Procedure.

(9) Teaching students in coursework courses and units at the University can only be undertaken by HE academic teaching staff who also have:

1. knowledge of contemporary developments in the discipline or field, which is informed by continuing scholarship or research or advances in practice; and
2. skills in contemporary teaching, learning and assessment principles relevant to the discipline, their role, modes of delivery and the needs of particular student cohorts.

(10) HE academic teaching staff who do not meet the requirements described above can work under the guidance of a supervisor who is a HE academic teaching staff member with the requisite qualifications, experience, knowledge, and skills, until the standards are met.

(11) HE academic teaching staff who supervise students undertaking higher degree by research (HDR) courses must be registered as principal or associate supervisors by complying with eligibility criteria and registration process set out in the Higher Degree by Research - Supervision Procedure. 

Documenting HE academic teaching staff qualifications and scholarship

(12) HE academic teaching staff must provide certified evidence of their relevant qualifications prior to commencing teaching. 

(13) Deans or Discipline Chairs are responsible for sighting original qualifications. People and Culture retain copies of qualifications.

(14) All HE academic teaching staff must complete and maintain the HE Academic Teaching Staff Scholarship Matrix located in the Curriculum Management System (CMS) under the HE/VET Lecturer Staff Matrix tile. 

(15) HE academic teaching staff provide examples of ongoing scholarly activity in their discipline or field such as activities that have advanced their contemporary knowledge, skills or professional experience. Examples include knowledge/scholarship in the academic discipline, publications, presentations or keynote addresses, collaborations, relevant professional development activities in the discipline, and industry and community engagement.

(16) HE academic teaching staff provide examples of ongoing scholarly activities that have advanced knowledge and professional experience in contemporary approaches to teaching and learning, or research and training. Examples include knowledge/scholarship in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), scholarship in design and delivery of courses and units of study, scholarship in research and research training, scholarship directly associated with informing teaching and learning in the discipline area, SoTL publications, presentations and keynote addresses, continuing SoTL research activities, reflective practice, innovation in course or unit delivery, collaborations, professional development of HDR supervision practice, professional development in teaching and learning practice, and participation in HE unit calibration.

(17) HE academic teaching staff must update the HE Academic Teaching Staff Scholarship Matrix at least annually to record:

1. HE courses where the HE academic teaching staff member is a coordinator or teacher; 
2. HE units where the HE academic teaching staff member is a coordinator, teacher, or supervisor;
3. the title, awarding institution, and date of award of relevant academic qualifications;
4. approved HE Academic Teaching Staff Equivalence Assessment (if required);
5. Working Under Guidance Plan (if required);
6. professional recognition;
7. scholarship activity in a discipline area that is not already described in the teacher’s Research Output in the Research Webportal;
8. SoTL activities that are not already described in the teacher’s Research Output in the CDU Research Webportal; and
9. course and unit design activities. 

(18) Deans or Discipline Chairs (or delegates) review and approve the HE Academic Teaching Staff Scholarship Matrix in CMS. Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellors review and approve the HE Academic Teaching Staff Scholarship Matrix of Deans and Discipline Chairs.

(19) HE academic teaching staff are responsible for:

1. updating the HE Academic Teaching Staff Scholarship Matrix to ensure details of qualifications remain current;
2. updating their scholarly activities on the HE Academic Teaching Staff Scholarship Matrix form in the CMS; 
3. adding a link to their research output in the CDU Research Webportal for access to scholarly publications listed there; and
4. forwarding verified copies of the relevant qualifications to People and Culture.

Section 5 - Non-Compliance

(20) Non-compliance with governance documents is considered a breach of the Code of Conduct - Employees or the Code of Conduct - Students, as applicable, and is treated seriously by the University. Reports of concerns about non-compliance will be managed in accordance with the applicable disciplinary procedures outlined in the Charles Darwin University and Union Enterprise Agreement 2025 and the Code of Conduct - Students.

(21) Complaints may be raised in accordance with the Complaints and Grievance Policy and Procedure - Employees and Complaints Policy - Students.

(22) All staff members have an individual responsibility to raise any suspicion, allegation or report of fraud or corruption in accordance with the Fraud and Corruption Control Policy and Whistleblower Reporting (Improper Conduct) Procedure.