Otago Summer School

Otago Summer School

Guidelines

for

Participating Departments

Summer School Office

Updated April 2014

Contents

INTRODUCTION

ABOUT SUMMER SCHOOL

Summer School Students

Important Dates – Pre-Summer School

Important Dates - During Summer School

Paper Approval Process

Funding Arrangements

Budget Planning Process

PREPARATION FOR SUMMER SCHOOL

Course Coordinator Role

Contract Teachers

Course Approval and Advising

Enrolment Limits

Timetabling

Teaching Space

Space Costs

Equipment

Equipment or Technical Faults

Departmental Office Staffing

HOD Authority

Enrolment Tracking and Communication

Student Newsletter

Noticeboard

Blackboard

Library Services

Course Readers

Textbook Orders

Streaming Lists

Advising the Teaching Team

Social

DURING SUMMER SCHOOL

Newsletter

Class Lists

Student Privacy

Assessment Policies

Class Representative System

Student Support Services

Examinations

Exam Scripts

Evaluations

Teaching Evaluation

MARKETING AND PROMOTION

Posters

Online

Google AdWords

Radio

Departmental websites

Prospectus

Open Days

Print advertising

Flags and banners

Other

FINAL WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR

How to Contact Summer School

Appendices

Appendix I: Background and Development of Summer School

Introduction

Planning for the future

Strategic Framework

The Otago model

Governance

Appendix II: Form 7 (Summer School Form)

Appendix III: Key Tasks

INTRODUCTION

This document has been compiled for Heads of Department and Course Coordinators involved in, or considering, involvement in the Otago Summer School. It addresses the organisational and administrative aspects in which the Summer School Office has a role.

For information on Continuing Education non-credit courses or short courses, see

ABOUT SUMMER SCHOOL

Otago Summer School provides an intimate learning experience for students, with tuition provided at Dunedin, Auckland and Wellington sites, as well as by distance. Otago Summer School provides intense quality education offering many papers unique to Summer School, while other papers are essential components of degree programmes.

Papers offered in Summer School have full academic credit and are of the same points value as regular semester papers, but are usually taught within six weeks. Study in one Summer School paper (usually 18-points) is considered full time study for StudyLink purposes, and carries the expectation of 180 hours of learning over the period, equating with 0.15 EFTS value. Usually about a quarter of Summer School students study two papers.

All standard services are available to Summer School students, albeit on a smaller scale. Services include student representation and advocacy, recreation, health, library and ITS, food outlets and retail.

The campus is quieter and the weather is (usually) better, students are generally more committed and the teaching and learning experience is often rewarding.

Summer School truly is a unique experience for students and staff alike.

Summer School Students

Only very able students should be approved for enrolment in two 18 point papers, given that it equates to 360 hours of learning over six weeks. A student may not enrol in more than 36 points without express permission from the appropriate Pro-Vice Chancellor (Calendar 2012, p182).[1]

Many students report that they enjoy studying intensively in Summer School, the speed at which they can complete a paper, and the opportunity to focus on just one paper or a topic they would not be able otherwise to fit in.

Students are surveyed each year at the end of Summer School and information from this and other sources is reported in the Summer School Annual Report, also available on the Summer School website.

Important Dates – Pre-Summer School

March

Call for new and repeating papers

Begin approval process for new and continuing papers from Division to BUGS/BOGS to Summer School & Continuing Education Board (see below for more information on approval process)

New, converting, and Special Topic papers to Divisions for approval in March or April

Notify intentions to Director, Summer School

April

New, converting, and new Special Topic papers with Divisional approval go to BUGS or BOGS April or May meetings

Existing Special Topic papers to Divisions for approval

Repeating Summer School papers to Divisions for approval

Notify approved papers to Director, Summer School

May

Final list of papers proposals to SS&CE Board for approval

Last BUGS/BOGS meeting for approval of new and recoded postgraduate papers

(NB documents due prior to this date)

June

Paper-specific poster design and production begins

Production of Summer School prospectus begins

July

List of Papers confirmed and circulated to Departments for advice on most likely enrolment pairings

August

Late poster images and information provided to Summer School Office

Registration opens

Textbook orders due at the University Book Shop

SeptemberSummer School launched

Prospectus available online

Paper enrolments begin

Public media advertising begins

Registration Pack distribution begins

Course approval processes commence

September – October

Weekly enrolment updates commence (to HODs, Course Coordinators, known teachers, members of the SS and CE Board)

Close and E-Reserve needs advised to the Library

Teaching equipment needs advised to ITS – Teaching Facilities

Registration for use of Blackboard

10 December Official closing date for Summer School enrolment

DecemberCourse Confirmation Forms and Fees invoices mailed to students

Streaming lists produced

Important Dates - During Summer School

Day One of School

Course Confirmation and Advising

First classes for many papers

Summer School welcome at noon in the Link

Day 7

Last day for students to change or add papers

Last day for students to delete papers with refund of fees

Day 12

Examination Timetable published

Class Representatives’ contact details due with Summer School & Continuing Education (for forwarding to OUSA)

Week Two of School

First meeting of Class Representatives

If a paper-specific evaluation is wanted, HEDC should be consulted

Late January or first week of February

Examination scripts required by the Examinations Office

6 FebruaryWaitangi Day (the University is closed but Libraries are open)

Day 28 from Opening Day

Last day for students to withdraw from papers (usually in first week of February)

Week Four of School

Second meeting of Class Representatives

Week Six of School

Summer School Questionnaire and departmental evaluations administered

Week Seven of School

Examinations held over five days (Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday).

End-of-School social function for teaching teams and key support units

Paper Approval Process

Summer School papers are subject to the same approval requirements as those offered in semesters. All relevant policy documents and forms can be downloaded from A summary document is reproduced here:

1. New Papers being offered for the first time (during the normal Semester and Summer School or only during Summer School)

a) Form 3, Proposal for a New Paper, together with Summer School Form submitted to relevant Divisional Board

b) Once approved by Divisional Board Form 3 then submitted to the Board of Undergraduate Studies

c) Form 7 (Summer School Form) submitted to the Summer School and Continuing Education Board.[2]

1. Existing Semester Paper being converted to a Summer School Paper or Summer School Paper being converted to Semester

a) Form 6, proposal to Convert a Paper from Semester to Summer School, to relevant Divisional Board[3]

b) Once approved by Divisional Board, Form 6 then submitted to the Board of Undergraduate [or Graduate] Studies

c) Form 7 submitted to Summer School and Continuing Education Board (this step unnecessary for Summer School Paper being converted to Semester)

1. Existing Special Topic being offered for Summer School (including generic Special Topic with new subject focus).

a)Form 7 submitted to Divisional Board

b) Form 7 submitted to Summer School and Continuing Education Board

(NOTE: that a Special Topic Paper should be converted to a New Paper after two years.)

1. New Special Topic for Summer School

a)Form 3ST, New Special Topic, submitted to Divisional Board

b)Form 3ST, New Special Topic, submitted to the Board of Undergraduate Studies

c)Form 7 submitted to Divisional Board

d)Form 7 submitted to Summer School and Continuing Education Board.

NB The last SS&CE meeting in which papers can be approved for Summer School 2014 is held in May, the week following the May BOGS/BUGS meeting.

Funding Arrangements

Summer School no longer has a separate funding arrangement. Income from Summer School papers is from 2014 paid to Divisions under the same arrangements as Semester papers. The activity of the Summer School Office is funded centrally.

Budget Planning Process

In July Planning and Funding advise Summer School of the total EFTS allocation for the following year. In close consultation with divisions, Planning and Funding and Summer School estimate EFTS per paper in the budget-planning round.

PREPARATION FOR SUMMER SCHOOL

Academic staff report that although their Summer School experience is rewarding, it is also demanding. Assignment turnaround times are highly compressed; teaching interaction with students is more pressured, and student motivation runs high.

Summer School usually begins on the first Monday of the year after the statutory holidays, and classes cease on the Friday of Teaching Week Six. Any teaching outside of that period of six calendar weeks will jeopardise your paper’s eligibility for Student Loans and Allowances.

It is worth noting however that it is possible to condense the teaching period, provided that the contact hours, work load, and standards remain unchanged. This flexibility in teaching delivery allows for one or more short intensive periods followed by independent study, assignments and perhaps internal assessment, with the paper completing at the same time as other papers. Intensives are not recommended at 100 level and are clearly not appropriate in some subject areas.

Careful planning of course structure is recommended to allow time for assessment, marking and feedback within the very tight timeframe and to best support the learning needs of students. Summer School Teaching workshops are offered during the second semester in conjunction with HEDC to support teaching staff develop, enhance or refresh their teaching to suit the unique teaching conditions of Summer School.

The Summer School & Continuing Education Board strongly urges Heads of Department to bear in mind that Summer School exam marking and processing of results overlap with course advising for Semester One. Staff teaching in Summer School find it very difficult to be involved in both processes.

Please note that the Disability Information and Support service checklist for inclusive teaching is provided in the appendix.

Course Coordinator Role

As soon as a paper has academic approval for Summer School offering, Summer School & Continuing Education begins liaising on preparation with the Course Coordinator. Coordinators are designated by Heads of Department in accordance with their Division’s guidelines or policies. No Division permits an external short-term contractor to be a coordinator, regardless of eminence.

Coordinators are responsible to the Head of Department for their paper’s academic management, including:

• all practical arrangements to ensure the paper’s readiness for delivery
• the paper’s smooth running throughout Summer School, including coordination of and liaison with any tutors, assistants and contract or guest teachers, and appropriately addressing any student issues relating to the paper
• overall academic standards and the paper’s ultimate performance

All Course Coordinators:

• must be available for contact throughout the Summer School period
• are normally University staff members or experienced former staff members familiar with the University’s policies and procedures

Some Course Coordinators:

• fulfil the above and contribute as the lead or solo teacher
• fulfil the above and undertake some modular teaching
• coordinate a team but are not at all involved in any teaching

If more than one person is teaching in a paper, it is very useful for Summer School & Continuing Education to know who is teaching when. Some Coordinators convey key items of pre-School and in-School information to other members of their team, while others do not (expecting or preferring team members to receive it directly). For efficient communication, it is important for the office to know which applies.

Contract Teachers

Although many Summer School papers are taught by University of Otago staff, others are taught by adjunct academic staff, Professors Emeriti or appropriately qualified others.

External contracting of academics to teach is also common, although less so following the change in financial arrangements and the inclusion of Summer School teaching in department workload models. Sometimes the availability of a visiting overseas academic is the rationale for offering a particular paper, and in this arrangement, students have the opportunity to study Special Topics not normally offered by the University. Departments also have the opportunity to foster new collegial and research relationships. In many instances, visiting academics are re-invited to teach in a subsequent School.

Contracts are managed within departments according to HR guidelines.

Accommodation for visiting lecturers can be arranged directly through Accommodation Services. Several good are options available on or close to the campus.

Course Approval and Advising

For Summer School course approval and study advice are mainly handled by the Divisional Offices, not by Departments. This applies throughout the September - December registration period as well as Week One of the School. In some instances, a Department might indicate that it wishes to be involved.

Based on the date of receipt of their completed registration by Admissions and Enrolment, students are usually course approved on a first-come-first-served basis until any maximum enrolment limit is reached. If a paper has no prerequisites or if students clearly meet the prerequisites, this procedure is straightforward.

Heads of Department may wish to provide some guidelines to their Divisional Administration where these issues are more complicated.

Interest Only Enrolment

Students not already enrolled in a degree programme may enrol as Interest Only in a paper made expressly available in this way by the Head of Department. An Interest Only student attends lectures but undertakes no assessment and usually does not take part in tutorials or laboratories. These students pay the same fee as domestic students. Some papers are ideal for these students however with some papers it is not practical to divide assessment from teaching, making such papers not appropriate for Interest Only enrolment.

Enrolment Limits

Most paper enrolment numbers are not limited, since an important objective is to maximise EFTS. If there is a genuine maximum needed, then this should be advised as part of the paper details.

Likewise, HoDs and coordinators are asked to keep an eye on enrolments (as advised each week in Countdown) to ensure that any issues about paper attracting low enrolments can be considered well before registrations close.

Timetabling

Departments continuing to offer their programme advise the Timetable Administrator of their teaching schedule preferences via the University’s standard timetabling procedures.

Heads of Department are asked for advice on likely enrolment pairings: that is, the papers most likely to attract concurrent enrolment. Given the intensive teaching schedule, however, some clashes are unavoidable.

Please also note the following:

• Teaching starts immediately, in many papers actually on the first day of the school.

• Classes cannot be scheduled for 6 February, Waitangi Day. This is a public holiday. The University Council has determined that there can be “no timetabled teaching activities on public holidays” (11 March 2003). However, Libraries are open. Please be sure that your students and any international teaching staff know.

• Students gave very negative feedback on three and four-hour lectures, finding it very hard to stay focussed for that long. Long lectures are to be avoided and even in two hour lectures, a short break after the first hour is necessary.

• The Summer School Prospectus is published online in September. Changing the lecture schedule after this time is very problematic as students register for two papers on the basis of the published schedule. They do not continually check the University website to see if lecture times of their papers have changed and now clash. Unless circumstances are clearly exceptional, lecture times will not be changed.

Teaching Space

Course Coordinators are asked to identify any special room and/or equipment requirements. Where a Coordinator has not yet been designated, that request goes to the Head of Department. All efforts are made to accommodate special needs (for example, non-tiered seating or use of departmental rooms).

Up to date rooming and timetable information is posted on the University website up, with a link also provided on the Summer School website. Once teaching has commenced, if you find that the room(s) allocated to your class are unsatisfactory, please let the Summer School office know. An alternative will be found.

Space Costs

Departments pay for the space occupancy costs for most Summer School teaching. Therefore:

• please do not book additional rooms without also advising your department which will be invoiced for the space;
• if, for some reason, you do not need an allocated room for a particular session, please advise the Timetables Administrator – otherwise the space will still be charged.

It is also not a good idea to shift rooms informally. Only officially booked rooms will be accessible and have light, heating, vital teaching equipment and technician servicing.

In addition, only officially booked rooms will be listed on the University and the Summer School websites and for students will appear in their e:Vision portal.

Equipment

Course Coordinators are asked to specify to ITS any special or extra equipment or program needed to support their paper’s delivery. ITS will ensure that everything is available and that teaching staff have ample time for a test run-through beforehand (if desired). Please make sure you find out any requirements of expectations from any visiting academics in time. If your lecturer is a visiting academic (and possibly not arriving until just before Summer School begins) please be sure to find out his/her expectations of our equipment and operating systems.