Auditing and Observing of Classes Policy
Latest Amendment/Approval Date: September 2021
1. Purpose
1.1.This policy exists to allow students enrolled at Campion to audit units of study.
1.2.This policy also allows a provision for members of the public, not enrolled at Campion, to audit units of study or to observe lessons.
2. Definitions
2.1. For the purpose of this policy, the following definitions apply:
Auditor means someone not enrolled in a unit of study at Campion College who wishes to attend a unit informally without obtaining credit. This includes alumni, current students, staff, or public.
Credit means credit points.
Observer in this case means a visitor to the College, not enrolled, to attend a lesson.
3. Scope
3.1. This policy applies for all undergraduate students enrolled at Campion College, as well as visitors and staff wishing to attend one or more classes as observers.
4. Principles
4.1. Students may have the opportunity to attend lessons in a unit of study without having to complete assessment requirements. This may assist such students in their academic progress in their enrolled units and would avoid seeing them enrol over the recommended full-time load.
4.2. Students not enrolled at Campion College—alumni, staff, and public—may be permitted to enrol in Campion units, especially intensive units such as those offered in Rome School, without seeking credit towards a degree.
4.3.The College wishes to allow members of the public to observe a class.
4.4. Observers are required to remain quiet and conduct themselves in an appropriate manner. Observers are not permitted to participate in the class, such as asking or answering questions.
4.5. The decision to allow a student to audit a unit of study or for a member of the public to observe a lesson, rests with the lecturer or the Dean of Studies in consultation with the appropriate academic staff.
5. Policy
5.1 Students enrolled at Campion requesting to audit units of study
The Dean of Studies will consider requests from existing students to audit units of study, and will use the following as guidance:
- Students can request approval to audit a unit of study in which they do not wish to formally enrol. If approval is granted, they will not be charged a fee and can attend lectures only for that unit. They will not participate in assessable tasks and the unit will not be recorded on their academic transcript.
- Students ineligible to enrol in a unit of study in accordance with their standard progression within the BA will not normally be allowed to audit a unit (for example, a first year student will not normally be allowed to audit a third year unit).
- The option to audit will not normally be available for units within the Diploma of Classical Languages or postgraduate courses.
- Students auditing a unit will only be permitted to attend lectures, unless approved otherwise by the Dean and the lecturer/tutor.
5.2 Students not enrolled at Campion requesting to audit
The Dean of Studies will consider requests from members of the public not enrolled in a course at Campion to audit units of study, and will use the following as guidance:
- Any member of the public can request permission to audit a unit for the whole semester. If approval is granted, they will pay an upfront fee of not less than 50% of the domestic tuition fee and will be able to attend all lectures and tutorials for the unit. This fee will cover attendance at classes, but will not involve participation in assessable tasks.
- Students auditing a unit will only be permitted to attend lectures, unless approved otherwise by the Dean and the lecturer/tutor.
5.3 A member of staff may audit a unit of study or observe a lesson with permission of their supervisor and the appropriate lecturer.
5.4 Students and members of the public requesting to observe a lesson
A lecturer or the Dean will consider requests to observe a lesson and will use the following as guidance:
- Where approval is granted for a member of the public to observe a lesson, this will normally be for attendance on one day only. Requests for occasional attendance at more than one lecture for a unit may be considered.
6. Roles and Responsibilities
6.1. It the responsibility of the Dean of Studies to implement this policy in consultation with academic staff.
6.2. It is the responsibility of the Teaching and Learning Committee to monitor the implementation of this policy and conduct reviews when appropriate