Purpose and scope

This policy sets out the framework and processes IFE uses to ensure accurate, current information is available to persons considering enrolment in IFE courses in accordance with legislative requirements. It also supports integrity and ethics in IFE recruitment and enrolment practices in line with organisational values.

This policy applies to all enrolments in IFE courses and to all IFE staff managing enrolment processes.

Responsibility

Responsibility for management of the enrolment policy and procedures rests with the Registrar.

Marketing and pre-enrolment information

IFE is committed to ensuring accurate and sufficient course information is available to learners so they can make an informed choice about their enrolment in IFE courses.

Course information is reviewed annually or as required ahead of promoting a new course or new version of a course to ensure all required information is included and all information is current. These reviews are conducted against (a) the current Standards for RTOs and (b) the current Training and Assessment Strategy for the course.

Course information provided by IFE includes:

      • the IFE website
      • course brochures (including VETiS Subject selection guides)
      • Course Handbooks.

 

Course brochures, including VETiS Subject Selection Guides, are not designed as stand-alone documents, but are designed to provide information together with the Course Handbook. Where course brochures are distributed in the context of VETiS (Subject selection guides) or other third party delivery arrangements review processes are set in place to quality assure the process.

Where courses are delivered in a VETiS context, IFE is committed to work with college processes. This ensures that students under the age of 18 participate in the regular school processes for determining subject selections in the post-compulsory years of schooling as part of their enrolment process. This process includes as standard practice the recognition of student pathways and obtaining parental consent.

Admission

Application and selection processes must be explicit and defensible and offer equity and access in line with IFE’s commitment to the principle of human dignity as foundational to Catholic Social Teaching. This means learners will be not be refused entry to courses unless there is clear evidence that they do not meet set entry requirements (e.g. pre-requisites or age restrictions) or unless there is clear evidence that IFE will not be able to meet the learner’s needs and would therefore act unethically in enrolling the learner.

Courses are designed for specific learner cohorts and employment outcomes. The Course Handbook must always include clear information about this element of course design so that persons considering the course can assess whether the course is suitable to their own circumstances and learning or employment goals.

Enrolment

Learners will not be enrolled in courses without having provided all the information legally required, including a USI.

It is the learner’s responsibility to ensure that IFE always has current contact details including mailing address, email address and phone number to ensure that IFE can contact the learner about course matters.

The key and primary source of ensuring prospective learners receive all required information prior to enrolment in a course is the enrolment package.

The enrolment package includes:

      • Course handbook
      • Fee information
      • Enrolment form

 

The enrolment package is reviewed annually or as required ahead of a new enrolment intake by the Registrar to ensure accuracy of fee information, the correct collection of all data in line with AVETMISS requirements, and alignment of the package with IFE enrolment policies and procedures.

The Course Handbook must always include the following information:

      • Information about the course to be completed including
        • course code and name,
        • duration
        • requirements to complete the course by a specified date
        • mode of delivery and scheduling, including any obligations that apply to the learner (e.g. to sign-up for course components/modules)
        • whether any licensing requirements apply, and
        • details of third party arrangements
      • application processes, enrolment and selection criteria, deferral and withdrawal processes
      • fees and costs involved in undertaking training and any applicable refund policies
      • assessment policies and requirements including
        • recognition of prior learning and credit transfer
        • requirements of learners relating to progression, due dates and completion dates for competencies or course components
      • information about learner’s rights, including relevant human rights and consumer rights, complaints and appeals processes
      • learner obligations, including any equipment to be provided by the learner
      • learner support and wellbeing support services

All learners are required to sign an acknowledgement of having read the Course Handbook as part of their enrolment process. This provides a control mechanism that ensures no learner submits an enrolment form without having received all required information.

Learners must be informed as soon as practicable of any changes to services that may affect them.

Course-specific variations:

      • Candidates enrolling in the Foundations course are required to sign up for the four modules (subject areas) required to complete the course. This process ensures that learners are enrolled not only in the qualification itself, but also in each of the four course components. This requirement enables learners and IFE to keep track of progress across the qualification. Learners may update and amend their sign up to individual modules at any time, prior to commencing a module. (See also refunds below.)

Enrolment duration and deferral

Enrolment duration

All enrolments in courses are for a specified period. This enrolment period and the associated enrolment expiry date for a learner date ensures sound management of courses in relation to transition of qualifications and competencies. It addresses the risk of competencies or qualifications expiring during a learner’s enrolment with IFE and enables effective course management by the RTO.

Enrolment periods are specified in the Training and Assessment Strategy for each course. Course duration must always be listed in the Course Handbook to ensure all learners have clear and current information on the time they will have to complete the course prior to enrolment.

A learner is notified of their enrolment expiry date at the time of enrolment.

Where a learner has not completed all of the requirements of a course by the date of the expiry of their enrolment, IFE will close the enrolment and issue a Statement of Attainment for any competencies attained. This ensures the learner’s progress and achievement is documented and protected by ensuring completed competencies are recognised and reported to the learner and to the relevant regulatory authorities. Learners may subsequently enrol in any current course available for which they are eligible and may receive credit transfer or recognition of prior learning where relevant. New course fees will apply on re-enrolment in line with any fees that apply to the course in which the learner is enrolling.

Deferral

Deferral is the period of time during which a learner is permitted to suspend enrolment in a program. Deferral does not change the course duration. A learner may defer studies within their specified enrolment period but may not extend their enrolment period through deferral of their studies.

Learners may apply to the Registrar for deferral by submitting a Deferral Form.

A learner who needs to defer their studies beyond their course expiry date is able to withdraw from the course and re-enrol at a later date. This approach protects the learner’s progress in the course by ensuring that any competencies completed prior to a lengthy deferral are issued to the learner.

Course specific variations:

      • Senior secondary students are required to follow their SET (senior education and training) planning processes and to discuss any changes with relevant school personnel. As IFE courses offered to senior secondary students require class attendance, normally for the full two years of senior secondary education, it will not normally be possible for a senior secondary student to suspend their enrolment with the IFE for any length of time and still be able to complete the qualification.

Withdrawal

Learners may withdraw from their enrolment within an IFE course at any time.

Withdrawals must be notified in writing by the learner. Where a learner is enrolled in a course offered in a VETiS and leaves the course or the college without notifying the IFE, the college may notify the IFE by email of the learner’s withdrawal. IFE will finalise withdrawals within 21 days of receiving notification of a student’s withdrawal. Fees and refunds will be issued in line with the applicable fee and refund schedule.

Administrative withdrawal

Where a learner fails to progress in a course (by ceasing to attend classes and ceasing to submit work in line with set due dates) AND fails to complete the expected course processes for managing their enrolment (deferral or withdrawal) the IFE may instigate an administrative withdrawal process.

Before completing an administrative withdrawal the IFE will seek to contact the learner to discuss progress on three occasions:

  1. By email, requesting the learner contact the IFE Registrar or Senior Education Officer to discuss their needs and their progress.
  2. By phone where the learner has not responded to the email enquiry within 10 business days.
  3. By email where the learner has not responded to the phone contact within 5 business days, advising the learner that an administrative withdrawal process will be initiated and advising the learner of the date when this withdrawal is expected to be completed.

The administrative withdrawal process is designed to ensure that IFE can protect learner achievements and maintain effective course administration in instances where learners stop progressing in the course and cease communicating with IFE. Learners who subsequently wish to resume their studies may re-enrol in any current course available for which they are eligible. New course fees will apply.