Coordinating Essentials

For many years, ITaLI has supported new and aspiring course coordinators through professional learning opportunities focused on the challenges and responsibilities of coordinating courses.

From 2025 to 2026, this support was provided through Teaching Foundations: Coordinating@UQ, a dedicated stream within the Teaching Foundations suite of courses.

From 2027, this support will evolve into Coordinating Essentials, a new professional learning series designed specifically around the practical needs of course coordinators. Teaching Foundations: Coordinating@UQ will conclude at the end of 2026.

The introduction of Coordinating Essentials reflects feedback from participants and the recognition that effective course coordination requires both an understanding of teaching and learning principles and practical knowledge of the systems, processes, policies and responsibilities associated with coordinating courses at UQ.

Coordinating Essentials is a 2-day, face-to-face series delivered at the St Lucia campus. The series brings together 2 complementary aspects of effective course leadership: the Coordination Cycle and the Teaching Foundations.

Coordinating Essentials is intended for staff who currently hold, or are preparing to undertake, Course Coordinator responsibilities at UQ.

The primary target audience includes academic staff holding:

• Teaching Focused (TF), Teaching and Research (T&R), or Teaching Associate (TA) appointments who currently hold Course Coordinator responsibilities or whose role may reasonably include course coordination in the future.
• Clinical Academic (CA) and Research Focused (RF) appointments who currently hold Course Coordinator responsibilities.

To ensure workshop discussions and activities remain relevant to participants, places may be prioritised based on alignment with the target audience.

Coordinating Essentials will be offered 3 times in 2027.

*The February and July offerings will be pilot offerings. Eligible staff whose current or anticipated responsibilities align with the target audience will be invited to apply.

Coordinating Essentials is free for eligible UQ staff.

Coordinating Essentials is a 2-day, face-to-face series delivered at the St Lucia campus.

As a professional learning series focused on practical development, there are no assessment tasks or compulsory activities to be completed following the workshops.

By participating in Coordinating Essentials, you will:

• develop a clear understanding of the role, responsibilities and expectations of a Course Coordinator at UQ
• navigate key UQ systems, policies, processes and support services that enable effective course coordination
• implement practical strategies for managing courses, addressing challenges and leading teaching teams
• apply evidence-informed principles of learning, curriculum design and pedagogy to create aligned and effective learning experiences
• design and manage assessment that provides credible evidence of student learning and supports consistent marking across teaching teams
• connect with current and aspiring course coordinators across UQ to share experiences, ideas and effective practices.

Coordinating Essentials and Teaching Foundations serve different purposes and may be undertaken independently or together.

Coordinating Essentials focuses on the practical and institutional knowledge required to coordinate courses successfully at UQ. It combines an introduction to key concepts in teaching and learning with guidance on the policies, systems, processes and responsibilities associated with course coordination.

Teaching Foundations provides a deeper exploration of learning, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment and includes assessment activities that may lead to professional recognition and further study opportunities.

For new course coordinators seeking a more extensive exploration of university teaching, a Teaching Foundations stream may be undertaken as a companion offering alongside Coordinating Essentials.

Available Teaching Foundations offerings include:

• Teaching@UQ
• CaPE@UQ
• LD@UQ
• Teaching Foundations RPL Module

Important: Coordinating Essentials is not a Teaching Foundations stream. As such, participation in Coordinating Essentials does not lead to a Teaching Foundations Certificate, Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA), or an invitation to apply for admission to the Graduate Certificate in University Teaching Practice. Staff seeking these outcomes should consider Teaching@UQ, CaPE@UQ, LD@UQ or the Teaching Foundations RPL Module.

To be eligible to participate, you must:

• be a UQ staff member who either:
  • holds a Teaching Focused (TF), Teaching and Research (T&R), or Teaching Associate (TA) appointment and currently holds, or is preparing to undertake, Course Coordinator responsibilities; or
  • holds a Clinical Academic (CA) or Research Focused (RF) appointment and currently holds Course Coordinator responsibilities.
• have support from your supervisor or line manager to participate.

Places may be prioritised according to alignment with the target audience.

February and July 2027 Pilot Offerings

Application to the February 2027 and July 2027 pilot offerings will be by invitation.

Eligible staff will be invited to submit an application to participate. Invitations will be targeted towards staff whose current or anticipated responsibilities align with the target audience for the series.

November 2027 Offering

Application details for the November 2027 offering will be published closer to the workshop dates.

If you have questions about Coordinating Essentials or would like to be notified when applications open for the November 2027 offering, please email professional.learning@uq.edu.au.