Policies and procedures
POLICY NO: A-51.2
DATE OF APPROVAL: June 2007
AMENDMENTS:
SUPERCEDES:
REFERENCE AUTHORITY: Director: Student and Academic Services
CROSS REFERENCES:
CONTENTS:
This policy and the related procedures describe the various processes that the University of South Australia has adopted to ensure its students, who have attained the standards approved by the University graduate, namely:
In accordance with section 6 (1) of the University of South Australia Act 1990, the University has the power to confer academic awards on students who have attained the standards approved by the University.
The following overarching principles apply to the conferring of academic awards by the University:
(a) students' academic achievement will be recognised at a public ceremony which is also a meeting of the Council;
(b) students who are eligible for an award will have the award conferred;
(c) conferral of awards will be attested by ceremonial documentation which reflects the significance of the student's academic achievement;
(d) the University will make provision for detailed certification of students' and graduates' academic record; and
(e) students who are in bad financial standing with the University will not be permitted to obtain an academic transcript or graduate unless all outstanding fees and all other financial obligations due to the University have been discharged or satisfactory arrangements for their discharge have been made.
1.1 The Director: Student and Academic Services, on behalf of the Council, will schedule dates and venues for the conferral of awards at graduation ceremonies.
1.2 Students undertaking programs at a regional campus will normally have their awards conferred at the local graduation ceremony, or they may apply to the Director: Student and Academic Services to have their award conferred at an alternative graduation ceremony.
1.3 In addition to the normal graduation ceremonies, the Council may, in circumstances outlined in clause 3.2, confer awards on candidates in absentia at any meeting of the Council specified for that purpose.
1.4 The Director: Student and Academic Services will present the Council with details of students whose awards are to be conferred at the Council meeting.
1.5 The date of the graduation ceremony or the meeting of the Council at which an award is conferred will be the date of conferral.
2.1 Unless otherwise stated below, Divisions/Centre for Regional Engagement are responsible for determining the eligibility for awards (other than higher degrees by research) by the dates specified by the Director: Student and Academic Services.
2.2 Completions of coursework professional doctorates will be determined by Division Boards, on the recommendation of the Division Research Management Committee or delegated committee, and reported to the Council.
2.3 Following approval by the relevant body (referred to in clause 2.1 and 2.2 above), Campus Central and divisional transnational administration staff are responsible for entering the eligibility data on the student records system for all coursework awards.
2.4 Completions of higher degrees by research and research professional doctorates will be determined by the Research Degrees Committee and reported to the Council.
2.5 Following approval by the Research Degrees Committee, the Graduate Studies Office is responsible for entering the eligibility data on the student records system for all higher degrees by research.
2.6 Student and Academic Services will write to students eligible to graduate inviting them to register for graduation.
2.7 Where students wish to terminate their enrolment in their current program and have met the requirements of an award in which they are not currently enrolled, the Division/Centre for Regional Engagement may recommend the conferral of an alternative award.
2.8 Where it is necessary to change a student's enrolment from one program to another for the purposes of graduation, the change must be authorised by the appropriate Division Manager.
2.9 The program name in which an award is conferred is final and not subject to change at any time after conferral, unless there has been an administrative error.
3.1 Students will normally have their awards conferred at the first scheduled graduation ceremony following completion of the award.
3.2 A student may have an award conferred at the next meeting of the Council, rather than at the next scheduled graduation ceremony where:
(a) the student has been disadvantaged as a result of an administrative error; or
(b) by application in writing, the student satisfies the Director: Student and Academic Services that there are exceptional circumstances.
3.3 Students may apply to the Director: Student and Academic Services to defer their graduation to the next scheduled ceremony. The next scheduled graduation ceremony will then become the conferral date of the award. Graduation may not be deferred beyond the next scheduled graduation ceremony.
3.4 Students who wish to progress through a nested suite of programs will not be required to surrender an existing award where they become eligible for a higher level award.
4.1 The following students will automatically have their award conferred at the next meeting of the Council:
4.2 The students listed in clause 4.1 above will be invited to nominate an appropriate
graduation ceremony, within twelve months of conferral of the
award by the Council, for presentation of the award.
5.1 The University will award a posthumous award where the student dies after completion of program and before conferral of the award.
5.2 The University may award a posthumous award if the student, at the time of death, was enrolled in courses which, if successfully completed would have completed the award.
5.3 If the deceased student was at an earlier point of the course, the University may provide the next of kin with a Transcript of Academic Record, but not an award.
5.4 The decision as to whether a posthumous award is to be conferred is to be made by the Pro-Vice Chancellor on recommendation by the Head of School, and reported to the Director: Student and Academic Services.
5.5 Unless otherwise requested by the next of kin, the deceased student's name will be included in the graduation booklet.
5.6 The deceased student's family is invited to attend the graduation ceremony and the academic reception following the graduation ceremony as guests of the University (at no cost to the family), where the next of kin will be presented with the parchment either prior to commencement of the graduation ceremony or after the graduation ceremony (not on stage).
5.7 When announcing the award at the graduation ceremony, the deceased student's name and award are read out in usual graduation order, with the statement that the award is being presented posthumously.
5.8 If the next of kin does not wish to attend the graduation ceremony, the award is conferred at a meeting of the Council and the parchment will be posted by registered mail by Student and Academic Services to the next of kin, together with a letter from the Head of School.
6.1 The graduation ceremony program booklets will include the names of all graduands eligible (at the time of printing) to have awards conferred at that ceremony, the names of graduates whose awards had been conferred at meetings of the Council since the previous graduation ceremony, and the names of all doctoral students whose awards are being presented at the ceremony.
6.2 The graduation ceremony booklet may include an annual addendum of corrections or additions.
6.3 The graduation ceremony program booklet for a graduation ceremony, and any addendums, constitutes the formal public record of, and report to, the Council for the ceremony.
6.4 Details of all awards conferred by the University to a graduate, as reported in the graduation ceremony program booklet, can be accessed via the University's website.
7.1 A parchment is an official ceremonial document, bearing the Seal of the University and the signatures of the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor, certifying the name of the graduate, the title of the award conferred and the date of conferral of the award.
7.2. A graduate's name on a parchment will be the student's legal name as recorded by the student when applying to study at the University and as confirmed on registering to graduate, unless the Director: Student and Academic Services is satisfied that one of the following exceptions applies:
(a) there has been an administrative error in recording the person's name; or
(b) prior to graduating, the person has changed their name as a result of marriage, divorce or death of spouse since the census date as evidenced by the Marriage Certificate issued by a Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Australia, or divorce papers indicating current and previous name; or
(c) prior to graduating, the person has changed their name as evidenced by a change of name certificate or deed poll declaration.
7.3 The date on the parchment will be the date of conferral of the award, that is, the date of the graduation ceremony or of the meeting of the Council at which the award is conferred.
7.4 For awards conferred at graduation ceremonies, the parchment will be handed to the graduate.
7.5 For awards conferred in absentia, the parchment can be collected from Student and Academic Services, or posted by registered mail (within Australia) or by courier (overseas) at a cost to the graduate.
7.6 Transnational students unable to attend the graduation ceremony will have their award conferred at the University of South Australia and the parchment posted to the offshore partner (unless stated otherwise in an existing agreement).
7.7 When collecting the parchment in person, from either the University or from one of the University's offshore partners, photographic identification is required. If someone other than the graduate is collecting the parchment on the graduate's behalf, a written authority from the graduate is required together with photographic identification.
8.1 A graduate may apply for a replacement parchment where the original parchment has been lost, destroyed, stolen or damaged.
8.2. An application for replacement parchment is to be made to the Director: Student and Academic Services and must be accompanied by:
(a) in every case, the fee determined by the Director: Student and Academic Services in respect of the administration and delivery costs of the replacement; and
(b) in the case of lost, destroyed or stolen parchments, a statutory declaration explaining the circumstances; or
(c) in the case of damaged parchments, the original parchment.
8.3 Where, following the issue of a replacement parchment, the graduate regains possession or control of the original parchment, the graduate must return the original parchment to the Director: Student and Academic Services.
8.4 All replacement parchments will be issued in the name of the graduate conferred.
8.5 A replacement parchment will include all of the details which appear on the original parchment, that is, the name of the institution where the award was completed and the year of completion, or date of conferral as appropriate.
8.6 A replacement parchment (including for the South Australian College of Advanced Education and South Australian Institute of Technology) will carry the University seal and will indicate that the parchment is a replacement by inclusion of the words Replacement parchment issued ... (date). A replacement parchment will bear the signatures of the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor.
8.7 The Director: Student and Academic Services is
responsible for maintaining a record of replacement
parchments.
9.1 The University of South Australia's academic transcript is an official record of a student's complete enrolment history at the University of South Australia, including a listing of all courses and results undertaken at the University, and details of degrees awarded and prizes achieved. Academic transcripts of courses undertaken at the University of South Australia's antecedent institutions are also available.
9.2 Transcripts are produced only on University transcript paper.
9.3 A person who has successfully completed the requirements of their program will receive three copies of their transcript, free of charge.
9.3.1 The University will provide a student, without application or fee, with one transcript when the student has completed the requirements of the program and is eligible for an award. The transcript will state that the student has completed the program.
9.3.2 The University will provide a student with an additional two transcripts, without application or fee, upon an award being conferred upon the student, either at the graduation ceremony or for those not attending the ceremony by post. These transcripts will include the date of conferral of the award and any prizes received since completion of the program to which the award relates.
9.4. On application, the University will provide further transcripts of academic record at a fee determined by the Director, Student and Academic Services, and having provided satisfactory evidence of identity.
9.5 Applications for transcripts are to be made to Campus Central. Transcripts will normally be available four working days after application. Transcripts in respect of programs completed prior to 1 January 1991, may take up to three weeks.
10.1 The release of a student's academic record provided for by this procedure is in accordance with University policy A-46: Confidentiality of students' personal information.
10.2 The University will, upon request by a student, provide details of the student's academic record to other educational institutions, free of charge.
10.3 The University will provide electronic copies of academic record, free of charge, to Tertiary Admissions Centres upon request made through the Automated Results Transfer System.
10.4 In cases where conferral of awards is relevant to admission to a professional body, the University (through the relevant Division Managers) will provide professional bodies with lists of students eligible for those awards as soon possible after their final results have been approved.
10.5 A third party can check and verify details, including
conferral date and title of award, of all awards conferred to UniSA students since 1991,
online.
The process below should be used in circumstances when the person on whom the degree, diploma, certificate or licence was conferred is not an employee of the University. The relevant sections of the Enterprise Agreement relating to Misconduct may apply to employees.
11.1 The University may revoke an award conferred under Section 6(1)(a) of the University of South Australia Act 1990 at a meeting of the Council where an award has been conferred in error or the Council is satisfied that an award has been obtained as a result of misleading or deceptive conduct.
11.2 Misleading and deceptive conduct includes, but is not limited to:
(a) an untrue or misleading certification by a candidate
(b) the use of material in any thesis or work which was knowingly false or fabricated
(c) appropriating the ideas or work of another person and passing them off as one's own.
11.3 Where an allegation of misleading or deceptive conduct is made, the Vice Chancellor will appoint a person, with appropriate expertise, to investigate the matter to determine if a prima facie case exists.
11.4 If the investigation determines that a prima facie case exists of misleading or deceptive conduct, the Vice Chancellor will refer the matter to a committee established to fully investigate the facts. The committee will comprise of an external member of Council (as chair), two academic staff members other than from the School in which the student was enrolled, and the President of the Students Association or nominee.
11.5 The committee must give the person against whom the prima facie case exists an opportunity to be heard. Depending upon the circumstances the person may provide a statement to the committee in writing.
11.6 The committee will report its finding to the Vice Chancellor who will prepare a report and recommendation for consideration of the Council.
11.7 The person will be formally advised of the determination of the Council and any action the University intends to take as a result of the determination.
11.8 If the determination is that the award is to be revoked the person will be required to return the parchment (certificate of degree, diploma, certificate or licence) awarded by the University.
