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Awards Policy

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Section 1 - Purpose and Scope

(1) The University is registered by TEQSA to self-accredit and offer programs that lead to the award of a higher education qualification (hereafter ‘award’). Through the Program Design Policy, the University ensures that its programs comply with relevant legislation and the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).

(2) The University is empowered by the University of Queensland Act 1998 (the Act) to confer higher education awards in the Awards Table.

(3) This Policy describes:

  1. the requirements for the conferral of awards in the Awards Table;
  2. the ceremonial roles and the conduct of graduation ceremonies;
  3. the form of academic records issued by the University; and
  4. the conditions under which an award may be surrendered or revoked.

(4) This Policy applies to:

  1. all students, former students and graduates of The University of Queensland; and
  2. all staff who administer awards and graduation ceremonies under this Policy.

(5) This Policy does not apply to the granting of honorary awards. Refer to the Honorary Awards Policy.

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Section 2 - Principles and Key Requirements

Part A - Conferral of award

Eligibility

(6) To be eligible for conferral of an award of the University, a student must:

  1. have successfully completed all requirements for the relevant program as certified by the Executive Dean or Dean, Graduate School;
  2. have complied with all relevant policies and procedures of the University applicable to students; and
  3. have a verified Unique Student Identifier (USI), unless they meet the criteria for an automatic exemption, or an exemption has been granted by the Student Identifiers Registrar.

­­Conferral

(7) Awards are conferred administratively by Senate or the appropriate delegate.

(8) An award may be conferred by Senate or the appropriate delegate:

  1. at an official graduation ceremony; or
  2. at other times in such manner as Senate or the appropriate delegate considers it to be appropriate in the circumstances and at the relevant time.

Graduation ceremony

(9) A graduand will be invited by the Academic Registrar to attend an official graduation ceremony.

(10) All graduates attending an official graduation ceremony must wear the appropriate academic dress for the award being received, as per the Academic Dress requirements as set by the Vice-Chancellor in clause 41.

(11) The fulfilment of ceremonial roles and procedures for the conduct of official graduation ceremonies are detailed in the Graduation Ceremony Procedure.

Part B - Academic records

(12) The University will provide graduates with the following academic records:

  1. testamur (degree certificate);
  2. official academic transcript; and
  3. Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS).

(13) Academic records will be issued in accordance with the Academic Records Procedure.

(14) A student’s personal and course information on academic records will only be altered to correct an error or record a legal change of name.

(15) The University also provides an unofficial studies report that reproduces the contents of the academic transcript and includes additional administrative information to assist with the internal management of the student’s enrolment.

Part C - Award abbreviations (post-nominal letters)

(16) The approved post-nominal letters a graduate may use to indicate their award title are:

  1. the official program abbreviations set out in the Awards Table; and
  2. the abbreviation ‘Qld.’ for ‘The University of Queensland’.

Part D - University Medals

(17) University Medals are awarded in recognition of outstanding academic achievement in accordance with the Award of University Medals Procedure.

Part E - Posthumous award

(18) Senate or the appropriate delegate may confer an award posthumously or at end of life where, on the recommendation of the relevant Executive Dean or Dean, Graduate School, Senate or the appropriate delegate is satisfied that the student had substantially completed the requirements of an Award as per clause 6.

(19) Senate or the appropriate delegate may waive the requirement for a deceased student, or student at the end of life, to have substantially completed the requirements of an Award where particularly compelling or compassionate circumstances exist for the student.

(20) The application process for posthumous Awards is set out in the Awards Procedure.

Part F - Surrender of award

(21) A graduate of a conferred exit award may apply, once only, to surrender their award to complete the original program.

(22) After the exit award is surrendered, the rights of the former graduate in relation to that award will cease from the date of surrender.

(23) Where a former graduate surrenders an exit award and is at that time or later enrolled in another program at the University, they may be granted credit towards that current program in accordance with the Recognition of Prior Learning Policy.

(24) The surrender of award process is set out in the Awards Procedure.

Part G - Revocation of award

(25) Revocation of an award may be imposed as a penalty by the University Misconduct Board or the University Misconduct Appeals Board under the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy.

(26) An award may be revoked by an appropriate delegate if, at the time the award was conferred, the graduate was not entitled to the award because:

  1. the graduate did not possess the relevant qualifications for admission; or
  2. an administrative error has occurred, and the graduate has not satisfied the program completion requirements for the award; or
  3. student misconduct has been substantiated in accordance with the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and the penalty imposed results in the graduate no longer meeting the program completion requirements for the conferred award; or
  4. the University becomes aware of any demonstrable and compelling reason for revocation of the award and considers in the circumstances that revocation of the award is appropriate.

(27) A former graduate who has had their award revoked under clause 25 may appeal to the Student Academic Administrative Appeals Committee (SAAAC).

(28) After the award is revoked, the rights of the former graduate in relation to the award will cease from the date of revocation.

(29) The revocation of award process is set out in the Awards Procedure.

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Section 3 - Roles, Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Senate

(30) Senate and its appropriate delegates are responsible for:

  1. conferring awards on the certification of the Executive Dean or Dean, Graduate School that the program completion requirements for the respective award have been met by the student(s);
  2. revoking an award where this has been imposed as a penalty by the University Misconduct Board under the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy under clause 24; and
  3. revoking an award on the request of an Executive Dean or Dean, Graduate School and endorsed by the Academic Registrar where the graduate is not entitled to the award under clause 25.

Student Academic Administrative Appeals Committee

(31) The Student Academic Administrative Appeals Committee (SAAAC) is responsible for considering requests initiated by a former graduate to review a decision to revoke an award.

Appropriate Delegate

(32) Senate has delegated and may delegate its responsibility for conferring and revoking awards to appropriate delegates.

Academic Registrar

(33) The Academic Registrar is responsible for:

  1. establishing the process to verify a student’s eligibility to be conferred in an award;
  2. managing the submission of eligible graduands to the Senate or the appropriate delegate for administrative conferral of their awards;
  3. determining the exceptional circumstances for an award to be conferred out-of-session as set out in the Awards Procedure;
  4. setting the time, the conditions, and other administrative aspects for a student to register their intention to attend a graduation ceremony;
  5. managing the administrative aspects of University’s graduation ceremonies relating to students;
  6. providing academic records to graduates; and
  7. maintaining the University Awards Table and official records of awards.

(34) Other operational responsibilities relating to graduation ceremonies are detailed in the Awards Procedure.

Executive Dean

(35) The Executive Dean is responsible for:

  1. certifying that undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students have satisfied program completion requirements for their respective award and are eligible to graduate;
  2. providing advice to Senate or appropriate delegate as required for posthumous awards or revocation of an award;
  3. approving the honours classification to be awarded to a coursework student undertaking a bachelor’s honours degree; and
  4. nominating students who meet the eligibility criteria for the award of a University medal.

Dean, Graduate School

(36) The Dean, Graduate School is responsible for:

  1. certifying that higher degree by research (HDR) students have satisfied the program completion requirements for the awarding of the relevant HDR award, and to provide advice to Senate or appropriate delegate as required (for example, posthumous awards or revocation of an award); and
  2. providing advice to Senate or appropriate delegate as required for posthumous awards or revocation of an award.
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Section 4 - Monitoring, Review and Assurance

(37) The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) is responsible for the monitoring, review and assurance of this Policy.

(38) The Academic Registrar will monitor the conferral of awards and submit reports to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and/or Senate as required.

(39) Academic Policy and Programs will provide assurance that the nominations submitted by the faculties for University Medals meet the requirements set out in the Award of University Medals Procedure.

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Section 5 - Recording and Reporting

(40) Records concerning enrolments, grades, awards, applications and University decisions are stored in the student/graduate’s record in the University’s approved records management systems in accordance with the Information Management Policy.

(41) The Chairperson of the SAAAC is responsible for retaining the records of proceedings in the relevant records management system.

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Section 6 - Appendix

Definitions, Terms, Acronyms

Term Definition
Academic Registrar The Academic Registrar of the University.
Academic records Official documents of the University that record a student’s academic performance and/or achievements, issued in accordance with the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 and the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Qualifications Issuance Policy.
Academic transcript An enduring official record of a student's academic activities while enrolled at the University. It is a legal document certified by the Academic Registrar and is a true record of enrolment at The University of Queensland.
AHEGS Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement that provides information on a student's higher education qualification, the institution at which the qualification was obtained and the Australian higher education system in a single document.
Appropriate delegate The delegates and delegated offices of the University on whom the Senate confers its power to confer and revoke awards from time to time.
Conferral The act of granting an award to a student who is then entitled to receive their academic records and has the right to use their award title.
Credit The value assigned for the recognition of equivalence in content and learning outcomes between different types of learning and/or qualifications. Credit reduces the amount of learning required to achieve an award and may be through credit transfer, articulation, or recognition of prior learning.
Executive Dean The relevant Executive Dean of the faculty administrating the program.
Former student Refers to a person who was previously enrolled at The University of Queensland and has not had an award conferred. A former student is eligible for an academic record of their academic activities while enrolled at the University.
Graduand A student who has met the requirements for program completion but is yet to have the award conferred.
Graduate A student who has satisfied the program completion requirements and whose award has been conferred.
Program A sequence of study leading to the award of a qualification.
Student Refers to a person who is enrolled at The University of Queensland.
Studies report Unofficial academic record; displays progress report and administrative information about a student's studies at UQ.
TEQSA Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency.
University The University of Queensland established under section 4 of the University of Queensland Act 1998 (Qld).

Academic Dress

(42) As per the Academic Dress Requirements.