• Section 1 - Purpose and Scope
• Section 2 - Process and Key Controls
• Section 3 - Key Requirements
• Part A - Conferral
• Conferral of an award
• Out-of-session conferrals: exceptional circumstances
• Part B - Posthumous awards
• Part C - Surrendering an award
• Notice of intention to surrender an award
• When surrender takes effect
• Outcomes of surrender
• Part D - Revoking an award
• Revocation for misconduct
• Revocation initiated by the University
• Revocation consented to by the graduate
• Decision to revoke an award
• Review of a decision to revoke an award
• When revocation takes effect
• Outcomes of revocation
• Part E - Conferral of a concurrent undergraduate diploma
• Part F - Awards in a suite of postgraduate coursework programs
• Early exit
• Conferral in a lower-level award
• Section 4 - Roles, Responsibilities and Accountabilities
• Section 5 - Monitoring, Review and Assurance
• Section 6 - Recording and Reporting
• Section 7 - Appendix
• Definitions, Terms, Acronyms

Section 1 - Purpose and Scope

(1) This Procedure supports the Awards Policy and applies to all students and graduates at The University of Queensland.

Section 2 - Process and Key Controls

(2) All processes related to the conferral, surrender and revocation of an award will be managed in accordance with the principles of procedural fairness and transparency.

(3) All decision-makers will act impartially and without bias.

Section 3 - Key Requirements

Part A - Conferral

Conferral of an award

(4) The Academic Registrar will submit a list of eligible graduands to the Senate or the appropriate delegate for approval and conferral of their awards:

1. over four conferral rounds per year for coursework students; and
2. monthly for HDR candidates.

Out-of-session conferrals: exceptional circumstances

(5) Faculties or the Graduate School may submit a written request to the Academic Registrar for an out-of-session conferral in exceptional circumstances.

(6) The Academic Registrar will consider there to be exceptional circumstances warranting an out-of-session conferral of award where:

1. an award is specifically required for employment or university admission purposes; or
2. there has been an administrative error; and
3. the student has demonstrated they will be disadvantaged should the conferral of award be delayed to the next conferral period.

(7) Where the requirements in clause 6 are met, the Academic Registrar will seek approval for the out-of-session conferral from the appropriate delegate.

Part B - Posthumous awards

(8) Where a deceased student, or student at the end of life, has not completed all requirements for their program of study, a member of staff or the student’s immediate family may request that the student be considered for a posthumous award.

(9) A Posthumous Award Recommendation Form must be completed, be endorsed by an Executive Dean or Dean, Graduate School and be submitted as specified by the Academic Registrar.

(10) A student who has completed 75% or more of the requirements for their program of study will satisfy the ‘substantially completed’ requirement for a posthumous award in clause 17 of the Awards Policy.

(11) Where a student has completed less than 75% of their program, the applicant must specify whether:

1. there are compelling and/or compassionate circumstances that would warrant a waiver of the ‘substantially completed’ requirement for a posthumous award in clause 18 of the Awards Policy; or
2. the student is eligible for an early exit award under Program Requirements; or
3. the student has completed 75% or more of the requirements of a related program and they are seeking endorsement from the Academic Registrar for conferral in a program with no enrolment.

(12) Where the requirements in clause 10 or 11 of this Procedure are met, the Academic Registrar will seek approval for the posthumous conferral from Senate or the appropriate delegate.

(13) The student’s family may:

1. not wish to accept the award on behalf of the student, in which case the award will be conferred but the academic records will not be issued to the family; or
2. elect to have the posthumous award sent to them by mail, presented at a graduation ceremony, or, in the end-of-life cases, presented at a private occasion.

Part C - Surrendering an award

Notice of intention to surrender an award

(14) A graduate may surrender a conferred exit award by giving the Academic Registrar:

1. written notice signed by the graduate that states that they have decided to surrender the award (a surrender notice);
2. the testamur in the possession of the graduate surrendering the award; and
3. in cases where a testamur is not in the possession of the graduate surrendering the award, evidence that satisfies the Academic Registrar that the document has been lost, defaced or destroyed.

When surrender takes effect

(15) Where a graduate surrenders an exit award, the rights of the graduate in relation to the award cease on the day the Academic Registrar records receipt of the graduate’s surrender notice.

Outcomes of surrender

(16) The Academic Registrar must take the appropriate action to amend all official records to reflect the surrender of the award.

Part D - Revoking an award

Revocation for misconduct

(17) The University Misconduct Board or the University Misconduct Appeals Board are delegated to revoke an award where a penalty of revocation of an award is imposed by either committee under the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy.

(18) Clauses 19 to 39 (inclusive) do not apply to a penalty of revocation of an award under the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy. Such matters have been alleged, heard, decided, notified and appealed under the Student Integrity and Misconduct Procedure.

Revocation initiated by the University

(19) The Executive Dean or Dean, Graduate School may initiate the revocation of an award by submitting a written request and supporting documentation to the Academic Registrar for endorsement.

(20) If endorsement is provided, the Academic Registrar will submit the request to the appropriate delegate for a decision on revocation.

(21) Before deciding to revoke an award, the appropriate delegate must give the graduate:

1. written notice informing the graduate of their intention to consider revoking the award;
2. a copy of all relevant documents, or a reasonable opportunity to inspect those documents, constituting the substantive material on which a decision to revoke the award would be made; and
3. a copy of the Awards Policy and this Procedure.

(22) All reasonable steps will be taken by the University to verify that the notice has been received by the graduate.

(23) The notice must state:

1. that Senate has delegated its power to revoke an award to the appropriate delegate;
2. the grounds for revocation under clause 25 of the Awards Policy; and
3. that, within 14 calendar days after the date of the written notice of intention to revoke the award, the graduate is invited to provide the appropriate delegate with a written statement:
   1. assenting to revocation of the award; or
   2. objecting to the revocation of the award, stating the reasons for the objection; and
   3. providing supporting documentation, or other evidence that supports the reasons for their objection;
4. that the graduate may make oral submissions, either in person or by teleconferencing, to the appropriate delegate about reasons why the award should not be revoked;
5. that the graduate may make the oral submissions at a mutually agreed date and time or, failing agreement, at a date and time appointed by the appropriate delegate; and
6. that the graduate may be accompanied by a support person who is not a lawyer.

(24) The 14-day period specified in clause 23(c) above may be extended by the appropriate delegate for a further reasonable period, where the graduate reasonably requires additional time to prepare their response or to obtain supporting documentation.

Revocation consented to by the graduate

(25) A graduate who is not entitled to an award may consent to the revocation of the award.

(26) The Executive Dean or Dean, Graduate School should obtain a written statement from the graduate confirming they have cause to believe that, when the award was conferred, they were not entitled to the award.

(27) The written statement from the graduate should be submitted to the Academic Registrar for endorsement.

(28) If endorsement is provided, the Academic Registrar will submit the request to the appropriate delegate for a decision on revocation.

Decision to revoke an award

(29) Before deciding to revoke an award, the appropriate delegate must consider all submissions and any supporting documentation provided by the graduate.

(30) The appropriate delegate may request advice from the Executive Deans or Dean, Graduate School before deciding.

(31) The appropriate delegate will decide whether to revoke the award.

(32) As soon as practicable after making the decision, the appropriate delegate must provide the person with a written notice of the decision.

(33) The notice of decision must state:

1. the decision;
2. the reasons for the decision; and
3. that the graduate may apply to the Student Academic Administrative Appeals Committee (SAAAC) for a review of the decision within 28 calendar days from the date of the notice of decision.

(34) The appropriate delegate must report the revocation of any award to the next meeting of Senate.

Review of a decision to revoke an award

(35) A former graduate may apply to the SAAAC, in accordance with the Academic Administrative Appeals by Students Procedure, for a review of a decision made by the appropriate delegate under clauses 29-33 of this Procedure to revoke an award.

(36) In such cases, the SAAAC will be chaired by a Senate member.

When revocation takes effect

(37) Where the appropriate delegate decides to revoke an award, the revocation will take effect:

1. where revocation is consented to by the graduate, when the appropriate delegate decides to revoke the award; or
2. where the graduate is given notice of the decision to revoke the award, 28 calendar days after the notice if no application for review of the appropriate delegate’s decision has been lodged; or
3. where an application for review of the revocation decision has been made under clause 35, the day the review committee affirms the decision to revoke the award.

Outcomes of revocation

(38) If the appropriate delegate revokes an award, the former graduate must deliver or give to the Academic Registrar:

1. the academic records in the possession or under the control of the former graduate; or
2. where the academic records are not in the possession or under the control of the former graduate, evidence that satisfies the Academic Registrar that the document has been lost, defaced or destroyed.

(39) A student who has had their award revoked under clause 25 of the Awards Policy may be eligible to resume their program subject to meeting any applicable admission, enrolment or credit conditions under the relevant policy.

(40) The Academic Registrar must take the appropriate action to amend official records to reflect the revocation of an award.

Part E - Conferral of a concurrent undergraduate diploma

(41) A student enrolled in an undergraduate diploma concurrently with another undergraduate program may:

1. not graduate with the undergraduate diploma until the student has completed the requirements of the undergraduate program; and
2. graduate with the undergraduate bachelor award before completing the requirements of the undergraduate diploma.

Part F - Awards in a suite of postgraduate coursework programs

Early exit

(42) A student enrolled in one of a suite of postgraduate coursework programs may withdraw and be granted the highest approved exit award for which the student has satisfied the requirements.

Conferral in a lower-level award

(43) A student who is enrolled in one of a suite of postgraduate coursework programs and who satisfies the program requirements of a lower-level award in the suite, will be conferred in that award.

Section 4 - Roles, Responsibilities and Accountabilities

(44) The appropriate delegate must exercise their powers as delegated to them by Senate in accordance with the Instrument of Delegation - Conferral of Higher Education Awards.

(45) The Academic Registrar is responsible for:

1. establishing the process for recommending the posthumous conferral of an award;
2. determining exceptional circumstances for out-of-session conferrals; and
3. amending official records to reflect the surrender and revocation of an award.

(46) The Dean, Graduate School is responsible for awards for students with enrolment in higher degree by research programs, including:

1. recommending the posthumous conferral of awards for deceased students, or students at end of life;
2. requesting the revocation of awards; and
3. providing advice to Senate or the appropriate delegate, as required, on posthumous awards or revocation of award.

(47) The Executive Dean is responsible for awards for students with enrolment in undergraduate and postgraduate coursework programs, including:

1. recommending the posthumous conferral of awards for deceased students, or students at end of life;
2. requesting the revocation of awards; and
3. providing advice to Senate or the appropriate delegate, as required, on posthumous awards or revocation of award.

(48) Faculties are responsible for requesting out-of-session conferral based on exceptional circumstances.

(49) The Student Academic Administrative Appeals Committee is responsible for considering appeals of a decision to revoke an award by former graduates.

Section 5 - Monitoring, Review and Assurance

(50) This Procedure is monitored by the Academic Registrar and reviewed by the Academic Board through the Committee for Academic Programs Policy (CAPP).

Section 6 - Recording and Reporting

(51) 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.

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

Section 7 - Appendix

Definitions, Terms, Acronyms