• Section 1 - Purpose and Scope
• Section 2 - Process and Key Controls
• Section 3 - Key Requirements
• Areas of Impact - Amendments to Grades
• Incomplete (INC) and Non-finalised Grades
• Supplementary Assessment
• Academic Standing
• Graduation Status
• Progression / Place in the Program
• Scholarships
• Other Achievements
• Audit of Grade Changes
• Section 4 - Roles, Responsibilities and Accountabilities
• Section 5 - Monitoring, Review and Assurance

Section 1 - Purpose and Scope

(1) This Guideline outlines the actions and considerations to be taken by faculties and central administration staff when processing amendments to finalised and non-finalised grades. This Guideline supplements Part G (clauses 99-122) of the Assessment Procedure.

Section 2 - Process and Key Controls

(2) This Guideline ensures the following compliance requirements are met in assessing requests for deferral of examinations:

1. Semester grades are officially released to students on a date specified by the Academic Registrar.
2. At that time, grades are final grades, with the exception of non-finalised grades as a result of:
   1. the granting of a deferred examination;
   2. incomplete results in assessment; or
   3. where the grade for a course is withheld, for example pending the outcome of a misconduct allegation, or where a student has not completed the Academic Integrity modules.
3. Grades may be changed or finalised in the following circumstances:
   1. on completion of incomplete assessment;
   2. following result of deferred examinations;
   3. following result of supplementary assessment;
   4. to correct a procedural error;
   5. after completion of assessment re-marks;
   6. resolution of results withheld;
   7. change to a finalised grade on approval of withdrawal without academic penalty by the President of the Academic Board.
4. A request for a grade change on the basis of a procedural error must be accompanied by supporting documentary evidence.
5. Once approved, amendments to grades are processed in the University's student administration system, SI-net, by authorised administrative staff in faculties and the Examinations section, and a reason for the change is included as ‘comments’ in SI-net.
6. Once an amendment to a grade is made in SI-net, an email is automatically sent to the student to advise them of the change.
7. Staff are required to assess the areas of impact of the amendment to grade in accordance with the sections below.

Section 3 - Key Requirements

Areas of Impact - Amendments to Grades

(3) Finalising or changing grades after the release by the Academic Registrar can impact a student’s academic standing, graduation eligibility, place in a program, and scholarship or award eligibility.

(4) Amendments to grades processed by the Examinations section will appear on the UQ Change Grade Report generated by faculties. Faculty staff should check the report to identify these grade changes, and determine the impact the grade change may have on other processes.

Incomplete (INC) and Non-finalised Grades

(5) Faculties are responsible for ensuring that incomplete and non-finalised grades are finalised in accordance with the times specified in Part I (clauses 139 to 142) of the Assessment Procedure.

(6) To assist staff in managing incomplete and non-finalised grades, an Outstanding Grades Report is available via the UQ Reportal.

Supplementary Assessment

(7) Supplementary assessment cannot be awarded until a grade has been finalised.

(8) Faculty staff should check whether an amendment to a grade affects a student’s eligibility for supplementary assessment (i.e. if a grade changes to a 3).

(9) The final grade for a student who is granted supplementary assessment, but does not undertake it, is recorded as a 3S-.

Academic Standing

(10) Finalising or amending a grade may impact a student’s academic standing. For example, a lower grade could trigger a progression alert or progression intervention notice.

(11) The Student Progression unit monitors changes to academic standing as a result of an amendment to grade for the current semester and all relevant terms within the previous 12 month period, and notifies students of any consequent requirements.

Graduation Status

Eligibility to Graduate

(12) Faculty staff should check whether a finalised or amended grade affects the student’s eligibility to graduate. Faculties should make no change to a potential graduand’s record, where such a change will result in a change to graduation eligibility, following the advertised graduation checking deadline and up until the conclusion of the graduations period. Academic Registrar approval must be sought and the Student Progression unit notified immediately.

(13) If the amendment to grade will not result in a change to graduation eligibility during this period, faculties may update the student’s grade and must notify the Student Progression unit immediately to ensure the student’s Academic Transcript and Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS) are corrected.

(14) If the graduation period has passed, faculty staff should update the academic record to ensure that the student’s record will be considered in graduations checking for the next graduation period.

Honours

(15) Faculty staff should check whether a finalised or amended grade affects the student’s eligibility for a class of honours.

(16) Faculty staff should make no change to a potential graduand’s record, where such a change will result in a change to graduation eligibility, following the advertised graduation checking deadline and up until the conclusion of the graduations period.

(17) Once the graduation checking deadline has passed, Academic Registrar approval must be sought for a change in class of honours for a graduating or graduated student. Both the Academic Registrar and Student Progression unit should be notified immediately. The necessary steps will be taken by the Student Progression unit to facilitate the change in class of honours and arrange for replacement graduation documents where required.

Progression / Place in the Program

(18) An amendment to grade may affect whether a student is able to progress, or retain a place in their program.

Scholarships

(19) Each semester the Scholarships Office undertakes checks of grade point averages for all equity scholarship holders to ensure they meet ongoing eligibility requirements for the scholarship.

Other Achievements

Dean's Commendation for Academic Excellence

(20) Faculty staff should check whether a finalised or amended grade will result in a change to the student’s eligibility for a Dean’s Commendation for Academic Excellence.

(21) Where applicable, the administering faculty will process the Dean’s Commendation in accordance with SI-net established practice.

Other Awards

(22) Faculty staff should check whether a finalised or amended grade will result in a change to the student’s eligibility for other faculty or school awards.

Audit of Grade Changes

(23) An audit of processed grade changes must be undertaken by faculties and the Examinations section on a fortnightly basis. The UQ Change Grade Report is to be generated and the results checked against the approved grade change notifications.

(24) The Grade Change Report generated by faculties will also include any grade changes relevant to the faculty which have been processed by the Examinations section.

(25) A copy of the UQ Change Grade Report generated, checked and signed, is forwarded to the Examinations section for record-keeping.

(26) The Examinations section generates reports for changes processed within the Examinations section, which are also, checked, reconciled and filed.

Section 4 - Roles, Responsibilities and Accountabilities

(27) Faculty staff are responsible for:

1. ensuring amendments to grades are accurately processed in SI-net through reconciliation of notification of amendments to grades with the UQ Change Grade Report;
2. checking the impact of an amendment to a student’s grade, and taking appropriate action where needed;
3. ensuring fortnightly Change Grade Reports are submitted to the Examinations section.

(28) The Examinations section is responsible for record-keeping of all amendments to grades.

Section 5 - Monitoring, Review and Assurance

(29) Amendments to grades are processed in SI-net and audited against the UQ Change Grade Report.