Document Feedback - Review and Comment
Step 1 of 4: Comment on Document
How to make a comment?
1. Use this to open a comment box for your chosen Section, Part, Heading or clause.
2. Type your feedback into the comments box and then click "save comment" button located in the lower-right of the comment box.
3. Do not open more than one comment box at the same time.
4. When you have finished making comments proceed to the next stage by clicking on the "Continue to Step 2" button at the very bottom of this page.
Important Information
During the comment process you are connected to a database. Like internet banking, the session that connects you to the database may time-out due to inactivity. If you do not have JavaScript running you will recieve a message to advise you of the length of time before the time-out. If you have JavaScript enabled, the time-out is lengthy and should not cause difficulty, however you should note the following tips to avoid losing your comments or corrupting your entries:
-
DO NOT jump between web pages/applications while logging comments.
-
DO NOT log comments for more than one document at a time. Complete and submit all comments for one document before commenting on another.
-
DO NOT leave your submission half way through. If you need to take a break, submit your current set of comments. The system will email you a copy of your comments so you can identify where you were up to and add to them later.
-
DO NOT exit from the interface until you have completed all three stages of the submission process.
(1) This policy covers matters relating to student graduation. (2) For the purpose of this policy: (3) A student is eligible to graduate from the award in which they are enrolled if: (4) The Chief Student Experience Officer has the authority to determine the eligibility of students to graduate under former University Member Rules for academic excellence and maximum time, and the approved policy on graduation. This policy statement should not act to undermine the discretion of the Chief Student Experience Officer to deal with individual matters that present as extraordinary cases of hardship or special circumstances outside the terms of this statement and in accordance with the law. (5) In exceptional circumstances where course changes result in a student not being able to complete one or more named units in a course, the Dean or Deputy Dean, or equivalent, on the recommendation of the Director, Academic Program, or equivalent, may approve the substitution of one or more units in the course provided that: (6) All undergraduate and postgraduate students must register to graduate during the last session of their course of study as defined by the relevant rules of the course in which they are enrolled. The deadlines for graduation registration will be published on the University's website for each session. (7) Failure to lodge a form or failure to pay any fees or charges owing will result in the graduand not graduating at the next available round of graduation ceremonies. (8) If a student has not registered to graduate within six months of completing the award requirements, they will normally be automatically graduated in absentia at the next graduation ceremony. This clause does not apply to students in double degrees who have completed the requirements for one degree and are seeking to graduate from both degrees in the same set of ceremonies. (9) Students eligible to graduate may elect to defer their graduation by notifying the Graduation Team in writing. The maximum period of deferral is until the next set of graduation ceremonies. (10) Students eligible to graduate may choose to graduate in absentia. Students who elect to graduate 'in absentia' are not permitted to participate in any future ceremony as a 'presentee' for that award. (11) The classes of Honours which may be awarded to a candidate who has completed satisfactorily the requirements of a bachelor honours degree shall be: (12) The requirements will be specified by the School offering the degree and published as associated information to the Honours in Bachelor Awards Policy. (13) Western Sydney University uses a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) to measure the academic performance of individual students, in order to acknowledge excellence and determine recipients of Excellence Awards. (14) The cumulative GPA will be calculated over the duration of a student's enrolment in a course. (15) Each final grade is awarded a numerical value as shown in Table 1 below: (16) The following will not be counted in the calculation of a GPA: (17) Where a student has repeated a unit, both grades will be counted towards the GPA, and both results will remain on the official academic transcript. (18) The formula for calculating the GPA is: (19) The elements of the above GPA formula are: (20) For example, a student takes four units. Three were 10 credit point units and the student achieved grades worth 7, 6 and 5. One was a 40 credit point unit and the student achieved a grade worth 7. The GPA was worked out as follows: (21) Western Sydney University chooses to acknowledge academic excellence in coursework awards. (22) To be eligible for the University Medal, a candidate must have achieved: (23) Where the honours or Master of Research candidate has obtained their undergraduate pass degree at another institution, the candidate's academic transcript will be reviewed by the School Academic Committee (SAC). If the Committee determines that the standard achieved is the equivalent of the University's cumulative GPA of 6.000 or greater, the candidate will be deemed to be eligible, and will be recommended to the Dean. (24) Recommendations by the SAC, endorsed by the Dean, will be referred to Academic Senate for approval. (25) All documentation relating to recommendations, including SAC minutes, must be accompanied by an endorsement from the Dean. (26) Graduands may graduate "with distinction" from undergraduate pass degrees and postgraduate coursework masters degrees (or graduate diplomas where no extension to a masters coursework award is available). (27) Excellence will be measured by GPA calculated from a graduand's performance in the University units undertaken while enrolled in the award from which the student is graduating. See Part B Cumulative Grade Point Average for further information about how the GPA is calculated. (28) SACs, or equivalent, will recommend to Academic Senate that students who have achieved a GPA of 6.000 or above should be awarded their degree "with distinction". (29) The Dean's Medal will be awarded annually to students eligible for awards of undergraduate pass bachelor degrees of three years or four years full-time (or part-time equivalent) duration, or coursework masters degrees of one or more years full-time (or part-time equivalent) duration. (30) Dean's Medals are not awarded to students taking a Bachelors (Honours) degree or an embedded honours program, or postgraduate degrees other than coursework masters. (31) Students enrolled for undergraduate pass bachelor double degrees and eligible for awards of the two degrees can be awarded the Dean's Medal for both degrees. (32) The following criteria will be applied once per conferral year for the total number of eligible graduating students, in each of the undergraduate and postgraduate cohorts, and who have a cumulative GPA of 6.000 or greater. (33) To be eligible, as an undergraduate, the student must be a graduand: (34) To be eligible, as a postgraduate, the student must be a graduand: (35) Students are not eligible for a Dean’s Medal if a Student Misconduct sanction has been applied during the course for which they are a current graduand. (36) At the end of each conferral year, once final grades have been processed, the relevant yearly undergraduate and postgraduate graduation cohorts will be finalised by the Student Experience Office (SEO) and two lists will be generated for each School, showing the top 2% of the relevant undergraduate graduands/graduates and the top 2% of the relevant postgraduate graduands/graduates based on their GPA. These lists will be approved by the SAC before inclusion on the students' records. (37) Where several students share an identical GPA: (38) Each medal will be engraved "for Academic Excellence" with the student's name and year of award. (39) The Dean will write to each student advising they have been awarded the Dean's Medal and that it will be presented at a yearly awards ceremony organised by the School. (40) The Dean's Merit list will be compiled at the end of each academic year once final grades have been processed. The merit list will contain students who satisfy the following criteria. (41) To be eligible, the student must be enrolled in a course offered by the School. (42) To be eligible, the student must have completed at least four units or 40 credit points from the University in the current academic year. (43) Students must be within the top 10% of their overall School cohort and have a GPA of not less than 6.000. (44) Once final grades are entered, students' GPAs for the current academic year will be calculated. (45) The SEO will generate a list of all students who fall within the top 10% of their course cohort for approval by the SAC and subsequent inclusion on the students' records. (46) Students identified as per the above criteria will be sent a letter from the Dean recognising their outstanding achievement.Graduation Policy
NOTE: The Policy Suspension or Variation Instrument - COVID-19 Policy Response 2021 is currently in place for this policy. For reference the following expired Policy Suspension or Variation Instrument - GPA Neutral Scheme and the Policy Suspension or Variation Instrument - Graduation in Absentia documents are available here.
Section 1 - Purpose and Context
Section 2 - Definitions
Top of PageSection 3 - Policy Statement
Part A - Graduation
Eligibility
Applying to Graduate
Deferring Graduation
In Absentia Graduation
Award of Honours
Part B - Cumulative Grade Point Average
Calculation
Table 1
Grade
Numerical Value
High Distinction
7
Distinction
6
Credit
5
Pass
4
Conceded Pass (the use of the conceded pass grade ceased from 1 January 2006)
3
Fail (F), Fail-discontinued (E), Unsatisfactory (U), Absent Fail (AF) and Fail Non Submission (FNS), Practicum Fail (PF), Compulsory Fail (CF)
0
Part C - Academic Excellence
University Medal
Graduation with Distinction
Dean's Medal
Criteria for Award of Dean's Medal
Method of Selection
The Medal
Method of Award
Dean's Merit List
Criteria for Recognition on the Dean's Merit List
Method of Selection
Method of Recognition
Section 4 - Procedures
Top of PageSection 5 - Guidelines