• Section 1 - Purpose and Context
• Section 2 - Definitions
• Section 3 - Policy Statement
• Section 4 - Procedures
• Part A - Progression Rules
• General Progression Rules
• Table 1 – General Progression Rules GPA Thresholds
• Subject Progression Rules
• Maximum Study Time Progression Rules
• Table 2 – Maximum Length of Enrolment Rules
• Program Progression Rules
• Part B - Progression Stages
• Stage 1 – Good Standing
• Stage 2 – At Risk
• Stage 3 – Conditional Enrolment
• Stage 4 – Exclusion
• Part C - Formal Progression Check
•  At Risk
• Conditional Enrolment
• Exclusion
• Part D - Show Cause
• Section 5 -  Guidelines

Section 1 - Purpose and Context

(1) This procedure operationalises the Student Administration Policy with respect to the assessment of academic progression for coursework students.

Section 2 - Definitions

(2) For the purpose of this policy, definitions that apply can be found in the Policy DDS Glossary, in addition to the following:

1. Academic Standing is a mechanism to signal a student’s progress in their program of study.
2. Conditional Enrolment is a Progression Outcome where the number of subjects in which a student may register is limited for a specified period.
3. Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) means an official document issued to international students by Universities in Australia when a student has accepted a place in a program and has paid their tuition fees and Overseas Student Health Cover. A COE is required to obtain a student visa in Australia.
4.  Cumulative GPA is a summary of overall academic performance and calculated over the duration of enrolment in a program.
5. Embedded Honours refers to programs with an Honours component that is embedded into a four-year Bachelor program.
6. End-on Honours means an Honours program available as a one-year standalone program that is studied following the successful completion of a cognate Bachelor degree.
7. Exclusion is a Progression Outcome that results in a student’s enrolment being cancelled for a specified period. Students must apply for re-admission to the University through the normal channels.
8. Good Standing means a student is meeting Progression Rules requirements for their program.
9. GPA Threshold means the minimum term GPA a student must achieve to demonstrate they are making satisfactory progress in their program of study.
10. International Student for this purpose of this policy refers to a student who holds a student visa to study in Australia.
11. Learning Management System (LMS) means the platform or system through which learning materials are distributed for subjects.
12. Progression Outcome refers to Conditional Enrolment, Suspension or Exclusion.
13. Non-elective subjects refers to any subjects that are mandatory for a student to complete in order to graduate from their program. This includes any core subjects as well as any mandatory subjects in any field of study.
14. Program Authority refers to a Program Lead, Head of Discipline, or similar role with responsibility for a program however named.
15. Show Cause refers to the process where a student is given the opportunity to appeal an unsatisfactory Progression Outcome prior to the outcome being applied.
16. Suspension refers to a potential outcome of a Show Cause appeal in which a student’s enrolment at the University is suspended for a set period of time. Students who are suspended have the automatic right to re- enrol in their original program, or a program that the University regards as being equivalent, at the end of the suspension period.
17. Term of study refers to one of the University's official teaching periods.
18. Term GPA is a snapshot of academic performance in one specific teaching period.
19. Third-Party Provider means an organisation that delivers a program or subject on behalf of the University.
20. University means Western Sydney University.

Section 3 - Policy Statement

(3) Refer to the Student Administration Policy.

Section 4 - Procedures

Part A - Progression Rules

General Progression Rules

(4) Students academic progress is assessed based on their Grade Point Average (GPA) following the official results release date in their most recent term of study.

(5) Students are required to maintain a term GPA of at least 3.5 out of 7 to satisfactorily meet progression requirements.

(6) Students who fail to meet the requirement to maintain a term GPA of at least 3.5 will have their Academic Standing applied in accordance with Table 1 – General Progression Rules GPA Thresholds.

Table 1 – General Progression Rules GPA Thresholds

(7) a Student will not be:

1. placed on Conditional Enrolment without having been first placed on At Risk for at least a term (except in the circumstance identified in clause 9), or
2. Excluded without having first been placed on Conditional Enrolment for at least a term.

(8) Students who are placed on At Risk or Conditional Enrolment under the General Progression Rule will return to Good Standing when their term GPA reaches the threshold outlined in Table 1.

(9) Student’s may be placed on Conditional Enrolment following their first term of study if their term GPA is within the Conditional Enrolment or Exclusion threshold outlined in Table 1.

(10) Students who apply to transfer programs in accordance with the Student Administration Policy - Enrolment Procedure and have an Academic Standing of At Risk or Conditional Enrolment will be transferred into the new program with “At Risk” to allow the University to provide continued targeted support to the student.

Subject Progression Rules

(11) A student will be placed on At Risk where they have failed a non-elective subject (or its equivalent) for their program twice.

(12) A student will be Excluded where they have:

1. failed the same or equivalent non-elective subject three times, or
2. been awarded a Practicum Fail for a subject (see Assessment Policy).

(13) If a student has returned from a period of Exclusion and they fail the same or equivalent non-elective subject for a fourth time they will be Excluded and not permitted to re-enrol in a program for which this subject or its equivalent is a non-elective subject.

Maximum Study Time Progression Rules

(14) An international student will be Excluded from the University if they reach the maximum study time specified in the Confirmation of Enrolment, and fail to obtain an extension of the Confirmation of Enrolment as recorded in PRISMS. Students should seek advice from the Department of Home Affairs on the potential impact to their student visa. 

(15) All other students will be Excluded from the University if they reach the maximum study time stipulated in table 2, or within 10 years of commencing in a program of study, whichever is shortest.

Table 2 – Maximum Length of Enrolment Rules

(16) The calculation of maximum study time:

1. excludes periods of approved leave, approved discontinuation from program, including periods of Suspension or Exclusion,
2. includes periods where a student has been on leave without approval, and
3. resets where a student has transferred from one program to another under the provisions of the Student Administration Policy - Enrolment Procedure.

(17) Students are responsible for checking their program accreditation requirements and should seek written advice from their Program Authority.

Program Progression Rules

(18) Academic Senate may by exception approve Program Specific Progression Rules where these are required for professional accreditation or are otherwise appropriate given the nature of a program.

(19) Where Program Specific Progression Rules are approved these rules form the complete set of progression rules for a program.

(20) Student Administration will maintain and publish a register of Program Specific Progression Rules (refer to the Associated Information).

Part B - Progression Stages

Stage 1 – Good Standing

(21) Good Standing indicates that a student is making satisfactory progress in their program of study.

Stage 2 – At Risk

(22) At Risk identifies students who are at risk of not satisfactorily meeting Progression Rules.

(23) At Risk is an indicator that a student needs to take action to improve their progression in their program.

(24) Students who are At Risk should discuss their circumstances with the Program Authority. The Program Authority should consider whether it is appropriate to refer the student to relevant University support services, including the Badanami Centre of Indigenous Education for Indigenous students. A record of these referrals and conversations must be placed on the student’s file.

Stage 3 – Conditional Enrolment

(25) Conditional Enrolment identifies students who are not satisfactorily meeting the Progression Rules.

(26) Conditional Enrolment is designed to help support the student succeeding in their studies by reducing the amount of credit points a student can study in a term.

(27) A student will continue on Conditional Enrolment until the next Progression Check is completed at which point their Academic Standing and Progression Outcome may change in line with the Progression Rules. This will generally be for a term of equal length to the term for which progression was calculated.

(28) Students who are placed on Conditional Enrolment must obtain advice about their reduced study load from their Program Authority. The Program Authority should consider whether it is appropriate to refer the student to relevant University support services. A record of these referrals and conversations must be placed on the student’s file.

(29) Conditional Enrolment restrictions applicable for each program type are listed on the Academic Progression webpage.

Stage 4 – Exclusion

(30) Exclusion identifies students who have not met Progression Rules.

(31) Being placed on Exclusion means a student’s enrolment at the University is cancelled for 12 months, or the period decided by a Show Cause panel.

(32) International students who are Excluded will have their Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) cancelled and they will be advised to seek advice from the Department of Home Affairs for the potential impact on their student visa.

(33) Students who wish to return to study may re-apply for admission to the University not less than one year from the date the Exclusion was applied unless an alternate length is imposed as a result of a Show Cause appeal. Re- admission is not automatic and an application may be rejected in accordance with the Student Administration Policy - Admissions Procedure.

Part C - Formal Progression Check

(34) Student Administration will develop and publish an annual progression check calendar which identifies relevant dates, including when:

1. Progression Checks will occur for each term, 
2. Academic Standing and Progression Outcomes are applied, and
3. the last date to submit Show Cause to appeal which will be 20 working days from the date of notification of the outcome of a Progression Check.

(35) A record of any notification to students in relation to their progression, including documenting of an individual intervention strategy for a student and any invitation to attend a forum (to guide students towards appropriate academic advice and support services, including counselling and learning support), will be maintained on the student’s official record as per the Records and Archives Management Policy.

(36) Unsatisfactory academic progress for student visa holders will be reported in PRISMS where:

1. An internal and/or external appeal process has been completed and the decision upholds the unsatisfactory progress; or
2. The student has chosen not to engage with or withdraws from the internal or external appeal process with written notice to the University.

 At Risk

(37) Students designated as At Risk will:

1. receive timely notification from Student Administration informing them of their At Risk status and the consequences of continued unsatisfactory progression, 
2. be provided with information on the support services available to them to improve their academic performance, including student support and wellbeing services and the Badanami Centre of Indigenous Education, and
3. may be invited to attend a forum that will guide students towards appropriate academic advice and support services, including counselling and learning support.

(38) A student’s lack of attendance at a forum, engagement with University support services and their response to actions recommended by the University, may be considered if they have to Show Cause or submit a progression appeal on a later occasion.

Conditional Enrolment

(39) Students who have been placed on Conditional Enrolment will:

1. receive timely notification from Student Administration informing them of their Conditional Enrolment status and the consequences of unsatisfactory performance
2. be required to seek academic advice recorded in writing from the nominated academic advisor
3. be provided with information and may be invited to attend a forum that will guide students towards ongoing appropriate academic advice and support services, including counselling and learning support and where appropriate the Badanami Centre of Indigenous Education, and
4. if necessary, reduce their study load to meet the requirements of the Conditional Enrolment limits (refer to the Academic Progression webpage).

(40) A student’s lack of attendance at a forum, engagement with support services provided by the University and their response to actions recommended by the University, may be considered if they have to Show Cause on a later occasion.

Exclusion

(41) Students who have been Excluded will receive notification from the Student Administration informing them of their Exclusion and internal and external avenues of appeal available to them.

(42) International students who are Excluded will have their Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) cancelled and they will be notified to seek advice from the Department of Home Affairs for the potential impact on their student visa.

Part D - Show Cause

(43) A Show Cause appeal should explain why the student has not made satisfactory progress in their program, and outline  how their circumstances have changed, or will change, so that in future they will be able to make satisfactory progress. 

(44) As the Show Cause is a written appeal to the University, students will not be required to appear in person to support their appeal, although this can be arranged on request and will be considered on a case-by-case basis and a hearing is not guaranteed. The student may bring a support person to any arranged meeting.

(45) Where students are invited to Show Cause, a Show Cause appeal should explain the extent to which the student took part in forums or engaged with support services as invited or recommended by the University. This should include the actions the student has taken as a result of recommendations made by any support service or academic progress plan agreed. 

(46) The University will commence assessment of the Show Cause appeal within 10 working days of it being made and will finalise the outcome as soon as practicable.

(47) Show Cause appeals are assessed by an individual selected from the following Show Cause panel:

1. Chair, Academic Senate
2. Deputy Chair, Academic Senate
3. Pro Vice-Chancellor, Quality and Integrity or nominee
4. Pro Vice-Chancellor, Indigenous Education or nominee for Show Cause appeals for Indigenous student
5. Any elected member of Academic Senate, nominated by the Chair, Academic Senate.

(48) If a panel member reviewing a Show Cause appeal believes that there are no valid grounds on which to uphold a Show Cause, and that they will, on behalf of Academic Senate, dismiss the Show Cause appeal, a second panel member’s determination will be sought prior to dismissal. If both panel members disagree on the outcome, the third panel member will be consulted.

(49) Any member who has previously been involved with the assessment of a particular case before the panel will excuse themselves from the panel for the duration of that case.

(50) The outcome of a Show Cause for Conditional Enrolment may be:

1. Uphold the Show Cause, lift the Conditional Enrolment and place the student At Risk
2. Uphold the Show Cause, lift the Conditional Enrolment and place the student on Good Standing
3. Dismiss the Show Cause and apply the period of Conditional Enrolment.

(51) The outcome of a Show Cause for Exclusion may be:

1. Uphold the Show Cause and reduce the period of Exclusion
2. Uphold the Show Cause and replace the period of Exclusion with a period of Suspension
3. Uphold the Show Cause and the student returns to Conditional Enrolment
4. Uphold the Show Cause and place the student At Risk 
5. Dismiss the Show Cause and the original Exclusion applies.

(52) A Show Cause may be upheld unconditionally or subject to one or more of the following conditions:

1. The student transfers to another specified program at the University
2. The student uses an approved exit point to complete an appropriate alternative credential
3. The student changes to another specified major in their current program
4. The student registers in one or more specified subjects at the University.

(53) Where the Show Cause decision includes a condition, the panel member responsible for the decision will make every effort to consult with the relevant School prior to the condition/s being applied.

(54) Students will be notified in writing of the outcome of the Show Cause appeal, including detailed reasons that formed the basis of the decision and any advice on improving their academic performance, including but not limited to, making use of support services, such as counselling and learning support.

(55) Where a student visa holder’s Show Cause appeal is upheld and a period of exclusion is replaced by a period of suspension, their Confirmation of Enrolment will be extended and they will be advised to seek advice from the Department of Home Affairs on the potential impact of their student visa.

Section 5 -  Guidelines

(56) Nil.