(1) This policy covers matters relating to student graduation. (2) For the purpose of this policy: (3) The University will normally conduct a minimum of one round of graduation ceremonies in a calendar year. (4) The University may determine that all graduands are recognised at a virtual ceremony due to circumstances beyond its control resulting in the cancellation of a graduation ceremony. (5) The University may record graduation ceremonies and transmit them via a publicly available website. (6) It is a requirement of attendance at a graduation ceremony for students to provide consent to being recorded and the video made available for public viewing for a nominated period of time. (7) A student is eligible to graduate from the award in which they are enrolled if: (8) The Chief Student and University Planning 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 and University Planning 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. (9) 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: (10) All undergraduate and postgraduate students must apply to graduate before the end of 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 applications will be published on the University's website for each teaching session. (11) 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. (12) Students eligible to graduate may elect to defer their graduation by notifying the Graduation Team in writing by the advertised deadline. The maximum period of deferral is until the next set of graduation ceremonies. (13) 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. (14) Students who elect to graduate ‘in absentia’ and provide consent, may be recognised at the ceremony of their conferral. (15) If a student has not applied 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. (16) The classes of Honours which may be awarded to a candidate who has completed satisfactorily the requirements of a Bachelor Honours degree shall be: (17) The requirements will be specified by the School offering the degree and published as associated information to the Honours in Bachelor Awards Policy. (18) Western Sydney University uses a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) to measure the academic performance of individual students, to acknowledge excellence and determine recipients of Excellence Awards. (19) The cumulative GPA will be calculated over the duration of a student's enrolment in a course. (20) Each final grade is awarded a numerical value as shown in Table 1 below: (21) The following will not be counted in the calculation of a GPA: (22) 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. (23) The formula for calculating the GPA is: (24) The elements of the above GPA formula are: (25) 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: (26) Western Sydney University chooses to acknowledge academic excellence in coursework awards. (27) To be eligible for the University Medal, a candidate must have achieved: (28) 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. (29) 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). (30) 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. (31) School Academic Committees, 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". (32) The Dean's Medal will be awarded annually to students eligible for awards of: (33) Dean's Medals are not awarded to students graduating with a Bachelors (Honours) degree or an embedded Honours course, or postgraduate degrees other than coursework Masters (or Graduate Diplomas where no extension to a Masters coursework award is available). (34) Students enrolled in undergraduate Bachelor double degrees and eligible for awards of the two degrees can be awarded the Dean's Medal for both degrees. (35) 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. (36) To be eligible, as an undergraduate, the student must be a graduand: (37) To be eligible, as a postgraduate, the student must: (38) 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. (39) To be eligible, the student must be enrolled in a course offered by the School. (40) To be eligible, the student must have completed at least four units or 40 credit points from the University in the relevant academic year. (41) Students must have a GPA of not less than 6.000. (42) Recommendation by the SAC, endorsed by the Dean, will be referred to Academic Senate for approval. (43) All documentation relating to recommendations, including SAC minutes, must be accompanied by an endorsement from the Dean. (44) 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 Student Experience and Marketing (SEM) 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 the GPA. These lists will be approved by the SAC before inclusion on the students’ records. (45) Where several students share an identical GPA: (46) Each medal will be engraved “for Academic Excellence” with the student’s name and year of award. (47) 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. (48) Once final grades are entered, students’ GPAs for the relevant academic year will be calculated. (49) Student Experience and Marketing will generate a list of all students who have achieved a GPA of 6.000 of greater for approval by the SAC and subsequent inclusion on the students’ records. (50) 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
Ceremonies
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), 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
Dean's Merit List
Criteria for Recognition on the Dean's Merit List
Section 4 - Procedures
University Medal
Dean’s Medal
Method of Selection
The Medal
Method of Award
Dean’s Merit List
Method of Selection
Method of Recognition
Section 5 - Guidelines
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GPA = Sum of (credit points for the same specific unit x grade points for specific unit) / Total number of credit points attempted.
[(10x7) + (10x6) + (10x5) + (40x7)] / (10 + 10 + 10 + 40) = 6.571