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Awards Regulations 2018

Part 1 - Preliminary

1. Objective

The objective of these Regulations is to make provision for aegrotat and posthumous awards, prescribe the academic dress to be worn by members of the University and the occasions on which it is to be worn, provide for the revocation of awards granted by the University and specify the form and content of a testamur.

2. Authorising provision

These Regulations are made under the Governance, Academic and Student Affairs Statute 2013 and sections 28, 29 and 30 of the Victoria University Act 2010 (Vic).

3. Definitions

In these Regulations-
  1. aegrotat award means a degree, diploma, certificate or other award issued to a student who is taken to have completed the requirements for that degree, diploma, certificate or other award by reason of regulation 4;
  2. collaborative award means a degree, diploma, certificate or other award that is taught or supervised with another organisation;
  3. posthumous award means a degree, diploma, certificate or other award that is awarded after the death of a student.

Part 2 - Aegrotat Award

4. Entitlement to an aegrotat award

A student is taken to have completed the requirements for a degree, diploma, certificate or other award, if:
  1. the student:
    1. is permanently unable to complete the requirements due to incapacitating injury or illness; or
    2. has died; and
  2. the student has satisfactorily completed at least half of the requirements of the award; and
  3. taking into consideration the student’s academic results, it is reasonable to conclude that the student would have completed the requirements.

Part 3 – Posthumous Award

5. Entitlement to a posthumous award

A student is taken to have completed the requirements for a degree, diploma, certificate or other award, if after completing all the requirements of the award and before conferral, the student dies.

Part 4 – Academic Dress

6. Academic Dress

The academic dress to be worn by specified members of the University under this regulation is set out in the Schedule.

7. Indigenous stoles

(1) Indigenous graduands and staff may wear a stole at a graduation ceremony.
(2) The stole will be calf length jet black and cherry silk that has saffron tassels, a map of Victoria in saffron silk and ‘Victoria University’ embroidered in saffron on the left end of the stole, and the sun in saffron silk and ‘Moondani Balluk’ embroidered in saffron on the right end of the stole.
(3) The stole is to be worn under any academic colours.
(4) If there are no academic colours (that is, certificate and apprenticeship recipients) the stole is to be worn under the gown so as not to be mistaken for the colours of the discipline.

8. Trencher

The trencher cap is worn flat or horizontal, with the tassel down over the left eye.

9. Occasions

Academic dress is to be worn on the following occasions-
  1. ceremonies for the conferral and granting of awards of the University unless the University specifies otherwise;
  2. any other formal occasion of the University for which the University specifies academic dress;
  3. ceremonies of other institutions at which the wearing of academic dress is appropriate or requested.

10. Eligibility to wear academic dress – graduates, graduands and candidates

(1) A person is eligible to wear academic dress appropriate to the award if he or she is a graduate or graduand who—
  1. has had an award conferred; or
  2. is eligible to graduate.
(2) Graduates from other universities are entitled to wear academic dress appropriate to the award they have received.

Part 5 – Revocation of Awards

11. Circumstances to be reported to the Vice-Chancellor

If it appears that an award may have been obtained in circumstances that would enable the Council to revoke the award under the Governance, Academic and Student Affairs Statute 2013 the circumstances must be reported to the Vice-Chancellor.
Note
Section 30 of the Governance, Academic and Student Affairs Statute 2013 empowers the Council to revoke an award in specific circumstances.

12. Investigation process

(1) After receiving a report under regulation 11, the Vice-Chancellor may convene an investigation.
(2) The investigation process may be conducted by a person nominated by the Vice-Chancellor.
(3) An investigation process must:
  1. inform the award holder of the reported circumstances;
  2. advise the award holder that their award may be revoked; and
  3. provide the award holder with an opportunity to respond.
(4) If the investigation finds that the degree or other award was obtained as a result of administrative error, the Council delegates to the Vice-Chancellor the power to revoke the degree or other award.
(5) If, after considering the outcome of an investigation, the Vice-Chancellor believes that the award should be revoked because it was obtained:
  1. fraudulently, improperly or by material misrepresentation; or
  2. as a result of transgression of ethical research practice,
then the Vice-Chancellor may recommend the revocation of the award to the Council.
(6) The recommendation under sub-regulation (5) must detail:
  1. the circumstances that enable the Council to revoke the award under the Governance, Academic and Student Affairs Statute 2013; and
  2. the reasons for his or her belief.

13. Council decision

(1) The Council must consider the recommendation of the Vice-Chancellor and decide to revoke or not to revoke the award.
(2) If the Vice-Chancellor’s recommendation under sub-regulation (1) is to revoke the award, prior to making its decision, the Council must provide the award holder an opportunity to respond to the Vice-Chancellor’s recommendation.
(3) The Council must require an award holder whose award has been revoked to return the Testamur issued.

Part 6 – Testamur

14. Form and content of Testamur

(1) A Testamur is a University award for higher education and vocational education courses, but not for non-award courses.
(2) A Testamur (with the exception of Honorary Testamurs, see Part 6 Clause 9) must include the following content:
  1. the University logo;
  2. the expression “By authority of the Council of Victoria University”, or if for an award encompassed by sub-regulation (6) “This is to certify that”;
  3. the full legal name of the student;
  4. the expression “having satisfied the requirements of the University was granted the” or if for an award encompassed by sub-regulation (6) “has fulfilled the requirements for”;
  5. the title of the award conferred;
  6. if applicable, a statement that parts of the course of study or assessment leading to the qualification were taught in a language other than English (LOTE).  Testamurs will distinguish the language of course delivery, using the terms ‘bilingually delivered in English and (name of LOTE)’ or ‘delivered in (name of LOTE)’.  In every other aspect, the Testamur will conform with standard VU requirements;
  7. the date, month and year of the conferral;
  8. the expression “The qualification is recognised within the Australian Qualifications Framework”;
  9. the name and signature of the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor;
  10. the University common seal or a representation of it; and
  11. a unique document identification number.
(3) If a hard copy Testamur is to be provided:
  1. it must be printed on specialist secure paper; and
  2. the University logo referred to in sub-regulation (2)(a) must be embossed.
(4) It is adequate compliance with sub-regulation (2)(i) if a representation of the signature is used.
(5) The content of the Testamur must be included in the order, from the top of the document to the bottom, as listed in sub-regulation (2)
(6) If the award conferred is listed on the Australian Government’s National Training Register a Testamur must also include the following content:
  1. the RTO Code;
  2. the award’s code number and title on the National Training Register;
  3. the Nationally Recognised Training (NRT) logo, applied in accordance with the Australian Government’s conditions of use; and
  4. if applicable, the wording, “achieved through Australian Apprenticeship arrangements”.
(7) If the award conferred is a collaborative award a testamur must also include the following content:
  1. the collaborator’s logo; and
  2. if required by the University’s policies and procedures:
    1. the expression “This programme of study for this course was undertaken in affiliation with the [name of collaborator]”: or
    2. the expression “This course was undertaken jointly with [name of collaborator]”.
(8) Secure access to an authorised digital version of a granted testamur may be provided.
(9) Honorary degrees are not AQF qualifications. Honorary Testamurs must have the following content:
  1. the University logo;
  2. the expression “By authority of the Council of Victoria University”, and  “This is to certify that”;
  3. the full legal name of the recipient;
  4. short citation outlining the reasons for the conferral of the award
  5. the expression “has been admitted to the degree of”;
  6. the title of the award conferred;
  7. the date, month, year of conferral.
(10) A register of Honorary degrees as granted by the University must be kept by the issuing area

Part 7 – Revocation

15. Revocation of regulation

The Awards Regulations 2017 are revoked on the day on which these regulations come into operation.

Schedule – Academic Dress

Part 1 – Official Members

The Visitor

A ceremonial robe and a bonnet with a cord and tassel. The Visitor may also elect to wear the habit of his or her award.

Chancellor

A ceremonial robe and either a trencher cap or a bonnet with a cord and tassel.

Vice-Chancellor

A ceremonial robe and either a trencher cap or a bonnet with a cord and tassel.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor/s

A ceremonial robe and either a trencher cap or a bonnet with a cord and tassel.  A Deputy Vice-Chancellor may also elect to wear the habit of his or her award.

Victoria University Council Members

A Master's gown and a trencher cap. A Council member may also elect to wear the habit of his or her award.

Staff of the University

The habit of his or her award. If no award has been achieved, the staff member may wear the Bachelor's gown without trencher cap or adornment.

Indigenous Australians

The habit of his or her award. Indigenous Australians may also elect to wear the Indigenous stole.

Companion of the University

A companion of the University will be provided with a gown in the habit of his or her award.

Recipient of the Chancellor’s Medal

The recipient of the Chancellor’s Medal will be invited to participate in the University procession and will wear the habit of his or her award.

Honorary Degree Recipient

A Doctor's gown and a Doctor's hood, together with a bonnet with a cord and tassel.
The Honorary Degree recipient's academic dress is purchased by the University and will be given as a gift to the recipient after the ceremony.

Part 2 – Academic Dress by award

Award
Gown
Stole / Hood
Head wear
Certificate I - IV
Bachelor
Stole with lower facing in the discipline colour
Trencher cap
Diploma
Bachelor
Stole with two bands in the discipline colour on the lower facing
Trencher cap
Advanced Diploma
Bachelor
Stole with three bands in the discipline colour on the lower facing
Trencher cap
Associate Degree
Bachelor
Stole with the upper facing in the discipline colour, half the width of the stole and extending across the shoulders to the back
Trencher cap
Bachelor
Bachelor
Hood half lined in the discipline colour. The coloured edge is manually turned out to show approximately 2cm across the shoulders and back.
Trencher cap
Bachelor with Honours
Bachelor
Hood half lined in the discipline colour and with a white band on the outer edge of the hood. The coloured edge is manually turned out to show approximately 2cm across the shoulders and back.
Trencher cap
Graduate Certificate
Bachelor
Stole with lower-half facing in the discipline colour
Trencher cap
Graduate Diploma
Bachelor
Stole with full-length facing in the discipline colour
Trencher cap
Master
Master
Hood fully-lined with the discipline colour. The coloured edge is not turned out on the Masters hood.
Trencher cap
Doctor
Doctor
Hood fully-lined in the colour Sapphire
Bonnet

Part 3 - Discipline Colours

British Colour Code (BCC)
Colour name
Discipline [Undergraduate]
Doctors
BCC 85
Adonis Blue
 
Doctor of Business and Business Administration
BCC 66
Buff
Psychology
 
BCC 185
Cherry
Education
Doctor of Education
BCC 114
Gold
Social Work
 
BCC 155
Graphite
 
Doctor of Engineering
BCC 220
Jet Black
[Stoles, hoods and gowns]
 
BCC 115
Old Gold
 
Doctor of Psychology
BCC 157
Old Rose
Health Science
 
BCC 180
Pansy
Music
 
BCC 165
Parchment
Law
 
BCC 151
Pearl White
 
Doctor of Laws
BCC 38
Ruby
Arts
Doctor of Letters
BCC 54
Saffron
[appears on the Indigenous stole]
 
BCC 88
Sapphire
 
Doctor of Philosophy
BCC 153
Silver Grey
Building or Engineering
 
BCC 162
Sky Blue
 
Doctor of The University
BCC 100
Spectrum Green
Applied Science or Science
Doctor of Science
BCC 55
Tangerine
Vocational and Further Education (TAFE)  Certificate I - IV
 
BCC 148
Ultramarine
Business or Business Administration