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Academic Progress Regulations 2016

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Part 1 - Preliminary

1. Objective

The objective of these Regulations is to provide for an academic progress review to determine whether a student has maintained satisfactory academic progress and to support the outcomes of such reviews.

2. Authorising provision

These Regulations are made under section 38 and section 54 of the Governance, Academic and Student Affairs Statute 2013 and sections 28, 29 and 30 of the Victoria University Act 2010.

3. Repeal and Commencement

(1) The Academic Progress Regulations 2015 are repealed when these Regulations come into operation.

(2) The Regulations come into operation on the date on which they are signed and sealed.

4. Definitions

In these Regulations -
  1. Academic Progress - means a student's progress towards the successful completion of the academic requirements of the award in which they are enrolled.
  2. Academic Progress Decisions - means a decision made under these Regulations regarding academic progress.
  3. Exclude - means to terminate a student's enrolment.
  4. Higher Degree by Research - means a postgraduate qualification undertaken primarily as part of a research-based program of study.
  5. Higher Education by Coursework - means all undergraduate and post-graduate higher education awards undertaken primarily by coursework.
  6. Relevant College - means the College, or equivalent organisational unit, in which the student is enrolled and which is responsible for ensuring the academic requirements of an award.
  7. Student - means:
    1. A person enrolled at the University in a course leading to a degree, diploma, certificate, licence or other award; or
    2. A person whose study performance is being or is to be assessed by the University, notwithstanding that such a person is not enrolled at the University in a course leading to a degree, diploma, certificate, licence or other award.
      Note: This definition of student is from section 3 of the Victoria University Act 2010 and Council Resolution C2010 - 070.
  8. Unsatisfactory Progress - is where a student fails to maintain the satisfactory academic progress requirements of their course.
  9. Unsatisfactory Progress Panel - means a panel constituted in accordance with the Regulations or any supporting policy or procedure to determine academic progress concerns.

Part 2 - Academic Progress Review

5. Academic Progress Standards

(1) The standards expected of students to meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements of their course are set out in University policy and procedure.

6. Higher Degree by Research

(1) The relevant college and/or Graduate Research Centre will regularly review higher degree by research students' academic progress.
(2) Where the Dean, Graduate Research Centre (or their equivalent) considers that there are grounds to support a finding of Unsatisfactory Progress, the student will be provided with written notice and given an opportunity to request a hearing.
(3) Where a student does not request a hearing, the student may be deemed to be making Unsatisfactory Progress and can be excluded by the Dean, Graduate Research Centre (or their equivalent).
(4) Where a student requests a hearing, an Unsatisfactory Progress Panel will be convened to hear and determine whether a student has made Unsatisfactory Progress.
(5) Where a student is found to have made Unsatisfactory Progress, the Unsatisfactory Progress Panel will:
  1. allow the student to continue without conditions if this is justified in all of the circumstances;
  2. impose a condition or conditions on the student's continued enrolment;
  3. require the student to transfer their course (e.g. from a doctoral to a research master's degree); or
  4. exclude the student.
     
(6) Only a decision of the Dean, Graduate Research Centre pursuant to sub-regulation 6 (3) or the Unsatisfactory Progress Panel pursuant to sub-regulation 6 (5) will be considered an academic progress decision for the purposes of an Appeal under the relevant University Appeal Regulations.

7. Higher Education Coursework Programs

(1) The University will regularly review the academic progress of each higher education coursework student.
(2) Where there are grounds to support a finding of Unsatisfactory Progress in their course, the student will be provided with notice and given an opportunity to be heard.
(3) Where a student does not request to be heard, the student may be deemed to be making Unsatisfactory Progress and can be excluded by the Academic Registrar (or their equivalent).
(4) Where a student seeks to be heard, an Unsatisfactory Progress Panel will determine whether the student has made Unsatisfactory Progress.
(5) Where a student is found to have made Unsatisfactory Progress, the Unsatisfactory Progress Panel will:
  1. allow the student to continue without conditions if this is justified in all of the circumstances;
  2. impose a condition or conditions on the student's continued enrolment;
  3. require the student to transfer their course; or
  4. exclude the student.
     
(6) Only a decision of the Academic Registrar (or their equivalent) pursuant to sub-regulation 7 (3) or the Unsatisfactory Progress Panel pursuant to sub-regulation 7 (5) will be considered an academic progress decision for the purposes of an Appeal under the relevant University Appeal Regulations.

8. Vocational Education - TAFE

(1) The University may exclude a Vocational Education/TAFE student for Unsatisfactory Progress in accordance with the relevant Vocational Education/TAFE policies and procedures.