Student Administration Policy
Summary
This policy describes the requirements and principles governing the administration of student affairs at the University.
Objectives
This policy aims to:
- provide a framework that ensures the integrity of the administration of student affairs, including the administration of enrolment, fees and charges and the academic calendar
- set clear responsibilities and accountabilities for decisions made in the administration of student affairs
- ensure the administration of student affairs is transparent and decisions are consistent and fair
- promote efficient student administration.
Scope
This policy applies to all Swinburne courses and students.
1. Administration of Enrolment
1.1. The enrolment process and dates
Enrolment is the administrative act of enrolling students who have been admitted to the University.
The University specifies a date or dates:
- by which an applicant for admission and a person re-enroling must complete his or her enrolment, including the payment of all fees associated with enrolment
- after which the addition of units in a teaching period requires permission.
Roles and Responsibilities (VC delegation)
| Role/Decision/Action | Responsibility*40% | Conditions and limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Specifying date(s) including for completion of enrolment, payment of fees, cut-offs for adding units |
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) | Dates must be published |
| Maintenance of student and enrolment data on the student management system |
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) |
|
| Permission to add units after cut-off date |
Head of Academic Unit | Permission must only be granted after consultation with Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor |
| Enrolment matters and queries, including determinations as to completion of enrolment, amendment of enrolment |
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) |
|
| Permission for student to re-enrol in a course without applying for re-admission | Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) |
Must be in accordance with Student Administration Regulations For international students, must also be in accordance with ESOS requirements |
| Specifying requirements for enrolment, cancellation of enrolment and attendance of international students, including ancillary requirements such as overseas health cover |
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) |
Must be compliant with ESOS Act |
| Publication of requirements for international students to complete within the expected duration of the student’s ESOS CoE. |
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) |
|
| Releasing international students and publication of guidelines for doing so. |
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) |
Must be compliant with ESOS Act |
*(Staff holding, acting in or performing the responsible position or office)
1.2. Obligations on students
Under the Student Administration Regulations the obligation is on students to:
- disclose all relevant information to the University at the time of application and before enrolment
- ensure that all of the various enrolment requirements are met and confirmed
- ensure that enrolment and student details and information provided to and recorded by the University is up-to-date and correct
- ensure that units chosen form part of and meet the requirements of the course
- be aware of and meet enrolment, course and unit requirements
- maintain continuous enrolment.
1.3. Late withdrawal
When deciding whether there are exceptional circumstances to warrant waiving fail grades or financial consequences when a student withdraws from a course after the applicable census date the University will take into account:
- fairness
- equity
- compassionate or compelling circumstances.
Roles and Responsibilities (VC delegation)
| Role/Decision/Action | Responsibility* |
Conditions and limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Setting withdrawal from course requirements |
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) | |
| Granting approval to withdraw |
Head of Academic Unit | Must be consistent with withdrawal from course requirements set by the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor |
| Waiving fail grades when a student withdraws from a course after census date |
Head of Academic Unit | Must be consistent with the above guiding principles. |
| Waiving financial consequences when a student withdraws from a course after census date |
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) |
Must be consistent with the above guiding principles Must be compliant with legislation |
*(Staff holding, acting in or performing the responsible position or office)
1.4. Student cards
Issuing student identity cards is at the discretion of the University. The University does not issue student identity cards to:
- students enrolled in a single subject
- students who enrol in Swinburne courses or units pursuant to course licensing or course delivery arrangements and agreements with other institutions, for example Open Universities Australia, twinning programs, student exchanges and certain mobility programs
- other cohorts or classes of students as specified from time-to-time.
Roles and Responsibilities (VC delegation)
| Role/Decision/Action |
Responsibility* |
Conditions and limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Specification of cohorts or classes of students to whom student identity cards will not be issued | Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) | |
| Determination of the University services and facilities to which a student identity card provides access |
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) | Must be in consultation with service providers |
*(Staff holding, acting in or performing the responsible position or office)
1.5. Enrolled and genuine student tests
The Swinburne University of Technology Act defines a student as a person enrolled at the University in an award course. The Act also empowers Council to designate a person or a class of persons as students. For the purposes of the application of the University’s student misconduct provisions and reviews and appeals, Council has designated the following persons as students:
- a prospective student who engages in misconduct or otherwise breaches University legislation and then becomes a student
- a suspended or excluded student
- a person who is on leave of absence from or has deferred enrolment
- a person who has completed a course and graduated but still has access to University facilities or resources
- a person who is granted access to University premises and facilities to study or for other related University purpose.
This designation by Council allows such persons to be disciplined as students, for sanctions or restrictions to be imposed on those persons and for decisions affecting those persons to be reviewed and appealed. Other than that, the designation does not confer on those persons the rights and privileges of a student or the right to enter University premises, attend University activities or access or use University facilities and services.
The Academic and Student Affairs Statute provides that a person who has been excluded or suspended does not have the privileges or rights of a student or the right to enter University premises, attend University activities or access or use University facilities and services.
The University may also restrict the rights and privileges of a student (including rights to enter University premises, attend University activities or access or use University facilities and services) who:
- is on leave of absence
- has deferred enrolment.
The University may also determine that a student is not a genuine student and cancel that student’s enrolment. When considering whether a student is a genuine student the University should have regard to whether the student is genuinely and actively engaged in his or her studies and whether it is reasonable to infer that the student is holding open his or her enrolment for purposes other than genuine study.
Roles and Responsibilities (VC delegation)
| Role/Decision/Action |
Responsibility* |
Conditions and limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Decisions to confer or restrict the rights and privileges of students on leave of absence or deferral | Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) |
|
| Determine that a student is not a genuine student and cancellation of that student’s enrolment | Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) |
|
| Decisions to refuse to enrol a person or suspend or exclude a student under section 24 of the Academic and Student Affairs Statute | Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) |
|
| Withdrawals of offer and cancellations of enrolment |
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) |
Must be consistent with the Student Administration Regulations and any relevant guiding principles set out in the Admissions and Enrolment Policy |
| Notifications and reports to regulatory authorities to fulfil regulatory requirements under ESOS | Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) |
In conjunction with any requirements of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global and Community Engagement) |
*(Staff holding, acting in or performing the responsible position or office)
2. Fees
2.1. Setting fees and charges
When setting fees and charges the University should be guided by the principles of:
- Fairness
- Transparency
- Clarity
- Consistency
- Compliance with regulatory requirements
- Recognition that the University may impose different fees, charges and student contribution amounts for different categories of students.
Roles and Responsibilities (VC delegation)
| Role/Decision/Action | Responsibility* | Conditions and limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Setting fees relating to tuition and course requirements and student contributions, including fees relating to materials, assessment and academic credit | Chief Operations Officer | Fees must be consistent with the above guiding principles and published on the University website. |
| Setting fees relating to administrative services and activities, including enrolment fees, services and amenities fees, ancillary fees, cancellation charges, incidental fees, late payment charges, administrative charges and penalties for failure to comply with University legislation. |
Chief Operations Officer | Fees must be consistent with the above guiding principles and published on the University website |
| Specifying processes and guidelines for the administration of fees, charges and penalties, including dates, payment systems, payment plans, documentation requirements, discounts, fee exemptions and waivers, deposits, retentions, remissions, revisions, refunds, student categories, debtor management | Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) | Any processes and guidelines that affect international students must be set in conjunction with the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement) |
*(Staff holding, acting in or performing the responsible position or office)
3. Conduct of Examinations
The University conducts examinations in accordance with the Student Administration Regulations.
Roles and Responsibilities (VC delegation)
| Role/Decision/Action |
Responsibility* |
Conditions and limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Specifying processes and guidelines for the conduct and administration of examinations | Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) | In accordance with criteria set by the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor |
*(Staff holding, acting in or performing the responsible position or office)
4. Results
The University gives notification of results in accordance with the Student Administration Regulations.
Roles and Responsibilities (VC delegation)
| Role/Decision/Action |
Responsibility* | Conditions and limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Specifying processes and guidelines for the notification of results |
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) |
*(Staff holding, acting in or performing the responsible position or office)
5. Graduation
The University arranges graduations in accordance with the Student Administration Regulations.
Roles and Responsibilities (VC delegation)
| Role/Decision/Action | *Responsibility | Conditions and limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Specifying processes and guidelines for graduations | Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) |
*(Staff holding, acting in or performing the responsible position or office)
6. Academic calendar
The University approves and publishes an academic calendar for each year. Among other things, the academic calendar sets the dates for:
- Teaching periods
- Examination periods
- Census dates.
Roles and Responsibilities (VC delegation)
| Role/Decision/Action | *Responsibility | Conditions and limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Setting the academic calendar (including any amendments) | Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor | Must be provided to Academic Senate for noting |
| Publication of academic calendar | Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education, Experience and Employability) | |
| Approval of teaching activities outside academic calendar | Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor |
*(Staff holding, acting in or performing the responsible position or office)
7. Transition provision
This Policy and the other Policies commencing 1 January 2014 promulgated by the University under the University-wide “Policy Review Project” replace all University policies in existence before 1 January 2014.
Before 1 January 2014 policies were coupled with procedures and many policies included procedural aspects.
Transitional arrangements will apply from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2014 under which:
- Procedures coupled with policies and procedural components within policies that were in effect as at 31 December 2013 will continue to apply to provide direction as to procedure until 31 December 2014 unless replaced by new procedures or guidelines or otherwise repealed
- Such procedures and procedural components are subordinate to and must be read in conjunction with new Policies
- New Policies prevail to the extent of any inconsistency.
8. Complaints, reviews and appeals
A person dissatisfied with a decision under the Student Administration Regulations 2013 and this policy may lodge a complaint (or in some instances students may apply directly for a review), subject to the requirements of the complaints, reviews and appeals provisions of the People, Culture and Integrity Policy and the Review and Appeals Regulations 2012.
Delegation
This policy includes, where indicated in the tables of roles and responsibilities, delegation of power by the Vice-Chancellor under section 26(7) of the Swinburne University of Technology Act 2010.
Approvals
| Version | Date | Approver | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| V 1.0 | 19 December 2013 for commencement 1 January 2014 |
Vice-Chancellor |
Registrar |
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