Graduation Policy

PURPOSE

This policy describes the conferral of awards and graduation at Leaders Institute (LI).

SCOPE

All staff and students

PRINCIPLES

LI abides by the following principles:

• LI grants awards to students who have satisfied all requirements of the course in which they are enrolled;

• Students must satisfy all such requirements within the maximum time allowable;

• Once a student has satisfied all such requirements, the student will become a graduand of LI;

• An award may be conferred by Governing Board after the Vice President Academic (via Examiners Committee and Academic Board) has certified that a student has fulfilled the conditions of the award and the approval to proceed to conferral has been ratified by the Chair of Academic Board;

• Graduands unable to attend a graduation ceremony shall have their award conferred by the Governing Board ‘in absentia’;

• LI may hold two graduation ceremonies each year;

• All reasonable adjustments will be made to allow students or staff with disabilities to fully participate in graduation ceremonies;

• A posthumous award may be made at a graduation ceremony if a student dies before the ceremony at which they would normally have been presented with their award. The award is then presented to a member of the family or other appropriate person;

• Upon conferral of an award, the student will become a graduate of LI and will become eligible to join the alumni network;

• Any student with debts of any type to LI will not be permitted to graduate until the debt is cleared;

• Governing Board reserves the right to revoke an award that has been conferred on the basis that the individual did not complete the necessary requirements for the award.

DEFINITIONS

Confer: A formal process of issuing a qualification to a student.

Course and unit completion: occurs once the requirements to complete have been officially verified by LI.

Graduand: A student who has met the requirements for course completion but is yet to have the award conferred.

Graduate: A student who has successfully completed the requirements for an award and that award has been conferred.

Graduation Documents

• At conferral, graduates are presented with academic documentation, including the Record of Results (or academic transcript), Australian Higher Education Graduate Statements (AHEGS), and testamurs;

• The AHEGS is a static document that includes information regarding: the graduate, the awarding institution; language of instruction; the nature, level, context, and status of the studies; the graduate academic achievements; and a description of the Australian higher education system. The AHEGS is only issued upon the completion of the course;

• LI ensures adherence to the Guidelines for the Presentation of Australian Higher Education Graduation Statements. The Registrar maintains the currently approved version of the AHEGS;

• The Record of Results is an official record of studies undertaken at LI and will indicate the date on which the student was qualified and conferred in the award. It contains specialisations, all units undertaken, and advanced standing/cross credit granted. The Record of Results includes a watermark and unique serial number identifier;

• The testamur is an official award certificate issued by LI that includes the full title of the qualification awarded and specialisations completed;

• Testamurs include the LI seal in raised relief on the front of the secure stationery, a watermark, and unique serial number identifier. This number is recorded on the register of all awards conferred in accordance with the Australian Qualifications Framework Qualifications Issuance Policy;

• Testamurs are presented at a graduation ceremony. After conferral, graduates may apply for the release of their testamur if they choose not to attend the graduation ceremony;

• The information on a graduate's testamur and/or records of results shall not be altered, other than to be re-issued after the correction of an error.

SCOPE

Whole institute

PROCEDURES

Applying to Graduate

1. Students must notify the Registrar of their intention to graduate prior to the due date;

2. Students must finalise and pay all outstanding fees, or this will result in ineligibility to graduate;

3. If the graduand is unable to attend the next graduation ceremony for the conferral of their award, they may request the deferral of their attendance to a subsequent ceremony, collect their testamur in person after the scheduled ceremony, or request the testamur be mailed to them after the scheduled ceremony.

Reviewing Eligibility to Graduate

The Registrar oversees the reviewing of a student's eligibility to graduate and is responsible to confirm that:

1. The Program Director has checked that the student has met the course requirements of the award as prescribed in the award's regulations;

2. The Finance Manager has checked that the student has no financial debt;

3. No current suspension, exclusion, or allegation of student misconduct has been made against the student and the allegation remains under investigation in accordance with the Academic Integrity Policy;

4. They have not already graduated from the award.

   
   

Issuing Documentation

1. The Registrar arranges for the printing of testamurs from the student management system for presentation on graduation. Blank testamur and Record of Results stationary for printing are held in a secure location under the control of the Registrar;

2. The Registrar or delegated representative prepares all graduand certification documentation, including their testamur, Record of Results, and AHEGS;

3. Testamurs are printed with a unique number generated in the student management system, and embossed with the LI seal;

4. Batches of testamur blanks released for printing are accounted for and a reconciliation recorded for completed, damaged, and unused testamurs against the total issued

5. For graduands not attending the graduation ceremony, the original certification documentation is posted or made available for collection from Registry, as advised by the graduate.

   
   

Issuing Replacement Certification

If original printed testamur and/or record of study certifications have been lost, stolen, mislaid, destroyed, or damaged, after they have been received by the graduate, the graduate must submit a request for replacement in writing to the Registrar, along with the replacement fee. If the replacement is required because the original documentation has been damaged, then the damaged document must be returned prior to issue of the replacement. If the original document has been returned, it will be destroyed after the production of the replacement document.

Replacement certification is issued by the Registrar on payment of a fee by the graduate. The word 'Replacement' is printed on the testamur. Replacement certification is provided for collection either in person or by registered mail. Details of all replacements are recorded in a register of graduates.