THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

UNDERGRADUATE DIPLOMAS RULES 2005

The Council of the Australian National University makes these Rules under section 7 of the Programs and Awards Statute 2004.

Dated: 10 December 2004.

Peter Baume AO

Chancellor

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Name of Rules and commencement

 1.(1)   These Rules are the Undergraduate Diplomas Rules 2005.

(2)       These Rules commence on 31 December 2004, immediately after the commencement of the Rules (Repeal) Rules 2004.

Definitions

 2.(1)   In these Rules, unless the contrary intention appears:

Dean means a Dean of a Faculty in The  Faculties;

diploma means an undergraduate diploma referred to in column 3 of an item in the Schedule that is administered by a Faculty mentioned in column 2 of that item;

Director SAS means the Director, Student and Academic Services;

Faculty means a Faculty mentioned in column 2 of an item in the Schedule;

prescribed authority means the Dean of a Faculty or his or her nominee;

program means a program of study for a diploma;

program coordinator, in relation to a program, means a person appointed under rule 3 to be the coordinator of the program;

student means a candidate for a diploma.

Appointment and functions of program coordinators

 3.(1)   Each prescribed authority must appoint a program coordinator for the purposes of these Rules.

 (2)      A program coordinator has such functions, in addition to those conferred on the program coordinator by these Rules, as the relevant prescribed authority determines.

Application for admission to candidature

4.(1)    A person wishing to pursue an academic program for a diploma must apply in an approved form to the Director SAS to be admitted as a student and must give the Director SAS any other information required by the prescribed authority.

Enrolment

 5.(1)   A person may be enrolled by a prescribed authority as a student for a diploma administered by the prescribed authority’s Faculty only if that person has been admitted to the University in accordance with the Undergraduate Admission Rules.

 (2)      Subject to subrule (1), a prescribed authority may, subject to such requirements and on such terms and conditions as the prescribed authority determines, enrol as a student for a diploma administered by the prescribed authority’s Faculty a person who wishes to transfer candidature from a program for a bachelor degree or another undergraduate diploma offered by the University.

 (3)      A person enrolled as a student under subrule (2) is taken to have commenced the program on the date on which the student commenced the program for the bachelor degree or other undergraduate diploma.

 (4)      The prescribed authority may, having regard to criteria established by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), refuse to enrol a person as a student.

 (5)      Except with the permission of the prescribed authority of the Faculty concerned, a student must not undertake a program at the same time as undertaking a degree, diploma or other award program offered by:

              (a)   another Faculty; or

              (b)   another tertiary education institution.

Program of study

 6.(1)   A program consists of a sequence of undergraduate courses to a value of not less than 42 units unless the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), by Order, otherwise determines.

 (2)      A student must choose the courses of his or her program, and make any change to that choice, in accordance with the Orders.

 (3)      However, if the Orders indicate that the approval of the prescribed authority of a Faculty must be obtained for the choice or number of courses that may be undertaken in a particular program, a student wishing to undertake that program must get that approval.

Status for previous work

 7.(1)   If a student has, before being admitted, performed relevant undergraduate work, whether at the University or at another tertiary education institution, the relevant prescribed authority may grant such status towards the diploma in respect of such of that work as the prescribed authority thinks fit.

Student may complete certain courses at approved institutions

 8.(1)   A prescribed authority may permit a student for a diploma administered by the prescribed authority’s Faculty, to complete not more than the maximum number of courses (if any) determined by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) at a tertiary education institution approved by the prescribed authority.

 (2)      Permission is not to be granted under subrule (1) unless the prescribed authority is satisfied that the courses are substantially comparable in quality with equivalent courses of the University.

Duration of program

 9. (1)  Unless the relevant Dean otherwise determines, the program for a diploma is to be completed within 5 years after the commencement of the program.

(2)       The prescribed authority may approve a period of program leave of absence and such periods are not to be taken into account in determining the duration of a program.

Application of Academic Progress Rules

10.(1)  The Academic Progress Rules apply in relation to a diploma administered by a Faculty as if the diploma were a bachelor degree.

Examinations

11.(1)  The Examinations (The Faculties) Rules are to be applied in relation to examinations for a program for a diploma with any necessary or convenient modifications, additions and omissions as are determined by the Dean.

Classifications of performance of student

12.(1)  A program coordinator must, in relation to each student, after any consultation with the examiners that the coordinator considers necessary in relation to the student, recommend to the relevant Dean:

              (a)   that the student has satisfactorily completed the program and performance can be classified as Pass with Merit or Pass; or

              (b)   that the student has failed the program.

 (2)      The program coordinator may only classify the performance of the student as Pass with Merit if the student has achieved an average standard equivalent to a distinction standard for an equivalent pass degree.

 (3)      The Dean must, having regard to the recommendation of the program coordinator, decide whether a student has satisfactorily completed the program.

 (4)      The Dean must not decide that a student has satisfactorily completed a program unless the student has, to the Dean's satisfaction, attended such classes and seminars and performed such work as the Dean determines.

 (5)      Except where the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) determines otherwise, the performance of a student in a course forming part of a program is to be classified by the Dean as high distinction, distinction, credit, pass or fail.

Award of diploma

13.(1)  If the Dean resolves that a student be granted a diploma, the Dean may resolve that the student be awarded the diploma with the classification determined by the Dean.

[NOTE: Rule 17 of the Discipline Rules provides for withholding of awards where obligations to the University have not been met.]

Review of decisions

14.(1)  If the Dean or prescribed authority makes a decision affecting a student under these Rules, the Dean or prescribed authority must tell the student, in writing, about his or her rights to a review of the decision.

(2)       A student may seek review of a decision made by the Dean or prescribed authority under these Rules, except a decision classifying the student’s performance in accordance with subrule 12(5).

(3)       Application for review of a decision must initially be made to the Dean or prescribed authority concerned.

(4)       If the Dean or prescribed authority receives an application for review, the Dean or prescribed authority must review the decision and make a fresh decision as if he or she were making the original decision.

(5)       If the student wishes to seek a review of a decision made under subrule (4), the student may ask the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) to review the decision.

(6)       The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) may:

              (a)   decide to take no action; or

              (b)   appoint a panel to review a decision referred under subrule (5) and the panel may make any decision that could have been made by the original decision-maker.

Application of amending rules

15.(1)  If an amendment is made to these Rules, to an Order or to a determination, prescription, approval or other decision of the program coordinator, prescribed authority or Dean, and that amendment affects a program to which these Rules relate, that amendment does not apply to a student who, before the making of the amendment, has completed any work towards a diploma unless:

              (a)   the student elects that the amendment apply to the student and submits to the Dean proposed alterations to the student's program and the Dean approves those alterations; or

              (b)   the relevant Dean otherwise determines.

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SCHEDULE