Withdrawal of award procedure

Procedure

Intent and objectives

The purpose of this document is to outline the interim process to be followed when it is determined that a conferred award needs to be withdrawn. It is anticipated that this process will be in place until the implementation of Version 9 of PeopleSoft at the end of 2008, which will result in students being confirmed in their ‘completed’ status prior to conferral.

Identification of incorrectly conferred award:

A student incorrectly receiving a conferred award can be identified through:

1. the Exams, Awards and Graduations Data Verification Team (ARG);

2. the owning School; or

3. the student themselves.

The following process should be followed in the event that a student has been identified as having received an award in error, or received an incorrect award:

1. Identified by the data verification team:

1.1 Data verification team contacts school regarding students who appear to have been incorrectly ‘completed’ on the graduation database as compared with the enrolment record;

1.2 School confirms whether ‘completion’ status is accurate;

(Refer to steps 4 – 7 below)

2. Identified by the owning school

2.1 School identifies student as having received an award in error, or received an incorrect award;

(Refer to steps 4 – 7 below)

3. Identified by the student

3.1 Student contacts / is referred, to owning school;

(Refer to steps 4 – 7 below)

(Common steps to all processes above):

4. If the school identifies a student as having received an award in error, or received an incorrect award, the School completes the form titled “Withdrawal of award request” (copy attached), and forwards to Exams, Awards and Graduations;

5.* The “Withdrawal of award request” form will be checked by delegates of the Academic Registrar;

6. Exams, Awards and Graduations confirms whether certificate has been issued:

6.1 If so, school requested to action retrieval of award (refer ‘Award Retrieval’ below);

7. Exams, Awards and Graduations updates PeopleSoft, graduation database and conferral list.

*Authorisation to proceed with withdrawal of award and retrieval of certificate:

The Academic Registrar has authority to withdraw awards. The ‘Withdrawal of Award Request’ form will be used to authorise updates to PeopleSoft, Graduation Database and the Conferral List. The details contained within the form will be checked by delegates of the Academic Registrar (Terrie Healy, Manager, Student Administration and Mirna Bitar, Manager, Exams, Awards and Graduations).

Award retrieval

The following process will be followed to withdraw and retrieve a certificate that has been issued:

1. Upon confirmation that the award should be withdrawn and the certificate retrieved, the School contacts the student in writing (refer sample letter attached) to:

1.1 advise the reasons for award withdrawal;

1.2 request the return of the certificate to Exams, Awards and Graduations;

1.3 advise that any new certificate can only be issued once the erroneous testamur is returned.

2. Exams, Awards and Graduations shall destroy returned erroneous certificates;

3. Exams, Awards and Graduations shall issue new certificate if required;

4. Exams, Awards and Graduations updates PeopleSoft, graduation database and conferral list.

The following process will be followed to withdraw and retrieve a certificate that has been issued and the student denies that the certificate is in their possession:

1. Exams, Awards and Graduations and/or the School will request a statutory declaration to be provided by the student;

2. Exams, Awards and Graduations updates PeopleSoft, graduation database and conferral list.

Escalation Process

If the certificate is in the student’s possession and it is then discovered that the student has been incorrectly conferred, the following process will be followed for a student refusing to hand back the certificate:

1. The school will notify Exams, Awards and Graduations;

2. Exams, Awards and Graduations will take the matter to the Manager, Student Administration to discuss with the Academic Registrar;

3. The Academic Registrar’s Office will write a letter to the student requesting that the certificate be returned;

4. Exams, Awards and Graduations will add a comment to PeopleSoft (in the comments panel) and add a comment on the graduation database against the student’s record to indicate that the award is not valid etc;

5. Exams, Awards and Graduations will activate an GDC NSI on PeopleSoft against the student.

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