1 Policy Statement

1. Council shall, each year, confer awards and prizes on those students who are eligible to graduate and have met the specified requirements for such awards and prizes.

2. To recognise exceptional academic achievement Council may award University Medals to the most outstanding students selected from those who have completed the requirements for a bachelor honours degree, degree of bachelor with honours or degree of bachelor of at least four years’ duration.

3. Council may, each year, award Faculty Medals to students from each Faculty in recognition of the students’ exceptional academic achievement while completing a three year bachelor’s degree.

4. Council may approve the conferring of awards ‘with Distinction’ on students who have performed with academic excellence in the studies leading to the award of a associate degree or a bachelor’s degree from which the award of honours is not available.

5. Council may approve the conferring of awards ‘with Distinction’ on students who have performed with academic excellence in the studies leading to a postgraduate coursework award.

2 Procedures

2.1 University Medals

1. To be eligible for a University Medal:

   • a student must have completed at least 16 units at the University in a bachelor honours degree, bachelor degree with honours or bachelor degree of at least four years’ duration.

   • a student must have a minimum GPA of 6.6. The GPA for each student must be calculated from all the courses that contributed to the student’s program including, in the case of the honours degree, from the courses contributing towards the related bachelor degree.

2. A student may be awarded no more than one University Medal in a single field of study.

3. In exceptional circumstances, a case may be put to the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor regarding the eligibility of a candidate as per 2.1.1.

4. The Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor will recommend the award of University Medal(s) to the Vice-Chancellor.

5. University Medals may be presented at each graduation ceremony.

2.2 Faculty Medals

1. To be eligible for a Faculty Medal:

   • a student must have completed at least 8 units at the University, graded using the stratified grading system that contributed to their three year bachelor’s degree program.

   • a student must have a minimum GPA of 6.6.

2. In exceptional circumstances, a case may be put to the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor regarding the eligibility of a candidate as per 2.2.1.

3. The Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor will recommend the award of Faculty Medal(s) to the Vice-Chancellor.

4. A student may be awarded no more than one Faculty Medal in a single field of study.

2.3 Awards ‘with Distinction’ – Undergraduate Programs

1. To be eligible for an award ‘with Distinction’ students must have completed at least eight units at the University, graded using the stratified grading system, that contributed to their program and be eligible to receive an award of an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree or a bachelor degree with embedded honours.

2. No student may graduate ‘with distinction’ and ‘with honours’ from a single degree.

3. The following GPA cut-offs will determine those students who may be eligible for the award. The GPA for each student must be calculated from all the courses that contributed to the student’s program.

   • a GPA cut-off of 6.0 shall apply for students whose GPA has been calculated on the basis of at least sixteen units;

   • a GPA cut-off of 6.5 shall apply for students whose GPA has been calculated on the basis of between eight and fifteen units inclusive.

4. In exceptional circumstances, a case may be put to the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor regarding the eligibility of a candidate as per 2.3.1.

5. The Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor will recommend Awards ‘with Distinction’ to the Vice-Chancellor.

6. Awards ‘with Distinction’ may be presented at each graduation ceremony.

2.4 Awards ‘with Distinction’ – Postgraduate Programs

1. To be eligible for an award ‘with Distinction’:

   • a student must have completed at least 8 units at the University, graded using the stratified grading system that contributed to their coursework postgraduate program.

   • a student must have a minimum GPA of 6.5.

2. In exceptional circumstances, a case may be put to the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor regarding the eligibility of a candidate as per 2.4.1.

3. The Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor will recommend awards ‘with Distinction’ to the Vice-Chancellor.

4. Awards ‘with Distinction’ may be presented at each graduation ceremony.

3 Other Policy Information