Academic Progress Intervention Strategy Procedures

Parent Policy

Temporary Policy Name

The Academic Progress Intervention Strategy procedures set out the process for identifying and assisting students ‘at risk’ of not making satisfactory course progress. The strategy specifies procedures for contacting and counselling identified students and sets out options available to assist students to achieve satisfactory course progress. The strategy is implemented when a warning letter or email is sent to a student after a student has failed 50% or more of their enrolled units in a standard semester, or over two standard semesters.

Responsibility
Faculty Academic Course Leaders and Advisors

Definition of terms

Academic Support Meeting: A face-to-face meeting between a staff member and a student to discuss academic progress issues.
Academic Condition: a condition of study or term placed on enrolment that has to be met in order for a student to maintain satisfactory academic progress
Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE): A document, provided electronically, which is issued by the registered provider to intending overseas students and must accompany their application for a student visa. It confirms the overseas student’s eligibility to enrol in a particular course of the registered provider.
Early Warning Letter: Sent to students who have failed 50% or more of their enrolled units after the completion of each study period.
Full-time Load: A student enrolled in units totalling 48 credit points shall represent 1.0 EFTSU (100 percent) in terms of student statistics, HECS/CSP and fee structures.
The National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students (National Code 2007): The National Code is a set of nationally consistent standards that governs the protection of overseas students and delivery of courses to those students by providers registered on CRICOS - the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. Only CRICOS courses can be offered to international students studying in Australia on a student visa.
Notice of Referral Regarding Unsatisfactory Academic Progress Letter: Under Monash University Statute 6.2 section 5.1.1.2, a Faculty Board may refer a student whose progress is unsatisfactory to an Academic Progress Committee. The particulars for a Notice of Referral are set out in section 3 of the Regulations made pursuant to Statute 6.2.
Standard Semester: Refers to either Semester one or Semester two which are the main two teaching periods when the majority of university teaching occurs.
Underload: As it applies to international students holding a student visa, an enrolment in units with a value of less than 24 credit points per semester or 48 credit points over the full academic year

Early Warning Letters

Early warning letters are sent at the completion of the study period to students who have failed 50% or more of their enrolled units in the previous standard semester. The early warning letter must contain: a warning that progress is not satisfactory, the reasons why it is not satisfactory (i.e. relevant unsatisfactory progress criteria), and it must advise the student to seek academic and course advice. Example proformas can be found at:  Sample Proformas

Responsibility

Faculty Deans
Faculty Student Service Officers
Faculty Academic Course Leaders

Mid-year intervention for students at risk after completing two semesters of study

Faculties must have in place procedures which provide for the review of the academic progress of students who are admitted in a mid year intake before they have completed three semesters of study. These procedures must be implemented (as a minimum) after semester one for students who:

• commenced mid-year in the previous year and
• who have completed two semesters of study and
• who have failed 50% or more of their enrolment.

The faculty procedures must be made available to students through the faculty website and will be reported in accordance with the Education Policy compliance exercise, which is conducted under the auspices of Education Committee.

Responsibility

Faculty Boards

Voluntary Academic Support Meeting

Students who are deemed ‘at risk’ may be given the option of attending an Academic Support Meeting. The rationale for the Academic Support Meeting is to:

1. help the student identify difficulties that are affecting their academic progress, whether these are academic or other difficulties
2. inform the student of support services that are available or where he/she can turn for further advice
3. refer the student on to a specific service or person for further support or advice

Faculties will keep attendance records of the Voluntary Academic Support Meetings which  will be made available to the Faculty Academic Progress Committee at the end of the year.

Responsibility

Faculty Student Service Officers
Faculty Academic Course Leaders and Advisers
Faculty Academic Progress Committees

Referral to Academic Progress Committee

A student may be sent a notice of referral to an academic progress committee at the end of the year: if

• the student has completed at least two semesters of candidature and, in the period commencing in December of the previous year, passed less than 50% of enrolment;
• failed the same compulsory subject twice; or
• failed to comply with any terms or conditions imposed by the faculty board under section 5 of Statute 6.2 or by an academic progress committee of the faculty.

(Please refer to Statute 6.2 and the Exclusion for unsatisfactory progress regulations or inability to progress).   The Notice of Referral can be found on the Executive Service University website at:  http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/execserv/progress/index.html

Responsibility

Faculty Boards
Academic Progress Committees (Chairs)

Academic Condition

Students who have a condition placed on their enrolment are at risk of being excluded from their course of study for unsatisfactory course progress if the condition is not satisfied . Such students must take every opportunity to make use of university support services and develop, as appropriate, a plan to restore their academic standing and thereby satisfy the term or condition imposed.

Responsibility

Faculty Boards
Students

Time to complete course

International Students:
Students are permitted further time to complete their course under National Code 2007, Standard 9.2, in the following circumstances:

• compassionate or compelling circumstances (e.g. illness where a medical certificate states that the student was unable to attend classes or where the registered provider was unable to offer a pre-requisite unit);
• the registered provider implementing its intervention strategy for students who were at risk of not meeting satisfactory course progress; or
• an approved deferment, intermission  or suspension of study has been granted under Standard 13 ..

See Monash ESOS web site http://www.monash.edu/international/esos/ for Monash compliance obligations

When there is underload approval resulting in students needing further time to complete their course, students may be issued a new Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) to apply for a new student visa. Approval to underload can be given either by direct Monash action or following application by the student.  Students must complete the underload application form http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/service-centre/forms/underload.pdf

Responsibility

Faculty Student Service Officers
Faculty Academic Course Leaders and Advisors

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