Skip to content | Change text size
 

Recognition of Excellence Policy

Please note that this policy has not yet been revised or converted to the new format.

Letters of Commendation

A letter of commendation shall be sent by the Board of Examiners to all students who have achieved High Distinctions in all subjects undertaken in the previous semester.

University Awards and Prizes

Monash University shall establish four medals to be awarded to the student population each year, being:

  • The University Medal for Academic Excellence, awarded to final year undergraduate students for superlative academic achievement to the highest academic achievers in each faculty;
  • The Academic Medal, to be awarded to the final year undergraduate who has the highest achievement in schools, departments, degree programs or campuses of each faculty, according to criteria developed by the faculty and ratified by Academic Board;
  • The Sir John Monash Medal for Outstanding Achievement, awarded to final year undergraduate students with excellent academic records who have also achieved excellence in another arena; and
  • The Mollie Holman Medal for Excellence in a PhD Thesis, awarded to the PhD candidate in each faculty judged to have presented the best thesis of the year.

The number of medals to be awarded in a given year will be as follows:

University Medals

  • The Faculties of Law, Medicine and Pharmacy would continue to award their own medals for the highest academic achievement at the undergraduate level, since each of these faculties already awards established medals of high prestige and tradition;
  • 1 medal to be awarded in each of the faculty of Art and Design and the School of Nursing;
  • 1 medal to be awarded in the Faculty of Education;
  • 2 medals to be awarded in the Faculties of Engineering, Science, and Information Technology; and
  • 3 Medals to be awarded in the Faculties of Arts and Business and Economics.

Sir John Monash Medals and Mollie Holman Medals

  • One medal per faculty and sub-faculty per year.

Academic Medals

  • To be determined by each faculty according to criteria developed by the faculty.

In exceptional circumstances, the university also reserves the right to award up to four additional University Medals, two additional John Monash Medals and two additional Mollie Holman Medals per year. The conditions for nomination would be as above, and the committee wishing to award additional medals should urgently forward the names to the relevant Deputy Vice Chancellor with all supporting documentation, including the reason for the request for an additional award. The decision whether to grant any additional awards would be made by the Vice-Chancellor.

The University will establish the Dean's Recognition Award, to be made to all students who satisfy the conditions outlined above for academic performance in a semester.

The University endorses the inclusion of the medals in Graduation Programs, and the proclaiming of the University, Sir John Monash and Mollie Holman Medals at the student's graduation ceremony, and the inclusion of all Medals and Dean's Recognition Awards on official University transcripts.

Any faculties that chooses not to use the awards structure outlined above and for those faculties that choose to make additional awards that are recognised by the University as recognition of outstanding achievement, the equivalent awards for these faculties to those described above shall also be included in the manner described above.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide a mechanism for rewarding extraordinary academic achievement.

Scope

This policy applies to undergraduate and PhD students.

Related Documents

Governing Documents

Responsibilities for Implementation

  • University wide - Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)
  • Faculty wide - Deans

Review Schedule

Academic Board will consider this policy for review three years after approval or earlier if required.

Approved

Approved by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Planning) on 2 December 2002

Change to "Responsibilities for Implementation" made by Education Committee Meeting 6/2005, 26 October 2005.