Grading Policy
Fact box
- Policy owner: Chair, Learning and Teaching Committee
- Policy category: Academic: Learning and Teaching
- Policy status: Approved
- Approval body: Academic Board
- Endorsement body: Learning & Teaching Committee
- Related policies:
- Last amended: 12th Jan. 2024
- Relevant HESF: 1.3, 1.4; RTO Standards – 1.8, 1.13; National Code – 6.3
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to provide a uniform grading scale for grading individual assessments and overall subjects or units, as well as procedures for notification of those grades.
Grades are awarded to enable the AC to provide a final statement for the student and the wider community of the student's achievement of the learning outcomes and graduate attributes in a subject or unit.
Scope
This policy applies to all students enrolled in, and all staff involved in the delivery of coursework subjects or units in both Higher Education (HE) and Vocational Education and Training (VET).
Policy
GLOSSARY
A grade indicates the level of student performance in a subject or unit against specified learning outcomes, graduate attributes, and standards.
POLICY
A student’s grade for a subject or unit undertaken is determined by assessment of performance. Students must be informed of the expectations and learning outcomes related to each assessment task required for each subject or unit of study. Thus, the grade a student receives should reflect their overall performance in meeting learning outcomes.
The award of grades shall be a criterion-referenced process which requires the exercise of professional judgement in relation to transparent criteria and standards.
In awarding grades, due weight shall be given to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level at which the subject or unit is offered.
Amending a final grade
A final grade may only be amended if:
- there has been an administrative error; or
- there has been a successful review of appeal by the student according to the Complaint and Grievance Resolution Policy.
Notification of Grades
After the completion of each subject, the lecturer/trainer must lodge with Registry details of the marks and grades obtained by each student in each assessable component of the subject or unit, and the weighting attached to each component.
Interim subject or unit results are to be released informally to students as soon as possible, typically via Moodle.
The Registry will notify the students of their official results in writing on a semester basis, with an updated transcript. Grades are not official, until endorsed by Internal Monitoring of Grades Committee.
Review of grades
A student may request a review of their final grade in a subject on either of the following grounds:
- assessment requirements stated in the subject unit outline were changed without consultation with students or applied without due process,
- An administrative error occurred in the calculation, recording or publication of the grade.
Responsible for implementation
Chair, Learning and Teaching Committee
Key stakeholders
Students, Faculty, Registry
Related legislation
The Australian Qualifications Framework | AQF
Related documents
Student Affairs Committee Form (via the Student Gateway)
Procedures
Grading Procedure
Grading of professional placements
Students required to undertake a professional placement as part of their course, will be awarded a non-graded pass/fail for their practicum and a calculation applied to include the result in the student GPA.
HDR Final Grades*
The grade of a student is recorded as follows:
|
Transcript Reference |
Student Management System reference |
Description |
|
Research Continuing |
RC |
‘Research Continuing’ denotes that a student’s research is continuing and not yet completed. |
|
Thesis Satisfactorily Completed |
TC |
‘Thesis Satisfactorily Completed’ denotes that a student has completed the thesis. |
*Some HE Final Grades may also apply to HDR candidates as relevant
Higher Education Final Grades
The grade of a student is recorded as follows:
|
Transcript Reference |
Student Management System reference |
Description |
|
High Distinction 85–100% |
85–100% |
This grade denotes performance which meets all learning outcomes in such an exceptional way and with such marked excellence that it deserves the highest level of recognition. |
|
Distinction 75–84% |
75–84% |
This grade denotes performance which clearly deserves a very high level of recognition as an excellent achievement of learning outcomes. |
|
Credit 65–74% |
65–74% |
This grade denotes performance which is substantially better than would normally be expected of competent achievement of learning outcomes. |
|
Pass 50–64% |
50–64% |
This grade denotes performance which satisfies subject learning outcomes. |
|
Satisfactory Non-graded pass |
Satisfactory |
This grade denotes a satisfactory level of achievement of learning outcomes. It is used when a subject is assessed on a pass or fail basis. |
|
Fail <50% |
<50% |
This grade denotes performance which does not meet learning outcomes. |
VET Grading
The grading system for individual assessments within a VET unit will be:
- Not Yet Satisfactory (N) - Students have not yet demonstrated the performance criteria to fulfil this assessment level.
- Satisfactory (S) – Students have fulfilled the performance criteria required for this assessment level.
VET Final Grades
The grade of a student is recorded as follows:
|
Transcript Reference |
Student Management System reference |
Description |
|
Competent |
COM |
Students have demonstrated the evidence to fulfil the required competency of the unit. |
|
Not Yet Competent |
NYC |
Students have not yet demonstrated the evidence to fulfil the required competency of the unit. |
HE and VET Final Grades
In the event of the following results, the grade of a student is recorded as follows:
|
Transcript Reference |
Student Management System reference |
Description |
|
Incomplete Limit of a P grade |
|
‘Incomplete’ denotes that a student has an assessment task for a subject incomplete with no approved extension. The student may submit an explanation to the Student Affairs Committee to ask for an opportunity to submit the incomplete assessment task for a grade no higher than 50%. |
|
Extension No limit to grade |
Extension |
‘Extension’ denotes that an extension has been approved and is still in place. The student will receive no penalty |
|
Late-Withdrawal
Withdrawn after census date |
Late-Withdrawal |
‘Late-Withdrawal’ denotes that a student has been granted a retrospective withdrawal from a subject due to extenuating circumstances (compassionate/medical grounds). This is only used when the withdrawal has been approved by the Student Affairs Committee . This is NOT to be used for when a student notifies AC of withdrawing from a class AFTER the census date. In this situation the student would receive a fail grade. It is only used for special circumstances late withdrawals. |
|
In Progress
No final grade allocated |
In Progress |
‘In Progress’ denotes that the subject has not yet been completed. This may be because the subject is still being taught, the grades are only partially reported or the subject extends over more than one teaching period (i.e. research project). |
|
Transfer of Credit (TC)
|
Credit for Prior Learning/RPL |
‘Transfer of Credit’ is used when give a student has had cross credits or RPL approved based on successful completion of equivalent study. A student does not need to enrol in these subjects. |
|
Exempt without Credit |
No Credit for Prior Learning/RPL |
'Exempt without credit' is used when a student has met the learning outcomes of a unit, but no credit points allocated. Students are still required to complete the course credit points. A student does not need to enrol in these subjects. |
|
WF |
Withdrawn Fail |
A result given where a student has formally withdrawn from a unit after the census date (with academic penalty) |
|
PC |
Pass Conceded |
Where a student has not achieved a passing grade but demonstrated a level of performance that is close to that of a passing grade. A grade of Pass Conceded may be awarded to facilitate student progress through a program. A student cannot request a conceded pass; it is offered by AC. The student must have submitted all marked assessments for the subject. A PC is typically awarded in the final semester of a course of study. |
Administration functions only (do not appear on student transcript)
|
New |
‘New’ is used when first enrolling the student but the enrolment hasn’t been completed. This is done automatically in the system |
|
Enrolling |
‘Enrolling’ field is used when subjects have been selected but the enrolment is not completed |
|
Completed |
‘Completed’ field is used when completing the final grade for a subject. (That is when all the individual assessment grades are entered, calculated and finalised for subject). |
|
Withdrawn |
Enrolment academic period has commenced, and student withdraws before census date. |
|
Cancelled |
Student withdraws from enrolment before academic period commences. |
Approval and release of grades
Grades in subjects will be recorded, approved and released according to the following process:
- Lecturer records grades in the AC Learning Management System.
- Grades are moderated at a School level.
- Grades are moderated further if required and endorsed via the Internal Monitoring of Grades Committee.
- Grades are released to students via the Student Management System, on a date determined by the Learning and Teaching Committee in consultation with Registry.
Review of grade process
The Head of School, or their delegate, will assign each review of grade request to an academic staff member to make a recommendation, as follows:
- A reviewer cannot be a faculty member who decided any of the student’s original marks in the subject or unit.
- Where the request is for second marking of an assessment task, it can be assigned to a single reviewer.
Changes to grade process
A change of grade must be endorsed by the Head of School and approved by the Learning and Teaching Committee.
The Committee will notify Registry in writing of an amendment to a grade, requesting this be actioned in the Student Management System, prior to notifying the student.
