• Section 1 - Purpose
• Background
• Scope
• Section 2 - Policy
• Eligibility
• Content
• Errors
• Format
• Distribution
• Additional Copies
• Storage
• Review
• Section 3 - Procedures
• Section 4 - Guidelines
• Section 5 - Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This Policy sets out requirements for the issuing of Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS) by Macquarie University in compliance with Government requirements.

Background

(2) The AHEGS was introduced by the Australian Government to make Australian qualifications recognised throughout the world. The AHEGS describes an Australian higher education qualification in an easily understandable way, relating it to the system within which it was issued and describing qualifications in a clear and consistent way to potential employers and other higher education institutions.

(3) The AHEGS presented to graduates of Macquarie University is based on nationally agreed specifications in accordance with the Guidelines for the presentation of Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement.

Scope

(4) This Policy applies to students of Macquarie University who have their qualification for an Award ratified by Academic Senate or a Faculty Board on or after 16 December 2010.

(5) This Policy applies to Awards include undergraduate and honours degrees, postgraduate coursework and research degrees certificates and diplomas, graduate certificates and diplomas, for all campuses and locations of the University that are Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) compliant.

Section 2 - Policy

(6) The University will comply with the specifications established by the Australian Government in relation to the format, issuance, and content of the AHEGS. The AHEGS provides a clear, factual, and concise statement of a graduate’s academic achievements for an international audience and to ensure that Macquarie University complies with Government requirements relating to the Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement.

(7) The University will issue the AHEGS at the time the award is conferred or as soon as practicable after conferral.

(8) One AHEGS will be issued for each Award.

Joint Degree

(9) Where a student has completed and qualified for a joint degree that is conferred by Macquarie University and is considered a single Award by the University, only one AHEGS will be issued.

Jointly Badged Award

(10) Where a student has completed and qualified for a jointly badged Award that is conferred by Macquarie University, the University will provide an AHEGS to the student.

Eligibility

(11) Only students who have their qualification for an AQF compliant Award ratified by Academic Senate or a Faculty Board on or after 16 December 2010 will be eligible to receive an AHEGS.

(12) Where a student has an outstanding debt, their AHEGS will be produced but not issued until the debt is cleared.

Content

(13) All data included on an AHEGS will be valid, verifiable, official, and sourced from centrally held electronic records.

(14) The AHEGS will be written in English except for thesis title and abstract where non-English characters have been approved by the Research Degree Subcommittee.

(15) All web references will be to either the University’s home page or a dedicated AHEGS webpage.

(16) The following information will not be included on the AHEGS:

1. Date of Birth;
2. Debts;
3. Exclusions;
4. Fines;
5. Weighted Average Mark (WAM) or Grade Point Average (GPA), as there is no consistent WAM/GPA calculation across the Australian Higher Education sector. Grades used for internal purposes only are excluded [such as Fail Withdrawn (FW), Fail Absent (FA) and Incomplete Supplementary (IS)], although the corresponding external grade [eg Fail (F) for FA or FW], will be included;
6. Sanctions; and
7. Withdrawal without Academic Penalty (W) status.

Page One

(17) The official AHEGS logo will be included, as required, in the top right hand corner of the first page.

(18) The following statement will be included, as required, verbatim on the first page:

(19) The University crest and the University logo will be included as required.

Certification

(20) The Certification will be included, as required, on the first page.

(21) The Certification will comprise the signature, name and position title of the Registrar.

(22) The date the AHEGS was produced will be included as part of the Certification.

Section 1 – The Graduate

Student Details

(23) The student name will comprise the family name and all given names. It will be the name that is held in the University’s electronic central student system at the time the AHEGS is produced.

(24) Name changes will be dealt with in accordance with the requirements for Testamurs.

(25) The student identification number will be included, as required.

(26) As indicated above, the date of birth will not be included.

Section 2 – The Award

Name of the Award

(27) The name of the Award will be the full name as approved by the University Council. No abbreviations will be used in the name of the Award.

Details

(28) The description must be approved by the Registrar. There will be one description for each Award. The maximum word limit for the description will be 150 words. This limit includes the text for the mandatory information together with any optional details.

(29) The details to be included will be the currently approved details as at the date the AHEGS is produced.

(30) The details will include:

1. duration;
2. minimum number of credit points (for coursework awards except for an Open Universities Australia award where the minimum number of units will be indicated – see also Open University Australia Section below);
3. language of instruction;
4. level (e.g. postgraduate, undergraduate); and
5. admission requirements (generic).

(31) In addition, the following details will be included if approved by the Registrar:

1. professional placements;
2. industry-based learning;
3. overseas study;
4. work-integrated learning;
5. pathways to further learning; and
6. accreditation.

Open Universities Australia

(32) Where a student has studied through Open Universities Australia (OUA) and elects to receive their Award from Macquarie University, the University will issue an AHEGS. It will include all units attempted for that Award, although only those attempted at Macquarie University will have a corresponding grade and, where relevant, a Standardised Numerical Grade (SNG) / Mark.*

Section 3 – Awarding Institution

(33) There will be one statement about Macquarie University, regardless of the level or type of Award. This statement will be:

(34) Macquarie University’s Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) Provider Code will be the only CRICOS Code included.

(35) Details of partner institutions will be included in this Section, where appropriate.

Section 4 – Academic Achievements

(36) The Award details will be listed at the top of this Academic Achievements section. The details will include the full Award name and the date awarded. Only details of the actual Award the student is to receive will be listed. Where a student was studying towards another Award, this will not be included on the AHEGS. Such details are included on the Academic Transcript.

(37) Details of all coursework units attempted for the Award will then be listed and will include the unit code, full unit title (as recorded in the University’s central student system), the grade (abbreviated), the SNG / Mark, where appropriate, and the credit points gained. Where an SNG is included, the following definition will also be included: the SNG is a numeric that reflects the extent to which student attainment matches the descriptor for the grade awarded. From 2020 the Key to Grading references ‘Mark’ rather than SNG.

(38) Units will be listed alphabetically by unit code and grouped chronologically by year.

(39) Where a unit has been designated as a PACE unit by the Academic Standards and Quality Committee, it will be flagged with the symbol ‘π’ after the unit code and before the unit title. The following definition will also be included after the list of units and before Special Achievements, Recognition and Prizes (if included) or the Key to Grading:

Advanced Standing

(40) Where a student has been granted credit for units completed in another tertiary institution, or in Macquarie University as non-degree or non-award, the AHEGS will include the credit points granted and where relevant, the credit points to count towards the particular Award.

Grades

(41) Only units completed at Macquarie University, the Sydney Institute of Business Technology (SIBT), and through the University’s official exchange program will be included with a corresponding grade. Where the grade also includes an SNG / Mark, this will be included, except for Fail grades (F) which will be listed without an SNG / Mark.

(42) Fail grades (F) will be included for units studied at Macquarie University or through the University’s official exchange program, in accordance with Government requirements.

(43) Units completed at any other institution will not be listed. Where an exemption has been granted this will be listed without a grade.

(44) All units attempted for an Award will be included on the AHEGS, even if more units are attempted than the minimum required for the Award.

(45) Where a unit has been attempted more than once, all attempts will be included with the corresponding grade and any associated SNG / Mark.

(46) For units completed over more than one study period, the grade will be listed against the final study period.

(47) A Key to Grading will be included at the end of this Section. The key will include details of the grading scheme relevant to the student’s results as listed on their AHEGS.

Honours

(48) No thesis title or abstract will be included for students who graduate with an Honours degree.

Research Degree

(49) The thesis title and a maximum 100 word abstract will be included for students who graduate with a Doctoral or Masters by Research degree.

Special Achievements, Recognition and Prizes

(50) In order to be eligible for inclusion on an AHEGS, a scholarship or prize must be:

1. directly related to academic achievement as part of an award/ qualification/degree at Macquarie University, or directly related to admission to a course at Macquarie University; and
2. verifiable, auditable and recorded in the University’s central student system approved for inclusion on the Macquarie University AHEGS by the Registrar.

(51) Scholarships and prizes will be listed separately.

(52) Where a University Medal is awarded, it will be the first prize to be listed.

(53) Where a Vice-Chancellor's Commendation or Macquarie University Award for Academic Excellence is awarded, it will be the first prize to be listed unless a University Medal has been awarded, in which case it will be the second prize to be listed.

(54) Any remaining prizes will be listed chronologically.

(55) Scholarships will be listed chronologically.

(56) Where a scholarship is to be included, it will be listed with its full title and the first year to which it relates.

(57) Where multiple prizes or scholarships are awarded in the same year, they will be listed alphabetically.

(58) Student members of Council, Academic Senate, Committees of Academic Senate, or Faculty Boards will have the years of membership and name of the committee listed.

(59) Where a prize related to the Award is awarded after graduation, a free AHEGS replacement may be requested. In all cases, the original AHEGS must be returned to the University before the replacement will be issued.

(60) Where no prize or scholarship has been awarded, the Special Achievements, Recognition and Prizes sub-heading will not be displayed.

Additional Achievements

(61) Additional achievements relating to both curricular and co-curricular activity may be included on the AHEGS. These will be assessed by the Manager, Graduation and Student Engagement from time to time, and recommended to the Registrar for approval. Approved cocurricular activities are listed online on the AHEGS Recognised Co-curricular activities webpage, with internal records of approval maintained by the Manager, Graduation and Student Engagement.

(62) For achievements to be included in the AHEGS, they must:

1. be owned/managed and verified by a University Faculty/Unit/School/Office/ Organisation;
2. be, or be a part of, a University administered activity;
3. be recorded on the University Student System;
4. relate to a specific time period that is appropriate for the activity;
5. relate to the time that the student was enrolled in the named Award;
6. be measurable and auditable; and
7. be assessed by the AHEGS Steering Committee, and recommended to the Registrar for approval.

(63) In addition, the achievement must meet one or more of the following criteria:

1. relate to, and add to, the experience of the student’s completed course/program of study;
2. relate to the academic achievement in the named Award;
3. satisfy the guidelines of an approved co-curricular activity; and
4. have specific aims and outcomes e.g. students will have developed one or more Graduate Capability (Scholarship/Engagement/Sustainability/Ethical Practice).

(64) Approved achievements will be listed separately.

(65) Approved achievements will be listed chronologically.

(66) Inclusion of an approved achievement will commence from the date of approval by the Registrar i.e. there will be no retrospective inclusion of an achievement.

Section 5 – Description of the Australian Higher Education System

(67) The content for this Section is provided by the Australian Government and will be included as required.

Errors

(68) Where an error is identified it will be corrected and one new AHEGS issued without charge. In all cases, the original AHEGS must be returned to the University before the replacement will be issued. In the case of errors or necessary manual manipulation of AHEGS due to system constraints the original system issued documents may be renamed to prevent inadvertent issuing of the incorrect version.

Format

(69)  From February 2018 AHEGS is issued on the My eQuals digital platform in an agreed format, layout and design. This excludes AHEGS for PhD / MRes / MPhil students who continue to be issued a printed AHEGS. No deviation from the agreed format will be permitted.

Distribution

(70) One free digital AHEGS will be issued after each Award has been conferred. An additional hard-copy AHEGS is issued to research degrees.  For research students who do not attend their ceremony, the AHEGS will be made available as soon as practicable after the ceremony. If an AHEGS is to be mailed and the mailing address cannot be confirmed, the University will hold the AHEGS.

Additional Copies

(71) Additional / replacement copies will be available subject to payment of any corresponding fee and proof of identity. The text included will be exactly as detailed on the original. The format, colour scheme, and distribution method will be as at the time of reproduction.

Storage

(72) The University will ensure that it has the ability to reproduce an AHEGS.

Review

(73) The AHEGS Steering Committee will review the requirements for an AHEGS, receive and consider feedback on any content, format or distribution issues, and consider any other matters of relevance to a Macquarie University AHEGS. The Registrar will Chair the Group and ensure it meets at least once per year.

(74) In accordance with the University’s Delegations of Authority Register, the Registrar is authorised to determine the content of course completion documentation, including the AHEGS.

Section 3 - Procedures

(75) Nil.

Section 4 - Guidelines

(76) Nil.

Section 5 - Definitions

(77) The following definitions apply for the purpose of this Policy:

1. AHEGS Statement: The Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement is provided by Australian higher education institutions to graduating students on completion of the requirements for a particular higher education award. It provides a description of the nature, level, context, and status of studies that were pursued by the individual named as well as information about the education system to which the qualification belongs. Its purpose is to assist in both national and international recognition of Australian qualifications and to promote international mobility and professional recognition of graduates.