• Section 1 - Purpose
• Scope
• Section 2 - Policy
• Issuing of Academic Statements
• Eligibility
• Obtaining additional or replacement copies of Academic Statements
• Content and Format of Academic Statements
• Revocation or Rescission of an Award
• Relinquishment of an Award
• Section 3 - Procedures
• Section 4 -  Guidelines
• Section 5 - Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This Policy sets out the University’s responsibilities concerning the issuing of Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications, specifically requirements for the issuing of:

1. Testamurs;
2. Academic Transcripts (both official and unofficial); and
3. Australian Higher Education Graduation Statements (AHEGS).

(2) This Policy also establishes criteria for the revocation, rescission, and relinquishment of awards.

(3) This Policy and the Academic Statements Schedule demonstrate Macquarie University’s adherence to the relevant requirements of the Australian Qualifications Framework, the AQF Qualifications Issuance Policy, and the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021. Consistent with the AQF Qualifications Issuance Policy, Macquarie University is committed to ensuring that academic statements are only awarded to students and graduates entitled to receive them, and are protected against fraudulent issuance. The University will only issue academic statements for qualifications that align with the Australian Qualifications Framework.  

Scope

(4) This Policy applies to all staff and students at all campuses and locations of the University. It applies to the issuing of documentation for students who have completed a course or program that leads to the award of an AQF qualification, or partial completion of an AQF qualification (Levels 5 to 10).

(5) This Policy does not cover the issuing of documentation relating to non-AQF awards, including:

1. statements of learning activities e.g. documentation for non-award units, including Foundation and English language preparatory courses, microcredentials, workshops, study tours or professional development;
2. Statements of Attainment;
3. Completion Letters; or
4. Honorary Awards – see the Honorary Degree Policy / Honorary Degree Procedure.

Section 2 - Policy

Issuing of Academic Statements

(6) The University Council has authority to confer awards to eligible students in accordance with the provisions of the Macquarie University Act and By-Law, General Coursework Rules, Graduate Research Rules, and Higher Doctoral Degree Rules. 

(7) The Registrar determines whether requirements for a coursework degree have been satisfied while the Research and Research Training Committee (RRTC) determines whether requirements for a Higher Degree Research award have been satisfied (refer Delegations of Authority Register). Based on this determination, the Registrar and the RRTC recommend the conferral of awards to the University Council.

(8) In all cases, the Registrar is the approval authority for the content of Macquarie University academic statements and ensures that the documents meet the requirements set out in the Academic Statements Schedule (refer also Delegations of Authority Register).

Eligibility

(9) All graduates who have fulfilled the conditions and requirements of an award are entitled to receive the following academic statements:

1. a Testamur;
2. an Academic Transcript; and
3. an Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS), see the Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS) Policy.  

(10) Academic statements will not be issued to students with an outstanding debt, see the Fees Rules. 

(11) Upon conferral of an award graduates are entitled to use the official award nomenclature including Postnominals as documented within the University Handbook.

(12) The University also maintains a Graduate Register documenting the awards conferred on Macquarie graduates, including the process for verification by third parties.

Obtaining additional or replacement copies of Academic Statements

Testamur

(13) Only one physical Testamur will be in circulation for each award a graduate has received. A replacement copy of a Testamur will not be produced by the University unless specific requirements are met (see Graduation documents webpage) including payment of the prescribed fee. The Testamur will state if any parts of the course of study or assessment leading to the qualification were conducted in a language other than English, except for the use of another language to develop proficiency in that language.

Academic Transcripts

(14) Official Academic Transcripts can be obtained at any time by a current or former student, including prior to the completion of an award and after graduation, in accordance with the documented process (see Academic Transcripts webpage) and payment of the prescribed fee.

(15) Current students can also generate an Unofficial Academic Transcript at no cost via eStudent.

AHEGS

(16) Graduates can purchase hard copies of their AHEGS in accordance with the documented process (see Graduation documents webpage) and payment of the prescribed fee.

Content and Format of Academic Statements

(17) The content and format of academic statements is documented in the Academic Statements Schedule and the Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS) Policy.

Honorary Awards

(18) An honorary award is not an AQF qualification. Honorary awards issued by the University will therefore unambiguously identify the qualification as an honorary qualification, see the Honorary Degree Policy / Honorary Degree Procedure.

Revocation or Rescission of an Award

(19) The University Council reserves the right to revoke or rescind an award that has been conferred if it is determined that:

1. the award was conferred because of breaches of academic integrity such as fraud, dishonesty, plagiarism, fabrication or ghost writing, or administrative error (revoke); or
2. all necessary requirements for the award were not completed (rescind).

(20) The revocation or rescission of an award will be managed in accordance with the Revocation, Rescission or Relinquishment of an Award Procedure, and may result from a finding under the Student Code of Conduct or the Student Conduct Procedure.

(21) Where an award has been revoked the student must not represent that they were awarded the revoked award.

(22) An award may not be revoked where a student seeks to qualify for a different award, unless there has been an administrative error. 

(23) An Academic Transcript or AHEGS may be amended to correct an administrative error, or because of a grade appeal, withdrawal without academic penalty, or academic appeal, as prescribed by applicable University policy or procedure.

Relinquishment of an Award

(24) A graduate may voluntarily request the relinquishment of an award without the need to provide a reason for the request. In such cases the graduate must write to the Registrar, providing certified evidence of identification and specifying the award they wish to relinquish.

(25) Where an award is relinquished, the University requires that all academic statements be returned and that the individual no longer references that they hold the applicable award.

(26) The Registrar will:

1. arrange for the formal relinquishment of the award in accordance with the Revocation, Rescission or Relinquishment of an Award Procedure including the updating of relevant University records; and
2. advise the individual in writing once the University’s processes for relinquishment of the award are completed.

(27) Once relinquished, the same award cannot be conferred upon the student again without an application in writing to the Registrar.

Section 3 - Procedures

(28) The revocation, rescission or relinquishment of an award will be managed in accordance with the Revocation, Rescission or Relinquishment of an Award Procedure.

Testamur Refunds

(29) Refunds for Testamurs will only be offered in specific circumstances, including but not limited to: 

1. a duplicated replacement Testamur order where payments are received within one (1) minute of each other, where the value of one copy will be refunded; 
2. cancellation if the replacement documents have not been released; and 

(30) Refunds may also be provided for courier costs paid prior to conferral or availability of documents in limited circumstances.

Academic Transcript Refunds

(31) All Academic Transcript Requests are accepted at face value and considered as genuine.

(32) Refunds will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

(33) Refunds for Academic Transcripts will not be provided for the following reasons:

1. change of mind; 
2. damage in the delivery process – the University takes steps to protect Academic Transcripts for delivery, however does not have control over the delivery process;
3. wrong postal address provided; or 
4. the Academic Transcript was ordered prior to certain information being displayed on the transcript (e.g. qualification or conferral information).

(34) Refunds for Academic Transcripts will only be available in specific circumstances, including but not limited to: 

1. an error on the transcript such as formatting, text or awards not displayed correctly (where an updated copy cannot be produced and reissued);
2. a duplicate transcript order where payments are received within one (1) minute of each other for the same item, in which case the value of one copy will be refunded; or
3. a student fails to resolve their financial sanction prior to the deadline provided.

AHEGS Refunds

(35) A refund for an AHEGS will only be offered in specific circumstances, including but not limited to:

1. an error on the AHEGS (where an updated copy cannot be produced and reissued);
2. a duplicate AHEGS order where payments are received within one (1) minute of each other for the same item, in which case the value of one copy will be refunded; or
3. a student fails to resolve their financial sanction prior to the deadline provided.

Section 4 -  Guidelines

(36) Nil.

Section 5 - Definitions

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

1. Academic Statement(s) means the official University course completion documentation issued to certify academic achievement including Testamurs, Academic Transcripts, and AHEGS for AQF Qualifications.
2. Academic Transcript means the official, complete, and certified version of a student's academic achievements. See the Academic Statements Schedule for further details concerning prescribed format and wording. 
3. Award means the qualification resulting from the satisfactory completion of a specific course of study that aligns with a level of the AQF. Also known as qualification or Degree. Awards include undergraduate and honours Degrees, postgraduate coursework and research courses of study, certificates and diplomas, graduate certificates and diplomas, at all campuses and locations of the University.
4. Completion Letter means a letter notifying a student of their completion of an award (see the Before you graduate webpage).
5. Degree means the major qualification awarded by the University. It is awarded either for successful work at either the undergraduate Bachelor Degree level, or Postgraduate Degree (including HDR) level, or as an honorary recognition (Honorary Degree) of achievement.
6. Exit Award means an approved lesser award that a student may elect to qualify with provided the requirements of the Exit Award have been met. Some Exit Awards are exit qualifications only and are not offered for admission.
7. Graduate means a person who is the recipient of an award conferred by Macquarie University.
8. Postnominals means the abbreviated forms of an AQF qualification type and field of study/discipline approved by the University for graduates to use to identify their qualification.
9. Statement of Attainment means a document issued by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) to certify the completion of one or more units or modules for Vocational Educational and Training (VET) qualifications / courses.
10. Testamur means a legal document, conferred by the University Council, which certifies the award of a certificate, degree, or diploma. See the Academic Statements Schedule.
11. Unofficial Academic Transcript means the University’s internal record produced by the student system (eStudent). It is intended for the personal use of the student and is not an official University document.