Qualifications and Awards Regulations 2012

Table of contents

• Part 1. Preliminary
• Part 2. Abbreviations, Nomenclature, Testamurs and Titles
• Part 3. Revocation of Awards
• Part 4. Revocation of Regulations

Part 1. Preliminary

1. Objectives

The objective of these Regulations is to make provision about qualifications and awards granted by the University.

2. Authorising provision

These Regulations are made under the Academic and Student Affairs Statute 2012 and sections 28, 29 and 30 of the Swinburne University of Technology Act 2010.

3. Definitions

In these Regulations—

• AQF means the Australian Qualifications Framework and any successor national policy framework for regulated qualifications in Australian education and training;
  
• area of study descriptor or generic title means the description given to a field, area or discipline of study;
  
• Australian legal practitioner has the same meaning as in the Legal Profession Act 2004;
  
• Committee of Inquiry means a Committee of Inquiry established under regulation 9;
• discipline specialisation descriptor means the description given to a more specialised field of study within an area of study descriptor;
• externally accredited means accredited by an authorised State or Commonwealth recognised accrediting authority other than the University;
• internally accredited means accredited by the University;
• qualification descriptor means the description given to a level of study.

Part 2. Abbreviations, Nomenclature, Testamurs and Titles

Division 1. Abbreviations, nomenclature, testamurs

4. Compliance requirements for abbreviations and wording

1. In respect of any University degrees, diplomas, certificates, licences or other awards, the following must comply with the wording and style set by the Academic Senate and the requirements of the AQF—

a. the nomenclature for awards;

b. the wording for discipline specialisations;

c. the abbreviations of qualification descriptors;

d. the abbreviations of area of study descriptors for internally accredited programs and courses of study;

e. the wording for testamurs.

2. Abbreviations of area of study descriptors for externally accredited degrees, diplomas, certificates, licences or other awards must comply with the nomenclature specified by the applicable State or Commonwealth recognised accrediting authority.

3. The abbreviation for the University – "Swinburne" – may be used after the denoted abbreviation.

4. Testamurs must comply with State and Commonwealth regulatory requirements and include any specified features. 

Example

Ms A. Applecart has the qualification Bachelor of Design with the discipline specialisation of Communication Design. The terminology used to describe her degree would be Bachelor of Design (Communication Design) and an acceptable abbreviation would be: Ms A. Applecart BDes (Communication Design) Swinburne.

Division 2. Titles

5. Title of ‘Doctor’ (Dr)

A person is entitled to use the title ‘Doctor’ (Dr) before his or her name if that person has been conferred a doctoral degree.

6. Fields of study

A graduate may add the field of study to the letters describing his or her award.

Example

A. Wong BEng (CivEng) Swinburne

Note 
Requests for advice on abbreviations or fields of study should be directed to the Registrar.

7. Honorary degrees

1. A person who has received an honorary doctorate from Swinburne is entitled to use the title as follows:
                     R. Thistlewaite DUniv Swinburne

2. A person who has received an honorary master degree from Swinburne is to entitled use the title as follows:
                      A. Nguyen MUniv Swinburne

8. Duplicate awards

If a graduate is conferred with an award already held, having completed a second major sequence in the same discipline at the same level, the award will be identified only once after the graduate’s name.

Example

F. Taylor is conferred with a second BA at Swinburne. For the first the major was in Literature: for the second BA the major was in Psychology. The award identification is F. Taylor BA Swinburne.

Part 3. Revocation of Awards

9. Establishment of Committee of Inquiry

1. If it appears to the Registrar that an award may have been obtained in circumstances that would enable the Council to revoke the award under the Academic and Student Affairs Statute 2012, the Registrar must report the matter to the relevant deputy vice-chancellor.

Note
Section 15 of the Academic & Student Affairs Statute 2012 empowers the Council to revoke an award in specified circumstances.

2. A deputy vice-chancellor who receives a report under subregulation (1) must advise the Vice-Chancellor.

3. If, after receiving advice under subregulation (2), the Vice-Chancellor considers that a prima facie case exists for revoking an award, the Vice Chancellor must convene a Committee of Inquiry to investigate and report.

4. The members of a Committee of Inquiry are;

a. the Chair of the Academic Senate or the Chair’s nominee, who is to chair the Committee of Inquiry; 

b. three staff members nominated by the Academic Senate; and

c. a student representative nominated by Swinburne Student Amenities Association Limited.

5. Both genders are to be represented on the Committee of Inquiry.

10. Process of Committee of Inquiry

1. An award holder must be advised in writing of the proposed revocation of his or her award and given reasonable opportunity to make a submission to the Committee of Inquiry.

2. An award holder

a. must be accorded procedural fairness; 

b. subject to paragraph (c), may be represented at a hearing by another person; and 

c. may not be represented at a hearing by an Australian legal practitioner.

3. The Committee of Inquiry, when making a recommendation, must include a statement of reasons, setting out the reasons for the recommendation.

4. The Committee of Inquiry must, as soon as is practical, provide notification of the recommendation and a copy of the statement of reasons to

a. the award holder; 

b. the Vice-Chancellor; and 

c. the Council for Council’s consideration.

5. The Committee of Inquiry must provide a copy of any document which was taken into consideration in making the recommendation if requested and subject to any requirement or restriction

a. under University legislation; 

b. under legislation; or 

c. at common law.

6. A notification, copy of statement of reasons or copy of a document required under these Regulations may be provided by email or in other electronic format.

11. Council decision

1. The Council must consider the recommendation of the Committee of Inquiry and decide to revoke or not to revoke the award.

2. The Council must require an award holder whose award has been revoked to return to the University the testamur issued in respect thereof within 10 working days of Council’s decision.

Part 4. Revocation of Regulations

12. Revocation

The following Regulations are revoked—

1. Regulation 13 – Degrees/Diplomas/Certificates and Other Awards; 

2. Regulation 13a – The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy; 

3. Regulation 13b – Degree of Master undertaken by Research; 

4. Regulation 13c – Revocation of Awards.