University Medals

GUIDELINES FOR THE AWARD OF UNIVERSITY MEDALS

1.       General

          1.1     University Medals may be awarded in recognition of the achievement of outstanding academic merit by the best performing first class honours graduates of the relevant year.

          1.2     The Academic Board will each year determine a minimum Medals Score and may limit the number of University Medals awarded in any one year.

2.       Criteria for Determination of Outstanding Academic Merit

2.1     Eligibility for the award of a University Medal is based on consideration of the academic achievement of students throughout their course of study leading to the award of the degree with first class honours.  The major criterion to be taken into account in the assessment of outstanding academic merit  is the Medals Score, calculated in accordance with clause 4 below.

2.2    A Faculty may put forward other factors which demonstrate outstanding academic merit, in support of a nomination.

2.3    A student who has failed any unit will not be eligible for the award of a University Medal.

3.       Procedures

3.1 Deans will be advised of the minimum Medals Score determined by the Academic Board by the commencement of second semester of the relevant year.

3.2     The Faculty Boards, at the end of January each year, will advise the University Medals Committee of Academic Board of the names of those students of outstanding academic merit recommended for a University Medal and the rationale for their selection.    The Committee will make recommendations for the award of University Medals to the February meeting of Academic Board.

4.       Medals Score

          4.1     The Medals Score is the average of grades of result obtained by the student weighted by the credit point value of each unit, for units from the pass and honours course, selected as follows:

(a)  all units comprising the final 80 cp of the pass degree and 80 cp from the honours year[1]; and

(b)  the student's highest graded units having a total credit point value of 80 cp selected from the first 160 cp undertaken towards the pass degree[2]^, [3].

Numerical equivalents of grades for this purpose are as listed below:

                     High Distinction                           7

                     Distinction                                  6

                     Credit                                         5

                     Pass                                           4

                     Pass Conceded                           3

                     Fail                                             1

                     Withdrawn Fail                             1.

4.2       A student who completes the final honours year only at this University will be eligible for the award of a University Medal.  In such a case, the results of the honours year only will be included in the calculation of the Medals Score.

4.3        In the case of a course within a dual degree, results in units counted towards the relevant honours degree only will be taken into consideration.

          4.4       Where a student has undertaken extra units beyond the requirements of the honours degree, results in any units not so required will be excluded from the calculation of the Medals Score.

          4.5       Where the student has been granted credit towards the degree for studies while enrolled in another course at this University or at another institution, results gained in those studies will be included in the calculation of the Medals Score only if specified credit for individual units was granted under the relevant degree rules. 

          4.6       Results of PS (ungraded pass) will be excluded from the calculation of the Medals Score.

5.       Presentation of University Medals

          University Medals will be presented to students at the relevant graduation ceremony each year.

RULES FOR THE AWARD OF FACULTY MEDALS

1.  Award in recognition of academic excellence

Each Faculty may each year award Faculty Medals, in recognition of the achievement of academic excellence, as follows:

2.  Eligibility for award of Faculty Medal

2.1  Faculty Pass Medal

To be eligible for the award of a Faculty Pass Medal, a student must have qualified for a Bachelor’s degree and have achieved a Medals Score of at least 6.00 across the undergraduate award, with a normal equivalent full-time duration as follows:

Faculty of Arts and Sciences     Two years (Bachelor of Social Work); three years, all other courses

Faculty of Education                 Four years

Faculty of Health Sciences        Three years.

2.2  Faculty Honours Medal

To be eligible for the award of a Faculty Honours Medal, a student must have qualified for the Bachelor’s degree with First Class Honours and have achieved a Medals Score of at least 6.00 calculated in accordance with the Guidelines for the Award of University Medals.

2.3  General eligibility criteria

2.3.1  A student is rendered ineligible for the award of a Faculty Medal if the student has been guilty of a breach of Statute 10 Student Conduct and Discipline or of the Academic Honesty Policy.

2.3.2  Where two eligible students for a Faculty Honours Medal cannot be separated on the basis of the Medals Score alone, the Examiners’ Reports and a report from the Head of School, prepared with advice from the principal supervisor, as appropriate, will be used to determine the recipient.

2.3.3  Where two eligible students for a Faculty Pass Medal cannot be separated on the basis of the Medals Score alone, and the course includes professional experience, clinical placement, field experience or related units, reports from placement supervisors will be considered in determining the recipient.

3.  Procedures

The records of eligible students will be reviewed by the relevant Faculty Medals Committee which will make a recommendation to the Faculty Board no later than its February meeting each year.

In the event that the Faculty Board determines that there is no eligible candidate for any award, no award will be made in that year.