1. General
1.1 University Medals may be awarded in recognition of the achievement of outstanding academic merit by the best performing undergraduates of the relevant year.
1.2 The Academic Board will each year determine a minimum Medals Score for the following year.
1.3 In any one year, each Faculty is normally limited to recommending candidates for one University Honours Medal and one University Medal.
2. Criteria for determining eligibility for medals
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 Bachelor degree and if applicable, the Bachelor degree with first class honours.
2.2 The major criterion to be taken into account in the assessment of outstanding academic merit is the Medals Score, calculated in accordance with Section 4 below.
2.3 A Faculty may put forward other factors which demonstrate outstanding academic merit, in support of a nomination, consistent with Section 4.5 of the Policy.
2.4 Where two eligible students for the University Honours Medal cannot be separated on the basis of the Medals Score alone, the Thesis examiners’ reports and a report from the Head of School or equivalent, prepared with advice from the principal supervisor may be used by the Faculty to determine the recommended candidate.
2.5 Where two eligible students for a University 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 may be considered by the Faculty in recommending the candidate.
2.6 In exceptional circumstances, where two eligible students with the same Medals Score cannot be meaningfully separated, a second University Honours Medal, or University Medal, may be awarded.
3. Procedures
3.1 Executive 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 Honours Medal or University Medal, and the rationale for their recommendation.
3.3 The University Medals Committee will then make recommendations for the award of medals to the February meeting of Academic Board.
3.4 Should the University Medals Committee find a Faculty nominee is ineligible, they may request a new nominee from that Faculty.
4. Medals Score
4.1 The Medals Score is the average of grades of results obtained by the student weighted by the credit point value of each graded unit, for units from the Bachelor Honours (if relevant) and Bachelor courses, selected as follows:
- for a University Honours Medal, either
- all graded units within the final 80 credit points of the Bachelor degree and 80 cp from the honours year;
or - the final 160 credit points of an embedded honours course, including all honours units;
and - the student's highest graded units having a total credit point value of 80 cp selected from the first 160 cp undertaken towards the Bachelor degree1.
- for a University Medal
- all graded units within the final 160 credit points of the Bachelor degree,
and - the student's highest graded units comprising 50 per cent of the remaining units undertaken towards the Bachelor degree1.
4.2 In the case of a dual degree:
(a) the medals score for a University Medal will be calculated based on results in units across both degrees.
(b) the medals score for a University Honours Medal will be calculated based on results in units across both degrees for the Bachelor component plus the honours component consistent with section 4.1 (a).
4.3 In identification of the highest graded 80 cp or the first 160 cp, the interpretation most favourable to the student will be adopted.
4.4 The numerical equivalents of grades used to calculate the Medals score are as listed below:
High Distinction | 7 |
Distinction | 6 |
Credit | 5 |
Pass | 4 |
Pass Supplementary | 32 |
Pass Conceded | 3 |
4.5 Where a student has undertaken extra units beyond the requirements of the degree, results in any units not so required will be excluded from the calculation of the Medals Score.
4.6 A student who has been granted credit for studies at another institution will be eligible for the award of a University Honours Medal provided that the student has completed both the final 80 cp of the pass degree and the honours program while enrolled at ACU.
4.7 A student who has been granted credit for studies at another institution will be eligible for the award of a University Medal provided that the student has completed the final 160 cp of the pass degree while enrolled at ACU.
4.8 student who has undertaken exchange, study abroad or cross-institutional studies in the final 80 cp of the pass degree may be considered for the award of a medal where specified credit for individual units was granted under the relevant course rules.
4.9 Results of PS (ungraded Pass) will be excluded from the calculation of the Medals Score.
5. Presentation of Medals
Medals will be presented to students at the relevant graduation ceremony each year.
1 Where a student has completed fewer than 80 cp under this paragraph, results in all units undertaken will be counted.
2 These grades to remain in procedures until 2015 as graduating students may still have these grades