Academic Board Resolutions

Resolution on clinical placement subjects in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences 2022 (Covid-19 pandemic)

In response to continued challenges for clinical placement courses due to Covid-19 impacts on the health system, Boards of Examiners within the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences will be responsible for modifying subjects in 2022 to ensure students meet their placement requirements. Board of Examiners will be able to:

  1. Extend subject availabilities to provide more time for students to complete their placement requirements and associated assessments; this includes subjects beginning earlier than usual (e.g. a Semester 2 subject might commence in April or May) and subjects finishing later than usual (e.g. a year-long or Semester 2 subject might finish in January or February 2023).
  2. Create alternative assessments where it is impossible for current assessments to meet intended learning outcomes and accreditation requirements due to placement constraints. The new assessment must meet intended learning outcomes and accreditation requirements.

Boards of Examiners will be required to report any changes to the Academic Board and the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences.

Approval

Approved by Professor Andrew Kenyon (President, Academic Board) (made under Academic Board Regulation, s(7) (1) (b))

Consultation with: Professor Karen Farquharson, Professor David Shallcross

Date: 10 March 2022

Resolution for Semester 1, 2022 special consideration documentation where a student needs to isolate as a close contact (Covid-19 pandemic)

In response to continued challenges for students and the Covid-19 pandemic, where a student needs to isolate as a close contact, rather than being ill themselves, special consideration documentation may include a statutory declaration rather than a Health Professional Report in semester 1, 2022.

Approval

Approved by Professor Andrew Kenyon (President, Academic Board) (made under Academic Board Regulation, s(7) (1) (b))

Consultation with: Professor Karen Farquharson, Professor David Shallcross

Date: 23 February 2022

A current list of the Academic Board approved courses is published in the Handbook, which is the  University of Melbourne's official source of course and subject information. Please refer to the Handbook for further information on current course offerings.

For information on historical course approval, please email acad-sec@unimelb.edu.au.

All research candidates will be impacted, to various extents, by the Covid-19 disruption. This may require supervisors and advisory committees to work closely with candidates in adjusting their research programs to help mitigate the effects of disruption and achieve timely completions wherever possible. Despite this, additional time to submit, after the maximum candidature time has been consumed, will be required for some candidates. In recognition, adjustments to the provisions for late submission for HDR candidates have been approved.

The Courses, Subjects, Awards and Programs Policy (s4.73-7.75, and s4.82- 4.84) establishes course durations for Doctoral and Masters degrees by research. Late submission is permitted when compelling and serious research related reasons beyond the candidate’s control exist (Graduate Research Training Policy, s5.61, 5.62).

Disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic are recognised as compelling reasons.

To assist candidates in documenting Covid-19 related impacts, regardless of their stage of candidature, an online form (the impact record) has been developed. These impacts will be incorporated into subsequent candidate progress reports with the outcome of Advisory Committee discussions also recorded.

Documented periods of disruption to research progress resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic will be considered by Advisory Committees, together with any other concessions a candidate may have received, at the 3 year 6 months (EFT) timepoint for Doctoral Degree (Research) candidates and at 1 year 6 months (EFT) for Masters degree (Research) candidates.

Documenting disruption:

  1. Documentation to support a Covid-19 case for a late submission beyond the maximum course duration will consist of periodically submitted impact records which identify the nature of disruption and its relationship to the pandemic as candidature proceeds. The record requires supervisor endorsement. An impact report identifies disruption to progress within a preceding specified period (if any disruption occurred during that period).
  2. The generation of an impact record is entirely voluntary.
  3. The cumulative impact of documented delays will be used as the basis for an Advisory Committee recommendation to the Dean for approval of a late submission beyond the allowable maximum course duration due to Covid-19 related disruptions.
  4. A proforma to generate an impact record will be available online for candidates and supervisors. The proforma and process will be approved by the Academic Secretary.

Approved by: President, Academic Board (made under Academic Board Regulation, s(7) (1) (b))

Date: 6 May 2020

Second Half Year 2021 Subjects and the Calculation of Weighted Average Marks - Academic Board Resolution - made by the President of the Board under the Academic Board Regulation s(7)(1)(b), on 25 August 2021.

Results from the Second Half Year (SHY), 2021 subjects will not be included in the calculation of a student’s Weighted Average Mark (WAM) unless the mark achieved for the subject is equal to or higher than the WAM the student had achieved prior to SHY 2021.

The revised WAM calculation will apply as follows, noting the following arrangements and exceptions:

1.  The WAM for programs that comprise 50 points or less in total will be calculated using normal practice, as a benchmark WAM based on prior study in that program cannot be established.

2.  No SHY 2021 subject will be included in the WAM calculation for a student who has yet to complete 50 points of study in their enrolled program prior to SHY 2021, as a benchmark WAM for the student in that program cannot be established (this applies to students not covered by exception (1) above).

3.  For Bachelor (Honours) programs, subjects that receive a weighted mark below a student’s entry WAM for that program will be excluded from the WAM calculation. For the avoidance of doubt, a student’s entry WAM, in this context, is the WAM presented by the student to meet the selection resolution for that program, not the minimum WAM required for selection into the program

4.  All subject scores will be recorded on the transcript. Where the result does not contribute to the WAM, it will be recorded against the code “^”. This code makes it clear that the subject is excluded from the WAM because of the disruptions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

5.  At the conclusion of their studies, students can request that all results recorded against the COVID-19 code be included in the WAM calculation. Any such subjects will then be coded as per usual practice.

  • Second Half Year 2020 Subjects and the Calculation of Weighted Average Marks - Academic Board Resolution - made by the President of the Board under the Academic Board Regulation s(7)(1)(b)

In acknowledging the return to lockdown for the first six (6) teaching weeks of semester 2, 2020, and the move to stage 4 restrictions, the revised method of calculating the WAM as set out at numbers 1 to 6 below will be extended to all second half year subjects (including winter subjects).

For the avoidance of doubt this means results from the Second Half Year 2020 subjects will not be included in the calculation of a student’s Weighted Average Mark (WAM) unless the mark achieved for the subject is equal to or higher than the WAM the student had achieved at the beginning of 2020. All other provisions apply

Yearlong subjects are exempt from this Resolution, unless otherwise approved by the dean.

Approval

Approved by Professor Nilss Olekalns (President, Academic Board) (made under Academic Board Regulation s(7) (1) (b)

Consultation with: The Board Officers and Academic Secretary

Date: 7 August 2020

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a revised method for including first semester 2020 subjects in the Weighted Average Mark (WAM) will be introduced.

For the purposes of this Resolution, First Half Year means all subjects included in the first half year progress review period 2020 except those subjects classified as Summer Semester subjects.

Results from the First Half Year, 2020 subjects (noting the exception above) will not be included in the calculation of a student’s Weighted Average Mark (WAM) unless the mark achieved for the subject is equal to or higher than the WAM the student had achieved at the beginning of 2020.

The revised WAM calculation will apply as follows, noting the following arrangements and exceptions:

  1. The WAM for programs that comprise 50 points or less in total will be calculated using normal practice, as a benchmark WAM based on prior study in that program for a student cannot be established.
  2. No First Half Year 2020 subject will be included in the WAM calculation (noting the Summer Semester exemption) for a student who has yet to complete 50 points of study in their enrolled program prior to 2020, as a benchmark WAM for the student in that program cannot be established (this applies to students not covered by exception (1) above).
  3. For the Bachelors (Honours) program, subjects that receive a weighted mark below a student’s entry WAM for that program will be excluded from the WAM calculation. For the avoidance of doubt, a student’s entry WAM, in this context, is the WAM presented by the student to meet the selection resolution for that program, not the minimum WAM required for selection into the program. This applies to students who have commenced their Bachelor Honours year in the first half of 2020.
  4. All subject scores will be recorded on the transcript.
    1. Where the result does not contribute to the WAM, it will be recorded against a new code. This code makes it clear that the subject is excluded from the WAM because of COVID-19.
  5. At the conclusion of their studies, students can request that all results recorded against the COVID-19 code be included in the WAM calculation. Any such subjects will then be coded as per usual practice.
  6. The revised WAM calculation does not apply to any subjects in Higher Degrees by Research.

Approval

Approved by Professor Nilss Olekalns (President, Academic Board) (made under Academic Board Regulation s(7) (1) (b)

Consultation with: The Board Officers and Academic Secretary

Date: 24 April 2020

Resolutions on Selection are resolutions of the Academic Board that specify the minimum entry requirements for a course and define selection instruments to be used by Selection Committees to determine which of the applicants eligible for selection will be selected.

Approved Resolutions on Selection are published in the Handbook, which is the University of Melbourne's official source of course and subject information, including  admission and selection standards.  Please refer to the Handbook for further information  on course specific selection and admission requirements.

Resolutions on Selection should be read in conjunction with the following:

1. The English language requirements for all undergraduate degrees and associate diplomas, Bachelor Honours degrees and concurrent diplomas can be met via any of the following ways.

1.1 For school-leavers from the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), either

  • A study score of at least 25 in one of the VCE Unit 3/4 subjects English, English Language, or Literature; or
  • A study score of at least 30 in the VCE Unit 3/4 subject English as an Additional Language

1.2 For locally qualified school-leavers other than from the VCE, performance levels in appropriate school English subjects that the Board has deemed comparable to the VCE standards and are published on the Future Students web page.

1.3 For school-leavers who are not locally qualified, but have completed a secondary qualification in a country where English is an official language, and for graduates of foundation studies programs conducted in English, performance levels in appropriate English subjects that the Board has approved and are published on the Future Students web page.

1.4 For school-leavers from countries where English is not an official language, performance levels in appropriate school English subjects that the Board has approved and are published on the Future Students web page.

1.5 Either within the last two years having satisfactorily completed at least first year of a tertiary course taught and assessed entirely in English, or within the last five years having satisfactorily completed at least a two year tertiary course taught and assessed entirely in English.

1.6 At a sitting within 24 months preceding the proposed date of commencement of enrolment, having obtained either:

  • An overall band score of 6.5 or more in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic Test with no band less than 6.0,

or

  • One of the following for the American Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL):
    • 577 or more the paper based test, with 4.5 or more in the Test of Written English (TWE)
    • 79 or more in the internet based test, and scores of 21 for writing; 18 for speaking; 13 for reading; and 13 for listening.

or

  • A score prescribed by the Board for some other recognised English language test or English language program.

2. Any alternative English language qualification for undergraduate courses that the Board has approved will be published on the Future Students web page.

3. Applicants seeking to demonstrate English language competence via any of 1.1 to 1.4 who completed school more than two years before the proposed date of commencement in the program to which they are applying may be required to establish to the satisfaction of the Selection Committee that they have lived or worked primarily in an environment where English is widely used after completing school. If they are unable to establish this, the Selection Committee may require them to demonstrate English language competence via 1.6.

4. As Bachelor Honours programs are only entered after completion of 300 points of a Bachelor degree, and concurrent diplomas cannot be entered until the student has enrolled in a Bachelor degree, no specific English language requirements are needed, except for students with a Bachelor degree taught or assessed in a language other than English applying to enter Honours. For such students, 1.6 is the normal pathway.

The English language requirements for graduate programs can be found here.