Application to Enrolment Guidelines

Policy code: AG1945
Policy owner: Director, Student Services and Registrar
Approval authority: Chief Learner Experience Officer
Approval date: 08 January 2024
Next review date: 08 January 2027

Purpose

These Guidelines govern the application to enrolment of all students at Federation University Australia, with the exception of those as noted below.

It provides a framework to ensure the integrity of selection and offer decisions and outlines the relationship obligations for admission and enrolment between the University and the student, including critical timeframes and status changes which may impact on enrolment.

Scope

These Guidelines cover all programs and courses under Federation University Australia’s Statute 5.1, Schedule 5.1 and non-award courses.

The Guidelines do not apply to students seeking to apply for higher degrees by research which is the subject of HDR Admission and Induction Guidelines.

Legislative Context

  • Federation UniversityAct 2010
  • The Higher EducationStandards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021
  • Federation University Australia Statute 2021 Part 6
  • Federation University Australia AcademicRegulations 15
  • Federation University Australia Student Regulations Part 2
  • Federation University Australia (Student) Regulations Part 3
  • Australian Qualifications Framework AQF
  • National Education and Training Regulator Act 2011. (Regulated by Australian Skills Quality Authority -ASQA)
  • The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA ACT) - establishes TEQSA as an agency who regulate using the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards)

Definitions

Term Definition
Application for admission An application by a domestic or international student to apply for a University Higher Education or VET program
AQF The Australian Qualifications Framework includes qualifications across the different education and training sectors and in a broad range of fields of study/disciplines
AQF Qualification The result of an accredited complete program of learning that leads to formal certification that a graduate has achieved learning outcomes as described in the AQF
Award Program of study offered by the University as prescribed in Statute 5.1 The Schedule
Cancellation A program (or location offering) is cancelled due to insufficient applications for the program (or location).
Census Date The date (published on the website) on which a student’s enrolment is finalised for a program and applicable fees and charges are incurred. It is therefore the last day to withdraw from a program and have it deleted from an academic record without incurring financial debt.
Course A course of learning based on a curriculum, training package, units of study, or structured workplace learning that leads to an award.
Credit The value assigned for the recognition of equivalence in content and learning outcomes between different types of learning and/or qualifications. Credit reduces the amount of learning required to achieve a qualification and may be through credit transfer, articulation, recognition of prior learning or advanced standing
Credit Assessment A process to determine the amount of credit an applicant is eligible for based on prior study, and/or relevant experience, program structure (core units/majors/minors, etc), student's choice of major and limits for credit.
Credit Points The value attached to each unit of study.  Most units have a credit point value of 15 but credit points per unit can range from 5 to 60.
Credit Transfer A process that provides a student with agreed and consistent credit outcomes based on identified equivalents in content and learning outcomes between appropriate qualifications
Deferment A period before a student who has been offered a place in a higher education program, commences in that program, normally covering up to 12 months, unless approved otherwise by the relevant Institute or School Board.
Eligibility for admission The criteria by which students are assessed as suitable for admission to a course or unit.
Enrolment The process by which a person who is in receipt of a written offer of a place, enrols by completing the appropriate form
Existing application A successful application submitted for a course which has subsequently lapsed
First time applicant A prospective student who has not previously undertaken studies at Federation University Australia
Higher Degree by Research One of the following courses of study: Masters Degree Research, Doctoral Degree (Research), or Doctoral Degree (Professional)
Higher Education Foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate coursework courses
Institute An academic Institute of the University
International student An international student studying in Australia is required to comply with their visa conditions as determined by the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP)
New applicant An individual seeking enrolment in a course
Non-award courses An individual short course, unit, or series of units that does not, in itself, lead to a qualification or award covered by the Australian Qualifications Framework.
Offer Notification to a student in writing that they have a place in a course
Partner Provider Educational institution providing courses of the University through an approved Agreement
Quota Restrictions A restriction on the number of offers made to eligible applicants within a course.  This may be due to external factors such as nursing placements etc.
Re-admission The process through which students whose previous enrolment has discontinued may re-apply for admission into a course. Re-admission is subject to requirements and is not guaranteed.
Re-enrolment The process to be undertaken by all continuing students to enrol in a unit(s) for the next academic teaching period.
School Refers to Global Professional School, the Graduate Research School and any other School constituted after the commencement of the Federation University Australia Academic Regulations 2022.
Standard full-time load. 120 credit points of study across the academic year, generally undertaken as 60 credit points in each of two semesters.
Student A person enrolled in a formal program of learning in an educational institution and/or a workplace setting
TAFE Technical and Further Education
Testamur

An official certification document that confirms that a qualification has been awarded to an individual

Also referred to as an award, parchment, laureate or certificate

Unit For internal purposes a unit is a subsidiary element of a course; a single subject comprising part of a course.
Unit substitution The substitution of a core units in a course with another approved unit where a student has already completed the requirements for the exempted unit elsewhere.
VET Vocational Education and Training
VICTER Victorian Tertiary Entrance Requirements
VTAC Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre

Guideline Statement

Federation University Australia is committed to:

  1. Fair, consistent, transparent selection and admission processes based on merit
  2. Social inclusion
  3. Advancing the University’s direction in the pursuit of excellence in learning, teaching and research
  4. Compliance with all legislative, regulatory and reporting requirements

This guideline provides a set of principles for determining application to enrolment:

Overall responsibility

The Provost and Chief Leaner Experience Officer or delegate/s are responsible for coordinating the University’s Higher Education and VET admission and enrolment activities.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global and Engagement) has responsibility for partner provider organisations and international students.

Compliance

The University Registrar is responsible for ensuring that all domestic selection, offers, admission and enrolment processes for students enrolling at Federation University Australia Campus locations comply with quality and legislation requirements. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global and Engagement) is responsible for ensuring that all International student selection, offers, admission and enrolment processes for students studying on campus or at Partner Provider locations comply with quality and legislation requirements.

Access and equity

University and course entry requirements together with all relevant information for applicants are published in the official University Course Guide and VTAC Course Guide which inform applicants of the selection criteria.

Federation University Australia is committed to ensuring quality in access and equity in its selection process. In its admissions, the University also seeks to provide access to persons who have experienced educational or social disadvantage and to address under-representation of specific community groups.

Confidentiality and Privacy

All personal information collected for the purpose of Application to Enrolment will be treated as confidential - refer Information Privacy Procedure.

Admission and enrolment

Admission to the University's courses will be consistent with requirements, codes of practice and guidelines detailed within current national legislation.

Offers of admission are made to applicants who are judged to have met the published entry requirements. A person is eligible to enrol once they have received and accepted a formal offer from Federation University Australia and once enrolled, the student is bound by the University's legislation, policies and procedures.

Responsibility

  • Chief Learner Experience Officer, as the Approval Authority, is responsible for maintaining the content of this guideline.
  • Director, Student Services and Registrar, as the Document Owner, is responsible for monitoring the implementation, outcomes and scheduled review of this guideline.

Promulgation

The Application to Enrolment Guidelines will be communicated throughout the University community in the form of:

  • An Announcement Notice via FedNews website and on the ‘Recently Approved Documents’ page on the ‘Policies, Procedures and Forms @ the University’ website to alert the University-wide community of the approved Policy.
  • Training Sessions e.g. AcademicInduction Program and Local induction for Professional Staff who undertake or oversee application to enrolment related processes.

Implementation

The Application to Enrolment Guidelines will be implemented throughout the University via:

  1. Information Sessions