University Medal Awards Procedure

Policy code: CG2034
Policy owner: Director, Governance and Strategy
Approval authority: Provost
Approval date: 20 February 2024
Next review date: 10 November 2024

Purpose
Scope
Legislative Context
Definitions
Actions
1. Identifying potential University Medal recipients
2. Calling for nominations
3. Reviewing, selecting and shortlisting nominations
4. Notifying others of the decision
5. Preparing and presenting the University Medal
Supporting Documents
Forms
Responsibility
Promulgation
Implementation
Records Management

Purpose

This procedure describes the process by which Academic Board will receive nominations and make recommendations to the University’s Council for the awarding of the University Medal. The University Medal is normally conferred twice annually by the Council in recognition of outstanding academic achievement.

Academic Board is responsible for managing the nomination and selection process through the University Medal Committee. This Committee comprises the members of Academic Board Administrative Committee (“ABAC”). The role of this Committee is to recommend for Council’s approval, the proposed selected recipient/s for the University Medal.

Scope

This Procedure applies to bestowing an award on a graduating student whose academic achievement has been outstanding for the duration of their undergraduate studies.

To be eligible for the University Medal:

  • the student must be eligible to graduate having completed the requirements of an undergraduate (Bachelor's level) single award, double degree, double award or joint degree at the University; and.
  • the student must not have previously been awarded the University Medal.

Council may resolve not to award the University Medal in a particular graduation period, or to award more than one University Medal in any one graduation period. 

Legislative Context

  • Federation University Australia Act 2010
  • Federation University Australia Statute 2021
  • Federation University Australia AcademicRegulations 2022

Definitions

AHEGS means Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement

Dean means the Dean of a School, including the Global Professional School

Executive Dean means the Executive Dean of an Institute

University means Federation University Australia

Other relevant definitions, including a list of the University’s awards, are contained within the University Awards Policy

Actions

1. Identifying potential University Medal recipients

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A Generate a list of eligible, potential graduates. Graduations Coordinator
  1. Provide a list of approved, potential graduates, who have achieved a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 6.5 or higher in an undergraduate degree (including joint and double degrees).
  2. The report should be provided to Academic Secretariat at least 10 weeks prior to nominations closing. 

2. Calling for nominations

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A Issuing notice to Executive Deans   and Deans  Academic Secretariat
  1. Issue a call for nominations providing:
  • the list of eligible students in their Institute or School.
  • a link to this procedure, which includes the nomination form.
  • notice of the closing date for the receipt of nominations which is six weeks prior to the start of the relevant graduation/s.
B Nominating a candidate  Executive Dean, Dean or nominee
  1. Institutes and Schools will nominate ONE candidate only through the Executive Dean or Dean (as relevant) using the nomination form supplied and including supporting documents (also outlined on the form):
    1. Executive Dean, Dean  or nominee to approach identified student for nomination to seek the student’s input on the criteria when completing the nomination form.
    2. a statement from the Executive Dean or Dean  of between 150 - 250 words indicating why the Institute or  School selected the nominee for the University Medal.
    3. Note: This statement may be read at the graduation ceremony.
  2. Nominations should be based on a student's academic performance primarily, although not necessarily exclusively, through their GPA. Other academic criteria deemed appropriate with an accompanying explanation will be considered. A graduating student who has transferred from another institution, should have completed at least half their program at the University. Their GPA will be calculated only on unit completed at the University.
  3. Under exceptional circumstances, an Executive Dean or Dean  may seek leave from the Chair of Academic Board to nominate an additional candidate.
  4. Nominations from Institutes and Schools should address the following criteria:
    1. the GPA of the nominee.
    2. comments on aspects of academic performance that may not be apparent from the grades obtained by the nominee.
    3. details of work or performance of a professional nature undertaken by the nominee either within or outside the University
    4. any other relevant information related to the nominee's academic achievement or professional involvement (eg. prizes)
  5. In cases where a nominee has been granted academic credit from another institution or another program, for part of their undergraduate studies, the Institute or School will ensure the GPA from the recognition of prior learning is still sufficiently high to merit medal consideration.
  6. The Institute or School will ensure that the nominee has qualified, or is soon to qualify for graduation, and appropriate documentation has been completed for graduation.
  7. Completed nomination forms, with supporting documentation are to be returned from the Executive Dean or Dean  to the Academic Secretariat.
  8. Each Institute and School is required to nominate a student where there is at least one student who is eligible for nomination, or to provide a statement on why they cannot nominate a student.

3. Reviewing, selecting and shortlisting nominations

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A Considering and selecting nominations Academic Secretariat
  1. After the close of nominations, convene a meeting of the University Medal Committee (the  ABAC members) to shortlist the applications received from the Institutes or Schools, within an in-camera session.
  2. Obtain a summary of academic transcripts, with GPA, from all recipients of the University Medal for the previous three years, from the Graduation Coordinator.  Supply ABAC with a copy for comparison purposes.  
    University Medal Committee
  1. Examine, consider and review all information provided by the Institutes and Schools to select the preferred nominee/s for the awarding of the University Medal.
  2. Resolve to recommend the preferred nominee/s to the Council or Governance and Strategy Committee for approval within the stipulated timeframe. This may require the use of circulatory resolutions.

4. Notifying others of the decision

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A Notifying the Institute s and Schools

 Manager, Governance and Secretariat Services

Academic Secretariat
  1. Provide an extract from the minutes of the meeting of Council or of the Governance and Strategy Committee (as relevant) confirming the decision on the successful recipient/s of the University Medal to the Academic Secretariat and the Graduations Coordinator.
  2. Notify the Executive Deans and Deans  of the outcome and forward the extract from step 1.
B Notifying the nominees Executive Deans and Deans
  1. The Institute or Schoolwill notify the successful recipient of the decision of Council/Governance and Strategy Committee and then communicate the outcome  to staff within the Institute or School.
  2. The Institute or School will notify the Graduations Coordinator when the recipient has been advised of their success.
  3. The remaining Institutes and Schools will notify their unsuccessful nominees that their AHEGS will be notated with 'Outstanding Academic Achievement for the Institute/School of [insert Institute or -School name] in [insert year]'.
  4. The University expects that the recipient of the University Medal will attend a Graduation ceremony to accept their award.  Exception may be made under extraordinary circumstances.
C Notifying other staff Academic Secretariat
  1. Advise appropriate staff of the University of the recipient/s, including:
    1. FedNews
    2. Corporate Communications
    3. Graduations Coordinator
  2. Advise Graduations Coordinator of unsuccessful nominations and provide details.
  3. The Graduations Coordinator will be notified no less than four weeks before the next Graduation period.
D Notating AHEGS Graduations Coordinator
  1. Check that the recipient has responded online to the invitation to graduate, and confirm that they will be attending the relevant graduation ceremony.
  2. A record of the awarding of the University Medal is to be shown on the student's AHEGS with the words: [insert student name] has been awarded The University Medal for academic achievement in the [insert program name]. This is the highest academic award that can be bestowed on a graduating student by the University.
  3. Recognition of the significant achievement of the unsuccessful nominees will be recorded on their AHEGS with the words:
  4. 'Outstanding Academic Achievement for the Institute or School of [insert name] in [insert year].'

5. Preparing and presenting the University Medal

  ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY STEPS
A. Safekeeping Manager, Governance and Secretariat Services
  1. The University Medal will be stored by the Manager, Governance and Secretariat Services
B. Meeting design specifications  Academic Secretariat
  1. The design of the University Medal will be as follows (see below):
    1. Diameter: 70mm
    2. Colour: Silver
    3. Obverse: Full Arms of the University
    4. Reverse: The words to include "For Outstanding Academic Achievement" cast into the top half, with the winner's name and the year in which the medal is awarded to be engraved in the centre.
C. Preparing for the presentation Manager, Governance and Secretariat Services
  1. The Manager, Governance and Secretariat Services will oversee the engraving of the University Medal with the recipient/s name (in the recipient's preferred format as confirmed by the Institute or School).
  2. Deliver the engraved University Medal to the Graduations Coordinator.
  3. Ensure statement is available to Corporate Communications to prepare it to be delivered by the Vice-Chancellor at Graduation.
D. Presenting the University Medal  Chancellor
  1. The University Medal is presented by the Chancellor on behalf of the University Council at the relevant graduation ceremony.

Supporting Documents

Forms

Forms

Responsibility

  • Provost (as the Approval Authority) is responsible for monitoring the implementation, outcomes and scheduled review of this procedure.
  • Director, Governance and Strategy (as the Document Owner) is responsible for maintaining the content of this procedure as delegated by the Approval Authority.

Promulgation

The University Medal Awards Procedure will be communicated throughout the University community in the form of:

  1. 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 Procedure
  2. notification by email to Executive Deans and Deans of Schools, Director of Governance & Strategy, Graduations Coordinator and Corporate Communications.

Implementation

The University Medal Procedure will be implemented throughout the University via:

1.      notification by email to Executive Deans and Deans at the stipulated time each year.

Records Management

Document Title Location Responsible Officer Minimum Retention Period
Nomination forms The University's approved records management system Academic Secretariat Nomination forms for successful nominees will be kept a minimum of seven years, and unsuccessful for 12-months. Electronic records will be retained in the University's records management system under relevant Academic Board Administrative Committee meetings.
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Higher Education Awards (by Coursework) Procedure 
 Glossary


Policy Glossary

Approval Authority: Provost Original Issue 11/01/2019
Policy Sponsor: Director, Governance and Strategy Current Version: 20/02/2024
CRICOS Provider Number 00103D Review Date: 10/11/2024
TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12151 Provider Category: Australian University
RTO Code 4909 Policy Code CG2034