Admissions and Enrolment Policy

Table of contents

• Summary, objectives, scope
• 1. Eligibility and selection
• 2. Admission and re–enrolment
• 3. Complaints, reviews and appeals
• Related information

Summary

This policy describes the requirements and principles governing the admission and enrolment of students into Swinburne courses.

Objectives

This policy aims to:

• provide the framework that ensures the integrity of admissions decisions
• set clear responsibilities and accountabilities for admissions decisions
• ensure that admissions processes are transparent and decisions are consistent and fair.

Scope

This policy applies to all Swinburne courses.

1. Eligibility and selection

1.1. Minimum entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements are set to ensure that a student is only admitted to a course when the University believes that the student can undertake the course with a reasonable prospect of success.

Minimum entry requirements are specified in the course accreditation instrument approved by Academic Senate, or the relevant national or State training authority.

When setting minimum entry requirements the University should be guided by the principles of:

• clear and consistent admission requirements that are appropriate to Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
• evidence-based admissions requirements
• eliminating unfair or unnecessary barriers for student access to Swinburne courses
• enabling flexible qualification pathways
• facilitating recognition or credit for entry into Swinburne courses

The criteria for minimum entry requirements are inclusive and are set out in the Academic Courses Regulation 6 as follows:

a. academic merit;

b. English language proficiency;

c. equivalency;

d. prior learning;

e. other experience and attainments;

f. special factors, including residency, performance at interview, folios and auditions;

g. other matters that the Academic Senate considers relevant to the reasonable prospects of success of applicants in a course.

When making decisions on the equivalence of grounds for entry with the minimum entry requirements, the University may consider whether applicants have achieved the required level of knowledge and skills to have a reasonable prospect success in the course. Decisions must be evidence based, transparent and fair.

Changes to minimum entry requirements must not disadvantage any students with an existing, open offer from Swinburne.

Minimum entry requirements are published on the Swinburne website.

The University and Academic Senate monitor the effectiveness and appropriateness of minimum entry requirements.

Roles and Responsibilities (VC delegation)

*(Staff holding, acting in or performing the responsible position or office)

1.2. Selection, offer and acceptance

Under the Academic Courses Regulations 2013, selection is at the University’s discretion. Whilst maintaining this discretion, the University sets specific selection criteria, entry scores or quotas for each course to manage and facilitate the administration of admissions into courses. When setting selection criteria the University should be guided by the principles of:

• clear and consistent information for applicants, including regulatory requirements, Police checks and Working With Children checks where required
• evidence-based selection criteria, including the use of equivalence and precedence.

Where an applicant presents grounds for selection outside of the approved selection criteria and entry scores, the University will consider:  

• a person’s previous studies or conduct at the University or other institutions
• other relevant information provided by the applicant or otherwise known to the University
• requirements relevant to the delivery of a course
• regulatory or administrative requirements or guidelines.

The University assesses all applications and makes one of the following selection decisions:

a. full offer;
b. conditional offer;
c. packaged offer of qualifying course/s leading to the principal course;
d. an offer into an alternative course; or
e. no offer.

The University will provide all information necessary for applicants to accept an offer.

When making decisions on requests to defer an offer, factors that the University should consider include:

• restrictions or conditions applying to any scholarship held by or offered to the candidate
• course specific criteria as documented in the course accreditation instrument
• regulatory requirements
• enrolments in Open Universities Australia (OUA) courses or units, or in single units of study may not be deferred.

The maximum period for deferment is two years for a higher education course and one year for a vocational education course.  When considering a request to extend a deferment period beyond the maximum period, the University should consider whether the student is facing exceptional circumstances, including

• students from a low socio economic background
• Australian Indigenous students
• students from regional and remote areas
• students endeavouring to secure financial independence towards general education and accommodation costs through eligibility for youth allowance
• students who are Australian Defence Force Reservists where the normal maximum periods of deferral provided to students will be extended to ensure that they are not adversely affected by a period of call out regardless of the duration.

Roles and Responsibilities (VC delegation)

*(Staff holding, acting in or performing the responsible position or office)

**Secretarial Note: This delegation is a formal delegation in compliance with section 2.7 and 2.8 (a) of the Victorian Department of Education and Training Guidelines about Determining Student Eligibility and Supporting Evidence for the Skills First Program.

2. Admission and re–enrolment

2.1. Initial admission

The University will provide all information necessary for applicants to be admitted to the University and complete their enrolment. 

Students may request to study full-time or part-time.  When making decisions on applications to vary study load, factors that the University should consider include:

• Maximum duration requirements
• Course specific requirements
• Scholarship requirements
• Regulatory requirements

When making decisions on applications to transfer between courses, factors that the University should consider include:

• Availability of places
• Prerequisites and other admission requirements for the course
• Any regulatory requirements

Roles and Responsibilities (VC delegation)

*(Staff holding, acting in or performing the responsible position or office)

2.2. Re-enrolment, amendments and transfers

The University will provide all information necessary for students to maintain their enrolment.  
Enrolments in units are subject to published requisites. Higher Education students may request a waiver of a requisite.  When making decision on applications to waive a requisite the University should consider whether:

• a student has completed an equivalent unit from another institution;
• a student is able to demonstrate achievement of the relevant learning outcomes of the requisite unit from prior relevant work experience.  In Higher Education this process is not equivalent to RPL where all learning outcomes must be demonstrated.

Students may request an amendment to their enrolment.  When making decisions on applications to amend enrolments, factors that the University should consider include:

• requisites for units of study
• availability of places in units of study
• scholarship requirements
• regulatory requirements
• academic progress requirements.

Students may request to vary study load.  When making decisions on applications to vary study load, factors that the University should consider include:

• maximum duration requirements
• scholarship requirements
• course specific requirements
• regulatory requirements
• academic progress requirements.

International students holding student visas are required to complete their course within the original expected duration except in limited circumstances.  Onshore international students holding student visas can only take less than a standard full-time load if they have approval from the University and one or more of the following apply:

a. they have received credit or RPL such that they will not have to extend their course;

b. they have compassionate or compelling circumstances; 

c. an early intervention strategy has been activated under the Swinburne’s academic progress requirements; or 

d. they agree to study units in non-compulsory teaching periods or vocational education blocks so they will not have to extend their course.

Higher Education students must complete their course within a 10 year duration (Academic Courses Regulation 32).  When making decisions on an exemption from the maximum duration requirement, factors that the University should consider include:

• that the student can undertake the course with a reasonable prospect of success
• compassionate or compelling circumstances
• scholarship requirements
• regulatory requirements
• availability of courses and/or units.

Students may request to take leave of absence.  When making decisions on applications to take leave of absence, factors that the University should consider include:

• mmaximum duration requirements
• whether the student has outstanding fees
• scholarship requirements
• regulatory requirements.

When making decisions on applications to transfer between courses, factors that the University should consider include:

• availability of places
• prerequisites and other admission requirements for the course
• any regulatory requirements.

Roles and Responsibilities (VC delegation)

*(Staff holding, acting in or performing the responsible position or office)

3. Complaints, reviews and appeals

A person dissatisfied with a decision under this policy may lodge a complaint (or in some instances students may apply directly for a review), subject to the requirements of the complaints, reviews and appeals provisions of the People, Culture and Integrity Policy and the Review and Appeals Regulations 2012.

Delegations

This policy includes, where indicated in the tables of roles and responsibilities, delegation of power by the Vice-Chancellor under section 26(7) of the Swinburne University of Technology Act 2010.

Approvals

Related information

• Academic Procedures (staff login)
• Vocational Education Procedures (staff login)
• Student Lifecycle Work Instructions (staff login)
• Sarawak Procedures