Advanced Standing Procedures

1. Governing policy

The Advanced Standing Procedures (“procedures”) relate to the Advanced Standing Policy.

The procedures describe the process involved when a student applies for advanced standing based on prior learning, the assessment and granting of credit at the Institution.

2. Scope

These procedures apply to commencing and continuing students at the Institution applying for advanced standing and staff who implement the procedures. The procedures are aligned with applicable Australian Government legislation including the Higher Education Standards Framework 2021 and the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training of Overseas Students 2018 (National Code).

3. Procedures

3.1 The procedures set out the six key processes involved in assessing a student’s application for advanced standing as per Table 1 below:

1. Applying for advanced standing

A student may apply for advanced standing with their application for admission or after course commencement with supporting documentary evidence.

2. Assessment

The relevant team assesses the application against the provisions of the Advanced Standing Policy to determine eligibility for advanced standing and the amount of credit to be awarded based on the types of application.

3. Outcome and acceptance

Students are provided with the outcome of their application for advanced standing in a timely manner and in turn advise the Institution if they do not wish to accept the credit awarded.

4. Review of the outcome

Students have the right to lodge a complaint against a decision to grant advanced standing, on the basis that the decision was inconsistent with the rules outlined in these procedures, in accordance with the Complaints and Appeals Policy and the Complaints and Appeals Procedures.

5. Recording

The student management system is updated with the outcome of the advanced standing application.

6. Reporting to PRISMS

After an international student has accepted an offer and paid the required deposit fees, they are issued with a confirmation of enrolment (COE) indicating a reduced duration (if applicable) as a result of the credit awarded. Current students who apply for and are granted advanced standing may require a new COE.

Table 1

Process	Responsibilities	Timeframe
Step 1 Applying for advanced standing
1.1 A student applies for advanced standing during the following period either: a. During application stage: Indicate in the appropriate section of the application form when applying for admission into a course of study. The Admissions Office emails the student the applicable information including the application for advanced standing. The student submits the completed Advanced Standing Application Form and provides the relevant supporting documentation to the Admissions Office by emailing: Domestic student: [email protected] International student: [email protected] or b. After course commencement: Complete the online form 1.2 Supporting evidence of prior learning, reflecting the student’s current levels of knowledge and skills, must be submitted in English (or a translation by an approved translator) with an application for advanced standing including (but not limited to): a. Formal learning: previous academic transcripts or statement of results; information in relation to the completed subjects from previous academic achievement such as subject descriptions, subject learning outcomes and assessment details. b. Informal learning: Information in relation to their previous employment or work experience (including voluntary or non-paid employment), job descriptions or statement of work, reference letter from the employer or record of work-related activities or portfolio. The applicant must provide evidence to demonstrate how they are comparable to the subject learning outcomes of the subjects they wish to receive credit for. Students with work experience seeking advanced standing for work integrated learning subjects are required to follow the process outlined in Appendix A (all Masters courses except MBA), Appendix B (MBA only) and Appendix C (undergraduate). The Institution takes into account any credit previously awarded either as an individual advanced standing application or through an approved articulation agreement to ensure maximum credit limits have not already been reached. c. Non-formal learning: training log or portfolio, certification of attendance or participation, program information such as learning outcomes or objectives and program description. 1.3 In the case of non-formal and informal learning, the Institution may set a challenge examination. This pass/fail examination allows students to have their prior knowledge assessed for the purpose of awarding advanced standing into a program of study, for which the following applies: It may not be used to award partial credit for a subject. If failed, the advanced standing will not be granted An administration fee to sit the examination may be incurred as an additional cost for the application. 1.4 Applications submitted without supporting evidence are not assessed until all requested documents have been submitted to the Institution. 1.5 The Admissions team assesses applications for advanced standing where there is a Block Credit Arrangement or an existing Articulation Agreement. Where there are no arrangements/agreements in place, an approved qualified academic assesses and approves these applications.	Admissions	During application for admission* OR after course commencement *NB: Block credit applications can only be assessed at admission stage
Step 2 Assessment
Block Credit Arrangement or Articulation Agreement 2.1 The Admission team makes the assessment according to the following criteria: a. The supporting evidence must meet clauses 4.4 on currency and 4.5 on relevancy in the Advanced Standing Policy; b. If an articulation agreement or block credit arrangement exists or a prior assessment of the same advanced standing has been granted, assess the application against the agreed advanced standing precedent; c. Block credit arrangements are assessed using the Block Credit Decision Matrix. This matrix must be used for block credit arrangements or articulation agreements only. d. The amount of advanced standing granted must be in accordance with clause 4.7 of the Advanced Standing Policy or for block credit arrangements, the advanced standing limits as per the Block Credit Decision Matrix. No Block Credit Arrangement or Articulation Agreement 2.2 The approved qualified academic makes the assessment according to the following criteria: a. The supporting evidence must meet clauses 4.3, 4.4, 4.5 in the Advanced Standing Policy; b. If there is no articulation agreement, block credit arrangement or no prior assessment of advanced standing, assess the application by granting the advanced standing as either: block credit; specified credit; unspecified credit; or a combination of the above; c. The amount of advanced standing granted must be in accordance with clause 4.7 of the Advanced Standing Policy 2.1 Applications for advanced standing may be rejected where: a. The requirements and provisions described in the Advanced Standing Policy and in these procedures have not been met, as determined by the Institution; b. Postgraduate students have completed studies or a previous course which were required as a prerequisite for admission into a course, and these prerequisite studies are being claimed for advanced standing. 2.2 The outcome of the assessment is recorded in the letter of offer for new students and in the student management system for current students. The outcome of the assessment includes the details of the advanced standing granted or rejected and the effect the advanced standing has on the expected completion date of the course (if applicable). The outcome is forwarded to the relevant team.	Admissions Team Approved Qualified Academic
Step 3 Outcome and acceptance
3.1 Students are normally advised in writing of the outcome of their advanced standing application within 10 working days either: a. During application stage: i. A Letter of Offer is issued to the student specifying the type of advanced standing awarded, the number of credit points awarded, the total course duration after advanced standing is awarded and the indicative tuition fee. This includes advanced standing awarded as part of an articulation agreement or block credit arrangement; and ii. An Advanced Standing Assessment letter or a Block Credit Arrangement letter is issued to the student, detailing the results of their application, and if advanced standing is not granted the right to review the outcome is included; b. After commencement: i. A letter is issued to the student, detailing the results of their application, reduced course duration (if applicable) and if advanced standing is not granted the right to appeal is included. The advanced standing awarded is applied in the current or subsequent study period as applicable. 3.2 Notification of the outcome may take longer than 10 working days in some circumstances including (but not limited to) where: a. further evidence is requested; or b. an additional challenge examination is deemed necessary. 3.3 Where the assessment and notification of the advanced standing application will take longer than 10 working days, the student is notified via email including the reasons for the delay. 3.4 Applications for admission into a course at the Institution are processed within two working days and this includes issuing a Letter of Offer to successful applicants. If the advanced standing assessment and outcome is unable to be processed within the two working days set for admission applications, the Letter of Offer may need to be issued before the notification of advanced standing has been sent. A revised Letter of Offer will be sent once the advanced standing assessment has been finalised. 3.5 Students are required to indicate their acceptance of the credit awarded before it is applied to the student record, either: a. During application stage: Acceptance of Offer and Written Agreement contains a clause stating that accepting the offer means accepting the advanced standing granted. The student must advise the Institution before they accept the offer, if they do not wish to accept the advanced standing by emailing: Domestic student: [email protected] International student: [email protected] b. After commencement: The student must advise the Institution if they do not wish to accept the advanced standing they have been granted, by replying to the notification of advanced standing within two working days. If the Institution receives no rejection notification from the student, the Institution will deem the advanced standing as having been accepted. 3.6 For students who receive advanced standing for a particular subject after census date, no academic or financial penalty will automatically apply and the finance team will be informed by Student Services. 3.7 The Institution is required to retain a record of the acceptance of credit awarded for two years after the student ceases to be an accepted student. The record will be retained on the student record.	Admissions Student Services Student	Outcome to student within 10 working days of application submission Notify Institution within 2 days of rejection of advanced standing
Step 4 Complaint against the advanced standing outcome
4.1 The student submits a complaint about the advanced standing decision, as per the Complaints and Appeals Policy and the Complaints and Appeals Procedures. 4.2 The Dean/Associate Dean notifies the student of the outcome of the review of the decision. 4.3 If the original advanced standing decision is upheld, no further action is required by the Admissions or Student Services team. 4.4 If the outcome of the appeal is to grant additional advanced standing, the Admissions or Student Services team proceeds as per Step 3.	Student Dean/Associate Dean Admissions OR Student Services
Step 5 Recording
5.1 After an advanced standing application has been accepted by the student, the result is recorded as follows: a. The student management system, is updated with the credit awarded, reducing the total number of credit points required for completion of the course of study.	Admissions OR Student Services
Step 6 Reporting to PRISMS
6.1 For international students who have been awarded advanced standing and after signing their Acceptance of Offer and Written Agreement and paying the required deposit, a COE will be issued reflecting a reduced course duration, where applicable. 6.2 For international students who accept the advanced standing awarded after a COE has already been issued and their visa has been granted, and where the advanced standing affects their course duration, the Institution cancels the existing COE on PRISMS and issue a new COE reflecting the reduced course duration.	Admissions OR Student Services

4. Compliance and monitoring

These procedures are written in accordance with Standard 2 of the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 and Domain 1 of the Higher Education Standards Framework 2021.

5. Reporting

Where the total number of credit points awarded to an international student affects the duration of the course, the COE is created on PRISMS with the reduced duration, as detailed in Step 6, Table 1.

6. Records management

As detailed in Table 1 above, advanced standing requests are recorded in the student management system and records of the acceptance of credit are filed and saved for two years after a student ceases to be an accepted student.