Recognition of Academic Excellence Procedures

1.1 The major criterion used in the assessment of academic excellence is the Medals Score, calculated in accordance with Section 3 of these procedures. 

1.2 A student will be eligible for the award of a university medal if they:

1. are course complete at the time of nomination, 
2. have completed at least 180 cp of graded studies at ACU, 
3. have not had a misconduct finding under either the Student Conduct Policy or the Student Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy, and
4. have not had their enrolment terminated at any stage of their course.

1.2.2 To be eligible for consideration for the award of the University Medal, students must have been enrolled in a Bachelor or Bachelor Double degree of three or more years duration.

1.2.3 To be eligible for consideration for the award of the University Honours Medal, students must have achieved first-class honours.

1.3 Faculty Board recommendations should consider all eligible course complete students from the relevant academic year. Students undertaking final units in the Summer Term or Professional Term 1 will be eligible for medal consideration in the following year.

1.4 Eligibility for the award of a medal to a student enrolled in a double degree, should be determined by the Faculty Board of the Faculty with primary administrative responsibility for the course.

1.5 A Faculty Board may put forward other factors which demonstrate outstanding academic merit, in support of a nomination, consistent with Section 4.4 of the Recognition of Academic Excellence Policy. 

1.6 A student who has been granted credit for studies at another institution, other than for cross-institutional study, will only be eligible for recommendation for award of a University Honours Medal provided that they have completed the 80 credit points of Bachelor Honours units, and at least 100 credit points of the Bachelor degree units while enrolled at ACU.

1.7 If the Academic Registrar determines that a Faculty nominee is ineligible, they may request a new nominee from that Faculty.

1.8 Where two eligible students from the same Faculty have the same Medals Score, a recommendation may be put to the Academic Registrar for consideration of the matter by the Chair of Academic Board, recommending that two medals be awarded on an exceptional basis.

1.9 Students named as Executive Dean’s Awardees for Academic Excellence will be tabled at Academic Board for noting, be listed in the Graduation program and on the ACU graduation website. 

2.1 Executive Deans will be advised of the minimum Medals Score determined by the Academic Board following the first Academic Board meeting of the year.

2.2 Student Administration will provide a report to Faculties identifying students eligible for recognition of academic excellence by early January each year.

2.3 The Faculty Boards, at the end of January each year, will submit a memorandum, using the approved template, to the Academic Registrar with the names of those students recommended for a University Honours Medal and/or University Medal, and the rationale for their recommendation. The memorandum will also recommend students to be named as Executive Dean’s Awardees for Academic Excellence.

2.4 A working group, comprised of a Faculty representative responsible for the Medals Score calculation, and chaired by the Academic Registrar, will meet to confirm the recommendations.

2.5 The Academic Registrar will recommend the award of University Honours Medals and/or University Medals, to the February meeting of Academic Board, for approval, and will submit the Executive Dean’s Awardees for Academic Excellence, for noting.

3.1 Student Administration will provide Faculties with a report identifying students with eligible Medals Scores.

3.2 For end-on honours, all records will be flagged in the report for manual assessment by the Faculty so they can determine:

1. if the student’s previous study was relevant to the Honours year; and
2. whether advanced coursework has been undertaken at another institution, and if so, how the result/s for this study is incorporated in the medal calculation.

3.3 The Medals Score is the average of the student marks weighted by the credit point value of each graded unit, for units from the Bachelor Honours (if relevant) and Bachelor courses, as specified in sections 3.4 and 3.5.

3.4 Basis for Calculation of the Medals Score for a University Honours Medal:

1. the marks achieved in the 80 credit points from the honours year;
2. the marks achieved for the next best 100 credit points of graded units at 200-level and above in the Bachelor degree.

3.5 Basis for calculation of the Medals Score for a University Medal

1. the marks achieved for the best 100 credit points of graded units at 200-level or above; and
2. the student's highest marks achieved for 80 credit points of the remaining units in the Bachelor degree.

3.6 Basis for calculation of the Medals Score for a double degree

3.6.1 The Medals Score for a University Honours Medal will be calculated based on results in units across both degrees for the Bachelor component plus the honours component consistent with section 3.4.

3.6.2 The medals score for a University Medal will be calculated based on results in units across both degrees, as specified in section 3.5.

3.7 A student who has undertaken exchange, study abroad or cross-institutional studies may be considered for the award of a medal where specified credit, with a mark recorded, for individual units was granted under the relevant course rules.

3.8 Ungraded units, units granted as credit where no mark is recorded, and cross-institutional study where no mark is recorded, should be excluded from the calculation of the Medals Score.

University Honours Medals and University Medals will be presented to students at a graduation ceremony each year.

Records related to the award of medals for academic achievement will be maintained in accordance with the Records and Archive Management Policy and Records and Retention and Disposal Schedule of the University.