Academic Progress (Exclusions) Overview

Continued enrolment in your course depends on passing enough subjects. At the end of each year, the University examines the marks of students to see if you are passing enough subjects to eventually get your degree. This is called Academic Progress Review, and it is done by the Academic Progress Committee (APC) in each faculty.

1. Why Come to the Student Rights Service for help?
2. Mid year warning letter
3. End of year Notice of Referral
4. Response Letters
5. APC Hearings
6. Appeals
7. Exclusion

1. Why Come to the Student Rights Service for help?

The Student Rights Service at Clayton is run independently of the University by the Student Association, funded in 2006 for the last time by your Amenities Fees. Our focus is you, the student, not the interests of the University. Our Student Rights Officers are available all year to help with student queries and issues, and are highly conversant with University policy and procedures. During the Exclusions period we offer an extended service with Student Rights Advocates who are well trained and experienced in all exclusions-related matters.

2. Mid year warning letter

A faculty may become aware that a student's progress has been unsatisfactory after first semester results. They may send a warning letter at this stage although they are not obliged to. Should you receive such a letter, you should seek advice immediately on how to address any problems. Student Rights can help by providing advice on resources and services that can assist in overcoming the issues that led to your poor academic performance.

3. End of year Notice of Referral

At the end of the year if the APC is satisfied that you have not adhered to the Faculty's academic progress rules, it will send a notice of referral to you detailing the particulars of why you are being considered for exclusion, and requesting that you explain why you have been performing poorly, and why you should not be excluded. If you receive such a referral notice you must take it seriously. The letter allows you the opportunity to convince the faculty that you should not be excluded from your course. In general, students who:

fail fifty percent or more of their subjects for the full year; or
fail a subject they have failed before; or
have not met the requirements of a previous review,

will be asked to show cause.

It is a good idea to start looking for a course at another university straight away as a backup plan, just in case you are excluded. The outcome may not be decided before semester 1 2007. International students need to make sure they understand what will happen to their visa if they are excluded or change courses. You should get advice from the Student Rights Service or Monash International. Note that it is your responsibility to ensure that the university has your correct address details including your summer address (overseas if necessary).

4. Response Letters

You will be asked to respond in writing to begin with. The Student Rights Officers can help you to prepare this letter. Generally, you should outline in detail:

why you failed;
a plan to prevent future failure;
a statement of commitment to your degree;
a request to be allowed to re-enrol.

You should include any evidence you have of these matters, such as doctor’s certificates, police statements, bank records etc. If you have failed some subjects more than once, you should work out and explain why you have had so much trouble with that subject, and you should then list how you plan to make things better. In most circumstances the faculties will review letters as the first part of the process. Where they are satisfied that you have identified your problems, know how to fix them, and can do so, you will be allowed to continue without further action, so writing a strong letter is a very good idea. For the students whose letters do not convince the faculty that they can go on to improve their marks, hearings or interviews will be held.

Consequences for failing to respond to a Notice of Referral:

If you do not respond to the letter asking you to show cause, you will receive a notice of exclusion with no automatic right of appeal. The only recourse available is to write to the Dean of the Faculty and request that they exercise their discretion to refer the matter back to the APC. The letter will need to set out the exceptional circumstances that led to you not responding to the notice of referral, for example, you never received the letter or did not understand its importance.

5. APC Hearings

This is your chance to explain in more detail why you should be allowed to continue, and to convince the APC that the reasons you outlined in your Show Cause letter are genuine. If you are asked to come to a hearing, contact a Student Rights Officer. We can help you to prepare and come with you to the hearing. You are entitled to be accompanied at the hearing by one person, who may provide assistance, support or both.

The Notice of Referral will contain brief particulars of why you are being considered for exclusion and a list of hearing dates. It will also state the names of the members of the APC. If you have any objections to being heard by any of the committee members, you have a right to object to their participation and should notify the faculty and Student Rights as soon as possible of your concerns so the faculty can consider them. Most faculties will tell students the outcome on the day. They are allowed to:

let you re-enrol
place restrictions on your enrolment
set higher performance requirements for next year (passing 75% of your subjects for example)
exclude you from the degree or faculty for 12 months.

6. Appeals

If you are excluded, there are only limited grounds on which you can appeal, being:

new evidence not available at the time of the first hearing, and
procedural irregularity (if the faculty did something they were not meant to or failed to do something they should have)

An appeal against a decision of the APC to exclude you must be received within 14 days from the date of your letter of exclusion. The Notice of Appeal must be set out in the appropriate form and is lodged with the Secretary of the Exclusion Appeals Committee (EAC). If you intend to lodge an appeal and have not yet sought advice from a Student Rights Officer, you are strongly encouraged to do so at this stage.

The Chair of the EAC- a member of the Law Faculty- will determine whether a prima facie ground for appeal exists i.e. whether there is adequate evidence to support your case. If the Chair considers that no grounds of appeal exist, the appeal will be dismissed and you will be notified of such in writing. Dismissal by the Chair is final.

If the EAC Chair considers that there are sufficient grounds for appeal on the basis of new evidence, the matter will go back to the faculty APC for a re-hearing. The APC will be made up of the same members that made the original decision, with the addition of the EAC Chair.

If the Chair determines that there is prima facie evidence of procedural irregularity or bias in the way the APC hearing was conducted or the process leading up to the hearing, the matter will be heard by the EAC. The role of the EAC is to determine whether or not procedural irregularity can in fact be established. The EAC will not consider the merits of the decision made by the faculty APC. Both the student and the Dean (or the Dean's representative) of the faculty concerned, are entitled to make submissions to the EAC.

If the Exclusions Appeals Committee decides that no procedural irregularity occurred the appeal will be dismissed. Where the EAC upholds the appeal, the matter will be heard by a new faculty APC who hear the case afresh.

7. Exclusion

Excluded students can reapply to Monash after twelve months. In that time you should take the most relevant other course you can get into. It is important to apply early for courses, before you have been excluded, as you may not find a suitable course if you wait until the final verdict. If you do well in your external course, you can claim 'academic rehabilitation' or state that these good results will also be shown in your original course at Monash. Applications would need to be made around September each year directly to the faculty or through VTAC, as directed by the Faculty.

For Further Information on the Exclusions process:

Monash Academic Progress/ Exclusions

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions please email your Student Rights Officer at
studentrights.msa @adm.monash.edu.au


	Academic Progress (Exclusions) Overview Continued enrolment in your course depends on passing enough subjects. At the end of each year, the University examines the marks of students to see if you are passing enough subjects to eventually get your degree. This is called Academic Progress Review, and it is done by the Academic Progress Committee (APC) in each faculty. 1. Why Come to the Student Rights Service for help? 2. Mid year warning letter 3. End of year Notice of Referral 4. Response Letters 5. APC Hearings 6. Appeals 7. Exclusion 1. Why Come to the Student Rights Service for help? The Student Rights Service at Clayton is run independently of the University by the Student Association, funded in 2006 for the last time by your Amenities Fees. Our focus is you, the student, not the interests of the University. Our Student Rights Officers are available all year to help with student queries and issues, and are highly conversant with University policy and procedures. During the Exclusions period we offer an extended service with Student Rights Advocates who are well trained and experienced in all exclusions-related matters. 2. Mid year warning letter A faculty may become aware that a student's progress has been unsatisfactory after first semester results. They may send a warning letter at this stage although they are not obliged to. Should you receive such a letter, you should seek advice immediately on how to address any problems. Student Rights can help by providing advice on resources and services that can assist in overcoming the issues that led to your poor academic performance. 3. End of year Notice of Referral At the end of the year if the APC is satisfied that you have not adhered to the Faculty's academic progress rules, it will send a notice of referral to you detailing the particulars of why you are being considered for exclusion, and requesting that you explain why you have been performing poorly, and why you should not be excluded. If you receive such a referral notice you must take it seriously. The letter allows you the opportunity to convince the faculty that you should not be excluded from your course. In general, students who: fail fifty percent or more of their subjects for the full year; or fail a subject they have failed before; or have not met the requirements of a previous review, will be asked to show cause. It is a good idea to start looking for a course at another university straight away as a backup plan, just in case you are excluded. The outcome may not be decided before semester 1 2007. International students need to make sure they understand what will happen to their visa if they are excluded or change courses. You should get advice from the Student Rights Service or Monash International. Note that it is your responsibility to ensure that the university has your correct address details including your summer address (overseas if necessary). 4. Response Letters You will be asked to respond in writing to begin with. The Student Rights Officers can help you to prepare this letter. Generally, you should outline in detail: why you failed; a plan to prevent future failure; a statement of commitment to your degree; a request to be allowed to re-enrol. You should include any evidence you have of these matters, such as doctor’s certificates, police statements, bank records etc. If you have failed some subjects more than once, you should work out and explain why you have had so much trouble with that subject, and you should then list how you plan to make things better. In most circumstances the faculties will review letters as the first part of the process. Where they are satisfied that you have identified your problems, know how to fix them, and can do so, you will be allowed to continue without further action, so writing a strong letter is a very good idea. For the students whose letters do not convince the faculty that they can go on to improve their marks, hearings or interviews will be held. Consequences for failing to respond to a Notice of Referral: If you do not respond to the letter asking you to show cause, you will receive a notice of exclusion with no automatic right of appeal. The only recourse available is to write to the Dean of the Faculty and request that they exercise their discretion to refer the matter back to the APC. The letter will need to set out the exceptional circumstances that led to you not responding to the notice of referral, for example, you never received the letter or did not understand its importance. 5. APC Hearings This is your chance to explain in more detail why you should be allowed to continue, and to convince the APC that the reasons you outlined in your Show Cause letter are genuine. If you are asked to come to a hearing, contact a Student Rights Officer. We can help you to prepare and come with you to the hearing. You are entitled to be accompanied at the hearing by one person, who may provide assistance, support or both. The Notice of Referral will contain brief particulars of why you are being considered for exclusion and a list of hearing dates. It will also state the names of the members of the APC. If you have any objections to being heard by any of the committee members, you have a right to object to their participation and should notify the faculty and Student Rights as soon as possible of your concerns so the faculty can consider them. Most faculties will tell students the outcome on the day. They are allowed to: let you re-enrol place restrictions on your enrolment set higher performance requirements for next year (passing 75% of your subjects for example) exclude you from the degree or faculty for 12 months. 6. Appeals If you are excluded, there are only limited grounds on which you can appeal, being: new evidence not available at the time of the first hearing, and procedural irregularity (if the faculty did something they were not meant to or failed to do something they should have) An appeal against a decision of the APC to exclude you must be received within 14 days from the date of your letter of exclusion. The Notice of Appeal must be set out in the appropriate form and is lodged with the Secretary of the Exclusion Appeals Committee (EAC). If you intend to lodge an appeal and have not yet sought advice from a Student Rights Officer, you are strongly encouraged to do so at this stage. The Chair of the EAC- a member of the Law Faculty- will determine whether a prima facie ground for appeal exists i.e. whether there is adequate evidence to support your case. If the Chair considers that no grounds of appeal exist, the appeal will be dismissed and you will be notified of such in writing. Dismissal by the Chair is final. If the EAC Chair considers that there are sufficient grounds for appeal on the basis of new evidence, the matter will go back to the faculty APC for a re-hearing. The APC will be made up of the same members that made the original decision, with the addition of the EAC Chair. If the Chair determines that there is prima facie evidence of procedural irregularity or bias in the way the APC hearing was conducted or the process leading up to the hearing, the matter will be heard by the EAC. The role of the EAC is to determine whether or not procedural irregularity can in fact be established. The EAC will not consider the merits of the decision made by the faculty APC. Both the student and the Dean (or the Dean's representative) of the faculty concerned, are entitled to make submissions to the EAC. If the Exclusions Appeals Committee decides that no procedural irregularity occurred the appeal will be dismissed. Where the EAC upholds the appeal, the matter will be heard by a new faculty APC who hear the case afresh. 7. Exclusion Excluded students can reapply to Monash after twelve months. In that time you should take the most relevant other course you can get into. It is important to apply early for courses, before you have been excluded, as you may not find a suitable course if you wait until the final verdict. If you do well in your external course, you can claim 'academic rehabilitation' or state that these good results will also be shown in your original course at Monash. Applications would need to be made around September each year directly to the faculty or through VTAC, as directed by the Faculty. For Further Information on the Exclusions process: Monash Academic Progress/ Exclusions If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions please email your Student Rights Officer at studentrights.msa @adm.monash.edu.au