Graduation and Issuance of Certification Policy

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to cover the matters related to Alphacrucis University College (AC) student graduation and the issuing of AC qualifications.

Scope

This policy applies to all Higher Education (HE) and Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses at AC.

Policy

Definitions
For the purpose of this policy, the following definitions apply:

1. Academic Transcript: The official record of a HE student's study at AC, including all programs and subjects attempted. 
2. Alumni: Alumni means the graduates or former students of AC. 
3. Australian Higher Education Australian Graduate Statement (AHEGS): A supplementary document provided to graduates that describes the nature, level, context, and status of their qualification and learning outcomes. 
4. Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF): The national policy for regulated qualifications in Australian education and training, which defines the standards for qualifications. 
5. Confer:  The formal process of issuing a qualification to a HE student. 
6. Grade Point Average (GPA): A numerical representation of a student’s academic performance, calculated according to a specified formula based on course grades and credit points. 
7. Graduate: A graduand who has had their award conferred on them by AC. 
8. Graduand:  A student who has completed their award and been deemed eligible to graduate. 
9. Graduation in absentia: When a degree is conferred on a student without their presence at a graduation ceremony.  
10. Record of Results (VET): the official transcript  of a VET student's study at AC, issued for complete qualifications or accredited courses. 
11. Statement of Attainment (VET): issued when a student completes one or more units but not full qualification  
12. Testamur:  certification confirming the award of a qualification. 
13. Unique Student Identifier (USI): A government-issued identifier required for the issuance of any certification documentation. The USI must not appear on any AQF certification documentation. 
14. Nationally Recognised Training (NRT) Logo: A regulated logo that may only appear on VET AQF certification documentation for nationally recognised training within the RTO’s scope (NRT Logo Conditions of Use Policy (Schedule 2)) 

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Policy Statement

Eligibility to graduate: 
Students are eligible to graduate from the award in which they are enrolled if:  

1. They have met all the course requirements as prescribed in the award/training product's regulations; 
2. No financial debt is owed to AC;  
3. There is no current suspension or exclusion on their record;  
4. All borrowed books have been returned to the Library and there are no outstanding loans; 
5. There are no outstanding proceedings related to allegations of Student Misconduct; 
6. They have not already graduated from that award.  
7. A verified USI, unless exempt 
    

Graduation Ceremony, In Absentia Graduation or deferment of graduation
Students must elect to have their award conferred at the graduation ceremony or in absentia. Students who elect to graduate 'in absentia' are not permitted to have their award conferred at a later ceremony.  

Students eligible to graduate may elect to defer their graduation by notifying the Student Experience Department in writing. The maximum period of deferral is until the next graduation ceremony.  

Reporting of Eligible Graduands
The Registry is responsible to record and report the names of all the graduates in a list which is to be endorsed by the Academic Board and approved by Council. Registry is responsible to maintain the student records to show who has graduated and become alumni of AC.

Revocation of award
AC reserves the right to revoke any conferred award if it is proven through student disciplinary or other action that the student is guilty of cheating, plagiarism, or other fraudulent activity and obtained the degree under false pretences. (See Exclusion from a Course or Subject Policy and Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy).  

Cumulative Grade Point Average (HE only) 
AC uses a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) to measure the academic performance of individual students in order to acknowledge excellence and determine recipients of excellence awards at graduation. This is included on the student’s academic transcript. The GPA is an averaging system particularly useful for calculating outcomes for entry into research programs and cross-program and trans-program transferability. The cumulative GPA will be calculated over the duration of the student’s enrolment in a course.  

The GPA at AC is calculated in the following manner: GPA = (4h+3d+2c+1p) / E
Where:

• h is the number of credit points gained at HD grade;  
• d is the number of credit points gained at D grade;  
• c is the number of credit points gained at C grade;  
• p is the number of credit points gained at P and S grade;  
• E is the total number of credit points for which a student is effectively enrolled (excluding units with exemptions or withdrawals).  

Issuance of Qualifications
AC will ensure that: 

1. Students receive the certification documentation to which they are entitled.   
2. AQF qualifications are correctly identified in certification documentation.   
3. AQF qualifications are protected against fraudulent issuance.   
4. A clear distinction can be made between AQF qualifications issued by AC.   
5. Certification documentation is used consistently across the VET sector and is different in look to Higher Education awards.   
6. Students and others are confident that the qualifications they have been awarded by AC are part of Australia’s national qualifications framework. 

AC will issue AQF qualifications in accordance with the AQF Policy on 'Issuing AQF Qualifications'. This requires that all graduates who have completed a course of study in which they have been enrolled are entitled to receive the following certification documentation upon conferral of the qualification:  

1. a Testamur; and  
2. a Record of Results (VET) or Academic Transcript (HE).  If available for the qualification, a Higher Education Australian Graduate Statement (AHEGS) may also be issued. The Graduate Statement will include information regarding the language of instruction. If a student has completed a course or subjects in Language Other Than English (LOTE), this will be included in the Graduate Statement. For double degrees that are uniquely accredited as a combined course, a single testamur and academic transcript naming the double degree will be awarded. For double degrees that are based on a structural model that permits two qualifications to be undertaken concurrently for a reduced total duration, two testamurs and a single academic transcript will be awarded.  

All Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications will be issued to the student within 30 calendar days from when all of the following conditions are met: (1) student assessed as meeting the requirements, (2) all agreed fees are paid, and (3) verified USI provided . The student may opt in writing to receive the qualifications through a third party.  

AC HE graduates are entitled to retain testamurs and records of results once they have been issued, unless the AQF qualification builds on a lower level qualification and the accreditation of the course of study requires the surrender of the certification documentation.  

An academic transcript or record of results is a true and authoritative record of a student's academic performance and achievements while enrolled at AC. The information on an individual student's testamurs shall not be altered, other than to be re-issued subsequent to the correction of an error.  

All Higher Education awards are conferred by AC Council. A Register of all AQF qualifications that AC is authorised to issue is maintained by the Academic Board. Similarly, the Registry maintains a Register of all AQF qualifications issued to graduates (Register of Graduates) .  

AC will not issue a Testamur and Record of Results if any fees are still outstanding.  

AC does not permit third parties to create testamurs, qualifications, record of results or statements of attainment on behalf of AC. 

Fraud Prevention  
AC confirms its responsibility for the authentication and verification of a student’s certification and statement of attainment documentation.   

AC has mechanisms in place to reduce fraudulent reproduction of its certification. All AC documentation includes the Alphacrucis University College seal, logo and unique watermark.  

Additional fraud prevention measures implemented include:  

1. VET: 

1. Documentation has an embedded background image that make it clear when an electronic issued Record of Results and Testamur is not genuine  
2. Printed copies of the Testamur have an embossed seal,  
3. Document numbers are used for verification purposes  
4. For digital documents, security is managed by sending the documents via the My eQuals secure digital server 

2. HE: 

1. Higher Education testamurs are uniquely numbered with a control number which can be confirmed with AC. 
2. For digital documents, security is managed by sending the documents via the My eQuals secure digital server 
    

AQF Certification Documentation Qualifications Register  
AC maintains a register of AQF qualifications it is authorised to issue. Records of VET AQF certification documentation issued will be maintained for a period of thirty (30) years. Records of their own AQF certification should be accessible to current and past students. AC will provide reports of records of qualifications and statements of attainment issued to its VET Regulator on a regular basis, as determined by the VET Regulator. 
 

Issuing and records management of VET qualifications and VET statements of attainment 
Any VET qualifications and statements of attainment issued by AC comply with the AQF Qualifications Issuance Policy as per the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Compliance Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations and Fit and Proper Person Requirements) Instrument 2025 Division 2 Standard 11 (Issue of VET qualifications and VET statements of attainment). 

AC will issue AQF certification documentation (testamur and record of results) to a student within thirty (30) calendar days of the student being assessed as meeting the requirements of the training product, which includes all of the following:  

1. The AQF training product in which the student is enrolled is complete, or  the student has completed one or more units of the training product and subsequently withdrawn,  
2. All agreed fees the student owes to the RTO for that training product have been paid, and 
3.  A verified USI provided 

AC must retain records of AQF certification documentation and outcomes for 30 years, assessment evidence for two years from the date of competency judgement, with secure backup systems (see Electronic Publishing and Resource Use Policy). 

Roles and Responsibilities 
The following roles and responsibilities apply in relation to this policy:  

1. Registrar: The Registrar is responsible for oversight of graduation processes and ensuring policy compliance. The Registrar is also responsible for ensuring this policy is reviewed regularly and remains aligned with institutional and legislative requirements, and coordinating communication of policy revisions to stakeholders. 
2. Registry: Registry is responsible for reviewing student eligibility to graduate by confirming program completion, financial standing, and conduct status. Registry is also responsible for coordinating the collation and reporting of graduands for endorsement by the Academic Board and approval by Council and for maintaining accurate graduation records. Registry is also responsible for communicating with graduands regarding ceremony options, in absentia procedures, and document collection. They are also responsible for maintaining the Register of Graduates and managing requests for replacement certification, issuing final academic documentation to graduates, including Testamurs and transcripts, and managing deferral requests and alumni engagement records. 
3. Program Director: Program Directors are responsible for verifying that students have met all course requirements for their enrolled award and for approving graduation eligibility before final conferral processes. 
4. Accounts Department: The Accounts Department is responsible for confirming whether any outstanding financial obligations may affect a student’s eligibility to graduate. 
5. Library Department: The Library Department is responsible for confirming that all books have been returned and there are no outstanding loans. 
6. Academic Board: Academic Board is responsible for endorsing the list of eligible graduates prior to final conferral and for ensuring academic standards are maintained throughout the graduation process. 
7. AC Council: AC Council is responsible for conferring qualifications on eligible HE students as the official awarding authority and for ensuring the integrity of graduation processes and the issuing of AQF qualifications. 

Responsible for implementation

Registrar

Related legislation

Higher Education Standards Framework: 1.5

Outcome Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2025:

National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Compliance Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations and Fit and Proper Person Requirements) Instrument 2025: Division 2 Standard 11

Credential Policy (Standards for Registered Training Organisations)

NRT Logo Conditions of Use Policy (Schedule 2)

Higher Education Support Amendment (2023)

Related documents

Application to Graduate

AC Graduation Awards Supplement

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Procedures

Graduation procedure

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