Policies & Procedures

Notification of Results

Students are notified of their results via email after Academic Deadline. This email explains the student’s results and procedures for review. Should you require any information regarding Statement of Attainments, Transcripts or Certificates, please contact the Registrar’s Office at collegeregistrar@hillsong.com.

Marking System

Because the College delivers vocational training, its courses train and assess competence in a range of skills that are applicable in ministry. Consequently, the relevant results for a subject or an assessment are:

• Competent (C)
• Not Yet Competent (NYC)
• Recognised Prior Learning (RPL)
• Credit Transfer (CT)

The College does not employ a scaled grading system (eg. High Distinction / Distinction / Credit / Pass / Fail).

At the end of each semester, students will receive a Statement of Attainment showing their results for previous semesters of study. Students should carefully check their Statement for accuracy, follow up any discrepancies and keep in a safe place for future reference.

 This policy applies only to VET students. Details for HE students is available via the Alphacrucis College website.

Course Requirements

In order to successfully complete a given award, students are required to:

1. Achieve competency or minimum Pass grades in all learning outcomes in all subjects listed, including core and electives or stream subjects.
2. Comply with the Student Code of Conduct.
3. Participate in all aspects of the College program.

Students who fulfil course requirements will be issued with a Certificate and Transcript. Students who fulfil partial requirements will be issued with a Statement of Attainment or Summary of Studies transcript for Higher Ed courses.

In order to successfully progress from one vocational course to another, students are required to meet the above requirements for their prior award before being granted admission into their next award. If a student has outstanding subjects from their prior vocational award the following avenues are open to them:

1. Successfully resubmit the relevant assessments to achieve competence (and pay any applicable fees);
2. Agree to participate in the Course Intervention Strategy (see below).

Note resubmission is only available within the vocational programs. Higher Education courses may be able to transfer credits into another program. Please check with the team at enrolment regarding your eligibility.

Course Progress

Intent and Overview

The College’s goal is to train and support all students so that all students can meet the requirements of their course. Some students will need focused or individualised support to meet their course requirements. To identify such students, course progress is monitored regularly and support is offered to students who are not progressing satisfactorily. Our approach to course progress is also used to identify students who may not be giving their studies the appropriate focus. This is especially the case for international students, where making satisfactory course progress is a requirement of their visa, and failure to do so may lead to a breach in their Student Visa conditions and reported via PRISMS.

All students are required to maintain an acceptable standard of course progress to pass their course. Students are deemed to be performing at an unsatisfactory level in Vocational courses when they fail to submit 50% or more of their assessments or have received marks of “Not Yet Competent” in 50% or more of their subjects. Furthermore, students who receive “NYC” in between 33% to 49% of their assessments or subjects are considered to be at risk of unsatisfactory course progress.  For Higher Education courses when they do not complete 50% or more of a semesters study load.

Note: Students must also meet the requirements of HLC’s Attendance and Behavioural policies to maintain their place in their course.

When a vocational student has received marks of “Not Yet Competent” in  50% or more of their assessment or subjects, the Progression Monitoring Strategy will be implemented.

Course Progress and Student Support Table

	Scheduled Monitoring of Student Progress	Measurement for requirement of Student Support	Actions
Point 1	Two-thirds of the way through semester of study. (approximately 10 weeks)	Submission for all assessments due in that semester, up to that point.	If failed to submit 50% or more assessments due by that point, student is enrolled into Student Support.
Point 2	After the beginning of each semester.	Results for all subjects from previous semester.	If failed 50% or more subjects – student receives written notification and is enrolled into Student Support.
Point 3	Two –thirds of the way through their second semester of study. (approximately 10 weeks)	Submission and results for all assessments due in that semester, up to that point.	If in Student Support from Point 1 and/or 2 and not submitted 50% or more of 2nd semester’s assessments – the student will receive correspondence from the Registrar’s office regarding their academic position.
Point 4	At the beginning of a new award enrolment.	Results for all subjects from previous award.	If not in Student Support, and student fails 50% of more of the semester’s subjects- if wanting to proceed to next award, entrance requires successful re-submission of all failed assessments.

When a Higher Ed student has not completed 50% or more of their study load in a semester they are deemed as being at risk of unsatisfactory course progress and the Academic Progress Intervention Strategy (APIS) will be implemented. This includes students who are on variation to study plans and do not progress in enough of their course to make satisfactory progress.

Students will receive written advice of being placed on APIS and what this will entail including some of the below options;

• reduced study load for the following semester
• taking a leave of absence, if eligible
• enrolled into academic study skills and/or language assistance
• improving attendance
• adjusting enrolment to suitable alternative subject or course of study
• referred to counselling/pastoral sessions to receive assistance with personal circumstances that are affecting study progress.

Failure to make satisfactory course progress may lead to exclusion from the course. For international students this may lead to being reported via PRISMS depending on any appeal processes. In cases where delayed completion dates are needed, the College staff will assist students in revising new completion dates within PRISMS to issue a new CoE. It is the student’s responsibility to adjust their visa in line with new completion dates.

Enrolment Procedures

Official enrolment for a course is required prior to students commencing classes. Enrolment occurs at set dates prior to the beginning of term. Where students are unable to attend enrolment, a late enrolment fee of $250 will apply. The late enrolment fee is open to discussions in compelling circumstances.

Current students are required to enrol on the Student Portal, along with the required enrolment payment.

DIBP will be notified via PRISMS by the International Student Contact Officer when a student commences their course.

As part of the new student orientation program, we spend a few days with our new intake sharing information that will help students maximise their college experience. Orientation has some more formal aspects that would include, Evaluations for Creative Stream students and our Working With Children Checks (WWCC). The WWCC has a two-step process; a questionnaire for the NSW govt & a questionnaire completed with the Pastoral staff of Hillsong Church. The results of these two questionnaires combined give the student the competencies to work with young people (Under 18s). One of these documents meets legislative requirements for the Royal Commission & the other meets the requirements of Hillsong Church Ltd policies.

Changes to Enrolment

A student may request a change to their enrolment up until the Friday of Week 3 of each semester (“Enrolment Variation Deadline”). Students wanting to request a change to their course, subject or study load after Enrolment should complete a ‘Change to Enrolment’ form available from the Student Portal and return to the College Office for the Registrar’s approval. No changes can be made beyond the Enrolment Variation Deadline. Students are not allowed any changes to their enrolment without the Registrar’s approval.

For international students, changes to courses or study load will be reported to DIBP via PRISMS by the International Student Contact Officer.

When completing the Change to Enrolment form, you will need to outline to the Registrar the reasons for your request. Your request will be evaluated and you will be advised whether your request is possible.

Please consider the following issues when changing streams:-

• Changing your stream may extend the length of your course as you will need to complete all subjects in your new stream. If you are an international student, this will impact on your visa. You will need to consult with the Department of Immigration to extend your visa. This may involve a fee to you.
• Alternatively, you may wish to acquire skills in the incomplete subjects in your new stream through a process of private study or enrolment in another equivalent course and then apply for Recognition of Prior Learning. This application involves an initial cost of $175 per application plus an additional fee of $50 per hour if any other processing is required.

Please also note that any changes to your enrolment may result in an increase in your course fees. Any increase or refund in course fees will be prorated according to when the Change of Enrolment was approved. No refunds will be given after the Enrolment Variation Deadline.

Stream changes are generally not recommended. To seek further clarification in this area, students will need to make an appointment with the Registrar

Withdrawal and Deferral from Study

Students intending to cease studies prior to the end of their course for any reason should complete a ‘Notice of Withdrawal’ form available from the Student Portal (under “General Information”). Students need to meet with their Tutorial Leader as part of the process.

The cancellation will be effective when the notice has been signed & dated by all relevant parties and handed into the College Reception. Any refunds will be calculated from that date and in accordance with our refund policy (refer Refund Policy). Any outstanding fees or charges will be deducted from the potential refund prior to the processing of the withdrawal.

If a student has withdrawn for a period longer than 6 months (or one semester), the student will need to supply a new pastoral reference form and testimony of Christian life and church involvement to HC.

International students are only permitted to defer commencement or suspend studies of a course on grounds of illness (as evidenced by a doctor’s certificate) or other exceptional compassionate circumstances beyond the control of the student, (e.g. bereavement) as approved by the Academic Team. Students will need to complete a (Deferral Form) which is available upon request to the College Registrar. Any approved deferral or suspension of studies on any other grounds will be reported to DIBP via PRISMS within 14 days.

Where a student with a current visa fails to attend classes by the end of enrolment period of each semester they are enrolled in (as per checks between PRISMS and Collegeworx), their absence will serve as notification of cessation of studies.

Students who are unable to enrol due to fees (as stipulated in the Fee Policy) will not be able to attend classes until enrolment has been finalised. Where enrolment has not been finalised by the end of enrolment period the cessation of studies will be initiated.

Termination of Enrolment

Termination of the student’s course of study will occur, unless otherwise determined by the Executive Team, in line with the Course Progress, Attendance, and Student Behaviour Policies.

In such cases, students will first be notified in writing by the Registrar via email using the Notification of Pending Breach form. The reasons for a warning will be outlined, plus actions required to readdress the situation and potential consequences if not followed.

In cases of termination for unsatisfactory performance, students are first notified by the Registrar using the  “Notice under Section 20 of the ESOS ACT 2000” letter, which informs them of the particulars of the breach and the action required by the student. Following this, termination of the student’s visa will commence.

This policy applies only to VET students. Details for HE students is available via the Alphacrucis College website.

Submission of Assessment

Completed assessments are to be submitted electronically via the Student Portal (See Section 2 for instructions).

Due Dates

Vocational Students

Each assessment has a Due Date. These are spread progressively throughout the semester to even out your assessment load, and to follow the content of your subjects. Completed assessments must be submitted by these due dates, otherwise a Late Assessment Fee will be charged for vocational students. Incomplete assessments will also be charged a fee if the complete assessment is not uploaded by the due date. Please see the Fee schedule for these dates.

Late Submissions

If you submit a completed assessment for the first time after its Due Date, you will need to pay a Late Assessment Fee.  The fee will need to be paid on the Student Portal.

Resubmissions

Assessments are marked either Competent or Not Yet Competent. You are marked Not Yet Competent (NYC) if you have not yet shown knowledge or ability in one or more area of that assessment. If you are marked NYC you are able to resubmit an amended assessment in an attempt to successfully meet the requirements. This resubmission should be in the same format that you submitted the original assessment, including any exams, performances or presentations. A fee will not apply for any resubmissions completed before the Academic Deadline (see below). Resubmissions after the Academic Deadline attract a fee.

In preparing your resubmission you should closely follow the feedback the marker gave you on your initial assessment. You should also consult with your tutorial leader or trainer if you need further clarification or assistance.

Each NYC result has one semester where resubmission is allowable. After this time it would be necessary to re-enrol in the unit/subject to complete the unit/subject in its entirety.

Note: Students must gain competency in all failed subject prior to enrolling into a new award.

Academic Deadline

An Academic Deadline is set at the end of the semester for each subject.  This date indicates to students when their assessments must be finalised (ie. all submissions and resubmissions completed and the assessment receiving a C (Competent)). The Academic Deadline is locked into the college database and cannot be changed. Once the Academic Deadline has passed, results cannot be changed until they are published and further resubmissions are complete.

Release of Results

After the Academic Deadline all assessments submitted prior to this date will be marked. The Registrar will check and publish results.  This will include emailing students their results and/or making results available on the portal.

Electronic Submissions

If submitted as an e-copy, complete the assessment details as listed on the portal.

When you upload your assessment to the portal, please submit them in the following format only – Microsoft Word version 2003.  Earlier versions of Microsoft Word are also acceptable.

Please do not use the following formats when submitting assessments:

• Microsoft 2007 (which comes with Windows Vista)
• Open office [odt]
• Microsoft Works [wps] or
• Corel Word Perfect [wpd]

These formats are not common and cannot be opened on all computers.

Note: Please label the filename of your electronic assessment with your Surname, followed by title of assessment. i.e.  [Murphy.Propheticliteratureessay]

If your assessment is uploaded successfully, a confirmation number will appear immediately on your screen. Take note of this confirmation number as evidence of your assessment upload or submission.

Challenges with the Portal

If you have any queries or challenges logging onto the Portal, please email from your student email address a short description of the problem (and a screenshot where possible) to collegecampusmanager.sydney@hillsong.com ; collegecampusmanager.online@hillsong.com so the team can assist you further. You can also email your Tutorial Leader for assistance.

Password Changes

Once you have logged in, you can change your password to something you will remember easily. To do this click on the ‘Security’ menu button, then select ‘Change Password’ and follow the prompts.

Assessment Difficulties

If you are having difficulties with your assessments, make an appointment to speak to your ‘Core Tutorial Leader’. They will then be able to assist you to find your way forward in your situation. Alternatively you can book a tome with our Academic Support Team via the study skills page on the portal.

Copyright

It is important that students are aware of the copyright policies for printed material and music. Unauthorised copies of a work are unlawful. Students should apply the following:

1. Copying Written Text – only 10% of any written work may be photocopied and then only for the purposes of study or research.
2. Copying Written Music – a copy of music can only be made when an original is already purchased or is owned by the performer or teacher.  The actual copy must be marked with:

• the word ‘copy’
• the respective Copyright License Number
• the name of whom owns the original
• the purpose the copy is to be used for

Performed Music – the same as for copying written music, with the addition that Performing is deemed to be copying. Acknowledgement on the performance program of the Composer and Publisher/License holder is essential. After use, all copies are to be destroyed.

In all other situations, appropriate copyright law must be adhered to. All copies remain the property of the licensee.

Extensions

A student may apply for an extension to the submission date of an assessment. Requests for extension shall be made at least two days before the Due Date (or the Academic Deadline for resubmissions), and must demonstrate exceptional circumstances that warrant the granting of an extension (For example, significant trauma, extended sickness, death in the family, NOT poor time management, computer malfunction and the like). Where sickness is involved, a medical certificate should be attached to the extension form. You must seek independent evidence on the same day, either immediately before or after each extension for which you are applying. The documentation you provide must be current, specific to the date and time of the extension, and submitted with the relevant medical certificate. A medical certificate that merely states you were unfit for work/study is unacceptable.

To apply for an extension, obtain a Request for Special Consideration form the Student login section of the Student Portal, attach the relevant cover sheet(s) to the application form, and hand into the relevant Tutorial leader. If approved by the relevant staff member (see form), the signed cover sheet will then be forwarded to the Campus Manager to sign off and grant the extension on the college portal.

NYC Assessment and Resubmission

Not Yet Competent assessments can be resubmitted free of charge in the period up until Academic Deadline.

After results are published, students have two weeks to resubmit assessments that are Not Yet Competent and will be required to pay the initial Late Resubmission Fee per assessment.  This is at the price of $75 per assessment. Any assessments resubmitted after this two-week period will be required to pay 2 week Late Resubmission Fee.  This will cost students $150 per assessment. [this is to cover the cost of the administrative process involved in processing assessments from past semesters]

Where students encounter financial difficulty resubmitting assessments, a delay in payment may only be approved by the . In such cases, the required fees will be added to the student’s account. Overdue fees will then be processed according to standard procedures.

Step 1:  Student is required to pay their resubmission fee at College Office at time of submission.

Step 2:  Student must attach a Resubmission Cover Sheet to the assessment being resubmitted.

Step 3: The invoice provided to the student must contain subject and assessment details.

Current students can re-submit at any time and as many times as is required.

If a student has left the college without graduating, they continue to be considered a ‘current’ student for the purpose of resubmitting for ONLY one semester.  After this period students must: contact the College Registrar Team.

The College is under no obligation to allow students to complete the course if the course they ‘were’ enrolled in, is no longer offered by the College.

Academic Misconduct

The College regards academic misconduct as a serious matter, insisting that students maintain the highest possible standards of academic honesty. Failure to maintain academic honesty constitutes academic misconduct. Academic misconduct may include any of the following:

• Taking unauthorised materials into an examination
• Improperly obtaining knowledge of an examination paper and using that knowledge in the examination
• Arranging for another person to sit an examination in the place of the candidate
• Submitting work for an assessment knowing it to be the work of another person
• Submitting a falsified medical certificate
• Making a false or misleading declaration
• Plagiarism
• Collusion

Plagiarism

Students are required to acknowledge the source of their ideas used in their written work by use of adequate referencing, as outlined in the Referencing section of this handbook. To provide adequate documentation is not only an indication of academic honesty, but also a courtesy enabling the marker to consult sources with ease. Failure to do so may constitute plagiarism that is subject to a charge of academic misconduct.

Plagiarism occurs when a student submits the work of another person or persons with the intention of having it assessed or accepted as her/his own work. For example:

• An assessment is copied almost entirely from another source such as a published article, text, internet source or another student’s assessment or when an assessment is constructed of segments drawn from one or a number of sources without attribution, linked by comments produced by the student.
• Failure to acknowledge indebtedness to books, articles and other sources such as the Internet. Students should make it clear by appropriate referencing when they are using a direct quotation or another idea/argument from another work.

Collusion

Collusion involves the submission of separate assessments by individual students where the work is almost identical or mostly the work of one of them. Collusion does not apply to an assessment in which students have been allowed to work in groups to submit a single assessment. In some subjects students may collaborate on a project, sharing materials or data collected and discussing the interpretation of such material. If the work is individually submitted, collaboration should be acknowledged and the formulation of ideas and conclusions in the paper must be the independent work of each student.

In cases of academic misconduct, students will be required to resubmit the assessment task and charged an incomplete assessment fee. Repeated behaviour will result in disciplinary policies being enforced.

Assessment Appeals

If a student feels that the result of a specific assessment is unfair, they are able to appeal to the College to request a re-assessment. All other complaints/appeals should be handled using the Complaints and Appeals process.

1. If a student wishes to obtain clarification about a result for an item of assessment, the matter should be raised with the relevant trainer of that subject unit within 10 working days of receiving the results. A discussion will be within the context of the assessment requirements as set out in the syllabus.
2. Where the trainer is not available, the student can raise the issue with the Head Trainer of their stream.
3. If the outcome of the discussion with the trainer was not acceptable to the student, the student can submit a request to the Campus Manager using the Assessment Appeals Form. This form is available on your portal. The student has the option of being accompanied/assisted at any meetings by a support person chosen by them.
4. If the student chooses to access the registered provider’s appeals processes HC must maintain the student’s enrolment while the appeals process is ongoing.
5. The Campus Manager will arrange for two assessors to reassess the work. This process will commence within 10 working days.
6. If the internal or any external appeal process results in a decision that supports the student, HC must immediately implement any decision and/or corrective and preventative action required and advise the student of the outcome.
7. The majority decision of the trainer and independent assessors will be reported in writing to the student.
8. If the student doesn’t accept the result of the reassessment he/she will be given the opportunity to submit a formal complaint using the complaints process.
9. At any stage throughout this process, the student may request that their assessment appeal is assessed by an external assessor. Any costs incurred in this process will be passed on to the student.

The availability of complaints and appeals processes does not remove the right of the student to take action under Australia’s consumer protection laws”.

This policy applies only to VET students. Details for HE students is available via the Alphacrucis College website.