ACADEMIC REGULATIONS

General regulations
AUT has a General Academic Statute (GAS) and General Academic Regulations (GAR) which provide regulations for its academic awards. There are also General Regulations for each category of award (Regulations Governing Qualifications (RGQ)) and in addition, each specific qualification - for example Bachelor of Health Studies (Nursing) - has its own unique set of regulations. Copies of the Academic Calendar which contains these regulations are available in the Library and from every faculty office.

Click here to see the Academic Calendar online.

Assessment regulations

Quality

By complying with AUT's policies on assessment you are contributing to maintaining the excellent reputation and high standards of the University's qualifications.

Assessment grades

The board of studies responsible for your programme decides how a paper's assessments are marked and graded and the basis on which points are granted.

Grades which accrue points towards a qualification:

A+	A	A-	Pass with distinction
B+	B	B-	Pass with merit
C+	C	C-	Pass
	M		Pass with merit
	P		Pass
	CR		Credit for prior learning
	S		Aegrotat pass
	CO		Conceded pass

Grades which do not accrue points:

	EX		Exemption
	D		Specified fail
	F		Unspecified fail
	W		Withdrawn
	DNC		Did not complete

Conceded pass CO
The exam board may grant you a conceded pass in a paper if failing the paper will prevent completion of the qualification. This can happen only once.

Aegrotat pass S (See GAR Schedule 4)
If you are ill, injured, or experience other exceptional circumstances beyond your control, you are entitled to apply for an aegrotat pass. This only applies in cases when an alternative assessment cannot be arranged and when, without the aegrotat, the student would fail.

To apply for an aegrotat you have to be:

• unable to present work for assessment at the time it is due; or
• unable to go to your test or exam; or
• seriously impaired in your performance in a test or exam; and
• failed the paper as a result

The person providing the documentary evidence must be suitably qualified and must clearly state a reason why you could not attend the exam or present the assignment.

Time frame for collection of assessments

All pieces of written assessment will be returned to you along with the assessment criteria used to grade the assessment. There may be a time limit for collecting written work; if you do not collect your work within this period, your work may be destroyed.

Reconsideration of assessments

If, after reading your script, you believe that your work has been incorrectly graded, you can have that work reconsidered. You need to apply for this reconsideration in writing and follow the procedure in your faculty or programme guide.

Appeals against results

You can appeal against the grade granted for a paper by an examination board if you can show that additional information is now available which could not have been available to the exam board at the time of the original decision; or there was an important irregularity in the way the assessment was done or in the exam board or Board of Studies procedures.

• There is usually a time frame of 14 days within which you need to start the appeal process.
• You need to start the appeal process by writing to the dean of the faculty giving the reasons for the appeal.
• You will be told about the procedures to be used and invited to make a submission and to appear before the Faculty Appeals Committee. A member of the Students' Association or another person you have chosen for support may accompany you.
• The Faculty Appeals Committee considers the information from both the student and the examination board and comes to a decision, which is final.

Dishonesty during assessment

All assessed work must be your own! Acting in ways that are unfair during assessments puts you in breach of GAR and subject to its discipline procedures.

Unauthorised collaboration:
If you work with a study group on an individual assignment, make sure that your writing is done by you as an individual and that you will not be open to charges of unauthorised collaboration.

Plagiarism:
Trying to pass someone else's work or ideas as your own. You must acknowledge the source of your ideas and information if it is gained by reading other people's work. Failure to do so puts you in breach of GAR.

Cheating:
You would be seen as cheating and therefore subject to discipline if during an exam or assessment you:

• Copied from or inappropriately communicated with another person.
• Had with you unauthorised material such as books, notes, electronic material etc.
• Used any other unfair means.

Academic discipline

If you breach a General Academic Regulation or Programme Regulations a complaint against you may be made in writing to the dean of the faculty.

• The dean refers the complaint to the Faculty Disciplinary Committee.
• You are told about the procedures to be followed and invited to write a statement and/or appear before the Faculty Disciplinary Committee in person accompanied by a member of the students' association or a person you have chosen for support.
• The Faculty Disciplinary Committee hears the relevant evidence and considers the case. It makes a decision which it communicates to both yourself and the relevant exam board.

A faculty disciplinary committee may impose one or more of the following:

• no penalty
• an admonition
• a reassessment
• a reduction in the mark or grade awarded for an assessment or paper
• suspension from attendance at the University for a stipulated period, subject to confirmation from the Vice-Chancellor
• a limitation or prohibition on attendance at any class or classes for a stipulated period, subject to confirmation by the Vice-Chancellor
• expulsion from the University, subject to confirmation by the Vice-Chancellor

You may appeal a decision of the Faculty Disciplinary Committee because of:

• new evidence being available
• an error of procedures
• the severity of the decision

Appeals must be made in writing to the Vice-Chancellor within 14 days of your being told what the Faculty Appeals Committee has decided. The Vice-Chancellor may allow appeals outside this time but within three months of the original decision if the student can show good reason for the delay.

Recognition of prior learning

You may enter a programme bringing with you points which are either specified (in terms of particular papers) or unspecified (broadly relevant and at an equivalent level to AUT papers). This credit must be applied for and can be granted in two ways:

Recognition of prior formal learning:

(See GAR Schedule 2, Section 3.4 of the Calendar)

This applies to you if you have studied for another qualification at another institution or at AUT and would like to have your formal learning recognised towards your new programme.

To gain Recognition of Prior Formal Learning, you match up the learning outcomes of papers in the course you are intending to study and contact the relevant faculty office who will inform you about the application process.

Ask your Programme Leader how to apply for Recognition of Prior Formal Learning. A fee is charged to cover the administrative costs involved in the process.

Recognition of prior non-formal learning:

(See GAR Schedule 2, Section 3.5 in the Calendar)

You can be granted points for relevant and appropriate skills and knowledge that you have gathered over the years and have your current skills and knowledge (learning) from:

• life experience
• work experience
• teaching yourself
• training on the job
• formal courses

recognised and measured against the outcomes of the paper for which you seek credit.

You can apply for points for one or more papers in a qualification. A fee is charged for the process.

The Career Centre
Phone: +64 9 917-9899
Email: career@aut.ac.nz
or ask your Programme Leader about how to apply for Recognition of Prior Non-formal Learning.

Visit the Career Centre Site

Student records

The Academic Records section of Academic Registry holds all your AUT course assessment and examination results. This information is important as it forms the basis for decisions on allowances and future study.

If you are transferring to another institution you will need to have your academic record transferred also. The other institution normally requests this on your behalf.

Copies of your academic history are available to you at a cost of $20. Application should be made to:

The Academic Records Office
Level 2
WA Building
Wellesley Campus
Email: registry_records@aut.ac.nz

Withdrawal and change of course

You need to inform your programme administrator of departmental office in writing that you are withdrawing from the programme.

Changes in class, paper or programme of study will all require discussion with your department in the first instance. All programme or paper changes must be made on an official Course Amendment Form (found in Faculty & Departmental Offices). You need to fill in the top section and get departmental approval for the change.

Note: Until official notification of course changes is given, any fees outstanding will remain payable and students will continue to receive payment reminders.