• Section 1 - Purpose
• Document context
• Section 2 - Procedure
• Part A - Credit applications
• Published information
• Credit restrictions and limits
• Applying for credit
• Credit for currently enrolled subjects
• Supporting documents and information
• Forward credit
• Cross-institutional study applications
• Notifying students of credit decisions
• International student acceptance of credit
• Part B - Credit assessments
• Assessment of credit applications
• Assessment and consultation requirements
• Credit (ungraded) assessments and equivalencies
• Assessing formal learning
• Assessing informal and non-formal learning
• Recency requirements for prior learning
• Credit exceptions
• Recording credit outcomes
• Part C - Credit management
• Credit arrangements
• Credit precedents and agreements
• Precedents
• Credit and articulation agreements
• Monitoring credit outcomes
• Withdrawal of credit
• Credit granted through error
• Student requested withdrawal of credit
• Credit based on false, withheld, or misleading information
• Section 3 - Glossary

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This procedure supports the Credit (Advanced Standing) Policy by stating detailed requirements for the management and processing of credit applications at Charles Sturt University (the University; Charles Sturt).

Document context

Section 2 - Procedure

Part A - Credit applications

Published information

(2) The University website and credit and pathway planner (CPP) provide information to prospective and current students about their eligibility for credit in the form of advanced standing based on their prior learning. This information is indicative only; credit applications are assessed in accordance with this procedure and individual students may be granted more or less credit than the published information indicates.

(3) Information published about credit precedents and agreements is indicative only and liable to change where the courses or subjects involved change, or the University’s agreement with the relevant pathway program partner has changed. Claims will be assessed in relation to the most current course, subject, or agreement terms, notwithstanding any published information.

Credit restrictions and limits

(4) The Credit (Advanced Standing) Policy states the maximum amounts of credit that can be granted towards a course at Charles Sturt, and other restrictions and rules for the granting and use of credit. Where a course has credit limits less than the maximum stated in the policy, this is published in the course’s online course brochure and/or University Handbook entry.

Applying for credit

(5) Credit applications can be made when applying for direct admission to a Charles Sturt course or at any time when enrolled in a course:

1. For direct applicants, the admission application form provides instructions and links for credit applications.
2. For enrolled students (and students admitted through a university admissions centre (UAC or VTAC), credit is applied for through the credit and pathways planner (CPP) via the Student Portal.
3. For enrolled students seeking credit for study they intend to undertake with another institution (see the ‘Cross-institutional study’ heading), forward credit can be applied for through the CPP via the Student Portal.

(6) Students may be granted credit automatically if their study plan includes subjects already successfully completed at Charles Sturt (including if their course is part of articulated set of courses), or if there is a credit or articulation agreement with another educational institution in place. Students who do not want to have credit applied as part of a credit or articulation agreement, must contact:

1. the relevant Admissions Office if they are a prospective student
2. their Course Director if they have accepted an offer/are an enrolled student.

(7) Credit applications are not assessed until all supporting documents and information are provided, as per the ‘Supporting documents’ heading. Prospective student applications that do not include the required information will not be assessed with their admission application and, if they receive and accept an offer of admission, a new application for credit will need to be made as a current student via the CPP.

Credit for currently enrolled subjects

(8) Where a student is currently enrolled in a subject they are seeking credit for, they must apply for credit before the subject’s census date to avoid incurring fees for the subject. If the application is made:

1. before census (with all required supporting documents and information) and granted before census, the subject will be removed from the student’s enrolment and they will not incur fees for the subject
2. before census (with all required supporting documents and information) but is granted after census, Student Administration will remove the subject from the student’s enrolment and refund or remit the tuition fees incurred for that subject in accordance with the Enrolment and Fees Policy
3. after census (or the required supporting documents and information are submitted after census) and the credit is granted, the student will remain enrolled in the subject unless they apply for post census withdrawal (and refund if eligible) as described in the Enrolment and Fees Procedure.

Supporting documents and information

(9) Credit applications must include supporting documents and information as set out in the following table, subject to any verification or translation requirements stated in the supporting documentation guidelines. Supporting information is assessed in accordance with Part B of this procedure.

Forward credit

(10) Students may apply for credit for formal learning they are undertaking, intend to undertake, or are waiting on final results for, outside their target course. Forward credit may be approved for:

1. cross-institutional study within Australia (see clauses 14-16)
2. concurrent enrolments in another course or single subject at Charles Sturt
3. other formal study, either with Charles Sturt or another institution.

(11) Forward credit must be converted to a credit (graded) or credit (ungraded) status (as relevant) within two years of being granted.

(12) Where approved, a temporary status of forward credit is applied to the student’s study plan, which is:

1. provisional upon successful completion of the study and the University receiving evidence of completion
2. reviewed each teaching period and removed from the study plan if the student does not successfully complete the approved learning within the required timeframe
3. not included in credit limit calcuations; students must ensure they are sufficiently under the course credit limit if their forward credit is being converted to credit (ungraded)
4. not counted towards completion of a course; students are not eligible to graduate until any forward credit is converted.

(13) To convert their forward credit, students must:

1. provide evidence of successful completion of the approved study to the Credit Team, except where subjects are undertaken within the University (the Credit Team receive this information when the internal subject results are released)
2. not exceed the credit limit for the course; if a student does not have sufficient points available, the forward credit will not be converted and will be removed from their study plan.

Cross-institutional study applications

(14) Current students may be able to undertake one or more subjects at another institution within Australia for credit towards their Charles Sturt course (cross-institutional study) if their Course Director determines that the subjects can be counted towards the requirements of the target course.

(15) Cross-institutional study must be approved as forward credit before the student undertakes the study. To request approval for cross-institutional study, an application for forward credit for outgoing cross-institutional study must be submitted through the CPP, and must include:

1. a detailed unit outline from the other institution for the teaching period in which the subject will be undertaken
2. any forms or documentation the institution requires Charles Sturt to complete as evidence that the cross-institutional study is approved (this will normally be a cross-institutional application form or other evidence that the study is authorised by Charles Sturt).

(16) When the cross-institutional study is complete and a final passing grade is issued, students must submit their official transcript to the Credit Team. The student’s study plan and transcript will be amended, and the forward credit will be converted to credit (ungraded).

Notifying students of credit decisions

(17) The University aims to provide students with a credit decision within 10 business days of the completed application being received by the decision maker. However, this may take up to 20 business days for new credit assessments, or longer for credit exception decisions. Current students can track the progress of their claim within the CPP.

(18) Students will be notified of the outcome of their claim as follows:

1. Direct applicants: will receive a formal written notice of their credit outcome, which may be sent with or separately to the outcome of their admission application.
2. Currently enrolled coursework students: will be emailed a link to the details of their credit assessment outcome in the CPP.
3. Higher degree by research candidates: will be notified by the Office of Graduate Research of any credit decisions that are not made during the admission process.
4. Unsuccessful credit applicants: will receive a written response informing them of the outcome and reasons for the decision, and details of how to appeal the credit decision if they wish to do so.
5. International students: see the following heading ‘International student acceptance of credit’.

International student acceptance of credit

(19) International students who have their credit application approved must formally accept an offer of credit to acknowledge that this may result in a reduced course duration, which may affect the dates of their confirmation of enrolment (COE) and their student visa.

(20) The University will notify international students of the outcome of their credit application in writing, with information about how the credit may potentially impact their student visa, including:

1. the effect that accepting credit may have on the length of their COE
2. that the University will report any change in course duration to the Commonwealth Government via PRISMS
3. a statement that accepting credit may make the student ineligible to meet post-study work rights conditions
4. that they should contact the Department of Home Affairs to seek advice as to whether any of the above will affect their student visa.

(21) The University will not apply the credit to an international student’s study plan and transcript until it is formally accepted by the student.

Part B - Credit assessments

Assessment of credit applications

(22) Credit applications are received and checked for completeness and:

1. incomplete applicatons are not assessed; where further information or supporting documentation is required, the student may be contacted and asked to provide outstanding information and/or documentary evidence.
2. complete applications and information and supporting documents are forwarded to the relevant credit decision-maker:
   1. Where a credit precedent or formal agreement is in place, the claim is normally granted as authorised under the Credit (Advanced Standing) Policy, part C of this procedure and the terms of the precedent or agreement, unless further assessment is required.
   2. Where an assessment is required, this will be undertaken subject to the assessment, consultation and approval processes in this part.

(23) Credit assessments will normally be completed within 10-20 business days of receipt. The Credit Team will support faculty staff in assessing credit applications where needed.

Assessment and consultation requirements

(24) Credit decision makers, and staff authorised to exercise the authority of credit decision makers, can grant pre-approved credit decisions where it is based on a formally established credit precedent, articulation agreement or credit agreement.

(25) Credit decision-makers must look for past decisions or precedents and apply these where appropriate, before commencing a new assessment.

(26) Where assessment is required, credit-decision makers must consult with the following staff:

1. For coursework students, the Course Director of the target course will consult the relevant Subject Coordinator. Where a credit application includes a subject delivered by another faculty or teaching school, consultation with subject matter experts in the faculty or teaching school which delivers the subject is required.
2. For higher degree by research candidates, the Dean, Graduate Research will consult with and receive recommendations from the principal supervisor and the faculty Sub Dean (Graduate Studies).

Credit (ungraded) assessments and equivalencies

(27) To be granted:

1. credit (ungraded) towards a specific subject, the student’s prior learning must be assessed as being equivalent  to the subject’s learning outcomes in terms of study level, knowledge and skills
2. credit (ungraded) for a discipline and point value, the student’s prior learning must be assessed as being at the same level of study and volume of learning as the number of points for which the credit is applied.

(28) Equivalency determinations should typically demonstrate 80% or more alignment in content and learning outcomes, however the academic judgement, disciplinary context, practical components, and expert opinion of decision makers and those they consult with, in relation to the following criteria and considerations, are essential factors in the final determination.

Assessing formal learning

(29) When assessing a student’s prior formal learning, decision-makers apply the following criteria:

1. Breadth of the learning – topics covered and content in comparison with the learning outcomes and syllabus of the target subject.
2. Depth of the learning – in what detail and over what total hours the content was covered in comparison with the learning outcomes and syllabus of the target subject.
3. Level of the learning – whether the learning was at the same level as the target subject and at an equivalent stage in a course at the same Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level (eg: an introductory subject or an advanced subject).
4. Learning activities – comparing activities undertaken in the source subject(s) (eg: lectures, tutorials, assessment tasks) with the target subject.
5. Where the target subject includes practical learning and/or work-integrated learning - whether the source subject(s) has an equivalent amount and level of practical learning so that students will have acquired the skills and knowledge to participate safely in subsequent practical lessons and meet expectations for subsequent work-integrated learning.

Assessing informal and non-formal learning

(30) Decision makers will assess a student’s informal and non-formal learning on the basis of the written application and supporting documents (see the supporting evidence table at clause 9).

(31) Students may also be required to undertake an assessment task. Where this is required, students must be advised of the date, location and format of the assessment task, and other information including the number and types of questions and their weighting, or the materials to be provided by the assessor or student.

Recency requirements for prior learning

(32) Evidence of prior learning submitted to the University must normally meet the recency requirements defined in the Credit (Advanced Standing) Policy. However, the decision-maker may grant credit for learning that does not meet the recency requirement where the student can demonstrate sufficient proficiency in the relevant learning outcomes through both:

1. the original learning, and
2. evidence that they have maintained currency in their knowledge and skills through subsequent ongoing professional practice, professional development, and/or other means.

Credit exceptions

(33) Credit will only be granted in exception to credit restrictions, rules, and limits stated in the Credit (Advanced Standing) Policy if approved by:

1. the Faculty Board (or standing committee) for individual coursework students
2. the University Courses Committee (or standing committee) for a course or a cohort of coursework students, or
3. the chair of the University Research Committee for higher degree by research students.

(34) For coursework students:

1. A Course Director may recommend a credit application to the Executive Dean if they determine that it requires and would be suitable for an exception to the credit restrictions, rules or limits.
2. The Course Director will notify the Credit Team of a possible exception, who will notify the student of a delay to their pending outcome and the additional time expected for assessment of their credit application.
3. If the application is endorsed by the Executive Dean, it will be submitted to the relevant approval authority for consideration.
4. The approval authority’s decision will be recorded and communicated to the Course Director and Credit Team for action.
5. The Credit Team will:
   1. process the final outcome and update the student transcript and study plan if required
   2. notify the student
   3. record the assessment decision and whether an exception was approved in the student record and the credit and pathway manager (CPM).

(35) For higher degree by research candidates, credit applications that require an exception to credit restrictions, rules and limits will be reviewed by the Dean, Graduate Research for suitability and then forwarded to the approval authority for assessment. HDR candidates will be notified of the outcome in writing, and any exception decision will be recorded in the relevant systems by the Office of Graduate Research.

Recording credit outcomes

(36) Credit decisions and the evidence to support those decisions must be recorded in the CPM by the decision-maker (or nominee).

(37) For higher degree by research candidates, the Office of Graduate Research is responsible for recording information about credit decisions in the student’s record.

Part C - Credit management

Credit arrangements

(38) Under the Credit (Advanced Standing) Policy, four types of credit arrangement may be developed. Each arrangement has features that make it suitable for different types of credit, including who it is created by, who it can be applied by, and how it can be communicated to prospective and current students. 

Credit precedents and agreements

Precedents

(39) Where authorised under the Credit (Advanced Standing) Policy, decision-makers may approve a credit decision to be used as a precedent for subsequent advanced standing claims for the same target course and source of prior learning.

(40) Precedents must be recorded in the CPM.

(41) Precedents should be approved wherever possible, except where the decision is unsuitable for use as a precedent (such as credit granted on the basis of informal learning, or other unique circumstances).

(42) Where a credit precedent is being created that involves a subject delivered by another faculty or teaching school, subject matter experts in the faculty or teaching school that delivers the subject must be consulted.

Credit and articulation agreements

(43) Formal articulation agreements and credit agreements between Charles Sturt and other providers may be approved, subject to review by the Office of Engagement and Enterprise and assessment by the faculty.

(44) For agreements within the maximum credit limits stated in the Credit (Advanced Standing) Policy:

1. the Executive Dean must assess and approve articulation agreements and credit agreements (and variations of these) for coursework courses, upon recommendation of the Course Director.
2. the Dean, Graduate Research must assess and approve articulation agreements and credit agreements for higher degree by research courses, in consultation with the relevant Sub Dean (Graduate Studies).
3. Academic Senate must approve agreements exceeding the maximum credit limits stated in the Credit (Advanced Standing) Policy.

(45) Proposed articulation or credit agreements that include:

1. subjects delivered by another faculty or teaching school must be negotiated in consultation with subject matter experts in the faculty or teaching school which delivers the subject
2. Indigenous Australian content must comply with the Indigenous Australian Content in Courses and Subjects Policy and requires endorsement and approval by the Indigenous Board of Studies.

(46) The Office of Engagement and Enterprise keeps a register of approved articulation agreements and credit agreements.

(47) The faculty must enter approved articulation agreements and credit agreements to the CPM and the student management system, so these can:

1. serve as precedents for applying credit to students who enter by these pathways, and
2. be published to prospective students in the CPP.

(48) The decision-maker who receives the first claim submitted under a new articulation or credit agreement must set up a precedent in the CPM. Where the credit application is submitted as part of the admissions process, the decision-maker will need to add the credit precedent manually to the CPM.

Monitoring credit outcomes

(49) The Course and Subject Procedure - Quality Assurance and Review outlines the process and requirements for monitoring credit outcomes and their effect on student progress as part of formal subject performance reporting and annual course reviews that are undertaken by the University under the Course and Subject Policy.

(50) Faculties must undertake a review of credit precedents at the end of each period for which the precedent has been approved. The Credit Team supports the faculty in this review, which includes:

1. an assessment of the subjects included in the precedent for currency and suitability
2. consideration of student academic performance compared to students who have not received the credit.

(51) Each credit precedent and agreement must be reviewed by the faculty that teaches the target course and subjects within three years of initial approval or last review, or sooner if the source subject or course, or the target subject or course, changes.

(52) Academic performance of students granted credit will be monitored to ensure that the credit decisions accurately reflect each student’s knowledge and abilities:

1. faculties will monitor academic performance of coursework students
2. the Office of Graduate Research will monitor the academic performance of higher degree by research students, in consultation with the Sub Dean (Graduate Studies).

(53) Faculties must monitor the academic progress of students granted credit under articulation and credit agreements and make recommendations to change these agreements if findings indicate that students are not able to make satisfactory progress.

Withdrawal of credit

(54) The Credit (Advanced Standing) Policy  states the authorised roles and circumstances under which credit may be withdrawn by the University, as per the following subheadings.

Credit granted through error

(55) When the University identifies an error relating to credit granted, the relevant decision-maker will, within five working days:

1. review the original credit decision and supporting documentation
2. consult relevant delegates and stakeholders
3. determine whether there has been an error in the assessment or administration of credit
4. advise the Credit Team or Office of Graduate Research of the error and of the revised credit decision, if the granted credit was incorrect.

(56) The revised credit decision may alter or withdraw the granted credit where the review finds it was granted in error.

(57) After receiving the adjusted credit decision, the Credit Team or Office of Graduate Research will:

1. request a new assessment of the decision in the CPM
2. inform the student in writing of the revised decision and the reason for this
3. adjust the student’s record of credit granted, and
4. upload the decision correspondence and supporting documents to the student’s record.

Student requested withdrawal of credit

(58) A student may request that credit (ungraded) be withdrawn and/or that a subject that was granted credit (graded) is removed from their study plan, where the credit or subject is no longer applicable to their course structure.

Credit based on false, withheld, or misleading information

(59) Where the University suspects that credit has been granted on the basis of false, withheld, or misleading information provided by a student in their application, the credit decision-maker will:

1. undertake a review of the original credit decision and the reason(s) or evidence indicating that the information on which it was based may have been false, withheld, or misleading, and
2. confirm whether or not the decision was made on the basis of this potentially false, withheld, or misleading information provided in the student’s credit application and supporting documentation.

(60) If the decision-maker determines that the granted credit was based on potentially false, withheld, or misleading information provided by the student, they will refer the matter to an appointed officer for investigation under the Student Misconduct Rule 2020.

(61) If the misconduct investigation results in a decision to withdraw the credit, the appointed officer who applies this penalty will notify the relevant decision makers and the Credit Team or Office of Graduate Research, who will record the outcome in the relevant systems and withdraw the credit from the student’s study plan and transcript.

Section 3 - Glossary

(62) This procedure uses terms defined in the Credit (Advanced Standing) Policy [see bulletin board draft], as well as the following:

1. Credit and pathway manager (CPM), or Credit and pathway planner (CPP) – means the system used to claim for and manage credit within the University. The CPP is the student facing part of the system, and the CPM is the staff facing part.
2. International student – as defined in the policy library glossary.
3. Teaching period – as defined in the policy library glossary.