• Section 1 - Purpose
• Document context
• Section 2 - Policy
• Principles and conditions
• Types of credit
• Credit limits
• Table of credit limits for coursework courses
• Lower credit limits
• Higher credit limits
• Limits on credit graded
• Credit rules
• Recency requirements
• Credit when returning to study
• Withdrawal of credit
• Credit arrangements
• Credit decision authorities and responsibilities
• Appeals and complaints
• Section 3 - Glossary

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This policy sets out how Charles Sturt University (the University; Charles Sturt) recognises and grants credit in the form of advanced standing for students’ prior learning, consistent with its obligations under:

1. Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
2. Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (HESF)
3. Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA)
4. Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS)
5. National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 (National Code)
6. AQF Qualifications Pathway Policy

Document context

Section 2 - Policy

Principles and conditions

(2) This policy recognises students’ prior learning in the form of credit points (also known as advanced standing) that contribute towards the total number of points required to complete the qualification they are undertaking.

(3) Granting credit for prior learning contributes to open, accessible, inclusive and integrated education systems, and ensures that students:

1. have pathways to study with Charles Sturt when coming from post-secondary education and accredited tertiary education institutions
2. have mobility between institutions, sectors, states and countries
3. can gain a qualification in the shortest time without diminishing the quality, integrity and standing of the qualification.

(4) Credit decisions under this policy will:

1. be evidence-based, academically defensible, equitable, transparent and consistently applied, taking into account the students’ ability to successfully meet the learning outcomes of the qualification
2. recognise formal, informal and non-formal learning that is current and relevant to the learning outcomes of a course or subject
3. be decided in a timely way so that students can access qualifications without unnecessary barriers
4. be formally documented for the student, including any reasons for not giving credit
5. be subject to appeal and review under the University’s appeal processes.

(5) Credit will only be granted where:

1. students are not disadvantaged in achieving the expected learning outcomes for the course of study or qualification
2. the integrity of the course of study and the qualification is maintained
3. the credit will not compromise the professional accreditation requirements of the award
4. the approved credit outcomes are consistent with this policy and with the AQF Qualifications Pathways Policy.

(6) The University may recognise concurrent or future learning outcomes and approve forward credit that is provisional on the student achieving those learning outcomes within a specified period.

(7) Credit outcomes are monitored as part of course reviews and student performance reporting processes.

(8) Credit is only granted to students who have applied for admission, or have been admitted, to the course to which the credit will be applied. Where prospective students apply for credit with their admission application, the credit is only granted if the course’s minimum entry requirements are also met, however a grant of credit does not guarantee entry to the course.

(9) International students are provided information about the impact that credit may have on their course duration, confirmation of enrolment (COE) and student visa, and must formally accept an offer of credit before it is applied towards their course.

(10) Information about credit is available for current and prospective students, and maintained in accordance with the legislative requirements, standards, and frameworks listed at clause 1.

Types of credit

(11) Charles Sturt may recognise a student’s formal, informal and/or non-formal learning in the following ways, subject to the credit limits and rules set out in this policy:

Credit limits

Table of credit limits for coursework courses

(12) The following table sets out the maximum credit ungraded that can be granted towards a coursework course, subject to clauses 13-14.

Lower credit limits

(13) Lower credit limits may apply than the maximums stated at clause 12 where:

1. a course has a lower total course points than stated in the table (such as Undergraduate Certificate courses that are less than 32 points in total)
2. Academic Senate approves a lower credit limit for specific courses due to academic, industry, or professional accreditation requirements.

Higher credit limits

(14) Students may be granted more credit than the maximum stated at clause 12 where credit agreements and/or pathway arrangements are in place with other education providers (e.g. NSW TAFE) that provide for higher limits.

Limits on credit graded

(15) Credit graded will normally be applied without limit for all eligible subjects, unless restricted in the following circumstances:

1. The time elapsed since the student completed the subject exceeds the recency requirements under this policy (as per the ‘Recency requirements’ heading).
2. A limit is approved for a course or for individual students (as per the ‘Credit decision authorities and responsibilities’ table). Such approvals may limit the number of courses a Charles Sturt subject can be used towards or the total amount of credit graded that can be applied towards a qualification, where unrestricted use would:
   1. disadvantage the student(s) in achieving the expected learning outcomes for the course
   2. damage the integrity of the course or qualification
   3. breach requirements for professional accreditation
   4. be inconsistent with the University’s compliance obligations or principles under this policy.

Credit rules

(16) Credit will not be granted under this policy:

1. for an incomplete subject, or towards part of a coursework subject, such as individual elements, modules, work-integrated learning activities, or assessment tasks
2. for a subject with a non-passing grade, or a grade that that indicates the student’s performance was of a fail standard, although they may have been permitted to count the subject towards fulfilling requirements for an award (grades such as conceded pass, terminating pass, etc.)
3. for a subject where the final mark is below 50%, even where this may be considered a passing grade in the country or institution in which the subject was completed
4. on the basis of credit that has been granted towards another course without assessment of the prior learning in respect to the target course
5. towards research components within a coursework course
6. for a subject more than once in each course/award; that is, if the student completed or received credit for a subject in the target course, they will not be granted any further credit towards the target course on the basis of that subject
7. to change a completed subject’s permanent grade to a credit status.

(17) Faculty Boards may set additional credit restrictions or rules for courses as required to meet the specific needs of that program.

Recency requirements

(18) Credit is normally only granted for learning completed in the 10 years before the student applies for the credit, unless they can demonstrate sufficient evidence of ongoing proficiency in the relevant learning outcomes.

(19) The Faculty Board may set shorter recency requirements for specific courses in disciplines where knowledge and skills are changing frequently and/or accreditation requirements specify a shorter time frame for maintaining currency.

Credit when returning to study

(20) The University will withdraw any credit granted to a student who withdraws or is withdrawn from their course. If the student returns to study and seeks credit for previously completed subjects or previously granted credit, their prior learning will be assessed in accordance with any current rules, limits and restrictions.

(21) The University may refuse an application for credit for any learning a student undertakes during a period of exclusion from Charles Sturt or from a Charles Sturt course, if granting the credit would be inconsistent with the reason for the exclusion or with the principles and conditions set out under this policy.

Withdrawal of credit

(22) The University may initiate a review and/or may withdraw credit where:

1. credit is granted through an error in assessment
2. credit is granted as the result of an administrative error
3. a student who was granted credit is not making adequate academic progress
4. an investigation under the Student Misconduct Rule 2020 finds that credit was granted on the basis of false, withheld, or misleading information in the student’s credit application
5. credit graded that was automatically applied needs to be withdrawn (as per clause 15)
6. a student withdraws or is withdrawn from  their place in the course
7. a student requests that the credit is removed from their current course enrolment (but not from any previously completed course).

Credit arrangements

(23) Charles Sturt will identify, develop and document credit arrangements that facilitate and promote qualification pathways, consistent with requirements of the AQF Qualifications Pathway Policy.

(24) Credit arrangements involving educational cooperation partnerships with third parties are negotiated and approved as per the University Partnerships Policy and University Partnerships Procedure.

(25) Credit arrangements will fall under one of the following types, with further information provided in the Credit (Advanced Standing) Procedure:

1. Articulation agreement
2. Credit package
3. Credit precedent
4. Credit equivalency

Credit decision authorities and responsibilities

(26) Delegation Schedule E - Academic confers authorities to approve credit decisions, which are included in the table below for reference. These decisions may be applied in accordance with the following table and any requirements under the Credit (Advanced Standing) Procedure.

Appeals and complaints

(27) Where a student wishes to appeal a decision made under this policy, or has a complaint about the quality of service or conduct of staff, the following policies apply:

1. University Student Appeals Policy and University Student Appeals Procedure.
2. Complaints Management Policy and Complaints Management Procedure.

Section 3 - Glossary

(28) For the purposes of this policy:

1. Advanced standing – means credit points that may be counted towards the total number of points required to complete a qualification, granted in recognition of a student’s prior learning. For this policy and the Credit (Advanced Standing) Procedure, ‘advanced standing’ and ‘credit’ may be considered to have the same meaning.
2. Articulated set of courses – as defined in the policy library glossary.
3. Articulation – means a relationship between two or more courses designed to allow students to sequentially progress through a series of courses using their completion a lower-level course to meet the entry requirements into and/or credit towards a higher-level course, where the higher-level course includes those same subject components in its course structure.
4. Articulation agreement – means a formal agreement within the University and/or between the University and another institution, allowing students to move from one course to another, with or without credit.
5. Coursework course – as defined in the policy library glossary.
6. Credit – means, as per the AQF glossary, a value assigned for the recognition of equivalence in content and learning outcomes between different types of learning and/or qualifications. For this policy and the Credit (Advanced Standing) Procedure, that value is the credit points granted as advanced standing, so that ‘credit’ and ‘advanced standing’ may be considered to have the same meaning.
7. Credit agreement – means a formal agreement regarding student entitlements to credit for courses within the University, and/or between the University and another institution.
8. Credit precedent – means a credit decision that has been used to establish a rule for assessing subsequent applications for the same course and subject(s).
9. Formal learning – means learning that involves completing credit-bearing subjects at an accredited tertiary education institution.
10. Forward credit – means credit that has been provisionally approved for formal learning a student is currently, or is planning to, undertake but has not yet completed. Forward credit does not count towards credit limits and must be converted to a permanent grade or credit status, subject to credit limits.
11. Higher degree by research (HDR) course – as defined in the policy library glossary.
12. Informal learning – means learning gained outside of formal or non-formal learning, for example through work or leisure activities (e.g. charity or community group participation).
13. Non-formal learning – means learning through education or training that does not involve completing credit-bearing subjects at an accredited tertiary education institution, such as professional development or workplace training.
14. Points – as defined in the policy library glossary.
15. Prospective student – means an individual who is considering attending the University or an applicant who has applied for admission but is not yet currently enrolled with the University.
16. Research components – as defined in the policy library glossary.
17. Subject substitution – means a change to one or more of the subjects in the course structure published in the University Handbook is deemed appropriate and approved for a particular student. This may granted (for example) as an alternative to credit in recognition their prior learning.
18. Target course – the course that the student is seeking admission to, or is currently admitted to, and that the credit will be counted towards to fulfil admission and/or completion requirements.