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Tue Oct 18 15:58:51 EST 2011

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18 October 2011

Graduations

Potential Graduands are currently being assessed for December 2011
Graduations. Eligible students will receive their invitations today and
must respond by the 18th November if they wish to confer their degree in
December. Thanks to College staff for all their hard work in this
initial assessment stage. Please direct any graduation queries from
staff or students to graduation.officer at anu.edu.au
<mailto:graduation.officer at anu.edu.au> 

A reminder that in order for HDR students to graduate in the December
ceremonies, HDR approvals will need to be at our office (preferably with
the signed hard bound thesis) by 31 October.

Prizes and Timetabling

New Staff

We welcome Emilia Ciampa, who is the new Prizes and Timetabling Officer.

We also welcome Liza Flanagan, who is currently assisting with
timetabling, but will also move into other roles within EGPT.

University Medal/ Tillyard Prize

Please see http://www.anu.edu.au/sas/prizes/index.php
<http://www.anu.edu.au/sas/prizes/index.php>  for the updated nomination
forms.

Prizes

We are currently performing an audit of prizes prior to the preparation
and distribution of nomination forms. 

Upcoming changes to higher education legislation

Knight Review

Michael Knight was commissioned by the Government to undertake a
strategic review of the Australian Student Visa Program, and was asked
to make recommendations for a sustainable program that would benefit
Australia's economic, educational and migration interests.

41 recommendations were made. Of those, the following are highlighted:

R1.  Genuine Temporary Entrant  (proposed commencement November 2011)

A new element in the eligibility criteria for a student visa will be to
determine whether the application is a genuine temporary entrant. 

R2.  A successful student visa applicant will need to be both a genuine
temporary entrant and a genuine student. 

R3. Streamlined Visa Processing (for Universities)

For introduction in the first half of 2012 following consultation with
universities.

All student visa applicants for

*         Bachelor degrees

*         2 plus 2 (or 3 plus 1) arrangements with partner universities

*         Masters degrees by coursework

*         HDR students 

will be treated as Assessment Level 1.  

>From late 2011 the financial requirements in place for the higher risk
assessment levels will be reduced. (Some will need AUD36,000 less in
their bank account when applying for a student visa.)

R4. Post Study Work Rights

The University must report when students have successfully completed
their program. The Knight Review believes this could be 'many months'
earlier than formal graduation, although this isn't the case for ANU
coursework students unless they choose to defer their graduation.  

Bachelor degree graduates who have spent at least 2 years studying that
degree in Australia, and who have complied with their visa conditions,
should receive 2 years work rights. 

Masters by Coursework degree graduates who have undertaken that degree
in Australia and who have complied with their visa conditions should
receive 2 years work rights.

Master of Philosophy degree graduates should receive 3 years post study
work rights.

PhD degree graduates should receive 4 years post study work rights.  

The work does not need to be related to the nature of the completed
program.

R7. All HDR student visas will have unlimited work rights.

R15. AusAID, DIAC, DOHA and other relevant agencies should develop an
integrated policy in relation to scholarships and the management of visa
arrangements for awardees.

R25.  The current mandatory cancellation requirement for unsatisfactory
academic progress should be removed. DIAC officers would then have the
discretion to determine cancellation in particular cases.

R28. Student work entitlement will be measured in a more flexible way
allowing 40 hours per fortnight instead of 20 hours per week

R29. Agents associated with a student's recruitment will have to be
entered into PRISMS along with the student's data. 

R31. DEEWR and DIAC to establish a single student identifier to track
international students through their studies in Australia.

Assessment round for approval of masters by coursework programs for
student income support

Up until recently, information from the Government was that from 1
January 2012 students undertaking any coursework Masters programs would
be eligible for student income support.  Unfortunately this has now been
deferred to 1 January 2014.  

Coursework masters programs may be eligible for approval for income
support if the qualification is essential for entry to, or employment in
the profession and it is the minimum requirement for registration with a
professional body or for entry to a profession; or it provides the
fastest pathway to professional entry; or it is the only pathway to
professional entry offered by the University.

For more information refer to  
http://www.deewr.gov.au/HigherEducation/Programs/StudentSupport/Pages/St
udentIncomeSupport.aspx

Changes to the Calculation of the Annual Registration Charge 

An annual registration charge is payable by all CRICOS registered
providers as at 1 January each year.

The calculation of this fee will change from 2012 as outlined in the
attachment to the agenda.

One of the important changes is $100 per CRICOS registered program.

ANU has approximately 690 programs registered. 

Colleges are asked to review their programs and cull any that are
inactive or do not need to be registered (ie do not meet the criteria
for international student participation).

OPAR will circulate to Colleges a list of all registered programs and
codes to assist with this review once we have CRICOS codes for the new
programs.

Demand Driven Funding

>From 2012, the Government will no longer specify how many undergraduate
student places it will fund public universities to provide.  Courses of
study in medicine are the one exception.  The Government will provide
its funding contribution for every domestic student enrolled in an
undergraduate course of study. 

Under the demand driven funding system, public universities will decide
how many places they will offer and in which disciplines.  Universities
will be able to make decisions about these matters based on student
demand and the needs of employers.

Changes to Student Learning Entitlement (SLE)

The Government is abolishing SLE in the same legislation that provides
for the Demand Driven System.   This will ensure that higher education
students no longer have a limit placed on how much study they can
undertake as a Commonwealth supported student.

Please contact Megan Easton <mailto:Megan.Easton at anu.edu.au>  or Mark
Erickson <mailto:Mark.Erickson at anu.edu.au>  with any queries relating to
these legislative changes.

SBS

1st October DEEWR Deadline - Thank you to all the Colleges for their
support and efforts in meeting this deadline. It has been a huge team
effort!

HR & SA Training Schedule October-November 2011

*	All new users must lodge an access form and attend an Overview
Course.  The form, a Training Schedule and Course Outlines can be found
at www.anu.edu.au/sas/student_21 <http://www.anu.edu.au/sas/student_21>
.
*	Should you wish to book a place on a Student Admin System
training course, please log onto HORUS at horus.anu.edu.au
<https://horus.anu.edu.au/>  and go to the Training Menu and select the
Training Catalogue.  You can search for a particular course using the SA
reference number beside the course name. i.e. SA002 to search for the
Overview Course, alternatively you can email the following details to 
S21Train at anu.edu.au <mailto:S21Train at anu.edu.au> :

	Name of participant(s)
	Staff ID number(s) of participant(s)
	Contact Phone and/or email of participant(s)
	Area of the University that the participant(s) works in
	Job role of the participant(s)
	Course(s) required

	You will be contacted with confirmation of your request.

*	If you require training in an aspect of Student Admin System not
listed on the training schedule or have any questions, please contact
the SBS Helpdesk (X55467).

Student Admin System Courses on Offer

SA002 Overview

25/10/11 (9:30 AM - 12:30 PM)

8/11/11 (9:30 AM - 12:30 PM)

22/11/11 (9:30 AM - 12:30 PM)

SA019 Results Processing

25/10/11 (2:30 PM - 4:30 PM)

Please note that dates and times are subject to change without notice.
Participants registered on courses will be advised of changes.

Finish time is dependent on class size, often courses will finish early.

Student Administrator Practitioner Guide

For more information visit the Student Administrator Practitioner Guide
<http://www.anu.edu.au/sas/sapg> .

Division of Registrar and Student Services
Student Administration and Systems
Pauline Griffin Building (11)
The Australian National University
Acton ACT 0200 

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