At all times interactions with the student's family must be dealt with sensitively and with discretion, avoiding the possibility of giving the family unreasonable or incorrect expectations as to the eventual outcome. The number of Monash staff contacting the family must be kept to a minimum. Typically the faculty contact would be the faculty manager or head of student services. Conferral should take account the wishes of the immediate family.
Responsibility
Faculty
MRGS
Graduations
When the faculty, or in the case of doctoral and MPhil degrees- the RGSC is advised of a student’s death, it will assess the student’s eligibility for a posthumous award against university policy, following the procedures in Steps 3 or 4 below.
Responsibility
Faculty
RGSC
Coursework Awards
If it is not possible to confer the full award in which the student had been enrolled, the faculty will consider whether the student had fully qualified for an alternative exit award. In this case, the Associate Dean (Education) will recommend to the Dean that the student receive the alternative qualification as an exit award.
For a double degree, it is the responsibility of each faculty to assess the eligibility of the deceased student for an award.
Responsibility
Faculty
Research Awards
Preliminary review
Two assessors, one of whom may have been the supervisor and one who may be external to the university, will review the available work in order to determine whether the primary requirement has been met. Both assessors cannot have been supervisors or associate supervisors for the student. Unanimous agreement must be reached in order to proceed.
Supervisor's role
The supervisor may be requested to provide a brief document outlining the research project to facilitate the examiners' understanding of the candidate's research contribution.
Examination
The 'thesis' should then be submitted for examination. Both examiners must give an unequivocal 'yes' or 'no' as to whether evidence exists to indicate that had the student lived, in the normal course of events requirements for the degree would have been satisfied.
Responsibility
MRGS
RGSC
Faculty
If the faculty determines that the student is eligible for the posthumous conferral of a coursework award or research masters, the Dean will recommend this action to University Council.
If on the advice of the relevant faculty the RGSC determines that the student is eligible for the posthumous conferral of a doctoral of MPhil award, the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Research Training) will recommend this action to University Council.
The Secretary to Council must be notified in writing by the submission due date.
Responsibility
Dean
PVC (Research and Research Training)
Faculty
RGSC
Once the award has been conferred by Council, the relevant extract of the Council minutes will be sent both to the faculty, to MRGS, if appropriate, and to the Manager Graduations.
Responsibility
Executive Services
Following Council conferral, the deceased student's course record will be course completed. The date entered for course completion on Callista will be the date of the relevant council meeting:
· If the student was enrolled in a single degree, the managing faculty will enter the student as 'completed'.
· If the student is eligible to receive both awards in a double degree, the managing faculty will enter the student as 'completed'.
· If the student is eligible to receive only one award from a double degree, the managing faculty will record the student as having taken an alternative course exit.
Responsibility
Faculty
MRGS
The faculty, or MRGS, as appropriate, will contact the family to ascertain their wishes in terms of the deceased student’s graduation. The options are:
· graduating in absentia and posting out the testamur;
· graduating in attendance with a family member representing the deceased student; or
· a faculty representative presenting the testamur to the family on a private occasion.
It is solely the family’s choice as to the method of graduation. All requests for posthumous graduation must be submitted at least one month before the graduation ceremony.
Responsibility
Faculty
MRGS
The faculty, or MRGS, as appropriate, should then inform the Manager, Graduations of the family’s wishes regarding graduation. The Manager will then make all the appropriate arrangements regarding conferral and will handle the preparations for the ceremony.
Responsibility
Faculty
MRGS
Manager, Graduations
