Policy Number: AUS-PA0204

Sponsor: Office of Academic Affairs

Effective Date: September 3, 2021

I. POLICY PURPOSE

This policy aims to provide a framework to ensure the integrity of selection and admissions decisions, set clear responsibilities and accountabilities for selection and admissions decisions, and ensure that selection and admissions processes are transparent and decisions are consistent and fair.

II. POLICY APPLICABILITY

This policy applies to the selection and admission of applicants to all programs and courses at The American University of Science ("AUS," "University," or "university").

III. POLICY STATEMENT

A. Principles of Selection

The University is committed to maintaining internationally recognized high academic standards in its courses. To this end, the University:
1. Selects students from among the pool of applicants those who are deemed most likely to be able to succeed in its courses; and
2. Selects academically capable students into research programs only where appropriate supervisory expertise and resources are available.

B. Minimum Entry Requirements

The Academic Board is established by the AUS Statute, which sets out the powers and functions delegated to it by the Council. The Board is responsible to the Council for Quality Assurance in academic activities, including maintenance of high standards in teaching, learning, and research.
The Board approves minimum entry and English language requirements for university programs and courses.
Minimum entry requirements ensure that a student is only selected and admitted to a course when the Board believes the student can undertake the course with a reasonable prospect of success.
Minimum entry requirements for consideration for selection, including the University’s English language requirements, are published in the Program Handbook and program website.
Meeting the minimum entry requirements allows an applicant to be considered for selection. Not all applicants who meet the minimum entry requirements for a course will be selected, as selection is competitive.
Minimum entry requirements are specified in the relevant course approval instrument approved by the Board.
The criteria for minimum entry requirements are provided on the program website.
When approving minimum entry requirements, the Board expects to see:
1. a) evidence-based selection;
2. b) no unfair or unnecessary barriers to student access, including access by students with disabilities, to the University’s programs and courses;
3. c) facilitation of recognition or credit of prior study or work experience for entry into the University’s courses;
4. d) clear and consistent selection requirements that are appropriate to the level of the relevant program or course within the accreditation framework and
5. e) clear and consistent information for applicants of non-academic requirements for entry, including regulatory requirements, Police checks, and Working with Children checks, where required.
Minimum entry requirements may be waived only with the permission of the Chair of the Board, except where III.B.10 applies.
The relevant Dean may waive English language requirements for graduate research and graduate coursework courses consistent with the rules published by the Board.
The Board will monitor the effectiveness and appropriateness of minimum entry requirements.

C. Guaranteed Entry

The Board may establish guaranteed entry schemes for a student or class of students who meet approved eligibility and selection criteria for the particular scheme. The Board may change or discontinue such schemes from time to time.

D. Graduate Research Entry Requirements

To be eligible for consideration for selection into a graduate research course, an applicant must:
1. a) meet the minimum entry requirements for the course;
2. b) agree to complete the minimum residency requirement for the course as defined in section III.D.2;
3. c) agree to commit at least 40 hours per week towards completion of their course if enrolling on a full-time basis or 20 hours per week if enrolling on a part-time basis;
4. d) be unconstrained by any obligations to employers from pursuing independent research consistent with the learning outcomes and graduate attributes of their course;
5. e) agree to abide by the University’s Code of Conduct for Research; and
6. f) agree to the terms and conditions specified by the University and complete all declarations required in the application process.
All students, including those who transfer from a graduate research course at another institution, must complete the minimum residency requirement for study at AUS specified under the Graduate Research Training Policy.
The minimum residency requirement may be waived only by the Chair of the Board if the President is satisfied the following conditions apply:
1. a) exceptional circumstances exist that prevent the applicant from complying with the residency requirement in section III.D.2;
2. b) the applicant has a demonstrated professional background in the area of their proposed research; and
3. c) the applicant provides a plan for their regular attendance at the University that their supervisors have endorsed.
To be eligible to undertake a jointly awarded Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), whereby a student is supervised jointly by academics from the University and a nominated partner institution, an applicant must:
1. a) be selected into a Ph.D. program per this policy, and
2. b) spend at least one-third of the course duration specified in the Handbook at each university.
For a jointly awarded Ph.D., the terms of the student's enrolment, joint supervision, and examination will be defined in an agreement between the two institutions. The student will be required to pay fees at one institution only.

E. Selection, Offer and Acceptance into Coursework Degrees

Except where the Board has approved guaranteed entry schemes, entry to coursework courses is competitive and subject to the following:
1. a) the selection committee's judgment of the relative merit of eligible applicants;
2. b) access and equity provisions approved by the Board;
3. c) any quotas that the University may apply, and
4. d) for applicants under 16 years old at the first census date following the commencement of study, the selection committee may require attendance at an interview to determine whether their age may adversely affect their ability to undertake the course successfully.
Each course will have a selection committee comprising the relevant dean and other members nominated by the dean. Selection committees must have at least 3 members, and at least as many academic staff as professional staff.
A selection committee may be responsible for selection into more than one course.
Per the Academic Board Regulation and this policy a dean or the Academic Registrar may refuse entry into a course or subject including, but not limited to, withdrawing an offer or cancelling the admission and enrolment of a person.
The Academic Registrar or the dean must provide all information necessary for applicants to accept an offer.

F. Selection, Offer, and Acceptance into Graduate Research Degrees

The relevant Dean is responsible for selection into graduate research courses.
Entry to graduate research courses is competitive and subject to judgment of the relative merit of eligible applicants and availability of appropriate supervisor/s.
Assessors must take into account all relevant legislation when assessing applications.
All shortlisted applicants must be interviewed as part of the selection process.
The dean must endorse an applicant's selection before an admission offer is made.
The Dean is responsible for ensuring that appropriate supervision, facilities, and resources can be provided to the applicant per the principles for infrastructure support.
Per the Academic Board Regulation, this policy, and the Graduate Research Training Policy, a Dean or the Academic Registrar may refuse entry into a course or subject including, but not limited to, withdrawing an offer or canceling the admission and enrolment of a person.
The Academic Registrar or the dean must provide all information necessary for applicants to accept an offer, including where it is a requirement of acceptance that the applicant be onshore to accept the offer.

G. Conscientious Objection to Animal Use

The Dean must include appropriate information about animal use activities in particular courses, subjects in course and subject Handbook descriptions, and other course and subject materials. This is particularly important where making alternative arrangements for students with conscientious objections is impossible.
Applicants must make themselves aware of course and subject requirements as set out in the Handbook and other materials, and identify instances where they may be asked to participate in animal use activities to which they have a conscientious objection.
In some courses and subjects, making alternative arrangements to accommodate a conscientious objection to animal use activities is impossible. Factors that are considered when determining whether alternative arrangements are possible include, but are not limited to:
1. The academic integrity of the course or subject;
2. Professional, accreditation and registration requirements and the need to certify that graduates have particular professional competencies;
3. Whether the subject in question is core or elective (for electives, a possible alternative arrangement is selecting a different subject);
4. Legal requirements (including equal opportunity and anti-discrimination legislation);
5. The practicality of alternative arrangements, including the impact on resources in assessing and preparing alternatives and developing alternate assessments as may be required (for example, different exam questions); and
6. The impact of alternative arrangements on other students.
Making alternative arrangements to accommodate a conscientious objection to animal use activities in graduate research courses and programs is impossible. Alternative arrangements may only be made in exceptional circumstances after considering the items in section III.G.3 and whether a revised graduate research project could be completed within the period of candidature, availability, and expertise of supervisors.
Applicants who accept an offer and enroll in a course or subject must participate in all required activities.

H. Pathways

The Board may establish extended courses leading to degrees or diplomas for students who would not normally be eligible for admission.
The Board may also establish pathways into courses for applicants who have studied successfully at other education institutions (with or without completing a formal qualification) and may establish quotas for such applicants.
Applicants who have completed a polytechnic diploma program approved by the Board, meet the normal degree prerequisites, or have completed recognized equivalents within their diploma studies may be eligible for selection into university bachelor's degree courses.
Applicants under the polytechnic articulation programs are admitted with credit per the approved policy.
The Board sets a standard minimum level Grade Point Average (GPA) for the admission of polytechnic students but may approve a specific GPA where the usual entry level for students is higher.
The Board may establish alternative entry pathways where a person has satisfactorily passed a program approved by the Board. The Academic Registrar publishes a list of approved programs.

I. Transfer between Programs and Courses

A Dean may approve an application to transfer into a course for which they are responsible from another course at the University.
When making decisions on applications to transfer between courses, factors that the dean considers include:
1. The availability of places;
2. Prerequisites and other admission requirements for the course;
3. Any regulatory requirements;
4. The minimum entry requirements for the course; and
5. The academic competitiveness of the applicant.

J. Conflict of Interest

Members of the University Executive Committee must disclose in writing to the Academic Secretary any close personal relationship, personal, significant philanthropic, or financial interest pertaining to any applicant for admission to the University before selecting students.
Staff must not participate in any decisions affecting applicants where a potential, perceived, or actual conflict of interest arises due to a relationship with an applicant.
Selection committee members must:
1. Disclose to the chair of the selection committee, before the selection process starts, any circumstances where a potential conflict of interest could arise;
2. Complete the disclosure statement per the procedural principles of this policy; and
3. Not participate in decisions affecting the selection and admission of an applicant where a potential or actual conflict of interest has been identified.
Staff involved in selection into graduate research courses must:
1. Disclose to the dean, before the selection process starts, any circumstances where a potential conflict of interest could arise;
2. Complete a disclosure statement stating that they have, or do not have a conflict of interest and that they will follow the requirements of this policy; and
3. Not participate in decisions affecting the selection and admission of an applicant where a potential or actual conflict of interest has been identified.
This exclusion extends to any influence on the rank ordering of lists where comparisons between applicants are made or on any cut-off scores used to determine which applicants are selected and which are rejected.
Members of staff who fail to disclose a potential or actual conflict of interest or who are found to have participated in a selection or admission process where a conflict of interest arises may be subject to disciplinary proceedings under University policy.

K. Confidentiality

Where an applicant prefers not to have a current employer made aware of their plans to undertake study before they have been offered a place, this must be clearly stated in the application. The request will be accommodated except where employer references are required, or work samples can only be verified by the applicant's current employer.
The University retains the right to contact the employer after the student has been offered and accepted a place if concerns about the authenticity of evidence arise.
Except as required by law:
1. All material related to the application supplied by persons other than the applicant, including referee reports and employer references, is regarded as confidential and is not available except to university staff with a genuine need to access it for the purposes of selection, quality assurance, or unsatisfactory progress investigation;
2. All material supplied by the applicant in connection with the application, including personal statements, folios, and work samples, is regarded as confidential and is not available except to university staff with a genuine need to access it for the purposes of selection, quality assurance, or unsatisfactory progress investigation; and
3. Confidential application-related material that the university does not seek to retain will be disposed of in a manner appropriate for confidential material or returned to the person who supplied it.

IV. PROCEDURAL PRINCIPLES

A. Selection Committees' Composition and Procedures – Coursework Program and Courses

Selection decisions must be made on the authority of a selection committee with due attention to equity and consistency.
The selection committee selects only from among applicants:
1. Eligible for consideration under the minimum entry requirements approved by the Board, including the English standard for the course or
2. Who do not meet the English language requirements but for whom the Board has authorized the Dean to waive these requirements; or
3. For whom the Chair of the Board has agreed to waive requirements after consideration of an applicant-specific case presented by the selection committee.
In determining eligibility, and ranking eligible applicants, the selection committee will take into consideration:
1. The Board's guidelines on the interpretation of resolutions on selection;
2. The Board's rules for ranking applicants and
3. The Board's schedule on the use of selection instruments.
Selection committees may be held as face-to-face meetings, by circling documentation (serial processing), or a combination of the two.
The Dean must keep formal records documenting selection committee decisions per the Records Management Policy.
The selection committee may assign the task of applying the entry standards and processes determined by the selection committee to decide which applicants clearly do or do not meet these parameters and provide an outcome.
If the selection committee selects per section IV.A.6, it must establish entry standards and processes (i.e., processing rules) in line with the University’s Principles of Selection for managing quantitative selection instruments (i.e., not for personal statements, portfolios, etc.) for each course for which it is responsible. These rules include:
1. Setting minimum entry scores from specific providers;
2. Determining cognate disciplines; and
3. Establishing the parameters for the assessment of course entry points.
When selection is undertaken per section 5.7, the selection committee must ensure a record of all such decisions is retained. A report must be provided to the Academic Board upon request.
All applications are assessed, and one of the following selection decisions is made:
1. Unconditional offer;
2. Conditional offer;
3. Packaged offer of qualifying course/s leading to the principal course;
4. Limited offer;
5. An offer into an alternative course or
6. No offer.
A conditional offer may be made if an applicant:
1. Has not completed a course which is required for academic entry;
2. Meets academic entry requirements, but has not met the English language entry requirements;
3. Has failed to provide required documentation;
4. Has not yet satisfied requirements relevant to the delivery of a course;
5. Has not yet satisfied regulatory or administrative requirements or
6. Is required to be onshore when accepting the offer.

B. Selection into Graduate Research Programs and Courses

The relevant Dean appoints appropriately qualified staff to assess eligible applications.
Applications must be assessed by at least two persons, at least one of whom is a registered supervisor at the University.
Interviews are undertaken as part of the selection process. These interviews:
1. May be conducted in person, by audio-visual means, by videoconference, or by telephone;
2. Must assess the applicant’s suitability to undertake the course and the likelihood they will complete it;
3. Must ensure the applicant is made aware of the requirements of the project, including, where relevant, any animal use, in particular where animal use is intrinsic to the particular field of research and essential to the development of relevant skills and attributes or to the research questions being investigated;
4. Advise the applicant of any regulatory requirements that must be satisfied, such as ethics approvals or police checks;
5. Where relevant, advise the applicant of any limitations on intellectual property rights or authorship arising from the proposed research and
6. Advise the applicant of the supervision, facilities, and resources available to them.
If an applicant wishes to vary the terms of an offer of admission, including a change in the research project, supervisory arrangements, or study rate, the request:
1. Must be made to the Dean; and
2. Will be considered in good faith, but there is no guarantee that the request can be accommodated.

C. Conflict of Interest

5.15. All admissions officers and selection committee members must complete the University's Disclosure Statement indicating all cases arising from close personal relationships or business and philanthropic interests that potentially lead to a conflict of interest.

5.17. If, at any stage during the selection and/or admissions process, a staff member becomes aware or is made aware of a potential conflict of interest:

a) the disclosure statement must be updated to reflect the change in circumstances; and

b) appropriate action to prevent any improper influence on the selection and admission process.

5.18. When a selection committee member becomes aware of a conflict of interest after the selection process is underway, they must inform the selection committee chair immediately.

5.19. The chair of the selection committee, acting on the committee members' advice, must determine an appropriate course of action.

5.20. The chair must ensure the agreed action is accurately recorded in the committee minutes.

5.20A All disclosure statements, declarations of conflicts of interest, and meeting records must be retained per the University's Records Management Policy.

D. Elite Athletes and Performers

Applications from persons seeking entry as elite athletes or performers must be submitted concurrently with the application for entry to a degree at the University.
Applications are considered in conjunction with the application to the relevant degree. Applicants must:
1. a) apply using the appropriate application form and
2. b) supply appropriate documentary evidence to verify their Elite Athlete or Performer status and participation level.
The Board appoints a panel to assess complete applications where the AUS Academic Advisory Group has established the elite status of the athlete or performer.
For undergraduate programs and courses:
1. a) The panel rates applicants and makes recommendations regarding elite status for consistency, equity, and due process.
2. b) A conditional entry offer is made to approved Elite Athletes or Performers, subject to applicants meeting the prerequisite requirements.
For graduate programs:
1. Approved applications are forwarded to the selection committee for the program or graduate programs. The panel reviews complete applications where the AUS Advisory Group has established the elite status of the athlete or performer.
2. The selection committee considers the Elite Athlete or Performer status and the criteria specified in the course's resolution on selection in determining whether the applicant will be selected.

E. Use of Selection Instruments

Where a selection committee uses instruments other than academic merit based on past results, it must follow the Board rules on using selection instruments unless otherwise authorized by the Board.

F. Cancellation or Withdrawal of Offer

The Academic Registrar or a Dean may refuse entry into a course or subject including, but not limited to, withdrawing an offer or canceling the admission and enrolment of a student where:
1. The person fails to provide documents or to fulfill other requirements specified in the offer of admission by the specified date;
2. The offer of admission has been made based on incomplete, inaccurate, or fraudulent information provided by the person or a third party on behalf of the person;
3. The person fails to enroll per the offer of admission by the specified date;
4. The person arrives late for a teaching period or does not engage with or genuinely begin studies before a date determined and advised by the University;
5. The person is not onshore by the offer lapse date specified in the offer letter;
6. In the reasonable opinion of a Dean or the Academic Registrar, the person is holding open, or intends to hold open, the offer or enrolment for purposes other than genuine study;
7. A Dean or the Academic Registrar determines that it is necessary or reasonable to withdraw the offer to fulfill regulatory or administrative requirements or guidelines; or
8. A Dean becomes aware that appropriate supervision or other resources are no longer available to support the applicant’s admission or
9. The course is withdrawn from offer due to a University decision.
Any action taken under this section must be notified in writing to the student.

G. Quality Assurance and Record-keeping

Selection committees must keep minutes of their meetings, including a record of their decisions.
The Board, through its committees, undertakes quality assurance activities for student selection and receives and reviews the following reports:
1. For undergraduate programs and courses, an annual report from the Academic Registrar and summary data for students accepted; and an additional annual report provided by the relevant selection committee for undergraduate performing arts programs and courses in which auditions have been used as part of the selection process;
2. The number of applications for entry into degrees under the elite athletes and performers scheme, including the number of adjustments made and the number of applicants who receive an offer for a place in a particular degree;
3. Annual reports on selection into concurrent diplomas provided by the relevant Dean;
4. Reports from selection committees into graduate coursework programs and courses;
5. Selection reviews for graduate and honors programs with each faculty or graduate school being reviewed on a four-year cycle; and
6. Reports from the relevant Dean on selection into graduate research degrees, including allocating scholarships.

H. Review and Appeal

A person dissatisfied with a selection decision may lodge a request for review of the decision with the Academic Registrar.
A person dissatisfied with the outcome of the review conducted by the Academic Registrar may appeal with the Academic Secretary per the Student Appeals Policy.