Microcredential learner support

When you enrol with us, you are accepting these terms and conditions of enrolment.

• I confirm that I want to enrol in this stackable short course (microcredential) at Deakin University.
• I confirm that the information and documentation I have supplied to Deakin University for the purpose of my enrolment is complete, accurate and unaltered.
• I confirm that I have the recommended learning and/or professional experience outlined on the microcredential page, where applicable, to undertake this microcredential
• I will comply with the Student Code of Conduct and the policies and procedures of Deakin University to which it refers.
• I agree to pay all fees and charges arising from this enrolment and accept the cancellation and refund policy(ies) outlined on the microcredential learner support page.
• I understand that failure to pay any fees and charges or a breach of Deakin University policy or procedure may result in Deakin University refusing, reversing, restricting or terminating my enrolment.
• I understand that I am required to have access to a computer, webcam and the internet to study with Deakin and that I must comply with Deakin’s Information technology use policies and procedures.
• I understand that some aspects of my learning may be hosted on third party online learning platforms.
• I understand that Deakin University will provide me with a Deakin email account that I am required to check regularly or ensure it is redirected to an alternative email account that I regularly access.
• I understand that if I have provided a personal (non-Deakin) email address, Deakin University may use both this email address and my Deakin University email address to make sure I receive important information.
• I understand that, if I supply a mobile phone number, that Deakin University may from time to time use my mobile phone number to provide me with important information related to the microcredential.
• I will keep up-to-date the information that I have provided to Deakin University as my contact details.
• I understand that my personal information will be managed by Deakin University in accordance with its Privacy Statement and with the Information Privacy for Students statement, and that it is my responsibility to review this statement.
• I am responsible for the security of the login details provided to me to enable access to learning platforms and resources related to my studies. I will not share my login details with anyone, including any member of my family, international agency or a legal representative. I will not let anyone else (whether acting on my behalf or not) access systems using my username and password.

Please accept these terms and conditions to confirm your enrolment.

These terms and conditions may be updated from time to time. Currently enrolled Deakin stackable short course students will be notified via email when updated terms and conditions are published. If Deakin University makes a substantial change, it will provide you with reasonable notice prior to the change taking effect. Any changes which would unfairly disadvantage existing enrolled students will be introduced in a staggered manner to avoid impacting on enrolled students.

Each Deakin microcredential (Stackable short course) is run in one of two learning modes: ‘on-demand’, or ‘masterclass’. Please refer to your microcredential’s published information to confirm the mode of your chosen microcredential.

• On-demand: The course content can be undertaken online at your own pace, over a few weeks or months, for up to a maximum of 20-26 weeks (depending on your exact enrolment date). Our course content is available 100% online to access at any time. Learning will be complimented with 1:1 consultation session with educators. You will be able to submit your assessment task during one of four assessment windows scheduled throughout your enrolled study period.
• Masterclass: the course content will be delivered via a small number of intensive, real-time sessions with a high level of facilitation. These sessions may be held online or in-person, depending on the specific details of the masterclass. Course content delivery through these sessions is generally completed within four weeks, with assessment work generally due two weeks after the final session.

Several aspects of microcredential administration differ between the two learning modes; please refer to the specific information relating to on-demand or masterclass microcredentials on this page, as relevant for your microcredential’s learning mode.

In some cases, a microcredential may be offered in both on-demand mode and masterclass mode; if so, then the learning mode in which you choose to enrol, will determine the administrative matters applicable for you.

Key dates

Microcredentials use Deakin’s Start Anytime 6-month study periods, below outlines key dates relevant for your microcredential enrolment*.

*For Masterclasses, you will be enrolled in a Start Anytime 6 month enrolment period, however you will only have one assessment submission window, typically 2-4 weeks after the final masterclass.

Please note: all published dates and times relating to Deakin University microcredentials, such as masterclass session dates, industry learning session dates, academic skills session dates and assessment task due dates, will be scheduled according to the local time in Melbourne, Australia unless otherwise stated. The time zone of Melbourne, Australia is Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) from the first Sunday in April until the first Sunday in October, and Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) for the remainder of the year.

Deakin University has brief closure periods each year, which are scheduled during April (Easter) and December-January (Christmas/New Year) respectively. Refer to the ‘Public holidays and University closure dates’ section of the Key dates page.

Registration

Any recommended requirements for registering on a specific microcredential, will be specified in the stackable short course webpage and/or registration web form*. Students are responsible for accurately assessing their own eligibility to undertake a microcredential prior to completing the registration process. All Deakin microcredentials are taught in English and students that register should have proficient knowledge of English for academic study.

Payment of fees for your microcredential is done upon registration as specified on the stackable short course webpage and/or registration webform. GST is included in the advertised price. Census dates do not apply for microcredentials, however if your circumstances change, you can apply for a refund:

• On-demand microcredentials: you will have 7 days from registration and payment, to apply for a refund. For more information see FutureLearn’s and Open Learning's subscription and refund policy. If you have already submitted an assessment, then a refund will not be granted, regardless of when the request is made.
• Masterclass microcredentials: you will have up until 30 days before Masterclass commencement for a full refund. Cancellations received within 30 days but at least 10 days out from the Masterclass commencing will receive a 50% refund. Cancellations within 10 days of the Masterclass commencing will receive no refund.
• Deakin University may cancel a microcredential for administrative reasons; if so, you will be provided with a full refund.
• For Group Bookings: except in the case of cancellation by Deakin of a Masterclass microcredential by Deakin neither the sponsor of group bookings or any individual member of a group is eligible for a refund. The group must be confirmed at the time of registration and learners will have 7 days from receipt of payment by Deakin to enrol in the microcredential by submitting their personal details to Deakin. If an individual withdraws from the group, after registration by the sponsor, another person can be substituted for that person but only if the withdrawing group member has not enrolled in the microcredential.

*For microcredentials compulsory within a Deakin award course, such as M597 and M797, registration, enrolment and payment is managed as outlined in the student handbook. Start Anytime 6-month calendar census dates apply.

Enrolment

• Deakin may impose an enrolment quota on a microcredential, which limits the maximum number of enrolees into any instance of the microcredential or assessment windows.
• Registration into a masterclass microcredential can occur typically up until 10 days prior to the date of the first scheduled masterclass session. Registration may cease at an earlier date if the masterclass microcredential’s enrolment quota has been met. If the enrolment quota for a masterclass microcredential has been reached, you may be able to sign up to a waitlist to receive notification if a spot becomes available.
• Registration into an on-demand microcredential can occur at any time, unless the microcredential is suspended or withdrawn from offer by Deakin.
• After your initial registration or commencement of learning for a microcredential, it may take up to 5 days before your access to all Deakin systems and library resources becomes available. The delay may be slightly longer if the registration occurs during one of the brief Deakin University closure periods.

Scheduled sessions for masterclass microcredentials

• Each masterclass microcredential includes a series of scheduled learning sessions, delivered in real time by the microcredential facilitator(s).
• Masterclass learning sessions occur predominantly online, however may be delivered online, in-person or a mixture of both, as specified in the microcredential’s published information.
• Remote online access will not be possible for in-person masterclass sessions; you are encouraged to select a cloud-based Masterclass if in-person participation would not be practicable.
• In some circumstance planned in-person sessions may be converted to online sessions, you will be notified if this is the case.
• In most circumstances, scheduled masterclass sessions will not be recorded, you therefore must attend all scheduled sessions to get the most out of the learning experience and be able to successfully complete the assessment to receive a pass grade.
• Under some circumstances, Deakin University may reschedule masterclass sessions to new date(s); you will be notified if so, and a full refund will be provided if you are unable to attend on the new dates.
• Attendance at in-person masterclass sessions may be subject to conditions relating to government and/or Deakin University policies regarding vaccination and other health and hygiene requirements.

Academic integrity

A commitment to honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility in academic settings – is an essential component of university-level study. All Deakin staff and students are expected to act with academic integrity. This means that you must:

1. Submit your own original work
2. Acknowledge your sources when you use other people’s ideas, designs, research findings, words or works
3. Seek the written permission of the teaching team before re-using any work you have submitted before
4. Comply with all instructions for all assessment tasks
5. Provide accurate and truthful documentation to the University
6. Encourage other students to act with academic integrity and take reasonable steps to prevent other students from copying your own work
7. Refrain from uploading your own assessment work to a sharing website, or providing copies of your assignments to other students.

For information on acting with integrity, read the student guides on Academic Integrity. Where relevant, all assignments must be properly referenced in the style required. See the Deakin guide to referencing to learn more about referencing styles and how to avoid doing the wrong thing. If you are not sure which style to use, ask your teaching team before you submit your assignment. Help is also available, see Support and services.

If you do not act with academic integrity, the consequences may include receiving a fail result for the microcredential. Refer to the integrity webpage for further information on the potential consequences of breaches of academic integrity.

Work or parts of work that you have submitted in the past for assessment at any academic institution cannot be re-submitted for assessment in another microcredential or unit without your teaching team or Unit Chair’s (where enrolled in a Deakin unit) written permission. If you wish to reuse or extend parts of previously submitted work, you must have written permission before the submission date. Depending on the nature of the task, the teaching team (or Unit Chair) may permit or decline the request.

Assessment submission

To pass a microcredential, you will be required to produce and submit a piece of assessment work for grading. Assessment details can be found in your specific microcredential site.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you submit the correct version of your assignment for marking. The teaching team will assess the document you submit to the Assessment Folder by the due date outlined.

If multiple assessment windows are available to you (on-demand microcredential) you are only permitted to submit an assessment once, during one of the available assessment submission windows. You are not permitted to submit again during a later assessment window for that microcredential.

You are expected to manage your time appropriately to complete your assessment tasks. If something unexpected arises, you might be allowed to undertake or complete an assessment task at another time through the extension or the special consideration process, but we generally expect all students to complete their work at the same time.

Extensions and special consideration

If unexpected circumstances prevent you from undertaking or submitting an assignment by the due date, you should make contact as soon as you become aware of the problem.

If you are undertaking an on-demand microcredential, you have 4 assessment windows available to you over your enrolment period. The assessment windows run for a week and are available every six weeks. If you are at assessment window 1, 2 or 3 then you don’t need to request an extension, just submit in one of the next assessment windows. No academic penalty will be incurred for using a later assessment window for an on-demand microcredential.   If you are up to your final assessment window (window 4) and unexpected circumstances arise, then a special consideration request is required, where you can request access to a 5^th assessment window."

In contrast, masterclasses have only a single assessment submission window; if unexpected circumstances prevent assignment submission by the end of that window, then an extension request or special consideration request is required.

Applications for extensions

Applications for extensions should be made no later than the assessment due date to your teaching team. Where appropriate, you may be allowed to do the task at another time or given an extension of up to two weeks.

Where rescheduling is impractical or you need more time than the teaching team grants, you may apply for special consideration under certain circumstances outside your control that:

• prevent you from attempting or completing an assessment task or examination at the scheduled time, or
• significantly affect your performance.

Application for special consideration

Applications for special consideration should be made to Stackable Learning normally within 3 working days after the due date of the assessment task.

You may be asked to supply supporting documentation about the difficulties you are facing and/or evidence of the work you have completed so far.

The University has health and wellbeing services to support students who are dealing with difficulties including, if you have experienced personal trauma, you can request one of the University’s support services to liaise on your behalf.

If you are having difficulty progressing through a microcredential, please seek Deakin support and services available to you while you study.

Study support

Whether you are taking this microcredential to improve your professional skills, your general study skills, or you need help on a tricky assignment, there's plenty of study support available to keep you motivated and on track.

Deakin Library has many resources and services for you to help you get the most out of your learning.

• Academic Skills: Visit the academic skills page for general assessment information, support and advice.
• Referencing: To ensure you adhere to the appropriate referencing style for your assessment, visit the referencing page.
• Academic Integrity: Plagiarism, collusion, and contract cheating constitute as extremely serious breaches of academic integrity. They are forms of misconduct and severe penalties are associated with them. Visit the academic integrity page for further information and advice.
• Study Workload Planner: We understand that you have other commitments to manage in addition to your study. That's why we have created the study workload planner to help you manage and plan your study and other commitments. Other digital tools are available to help you manage your study including an assessment planner.

Additional support

• The IT service desk can assist with IT support and information for Deakin-managed IT platforms.
• Health, safety and wellbeing: Deakin offers a range of services to help you stay healthy and safe – physically, mentally and spiritually. Further information is available at Health and Wellbeing.
• The Disability Resource Centre (DRC) promotes inclusion and access, and provides information and services for students with a disability, health or mental health condition that affects their study or participation in university life.
• Sexual harm: Deakin has trained staff in responding and supporting students who have experienced sexual harm.
• Diversity and Inclusion provides initiatives that nurture a diverse, inclusive and respectful University community, including an LGBTIQ+ network.
• The Student advocacy and support service at the Deakin University Student Association (DUSA) offers free, confidential assistance and advice to all Deakin students.

Some Deakin University support services may be unavailable during the brief Deakin University closure periods each year.

Your marks and results: If you have any questions or concerns about your assessment or marks during your study period, speak to your teaching team in the first instance. Deakin University microcredentials are graded as pass/fail, unless otherwise specified in the microcredential’s published information.

Following your submission of an assessment task, time will be required for the marking of your assessment, the finalisation of your results, and the issuing of your digital credential if you have passed. These arrangements will generally be finalised within 15 working days after the assessment submission window. All marks are provisional until Deakin University approves your final microcredential result.

You can ask for additional feedback to help clarify the marking, or request in writing that the work be remarked if you can demonstrate that it was not marked in accordance with the published marking criteria or there was a misapplication of relevant University policies or the Assessment (Higher Education Courses) Procedure.

Applications must be submitted to stackablelearning@deakin.edu.au within five working days of the release of your result. For further details on how to apply visit the Review of results website.

Applying microcredentials as credit towards a Deakin degree

After successfully passing microcredential(s), where applicable, the Deakin academic credit achieved is applied to a relevant Deakin postgraduate degree course (degree). Microcredentials will be credited towards a degree which you are currently enrolled in, or a degree for which you are applying to enrol in*. If you would not like your microcredential(s) applied as academic credit, please contact stackablelearning@deakin.edu.au.

Where applicable, credit applied to your degree may reduce your overall degree duration and/or tuition cost.

• Unless otherwise stated, each microcredential is worth 0.5 Deakin course credit points. After successful completion of 2 microcredentials, you will have earned 1 Deakin course credit point (credit).
• Credit may only be applied to a degree using whole-number credit point values (for example, 1 credit point rather than 1.5 credit points). Therefore, microcredentials must be applied as credit in pairs.
• Microcredentials may only be used as credit in selected Deakin degrees. Refer to the stackable short course webpage for details of the recommended destination degrees or seek advice via live chat on the page.
• The use of microcredentials as credit towards a degree may be subject to conditions specific to that degree, such as its maximum credit limit.
• Credit will only be available where you have elective space in your degree. Limits on elective space in a degree are outlined in specific degrees’ course rules, as summarised within the Deakin University Handbook. Typically:
  • For Masters you can complete up to four microcredentials (two electives).
  • For the Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma you can complete two microcredentials (one elective) only.
• Deakin may change its degree offerings and degree structures from time to time, and so the destination degrees leading from a particular microcredential, or pair of microcredentials, may also change over time.
• A 10-year limit applies for a microcredential’s eligibility as credit into a degree, to ensure the recency and relevance of applied credit.
• The crediting of microcredential(s) towards degrees will be applied as Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and must comply with Deakin University’s Recognition of Prior Learning policy and Recognition of Prior Learning Procedure.
• If you are applying for a degree, you must meet the admission entry requirements.
• In some instances, a microcredential’s taught content may be substantially the same as taught content of a standard Deakin unit. Credit from a passed microcredential may not be applied to your course if that microcredential’s content has previously been covered by a passed unit within that course. Any such instances will be identified by Deakin University shortly after the point at which a student registers for the microcredential and will be discussed with the student to confirm whether they wish to proceed with the microcredential enrolment or not. A full refund for the microcredential enrolment will be provided to the student if they decide not to proceed with the enrolment in such circumstances.

_{*Subject to meeting Deakin’s award course admission and selection requirements, including English language proficiency requirements.}

For all general enquiries or administrative matters regarding your microcredential contact stackablelearning@deakin.edu.au.

We are committed to providing you with a quality educational experience and we welcome feedback on any aspect of your experience. In the first instance, we encourage you to discuss with your teaching team, if you are uncomfortable doing this or if you wish to lodge a complaint, you will find information about the University’s complaint resolution process on the student complaints webpage.

Study load and academic progress

• Microcredentials do not currently contribute towards enrolled study load for a degree while they are being studied.
• All microcredential learners who are also currently enrolled in a Deakin degree are encouraged to discuss their study load with a Deakin student adviser to consider if their microcredential enrolment(s) will be manageable alongside their standard degree studies.
• Microcredential student outcomes are not subject to Deakin University’s standard Academic Progress policy and procedures. However, Deakin University reserves the right to withdraw a Deakin degree student’s microcredential enrolment(s) if it is judged to be in the best interests of the student with respect to the student’s successful management of academic progress and study load within their degree. A full refund for the microcredential registration fee will be provided in such circumstances.

Other distinctive features of microcredential learning

• Microcredentials are not scheduled in alignment with the Deakin trimester or semester academic calendar. Please refer to the published details of a specific microcredential to confirm dates and scheduling information.
• FEE-HELP is not available for microcredential studies, unless microcredentials are compulsory within a Deakin award course such as M597 and M797.
• Enrolment in a microcredential requires upfront payment at the point of registration, via credit card, debit card or PayPal. This payment is managed separately to standard unit fees and will not be included in standard Deakin invoices and ‘Fees’ systems.
• Administration of enrolments are managed separately therefore will not appear directly alongside standard unit enrolments beneath your degree details, in systems such as StudentConnect and DeakinSync.
• Census dates are not applicable with respect to withdrawals and refunds, unless microcredentials are compulsory within a Deakin award course such as M597 and M797.
• Microcredentials are classified as ‘micro-units’ for most purposes with respect to applicable Deakin procedures and policies. In circumstances where microcredential procedures and standard unit procedures diverge, microcredential procedures apply.
• If you're a domestic student or an international cloud student, and are studying Stackable Short Courses while temporarily not having any standard unit enrolments, your degree enrolment status may be changed to 'Intermitted' for a period of time. This change will not disadvantage you, but it will prevent you from being sent irrelevant email reminders to enrol in standard units. The 'Intermitted' status will signal to Deakin's systems that you do not currently need to add any new standard unit enrolments. (If you're an international on-campus student interested in this scenario, please refer to the 'Information for current or prospective international students' section below.)
• If you're a domestic student or an international cloud student, you may wish to complete the final credit point of your degree by completing two Stackable Short Courses. (Each Stackable Short Course is worth 0.5 credit points, and so two Stackable Short Courses are equivalent to a single standard unit.) However, if you have already previously enrolled in a standard unit, the StudentConnect system may prevent you from withdrawing from that unit because it's your final unit. If so, contact Student Central for assistance in removing that restriction. Note that standard unit withdrawal and refund dates will still apply to your standard unit enrolment; refer to Change your enrolment for further details. (If you're an international on-campus student interested in this scenario, please refer to the 'Information for current or prospective international students' section below.)

For international on-campus students currently enrolled in a Deakin degree:

• To meet student visa requirements, you must maintain enrolment in a CRICOS registered course. Confirmation-Of-Enrolment-related study load requirements must be met by standard unit enrolments within your degree. Enrolment in a Deakin microcredential does not meet student visa requirements.
• If you would like to study Stackable Short Courses and have the achieved credit applied towards your degree, undertake the Stackable Short Courses early on in your degree progression. Avoid using Stackable Short Course enrolments to replace the final standard unit within your degree, as your Confirmation of Enrolment may be cancelled if you do not complete your final degree credit point via a standard unit enrolment. (You may still wish to enrol in a Stackable Short Course out of personal interest towards the end of your degree progression; but you should not use it in place of your final degree credit point.)
• If undertaking Stackable Short Courses during a compulsory study period (Trimester 1 or Trimester 2), you must maintain a full study load (at least 3 credit points) of standard unit enrolments within your degree, concurrent with any Stackable enrolments. Alternatively, you may wish to complete your Stackable Short Courses during Trimester 3, as it is a non-compulsory study period.

For international students not currently enrolled in a Deakin degree:

• Please be aware that a microcredential enrolment does not meet the requirements for an Australian student visa. A student will not be issued a Confirmation of Enrolment for a microcredential study alone.
• If considering undertaking a Deakin degree on campus, please refer to any visa requirements including post course work rights and ensure the course you are applying for explicitly states that microcredentials can be used within the course rules.

Personal information will be managed by Deakin University in accordance with it’s Privacy Statement, including the Information Privacy for Students statement. Enrolment and fee information being collected by Deakin using Eventbrite, which is a third-party service that is not owned or managed by Deakin will be managed in accordance with Eventbrite’s terms and conditions and privacy policy. If you don’t consent to enrolment and fee information being collected using Eventbrite, contact StackableLearning@deakin.edu.au to arrange for enrolment, however it may not be possible for Deakin to provide me with the full, if any, benefit of any available discounts.

If you already have a Deakin student record, your microcredential study details will be added to your existing record within Deakin’s Student Management System(s). If you do not already have a Deakin student record, Deakin University will create a student record for you within our Student Management System(s). Deakin will use your information to manage and administer all aspects of your progression through your studies, your participation in the University community, and your access to and use of Deakin’s business and support structures.

You may be requested to verify your identity prior to being awarded a digital badge upon successful completion of a microcredential. If so, identity verification can be completed through a secure online mechanism.

If your contact details change during your microcredential studies, you must provide Deakin University with your updated details so that you can continue to receive communications relating to your studies. After enrolling in a microcredential and obtaining your Deakin username and password, you can update your contact details by logging in to Deakin University’s StudentConnect portal.