Academic progress

Deakin will offer support and guidance if your academic progress is considered to be at risk.

You are considered to be at risk where you have:

• failed a compulsory unit for the first time; or
• failed 50% or more units in the last study period; or
• it is apparent that you are unlikely to complete your course within the maximum period of study.

Deakin may decide to implement an intervention strategy if your academic progress is considered to be unsatisfactory.

Unsatisfactory academic progress is where you have:

• failed at least 50% of credit points in each of the two preceding study period; or
• failed a compulsory unit twice; or *failed a compulsory practicum or placement; or
• it is apparent that you cannot complete your course within the maximum period of study; or
• will not complete your course within the maximum period of study; or
• you have not met the conditions placed on your enrolment in a previous study period.

The maximum time allowed to complete your course or the Maximum Period of Study, is the time that may be taken by a student to complete a course (excluding approved intermission periods).

The formula for Maximum Period of Study takes into account the importance of currency in knowledge and seeks to be fair to all students.

The formula to calculate the Maximum Period of Study is 2n + 1u (not including periods of intermission)  where:

• 'n' is the number of years or trimesters taken to complete the course when undertaking a full-time load (a full-time load is normally 8 credit points per year)
• 'u' is the length of time taken to complete one unit of study (usually a study period or a year).

For example, if your course can be typically completed in 3 years of full time study, your maximum period of study would be 3 years + another 3 years (equalling the 2n) + 1 study period or 1 year (equalling the 1u) which equals either  6.5 or 7 years to complete your course.

Students that are permitted to study part time for the duration of their course and some postgraduate students could have up to 10 years, depending on their individual circumstances. Through its Faculty Boards, the University may increase the maximum period of study for a course in its entirety or vary this period for an individual student.

If you have any concerns that you will exceed the maximum period of study, you should contact the Academic Progress and Integrity team in the Office of the Dean of Students.

If you meet one or more of the above criteria, you may receive a letter from your Faculty Academic Progress Committee:

• telling you that your academic progress is unsatisfactory
• proposing to place a condition on your enrolment or to exclude you from study for a period of time, and
• inviting you to explain (show cause) why you have not been doing well in your studies, and why the proposed condition or exclusion should not apply.

This letter should be read very carefully and advice sought from the Academic Progress and Integrity team in the Office of the Dean of Students, and/or DUSA advocacy service.

If you do not respond to the Faculty Academic Progress Committee's letter and explain your situation, this means that you accept the decision and have forfeited your right to appeal.

You can appeal your Faculty Academic Progress Committee's intervention decision to the University Appeals Committee. You can only appeal if you believe:

• there was a misapplication of the process resulting in disadvantage to you
• the decision was manifestly wrong
• the outcome imposed was manifestly excessive or inappropriate in the circumstances
• you have new evidence that was not known or available at the time of the original decision.

If you do not understand the outcome letter from the Faculty Academic Progress Committee setting out their decision, or require more information about how to appeal please contact:

• the FAPC Secretary
• Deakin University Student Association (DUSA) advocacy service
• Student Appeals

The Supporting your academic progress flyer (PDF, 195.6KB) provides information about the various free services at Deakin that can assist you.