Procedure: Forced Offers made under the Coursework Awards Rule 15(4)

Purpose

To set out the procedure for making and approving a forced offer where “the delegated authority is not satisfied that the applicant meets the minimum qualification requirements for admission” (Coursework Awards Rule, clause 15(4)).

Definitions

Forced Offer is a general term for any offer of admission made other than an offer based solely on meeting the published selection rank or GPA. This includes, for example, offers to applicants who meet the published selection rank or GPA but where the admission criteria includes other requirements such as a portfolio or interview, or offers where the applicant does not meet the published admission criteria.

Forced Offer under the Coursework Awards Rule is a specific type of forced offer which is used only in instances where “the delegated authority is not satisfied that the applicant meets the minimum qualification requirements for admission”, and is made under the Coursework Awards Rule, clause 15(4). It requires approval by at least two of the Deputy-Vice Chancellor (Academic), Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education and Digital), and Dean, Academic Quality.

Procedure

Principles

1. The ANU is strongly committed to admissions transparency and recognises that a forced offer where the applicant does not meet the published admissions criteria is inconsistent with admissions transparency. However, in rare cases, the specific circumstances of an applicant may mean that a forced offer may be appropriate. This procedure ensures the integrity of the University’s admissions standards through this process to accommodate exceptional circumstances.
2. A forced offer under the Coursework Awards Rule may be used only when the published academic admissions criteria are not met.
3. A forced offer may not be used where the published English Language Admission Requirements are not met as no waivers may be given to the admission requirements in the Policy: English Language Admission Requirements and Post-Admission Support. However, an equivalency case may be made that the applicant meets the requirements by a method other than that published in that Policy.
4. A forced offer does not duplicate the receipt of adjustment factors under the ANU National Access Scheme. Where adjustment factors have been received by an applicant, the case and evidence for a forced offer must be additional to any case and evidence used for awarded adjustment factors.

Process

5. The Associate Dean (Education) of the College offering the program may request a forced offer under the Coursework Awards Rule via a memo to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and the Dean, Academic Quality. If that Associate Dean (Education) has a conflict of interest, the memo should be from the College Dean or, if also conflicted, the Associate Dean (Education) of another College.
6. Each memo must relate to only one applicant; multiple requests cannot be combined into a single memo.
7. In the memo, the Associate Dean (Education) must confirm:

1. adherence to the University’s quality floor arrangements or relevant AQF admissions threshold
2. Policy: English Language Admission Requirements and Post-Admission Support; and
3. that the request does not involve a conflict of interest.

8. The memo must state the reasons why a forced offer is being requested for the applicant, and attach documentary evidence to support the case.
9. The memo must also attach:

1. The applicant’s application;
2. Evidence that the applicant meets the Policy: English Language Requirements for Admission and Post-Admission Support.

10. The memo with its attachments is to be emailed as a single file to the Associate Registrar (Admissions) in DSAAS at Admissions.Manager@anu.edu.au. If there are multiple memos, each is to be emailed separately. The email subject line should be in the format: Forced offer request: [applicant’s u number / UAC number] [applicant’s name].
11. The Associate Registrar (Admissions) or Delegate will forward the memo to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and the Dean, Academic Quality, who will consider the request, and either:

1. approve the request; or
2. ask for further information to help inform their decision; or
3. not approve the request,

and email this outcome by replying to the requesting email from admissions.

12. For a forced offer to be approved, two approvals are needed.
13. In the absence of either the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) or the Dean, Academic Quality, the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education and Digital) may provide one of the approvals.
14. Admissions will convey the decision to the Associate Dean (Education) or delegate by email. The Associate Dean (Education) is responsible for supplying any further information that has been requested.
15. If two approvals are received, Admissions or delegated authority will issue the forced offer.
16. The decision is final and as a forced offer request may not be made by an applicant it may not be appealed.

Monitoring of students

17. For each applicant admitted under a forced offer under the Coursework Awards Rule, the Associate Dean (Education) of the College requesting the forced offer is to appoint a member of academic staff to monitor the student’s progress until such time as the staff member is assured from the evidence that the student has the academic preparation needed to participate in their intended study, and no known limitations that would be expected to impede their progression and completion (see HESF 1.1.1). The College is to put in place at its own cost academic support if and as requested by the staff member monitoring progress.

Reporting

18. All requests, together with the decision, are to be uploaded by Admissions into the ERMS. For UAC applicants who receive a forced offer, this will be in the relevant student file. For UAC applicants for whom the forced offer request was not approved there will not be a student file and so the requests are to be uploaded into a generic ERMS folder for unsuccessful forced offer requests.
19. An annual report is to be prepared by ANU Admissions for AQAC and Academic Board. ANU Admissions is to categorise forced offers by School and College, and by demographic, and include a summary of the rationale provided by the Delegates for their decision on each forced offer request. The Associate Dean (Education) is to provide to ANU Admissions for inclusion in the report: whether the forced offer request suggests that the published admissions criteria for a program should be considered for amendment to better reflect the target cohort, the marks and grades of each student for whom a forced offer request was approved, and a report from the staff member who is monitoring each of these student’s progress.