Academic Progress Procedure

The purpose of our procedure

Our procedure outlines the steps taken to identify students at risk of not progressing in their program, and to help them identify strategies that support them to succeed. It describes, how we identify students whose academic progress requires formal review.

Please read this procedure in conjunction with our [Student Administration Policy].

Who our procedure applies to

Our procedure applies to all students enrolled in enabling programs, and undergraduate and postgraduate coursework programs.

Our Academic Progress Review Procedure

Students’ results are reviewed at the end of each review period to help Adelaide University monitor student progress, and identify students who have not made satisfactory progress (see section 1), so they can be offered support and positive interventions.

Our primary aim is to support students to improve their academic outcomes. However, when progress does not improve, further action will be taken (see section 5).

All correspondence and documentation related to academic progress will be maintained, stored, and disposed of appropriately in accordance with the [Records Management Policy].

Unsatisfactory academic progress may have additional impact on students holding an international student visa. These students will receive an email outlining the implications for their enrolment and Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE), which may affect their visa.

1. How we determine academic progress

Grades are reviewed at the end of each review period to identify students who are not making satisfactory academic progress in their program. A student’s academic progress will be considered unsatisfactory if they meet one or more of the following:

failed 50% or more of the courses in a program they were enrolled in during a review period, where they were enrolled in more than one course
failed a course they have failed previously
failed a course that is a requirement to progress, such as an annual examination, or a practice-based learning activity.

Students who have an Interim grade that is not resolved in time for consideration in the current review period will have their progress status determined in the following review period.

Withdraw - Not Fail (W) grades will not be taken into consideration when determining academic progress.

All other students will be considered to be making satisfactory progress, except for students enrolled in a Yearly Program who are considered to be making satisfactory progress if they pass their annual examination, or practice-based learning.

See section 6 for more details on yearly programs. For all other students see sections 3, 4, 5.

2. How we determine academic progress statuses

Students commence their first study period with no academic progress status. Once they have completed at least one course their progress will be reviewed and assigned one of the following statuses, as outlined in section 1

Satisfactory.
Risk Notice 1 (see section 3).
Risk Notice 2 (see section 4).
Unsatisfactory (see section 5).
Conditional (see section 10).

3. What happens the first time a student does not makes satisfactory academic progress (Risk Notice 1)

The first time a student is identified as not making satisfactory academic progress (see section 1) their status will be changed to Risk Notice 1.

We will notify students by email to inform them:

that they have not met academic progress requirements
of the services available to support their future academic progress, including those outlined in our [Support for Students Policy]
that they will be contacted by email to discuss their academic progress.

Email contact will be followed up by phone, where possible.

Students will be offered the opportunity to discuss their progress with [Student Assist], to reflect on any barriers they are experiencing, and identify actions to help improve their academic progress.

Colleges will be provided with details of students in their programs who have received a Risk Notice 1.

For students enrolled in a yearly program please see section 6.

4. What happens the second time a student does not make satisfactory academic progress (Risk Notice 2)

If a student has previously received a Risk Notice 1 (see section 3), and is identified as not making satisfactory academic progress for a second time at any point in their program, their status will be changed to Risk Notice 2.

We will notify students by email to inform them:

that they have not met academic progress requirements for a second time
of the services available to support their future academic progress, including those outlined in our [Support for Students Policy]
that they will be contacted by email to discuss their academic progress.

Email contact will be followed up by phone, where possible.

We will provide students with relevant intervention strategies (see section 7) and advise them of the consequences of not making satisfactory academic progress for a third time.

Students with a Risk Notice 2 status will be encouraged to submit an [academic support plan], describing actions they have taken since receiving a Risk Notice 1 to improve their academic progress, and the outcome of those actions. Once submitted, the [academic support plan] will be reviewed by staff. Follow-up contact will be made if requested.

Colleges will be provided with details of students in their programs who have received a Risk Notice 2.

5. What happens the third time a student does not make satisfactory academic progress (Unsatisfactory)

If a student is identified as not making satisfactory academic progress for a third time, their status will be changed to Unsatisfactory. They will receive an Intention to Preclude Notice via email, advising them that:

unless they can demonstrate why they should remain enrolled in their program they will be precluded (see section 9)
applications for admission to an Adelaide University program at the same level in a cognate discipline, or to a higher level program, will not be considered until a decision has been made on whether they will be permitted to remain in their program.

Colleges will be notified of students in their programs who have received an Intention to Preclude Notice.

6. What happens when a student in a yearly program does not make satisfactory progress

If a student in a yearly program is identified for the first time as not making satisfactory academic progress (see section 1), their status will be changed to Risk Notice 1.

Students will be notified by email to inform them:

that they have not met academic progress requirements
of the services available to assist them to improve their future academic progress including those outlined in our [Support for Students Policy]
that they will be contacted by email to discuss their academic progress.

Email contact will be followed up by phone, where possible.

If a student in a yearly program is identified a second time as not making satisfactory academic progress, their status will be changed to Unsatisfactory. They will be sent an Intention to Preclude Notice (see section 8).

7. Intervention strategies we use to support students

We offer both academic and personal support services, that can be adjusted to meet students’ individual circumstances. These include, but are not limited to:

discussion between the student and the [Program Director]
a recommended study plan over a specified period of time
a reduced course load
leave of absence (see also our Enrolment Procedure)
transfer to an alternate program where appropriate
referral to the personal or academic support services (see our [Support for Students Policy]).

Intervention strategies formalised under this policy will be documented and retained in our records.

8. How students respond to an Intention to Preclude Notice

8.1 When a student receives an Intention to Preclude Notice

Students who receive an Intention to Preclude Notice will be eligible to submit an Application to Remain Enrolled to an Academic Progress Committee, explaining why they think they should be allowed to remain enrolled in their program. Applications must be submitted within 10 working days of the Intention to Preclude Notice being sent.

In their application students should outline:

the reasons why they failed to make satisfactory academic progress, including any supporting documentation
the actions they took as a result of receiving each previous risk notice, including evidence of following any intervention strategies
the actions they intend to take in the future to ensure they make satisfactory academic progress.

9. How we assess an Application to Remain Enrolled

9.1 How applications are initially assessed

[Student Assist] will provide all applications to a member of the Academic Progress Committee for initial assessment. Applications that present strong evidence to support a student’s continued enrolment will be identified for review by the [Director, Student Assist/Committee Chair].

If the [Director, Student Assist/Committee Chair] supports continued enrolment, the student will be contacted by email, along with any enrolment conditions or recommendations.

If the [Director, Student Assist/Committee Chair] does not support continued enrolment students will be invited to attend an Academic Progress Committee meeting. Students will be given no less than 5 working days’ notice of the meeting time.

9.2 How the Academic Progress Committee makes decisions

Applications not resolved as described in section 9.1 may be considered by an Academic Progress Committee, supported by [Student Assist].

Membership of the Committee includes:

College Dean [role], or delegate (Chair)
at least one other academic staff member connected with their program
at least one [Student Experience and Success staff member]
one representative from the [elected student body]
an Executive Officer.

The Committee will meet at least once in each review period, at least 10 working days after the deadline for students to respond to Intention to Preclude Notices. The Committee may proceed even if all members are not present, provided there is a quorum of three, which must include the Chair.

Students will have the opportunity to discuss their submission with the committee via an online meeting, and may be accompanied by a support person.

9.3 Academic Review Committee recommendations

The Committee will consider applications and come to a decision based on a student’s circumstances, applying principles of natural justice. The Committee will make a recommendation to the Chair as to whether the student should be permitted to stay enrolled, based on the student’s likely future progress. The Committee may take into consideration the student’s application, academic record, engagement with and response to intervention strategies, information from academic staff in their program, or other evidence provided by the student or held by the University.

The Chair will decide whether the student will be permitted to remain enrolled in their program based on the Committee’s recommendation. They may decide to allow the student to remain enrolled, subject to the condition that the student makes satisfactory academic progress in the next review period or, next annual examination or practice-based learning in the case of students enrolled in a yearly program. They may also:

require the student to enrol in specific course(s)
restrict enrolment to less than a full-time load, including requiring the student withdraw from a specified course or courses
advise the student of additional strategies to assist them to improve their progress including those available in our [Support for Students Policy]
impose a leave of absence of up to 12 months
preclude the student.

9.4 How students are notified of outcomes

The student will receive the outcome of their application by email no more than five working days after the relevant committee meeting.

If a student is precluded from their program this will be reported to relevant staff. Holders of international student visas will be informed of the impact on their visa and CoE.

If a student is permitted to remain enrolled in their program, they will have their status changed from Unsatisfactory to Conditional. Students who wish to have a decision regarding their progress reviewed can do so under the [Student Appeals Policy] (see section 13).

10. What happens when a student is permitted to remain enrolled

Students will be notified of any conditions imposed on their enrolment by email. They will be advised that compliance with these conditions will be monitored and that any breach will result in them being precluded from the program. The [role] will review the student’s compliance with the conditions imposed.

Student who do not comply with their conditions and do not make satisfactory academic progress will have their status changed to Unsatisfactory, and will be precluded from their program (see section 11), unless they can demonstrate extenuating circumstances beyond their control, which may include but are not limited to:

serious illness or injury
death or life-threatening injury or illness of an immediate family member or a member of the student's household
a traumatic experience or accident
significant disruption to a student’s domestic arrangements.

If a student makes satisfactory academic progress in their next review period, their status will be changed to Risk Notice 2 (or Risk Notice 1 for students in yearly programs).

11. What happens when a student is precluded from their program

A student will be precluded from their program if any of the following apply:

they do not lodge an Application to Remain Enrolled by the required date
the Chair determines a student is not likely to make satisfactory academic progress in their next review period
the Chair determines that they have not complied with any conditions imposed on their enrolment (see section 10).

Students who are precluded will receive a Notice of Preclusion via email, advising that:

they have been precluded from their program
applications for admission to the same or cognate program at the same level or higher level will not be considered for a period of 12 months from the date of the preclusion notice
they have a right to appeal the preclusion (see section 13).

Students who are precluded from a double, concurrent or combined degree program may apply to transfer to the relevant single degree program provided that they made satisfactory progress in that single degree program in the most recent review period. If permitted to transfer to the single program, the student's status will be changed from Unsatisfactory to Risk Notice 2 for that program.

Precluded students may apply to be re-admitted to the program they have been precluded from at the end of their preclusion, following normal admission procedures as detailed by our Admissions Policy. Admission is not guaranteed, and we will take the student’s preclusion history into account.

Students who are re-admitted after preclusion will be assigned a risk status as follow:

Risk Notice 2 if they are re-admitted to the program from which they were precluded, or a program cognate to it, within 5 years of their preclusion.
Risk Notice 1 if they are re-admitted to a yearly program from which they were precluded, or a program cognate to it, within 5 years of their preclusion.

Students who are admitted to any program after more than five years will have a risk status as described in section 2.

12. How a student’s academic progress status may change (including Transfer of Programs and Return to Study)

If a student receives a Risk Notice 1 in their first review period but makes satisfactory progress in the following review period in which they are enrolled, their status will be changed to Satisfactory.

This does not apply to students enrolled in a yearly program.

Students with a status of Risk Notice 1 or Risk Notice 2 who transfer between cognate programs will retain the same status.

Students who take a leave of absence or do not enrol in their program will keep their current status for five years after their last enrolment. Students who return to study after more than five years will have a status of Satisfactory, and courses they failed before will not affect their future status.

13. How students can appeal a decision

Students may appeal a decision made under this procedure under the [Student Appeals Policy]. Students must lodge a review request within 20 working days of the outcome being sent. Students may request a review of their preclusion or conditions imposed on the grounds that:

this procedure was not followed
new information has become available that was not accessible at the time of the original decision
the conditions imposed were not reasonable.

Definitions used in our procedure

Please refer to our Adelaide University glossary for a full list of our definitions.

Cognate means a closely allied or related discipline or defined branch of study or learning.

Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) is an official document issued by Adelaide University to international students to confirm enrolment status as required by the Australian Government for student visa holders.

Email means sending and/or receiving correspondence via an official Adelaide University email address for current staff and students. For prospective students or other individuals, email means the email address provided to Adelaide University as part of an application for admission, or via any other correspondence.

Leave of Absence means a time period during which Adelaide University permits a student to remain unenrolled from courses but retain their place in a program.

Natural Justice (also called ‘Procedural Fairness’) means acting fairly in administrative decision making and relates to the fairness of the procedure by which a decision is made, not whether the outcome is fair. Natural justice will be accorded based on the circumstances of the complaint.

Preclusion means a student cancellation of a student’s enrolment and prohibition from re-enrolment in that program for one year.

Review Period means a group of teaching periods from which results are reviewed to determine if a student is making satisfactory academic progress. A schedule of academic review periods will be published on the University [website].

Support person means a person chosen by the staff member or student to provide emotional support during a University process. They accompany the staff member or student to meetings and may take notes on their behalf, but they may not attend a meeting as an advocate and should not act or speak on behalf of the staff member or student.

Working Days means the weekdays from Monday to Friday inclusive, excluding public holidays.

Yearly program means a program that follows a structured path where a student's advancement is contingent upon successfully completing an annual examination, or practice-based learning activity.

How our procedure is governed

This Procedure is categorised, approved and owned in line with the governance structure of Adelaide University and the offices and officers listed below.

Parent policy	Student Administration Policy
Policy category	Academic
Approving authority	co-Vice Chancellors/Vice Chancellor and President
Policy owner	Deputy Vice-Chancellor - Academic
Responsible officer	[Title]
Effective from	7 August 2025
Review date	[3/4/5 years after date this version is approved, TBC]
Enquiries	Interim Central Policy Unit/[Central Policy Unit] staff.policy.enquiries@adelaideuni.edu.au
Replaced documents	None

Legislation and other documents related to this procedure

Adelaide University Act 2023

Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021

Standard 1: Student Participation and Attainment

National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018

Standard 8: Overseas student visa requirements

Standard 9: Deferring, suspending or cancelling the overseas student’s enrolment

Standard 10: Complaints and Appeals

Delete, or add additional links, as appropriate

History of changes

Date approved	To section/clauses	Description of change
7 August 2025	N/A	New procedure

Note on structures, positions and position titles:

At the time of writing, the organisational structure, positions, committees, or any other unknown item etc. for Adelaide University have not been confirmed. Accordingly, square brackets [ ] temporarily enclose such information in this procedure until confirmed.