MONASH UNIVERSITY FACULTY HANDBOOKS
Engineering Handbook 1996
Published by Monash University
Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
Caution
Copyright © Monash University 1996
ISBN 1037-0919
Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
INFORMATION ON UNDERGRADUATE STUDIESPart 2
CONTENTS
- Disability support services
- International students
- Language and learning support
- Women in engineering
- Student societies
- Study habits
- Assessment procedures
- Terminal and supplementary examinations
- Special consideration and special (deferred) examinations
- Cheating
- Academic progress and exclusion
- Faculty student grievance procedures
Monash is committed to providing equal access to higher education for people
with disabilities. The Monash University Disability Support program (MUDS)
provides comprehensive support services, equipment and facilities to students
with temporary or permanent disabilities or medical conditions. These are
varied and include provision of pre-application advice, assistance with
enrolment and orientation, course and research materials in alternative formats
(braille, audio), notetaking services, alternative arrangements for assessment
(exams), advocacy (representation, grievance procedures), provision of
specialised equipment (specialised software, hearing loops, furniture) and many
others as listed in `The green guide: A resource guide for people with
disabilities'.
For more information on the MUDS program, a confidential appointment or a copy
of the guide, contact the disability liaison officer on (03) 9905 5704 or TTY
(03) 9905 5391 (metropolitan campuses) or on (03) 9902 6794 (Gippsland campus
and distance education students).
Monash International is an organisation set up by the university to administer
the recruitment and admission of its international students and to provide
advice and assistance to them during their course. There are branch offices on
the Caulfield, Clayton and Gippsland campuses which can provide advice on and
assistance with matters such as visa renewal, health cover, accommodation,
enrolment and finance. Monash International also runs the Monash English
Language Centre, which has been established to provide intensive English
language courses (ELICOS) for international students and operates on the
Clayton and Peninsula campuses. Courses are available to students from all
campuses prior to enrolment.
In addition to the services provided by Monash International, each campus has a
representative body of international students which organises a number of
welfare services and provides referrals to other services both inside and
outside Monash. These associations may be contacted through the students' union
on each campus.
Staff of the Language and Learning Services Unit at Caulfield and Clayton
campuses are available to assist undergraduate and postgraduate engineering
students, both native and non-native speakers of English, in improving their
written and oral expression, their reading, listening and note-taking and their
approaches to study. Courses, workshops and individual sessions are offered at
different times in the academic year. Special assistance is given in thesis
writing for postgraduate students. At Caulfield campus, there is a self access
centre where students may borrow from a range of printed and audio materials.
Inquiries regarding the Caulfield and Gippsland campuses should be directed to
the Language and Learning Services Unit at Caulfield, telephone (03) 9903 2507.
Further information regarding Clayton campus programs may be obtained from the
secretary to the dean of engineering, building 31, room G11.
Women make up approximately 15 per cent of students enrolled in engineering
courses at Monash University. The Women in Engineering Project was introduced
to increase the awareness of professional engineering as a rewarding career
option for women.
The project operates on all three campuses and provides services to school-age
girls, their parents and teachers, promoting professional engineering and
encouraging students to study the required mathematics and science
prerequisites. The project also provides support to female students enrolled in
engineering courses at Monash, to ensure their studies are successful and
enjoyable. Services provided for these women include orientation lunches,
social functions, seminars and workshops and a mentor scheme. The project
provides opportunities for students to form networks with other female
students. The Women in Engineering Project officer may be contacted through the
faculty or school office at each campus or on (03) 9905 1830.
The Monash Young Engineers operates on each campus and aims to promote an
awareness of engineering amongst students, to promote contact between students
and engineers and to provide an opportunity for student contact with industry.
Social events are organised throughout the year. All students enrolled in
engineering courses at Monash are eligible to join at an annual fee of $5.
Initial inquiries should be made to the secretary by phoning (03) 9570 4848.
The Gippsland Engineering Students' Association (GESA) provides additional
support and activities for students at the Gippsland school. The Caulfield
School of Engineering International Students' Group is a support group for all
international students. Functions are organised by the Caulfield school,
international student liaison officer and the students. There is also a number
of departmental student societies operating on each campus. Students should
check with their own department or division for details of these.
Good study habits are vital in undertaking an engineering course. The secret of
success is steady and consistent study, right from the beginning of each year.
If you feel at all concerned about your understanding of any subject, let us
know straight away. All engineering students have ready access to tutors,
lecturers and professors, and to the faculty office or the school
administration offices to help solve problems of progress with studies. In
particular, the subdeans at Caulfield and Clayton and the first-year
coordinator at Gippsland are available to assist level-one students. The
university also has student counselling, medical and other services. Remember
that it is in your interest, the interest of the other students, and ours, if
all the class keeps pace with the program of studies. If you begin to have
study problems, let us know. If we can help we will.
Students should note carefully the general information on assessment of
students contained in the Student information handbook. The faculty uses
a variety of methods for assessing the performance of enrolled students
including any laboratory work, assignments, essays, oral and written
examinations. The specific means for assessment for each subject are generally
included within the outlines of subjects contained in this handbook. Further
information, including prerequisite and corequisite requirements and reading
lists may also be found there or will be distributed at the initial class for
each subject.
In terms of examination grades, the faculty applies the following grades and
symbols to its subjects according to marks allocated:
Subject mark Grade
85 - 100 High distinction (HD)
75 - 84 Distinction (D)
65 - 74 Credit (C)
50 - 64 Pass (P)
45 - 49 Pass division II (Clayton and Gippsland) or
Fail (all schools) (PII or NN)
0 - 44 Fail (NN)
At
Clayton, in those cases where supplementary examinations are awarded, a grade
of NS shall be recorded pending the result of the supplementary examination.
Pass division II (Clayton and Gippsland schools)
A student is permitted to count towards the degree not more than eight credit
points at any one level from subjects in which a grade of PII has been obtained
and shall be awarded a grade of PII for a subject in which a mark in the range
45-49% has been obtained, provided that such an award does not cause the number
of credit points accumulated from subjects in which PII grades have been
obtained to exceed eight. Otherwise, a grade of NN shall be awarded.
Where a department believes that a PII grade in a designated subject provides
an inadequate academic preparation for progressing to a further subject for
which a pass in the designated subject is a prerequisite, the department may,
with the approval of the faculty board, prescribe that a pass or better must be
obtained in the designated subject before progressing to the further subject.
Final grade (honours/pass)
The degree of Bachelor of Engineering with honours at all schools of the
faculty is awarded for meritorious performance in the courses. No additional
time is required. All subjects which have a numerical mark are considered in
the determination of an honours result, but greater weight is given to the
subjects in the later years of the course. Award level is calculated on the
basis of a weighted average grade. Target grades are as follows:
Honours Weighted grade Weighted grade
level (engineering degrees) (BCSE only)
H1 75%-100% 78%-100%
H2A 70%-75% 71%-78%
H2B 65%-70% 71%-65%
H3 62.5%-65% 65%-62.5%
Pass grade 50%-62.5% 50%-62.5%
Grade
variation from the above targets may be a maximum of +/-1% as determined by the
faculty.
Honours are calculated by each subject being weighted; that is a level 1
subject is weighted by a factor of 1, a level 2 subject is weighted by a factor
of 2, a level three subject is weighted by a factor of 3 and a level 4 subject
is weighted by a factor of 4 at Caulfield and Clayton and 3 at Gippsland. Any
result obtained after repeating a subject will be reduced by 10 per cent before
being weighted.
Terminal examinations in most subjects are held during the university
examination period at the end of each semester.
At Caulfield, students may be granted permission by the sectional board of
examiners to undertake a supplementary examination (Caulfield school) in a
subject which has not been satisfactorily completed. In the event of a failure
in one or more subjects, students re-enrol in those subjects when next they are
offered. To be eligible for a supplementary examination, a student must have
(a) passed 50 per cent or more of the credit points studied during the current
semester; (b) obtained a subject mark of at least 45 per cent if enrolled in
levels 2, 3 or 4, or of at least 40 per cent if enrolled at level 1 where no
higher level subjects have been attempted; (c) an adequate record of attendance
and performance during the semester. The maximum number of subjects for which
supplementary examination may be approved is two (2). Where a choice is to be
made, the sectional examiners' board will decide those subjects for which
supplementary examinations are to be approved. Priority will be given to lower
level subjects followed by subjects which are prerequisites. The result for
satisfactory completion of supplementary examinations will be registered as 50
per cent (P). A supplementary examination will normally be a written exam of up
to three hours duration. Caulfield School of Engineering supplementary
examinations will be held in July and December of each year.
There are no supplementary examinations at Clayton or Gippsland, save that
where a student has fail results in the current or the immediately previous
semester in a subject or subjects worth not more than eight credit points, and
a passing grade in the subject(s) would complete all academic requirements for
the degree, a department may award supplementary examinations in the subject(s)
in such form and at such time as seems appropriate.
A student whose performance during a semester or during an examination period
is adversely affected by illness or other serious cause may apply for special
consideration, and this will be taken into account by the board of examiners
when determining the student's results for the subjects affected. If the
student misses an examination through illness or is so ill during an
examination as to be unable to do justice to his or her real abilities, the
student may apply for a special (deferred) examination. In all cases
appropriate documentation, which in the case of illness will be a medical
certificate, must be provided.
Application forms for special consideration can be obtained from the school or
faculty office. Part A of the form asks for general details, and part B is a
medical certificate which should be filled in by the attending medical
practitioner in the case of illness. Students should note that medical
certificates stating that the student suffered from a `medical/surgical
condition' are unlikely to be accepted. All applications for special
consideration, and in particular medical certificates, will be treated in
strict confidence.
Students should note that cheating at the university is regarded as a very
serious offence. The university statutes define cheating as `seeking to obtain
an unfair advantage in any examination or in any other written or practical
work to be submitted or completed by a student for assessment'. The range of
penalties for cheating includes disallowing the work submitted, failure in the
subject, fines and, in the most serious cases, exclusion. The taking of any
unauthorised material into examinations such as notes or unauthorised
dictionaries will be regarded as cheating.
In the academic community, there is a particular form of cheating which is
known as plagiarism. Plagiarism is the use of another person's work or idea as
if it were your own. The other person may be an author, critic, lecturer or
another student. When it is desirable or necessary to use another person's
material, take care to include appropriate references and attribution. Do not
pretend that ideas are your own and be sure not to plagiarise unintentionally.
Essays, assignments, laboratory reports and tutorial solutions are generally
understood to be your own work and where any such work is identical with or
similar to another student's work, an assumption of plagiarism may arise. The
university regards plagiarism as a very serious offence, whether committed by
students or by academic staff, and any person committing such an offence will
be subject to appropriate disciplinary action which may lead to exclusion.
While discussion and disputation are an essential part of the intellectual
process, if you wish to undertake work in conjunction with other students or if
you are unsure of how or when to acknowledge your work as being derived from
that of others, you are strongly encouraged to consult the lecturer concerned
with that particular subject.
Each student in the faculty must maintain satisfactory academic progress
through his or her course. Failure to do so will result in the student being
referred to an academic progress/exclusion committee to show cause why he or
she should not be excluded from the course.
Attendance
Each subject offered by the faculty makes certain requirements of students in
terms of attendance and written work. Attendance at tutorials and practical
classes is compulsory, and students are also expected to prepare assignments
and to study in their own time. At all schools of the faculty students may be
refused admission to the examinations in a subject if the requirements for
attendance and written work have not been satisfied.
Warnings
Each school of engineering issues warnings to students whose progress in a
particular semester is sufficiently poor to suggest that, unless significant
improvement occurs, they will be at risk of being liable for exclusion when
liability is next assessed. Students receiving such a warning letter are
encouraged to take the warnings seriously and to follow any instructions given
about discussing their progress with an academic adviser.
The exclusion process
Liability for exclusion is assessed at the end of each academic year and
exclusion hearings take place in December/January. Any student referred to an
academic progress/exclusion committee is entitled to an opportunity to be
heard, and in the event that the student is excluded provision exists for an
appeal to the Exclusions Appeal Committee of the Academic Board. Information
about academic progress or exclusion may be obtained from the faculty office or
the school administration offices.
Exclusion criteria
The following paragraphs set out what constitutes unsatisfactory academic
progress at each of the schools.
School of Engineering - Caulfield
A student's progress will be deemed to be unsatisfactory if the student
satisfies one or more of the following criteria: (a) the student fails a
subject for the second time; (b) the student fails in more than half of the
student's preceding two semesters credit point enrolment; (c) the student has
failed to fulfil a condition imposed on the student's enrolment at a previous
meeting of the academic progress/exclusion committee.
School of Engineering - Clayton
Single degree programs (BE, BCSE, BEnvEng; these rules also apply to the
engineering years four and five of the BSc/BE)
A student's progress will be deemed to be unsatisfactory if the student
satisfies one or more of the following criteria: (a) the student fails in more
than half of the student's credit point enrolment in the current academic year;
(b) the student fails a subject for the third time; (c) the student has failed
to fulfil a condition imposed on the student's enrolment at a previous meeting
of the academic progress/exclusion committee; (d) it is no longer possible for
the student to complete the course within the time limit of eight years.
Double degree programs (BA/BE, BCom/BE, BE/LLB, BE/BTech(IndDesign))
A student's progress will be deemed to be unsatisfactory if the student
satisfies one or more of the following criteria: (a) the student fails in more
than half of the student's credit point enrolment in engineering subjects in
the current academic year; (b) the student fails an engineering subject for the
third time; (c) the student has failed to fulfil a condition imposed on the
student's enrolment at a previous meeting of the academic progress/exclusion
committee; (d) it is no longer possible for the student to complete the course
within the time limit of eight years (ten years in the case of the BE/LLB).
(BSc/BE students in their first three years are candidates for a science degree
and are subject to the progress rules of the Faculty of Science).
School of Engineering - Gippsland
A student's progress will be deemed to be unsatisfactory if the student
satisfies one or more of the following criteria: (a) the student fails a
subject for the second time; (b) the student fails in more than half of the
student's credit point enrolment in the current academic year; (c) the student
has failed to fulfil a condition imposed on the student's enrolment at a
previous meeting of the academic progress/exclusion committee.
Procedures have been put in place and are designed to facilitate confidential
resolution of grievances with a minimum of delay and formality for any student
who believes that he or she has a grievance against the faculty, where
procedures for the resolution of that grievance are not provided for by other
means.
Such grievances may include, but are not limited to, equal opportunity
complaints, complaints related to access and conditions, and complaints related
to teaching or support services, or provision of faculty facilities. Where
university procedures already exist for dealing with student complaints (ie
appeals against exclusion etc) then these will take precedence over faculty
grievance procedures.
These procedures do not relate to discipline or sexual harassment matters which
are covered by special university procedures.
Any student who believes that he or she has been unfairly treated by an
academic or administrative decision has the right to seek redress through the
grievance procedures. Confidentiality relating to grievances is assured at all
times. It is expected that in the first instance students will attempt to
resolve complaints in an informal manner by discussing the matter
confidentially with the dean, head of school or department, school executive
officer (Caulfield), head of administration (Clayton), a member of the
University Counselling Services, an officer of the Monash Association of
Students or any officer of the Monash University Student Union or the equal
opportunity manager.
Where a complaint is not resolved informally it may be referred by the student
in writing to the dean, through the school executive officer (Caulfield), head
of administration (Clayton) or head of school (Gippsland), who must within ten
working days either convene a student grievance committee or inquire into the
complaint and attempt to negotiate a resolution. A grievance is deemed to have
been resolved when the aggrieved party lodges a written withdrawal of the
grievance, with the consent of the other party or a settlement has been agreed
to in writing by the parties.
After considering a grievance the student grievance committee must make a
confidential written report to the dean with a statement that the grievance has
been settled; or the parties are to undertake certain agreed courses of action;
or where the grievance remains unresolved a recommendation that the dean
attempt a resolution or take other action as appropriate.
Following receipt of the advice from the student grievance committee the dean
must advise the parties involved in writing of the outcome within five working
days. The chairperson of the committee must monitor the settlement for up to
six months after resolution to ascertain whether the desired effect has been
achieved and may recommend to the dean that further steps be taken.
The head of administration will report annually to the faculty board on the
operation of the student grievance procedures, including the number and general
nature of grievances received.
| Information on undergraduate studies Part 1
| Engineering handbook
| Monash handbooks
| Monash University