Student Handbook 05062019 © Australis College …...Australis, for some courses and programs, may engage third-party partners to perform select functions, e.g. job services, recruitment

Student Handbook 05062019 © Australis College Pty Ltd 2018 Page 1 of 32


CONTENT WELCOME ....................................................................................................................................................................... 4

IMPORTANT NOTICE ...................................................................................................................................................... 5

1. ACCREDITATION and LICENSES .............................................................................................................................. 6

2. PARTNERS ............................................................................................................................................................... 6

3. BEFORE YOU ENROL ............................................................................................................................................... 7

Why Australis? ........................................................................................................................................................ 7

Professional Development vs Nationally Recognised ............................................................................................. 8

4. ENROLMENT OPTIONS ........................................................................................................................................... 8

5. STUDY MODES ...................................................................................................................................................... 11

Practical training workshops/clinic days ............................................................................................................... 12

Work experience/practical placements ................................................................................................................ 12

6. COURSE DURATION .............................................................................................................................................. 13

Minimum progression requirements .................................................................................................................... 14

Rolling Re-enrolment ............................................................................................................................................ 14

Full Re-enrolment ................................................................................................................................................. 15

Major Event Extension .......................................................................................................................................... 16

Deferral ................................................................................................................................................................. 16

7. COURSE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS .......................................................................................................................... 16

8. MAKING APPLICATION ......................................................................................................................................... 17

Pre-application ...................................................................................................................................................... 17

Selection and eligibility criteria ............................................................................................................................ 17

Application ............................................................................................................................................................ 18

Unique Student Identifier (USI) ............................................................................................................................ 18

9. FEES AND CHARGES .............................................................................................................................................. 19

10. PAYMENT OPTIONS – FULL QUALIFICATION ....................................................................................................... 19

Upfront payment .................................................................................................................................................. 19

Payment plan ........................................................................................................................................................ 20

Study Loans (private lender) ................................................................................................................................. 20

VET Student Loan (VSL) ......................................................................................................................................... 20

Centrepay.............................................................................................................................................................. 20

Queensland funding .............................................................................................................................................. 21

11. WITHDRAWALS, CANCELLATIONS and SUSPENSIONS ........................................................................................ 21

Expired Enrolment ................................................................................................................................................ 21

Withdrawal ........................................................................................................................................................... 21


Cancellation .......................................................................................................................................................... 22

Suspension ............................................................................................................................................................ 22

Business Continuity ............................................................................................................................................... 23

12. ASSESSMENT ......................................................................................................................................................... 23

Credit Transfer ...................................................................................................................................................... 24

Recognition of Prior Learning ............................................................................................................................... 24

Resubmissions ...................................................................................................................................................... 25

13. TRANSITIONING OF QUALIFICATIONS ................................................................................................................. 25

14. STUDENT SERVICES and SUPPORT ....................................................................................................................... 26

Student access to records ..................................................................................................................................... 26

Identification checks ............................................................................................................................................. 26

Updating your details ........................................................................................................................................... 26

15. LANGUAGE, LITERACY AND NUMERACY (LLN) .................................................................................................... 27

Using iTRAIN ......................................................................................................................................................... 27

16. ACCESS, EQUITY AND LEGISLATION ..................................................................................................................... 27

Access and Equity ................................................................................................................................................. 27

17. ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATION............................................................................................................................... 28

Replacement certification ..................................................................................................................................... 28

18. COMPLAINTS and APPEALS .................................................................................................................................. 28

Review process – Assessment .............................................................................................................................. 28

Complaint process – Other matters ..................................................................................................................... 29

Appeals ................................................................................................................................................................. 29

19. CODE OF CONDUCT .............................................................................................................................................. 30

Your Obligations ................................................................................................................................................... 30

Expectations .......................................................................................................................................................... 31

Academic Integrity ................................................................................................................................................ 32

20. PRIVACY POLICY ................................................................................................................................................... 32


WELCOME

We have been providing training since 2006, and many of our team members for much longer than that!

We love what we do and take pride in our student focussed approach. To us, education is NOT about attaining a qualification, but attaining the real-world skills, knowledge, confidence, and the next step know how you need to prosper in your chosen career.

We achieve this by focussing on faculties where we have a strong pedigree with high-quality Trainers and subject matter experts, great content, good industry connections and articulation agreements that you can leverage on graduation.

In addition to formal Certificates and Diploma’s, Australis also offer a range of industry body and/or employer accredited courses and programs, as well as Continuing Professional Development short courses. These programs range from as little as an hour up to years in duration.

Of course, having a great team and content is only part of the story. To get the most out of your time with Australis, you need to immerse yourself in your studies. Please review the Welcome Course in your online student portal before you start, as this will provide you with many tips and techniques to help ensure your success.

Please don’t forget; we are here to help you on your journey. Anytime you have questions; please log into iTRAIN to liaise with the team and your peers.

We wish you success with your studies, and with your career to follow.

Andrew Hetherington

Managing Director, Australis College.

Vision To be Australia’s most trusted RTO.

Mission To provide exceptional industry-relevant training that creates real employment outcomes for our students.

Values Student-focused Innovation Courage Quality Learning Accountability Health and Wellbeing


IMPORTANT NOTICE This Handbook will help you to decide whether to enrol with Australis, to undertake Professional Development or Nationally Recognised course versions, and which study mode and payment option you wish to use. It also covers policies and procedures applicable during your enrolment and beyond.

This Handbook contains information relevant to all Australis students. However, if you elect to use certain funding options, you will also be referred to supplemental handbooks containing additional information and policies specific to that payment option.

It is a condition of enrolment that you acquaint yourself with and agree to the terms and conditions detailed within this Handbook and any relevant Supplemental Handbooks.

If there is anything within the Handbooks or enrolment documentation you do not understand or do not agree with, please speak to a Course Consultant to resolve this BEFORE you enrol.

Please refer to www.australiscollege.edu.au/students to ensure you are always accessing the latest versions of this Handbook and other information.

REGULATION OF NATIONALLY RECOGNISED COURSES

Australis, in addition to our Professional Development courses, also offer a range of Nationally Recognised qualifications and units of competency.

Training providers who deliver nationally recognised courses are highly regulated and overseen by multiple regulatory authorities and other bodies.

This results in periodic and often significant regulatory changes taking place with little notice, which can sometimes impact students who are already enrolled.

Such changes are outside our control, but please be assured we always seek to minimise any negative consequences to our students.

http://www.australiscollege.edu.au/students


1. ACCREDITATION and LICENSES Australis offer programs in two categories:

1 – Professional Development (PD) courses

PD courses and programs, many of which are accredited or certified by industry or employer groups, provide Continuing Professional Development hours, Certificates of Completion, Industry Certifications, and of course, knowledge and skills to enhance your career.

2 – Nationally Recognised courses

These units of competency, skill sets or full qualifications are delivered in our capacity as a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), in adherence with formal Vocational Education Training Packages. Successful completion will result in the issuance of an official Testamur and Academic Transcript or a Statement of Attainment.

Australis holds the following formal licenses or approvals:

Registered Training Organisation (RTO) 31518, issued by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA). This allows Australis to deliver formal qualifications and units of competency, with Statements of Attainment and Qualifications issued on successful completion.

Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) 03569A, issued by ASQA. This allows Australis to deliver CRICOS approved courses to people studying in Australia on a student Visa.

Industry accreditations and endorsements, including articulation agreements with a range of Universities as detailed on the website.

VET Student Loan (VSL) provider, approved by the Commonwealth Department of Education and Training. This allows Australis to offer VSL to eligible students for select nationally recognised qualifications.

Pre-qualified Supplier (PQS) to deliver specified training and assessment services under the Certificate 3 Guarantee, Higher Level Skills and User Choice, approved by the Queensland Department of Employment, Small Business and Training.

2. PARTNERS Australis, for some courses and programs, may engage third-party partners to perform select functions, e.g. job services, recruitment or support services, and training. Australis do NOT offshore our support, training or assessing functions. Information on partners relevant to your enrolment will be advised to you at enrolment.

All our partners agree to adhere to certain responsibilities and standards to ensure you have a great experience. They also undergo a comprehensive induction as well as ongoing training and audits to ensure their conduct remains ethical, compliant and professional.

Should you have any issues with the conduct of any of our partners, please provide feedback directly to Australis via phone or email so that we can take appropriate action.


3. BEFORE YOU ENROL Key considerations include:

Who should I enrol with?

Should I undertake a Professional Development course or a Nationally Recognised Qualification?

Should I use subscription, or enrol on a per subject or full qualification basis? (Refer to Enrolment Options.)

Which study mode is best for me? (Refer to Study Modes.)

Why Australis? With so many providers to choose from, how do you decide who to enrol with?

Content and Platform: The quality difference between providers is immense. You need to review the learning environment, content, Trainers and support mechanisms before you enrol.

Why Australis? Because we put tremendous effort into developing a great learning environment and we invite you to check it out BEFORE you enrol. Contact us for a demonstration log-in.

Support: If you require high-level support, then enrol with a provider who delivers it. If you don’t want support, don’t enrol with a provider who is going to charge you for it regardless.

Why Australis? Because you select and pay for the level of support you want. You can take the low cost no support option, the online-supported option, or the premium personal support option…and under our Subscription and Per Subject enrolment models you can switch levels as you go.

Australis College does not offshore. Our entire team is based in Australia.

Compliance: Regulators have the power to withdraw a qualification if it was not delivered in a compliant manner, even after students have graduated. Check the provider's audit results in detail before you enrol.

Why Australis? Our audit reports are provided on our website and demonstrate our compliance focus.

Articulation and Accreditation: If you interested in higher education pathways, check whether the provider has agreements already in place for you to gain credit. This is also a great indicator as to the quality of the course and provider compliance.

Why Australis? We have articulation agreements with a wide range of Universities plus accreditations and endorsements from numerous industry associations and employer groups, as detailed on our website.

Price: Most providers have a single price point regardless of your personal needs, noting a high price does not necessarily reflect high quality, but likewise, you cannot expect high-quality training for a low price.

Why Australis? Only Australis offer tuition prices scalable to your personal needs. Whether it is the low-cost self-directed model or a higher cost full support option, only pay for what you need to achieve the outcome you seek – no more, no less.

Payment Options: Most providers offer inflexible payment terms regardless of your personal situation.

Why Australis? Our Subscription and Per Subject options allow you to pay for your studies in line with your finances, without locking you into inflexible long-term payment plans. Full qualifications can also be paid for via direct payment plans and for some courses, via private and government loan or funding schemes.


Professional Development vs Nationally Recognised Many students have no interest in attaining formal qualifications but are simply seeking the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their chosen field. If this is you, then you might prefer to enrol in our Professional Development courses which have the same content and learnings as nationally recognised courses, but without the formal assessments, costs or deadlines.

However, some occupations and employers do require or value formal qualifications. You need to determine what standards apply for the industry, role and employer you are considering. If you would like assistance with this, please ask our Course Consultants.

If you wish to use a government loan/funding option to meet your tuition costs, you will need to enrol in a full qualification rather than the Professional Development version.

If you are undertaking a subject mapped to a formal unit of competency, we believe in most cases you may as well complete the formal assessment as well, as you never know if you may end up needing the “piece of paper”.

The great news is, you don’t have to decide upfront. For most students, our recommendation is to undertake the Professional Development option first, and then later, if/when you are ready, enrol into the ‘Assessment Only’ option just for those subjects which interest you.

4. ENROLMENT OPTIONS Australis cater not just to those seeking full qualifications, but also skill sets and standalone subjects, different levels of support needs, and for Continuing Professional Development (non-nationally recognised study).

We have three enrolment options:

1 – Per subject

2 – Subscription

3 – Full Qualifications.

Each option can lead to a full qualification (if that is what you are seeking), but Per Subject and Subscription offer significant flexibility in regards your upfront commitment, learning priorities, duration, support levels, assessment, pricing and payment terms.

1 – Per Subject With ‘Per Subject’ there are no upfront long-term commitments, no paying for subjects or assessments you don’t want to do or don’t get around to doing, and no paying for assessments until they are ready for submission.

Each faculty has a wide range of subjects available, many of which are mapped to units of competency from various Certificate and Diploma qualifications. You can purchase these subject by subject when it suits your budget and agenda.

We recommend you enrol in one subject at a time. Once you have worked through the content and completed the assessment questions (which are available with the content), only then enrol in and pay for the Assessment. You will have access to each subject for a specified duration, which will vary depending on the scale of the topic. That access will be extended if you have other active enrolments within that faculty.

Under this model, you are not formally enrolling in a unit of competency unless/until you enrol in the Assessment Only component of that subject. Once you have completed the assessments for all subjects relevant to a full qualification being offered by Australis, that qualification can be issued to you. The website details which subjects you need for which qualifications, noting some subjects may need to be done in a set order due to prerequisite knowledge requirements.


Per Subject access options

Each subject has up to three access options, the first two relating to content/support and the third being the assessment option for those wanting a Nationally Recognised outcome. You may choose a single option, or a combination if you want to study AND be formally assessed.

Option 1 – Content only

This is the lowest cost option, providing you with online access to the subject which may incorporate a blend of eLearning, videos, activities and downloadable tools/resources.

This is an unsupported option meaning it is self-directed with no access to Trainers.

If you wish to be formally assessed, you will also need to enrol in the Assessment Only option.

Option 2 – Content & Support

This incorporates the ‘Content only’ option plus access to regular online Classrooms and Chat sessions hosted by Trainers and experienced industry practitioners. This allows you to liaise with subject matter experts and your fellow students on an almost daily basis.

This is the recommended option as much of the value of learning (and our most positive student feedback) comes from the interactions between practitioners and students.

If you wish to be formally assessed, you will also need to enrol in the Assessment Only option.

Option 3 – Assessment Only

This option is only required if you want to attain a Nationally Recognised outcome for the subject or are working towards a full qualification.

If you are enrolling using Recognition of Prior Learning, you only need to enrol in the Assessment Only option.

This provides access to the assessment, your first assessment attempt and issuance of a Statement of Attainment if you complete successfully. If further assessment attempts are required, a resubmission fee will apply as detailed on the website.

2 – Subscription Instead of paying for content and/or support on a subject by subject basis, or limiting yourself to topics of study, Australis offer a monthly subscription which provides access to an entire library of faculty-based subjects, many of which are mapped to multiple Certificates, Diplomas and industry-recognised programs.

This allows ongoing access for as long as wish to remain subscribed, subject to a minimum subscription period of six months after which you can cancel at any time.

The subscription fee varies depending on the Faculty and whether you want supported or unsupported access. Prices which are detailed on the website, are charged monthly in advance via direct debit from your credit card or bank account.

Please note subscription access is for Content OR Content and Support, not for assessment. If you wish to be assessed, you can do the assessment questions within your subscription, but you will also need to enrol into Assessment Only via the Per Subject model. This ensures you do not incur assessment costs for subjects you are not interested in doing, and only pay for assessments when you are ready to submit them.

Under the subscription model, you are not enrolling in a qualification or unit of competency. The ‘formal’ enrolment into a unit of competency only occurs when you submit and pay for the Assessment Only for the subject. A full qualification via Credit Transfer can be attained once you have completed all units in accordance with the Training Package Rules.


Subscription access options

Option 1 - Content only

This is the lowest cost option, providing you with online access to the subject, which may include a blend of eLearning, videos, activities and downloadable tools/resources.

This is an unsupported option meaning it is self-directed with no access to Trainers.

If you wish to be formally assessed for any subjects, you will also need to separately enrol in the Assessment Only for that subject.

Option 2 - Content & Support

This incorporates the Content Only option above plus access to regular online Classrooms and Chat sessions hosted by Trainers and experienced industry practitioners. This allows you to liaise with subject matter experts and fellow students on an almost daily basis.

This is our recommended option as much of the value of learning (and our most positive student feedback) comes from the interactions between practitioners and students.

If you wish to be formally assessed for any subjects, you will also need to separately enrol in the ‘Assessment Only’ for that subject.

Please note: The subscription service is offered in partnership with Intellitrain Solutions, our technology and content partner. All subscribers will be billed directly by Intellitrain in accordance with the Subscription terms and conditions.

Why use Subscription?

We believe Subscription is the most flexible and potentially lowest cost/risk option for you.

You don’t have to commit upfront for a full qualification.

Decide as you go what you want to study when you want to study it, and whether you want to undertake the formal assessment or not.

Forget the set durations and deadlines. Subscription provides open-ended access to course materials for as long as you continue to be a subscriber.

Only pay for the assessments you want to undertake when you are ready to submit them.

Instead of enrolling in a single qualification, you will have access to subjects covering a range of qualifications.

Full qualifications can still be attained. You just need to complete all the required subjects for the particular qualification as per the Training Packaging Rules at the time of qualification issuance.

You have control over the level of support you want. If you don’t want support, save your money and enrol in the content only option (noting we do recommend the support option for most students).


3 – Full Qualification Under this option, you enrol upfront in the full Nationally Recognised qualification.

Australis only offer Full Qualifications under a premium support model. The course will run for a specified duration with scheduled deadlines for when assessments are due for each subject within the qualification.

This enrolment option is suitable for students who:

Want set progression dates.

Want personal study and assessment support with a complimentary re-sit (if required) for each subject.

Are using formal loan schemes or funding to pay their tuition fees, e.g. Study Loans, VET Student Loans, Queensland Government Certificate 3 Guarantee, Traineeships or Higher-Level Skills.

Need to be enrolled in a full-time qualification to meet migration visa, Centrelink or other external requirements.

This enrolment option does NOT suit students who do not want a Nationally Recognised qualification or who want flexibility for support, progression or deadlines, payment and pricing options.

We believe most students will be best served by enrolling “Per Subject” or using “Subscription” rather than enrolling in the full qualification upfront. Reasons include:

Flexibility as to which subjects you study and when you study them.

Better control of your tuition costs and payment timings.

You can change your mind anytime on whether you wish to continue or what you wish to be assessed on.

Duration timeframes are significantly longer if that is what you wish.

Study pressure is reduced thanks to the flexibility you are provided in starting and completing subjects.

You only pay for resubmission attempts if you require them, rather than having it built into the upfront course price.

Efficiency – only study the topics that interest you or that you need and when you need it.

5. STUDY MODES Australis offer flexibility in learning and assessment to help meet the differing needs of our students. Please speak with the Course Consultant before enrolling if you believe any adjustments to training and assessment methods and resources may need to be made to accommodate any learning, physical or other challenges you may have which will impact your ability to study.

Depending on the program you enrol in, you can elect to have no support, or to have access to regular support via live or recorded online lectures and tutorials, blogs, emails, or physical face to face sessions.

There are four main study modes, availability depending on the course you are interested in. Please note all modes, except “Campus”, require you to have access to an internet connected computer for the duration of the study.

Note: Training providers define study modes differently. For example, some define blended as being where any two or more delivery methods are involved, whereas Australis define it as including a physical face to face component.


1 – Online This delivery mode is mainly for short professional development courses where there is no live trainer interaction.

The program is delivered fully online with support provided via Frequently Asked Questions or pre-recorded sessions. This is the also the delivery mode you will receive if you choose a Content Only enrolment option.

2 – Online Live This delivery mode is offered for most of our nationally recognised courses, with the program delivered online but including, if you enrol in the Content and Support version of the course, live online sessions. These “virtual” classrooms and chat sessions provide you with regular direct access to industry experts and your fellow students without having to leave your home or office.

While attendance at live sessions is often optional, we recommend you attend as many live sessions as possible (noting some sessions are recorded in case you cannot make it).

3 - Blended This delivery mode is “Online Live” but with a mandatory physical face to face component. This face to face component will require you to attend and participate in one or more classroom sessions, practical placement or clinics at specified locations/dates throughout the course.

Any course that requires you to undertake work experience will also be classified as Blended.

4 – Campus Campus-based courses require you to undertake your studies at a specified physical location.

Some campus-based courses may include a portion of online study as well, with computers available at the campus for these courses.

Practical training workshops/clinic days Some courses require compulsory attendance at and successful participation in practical workshops or clinic days, which will be detailed during enrolment. These sessions provide you with practical training and experience, allowing you to apply the theory and skills you have learned in a “real life” setting.

If you anticipate any challenges in attending and participating in all sessions, do NOT enrol in the course. Inability to attend or complete sessions will not give rise to any extensions, refunds or other allowances.

Some sessions may require you to stay at or near the training centre. All costs associated with such events (e.g. travel, accommodation, food) are in addition to course fees and will need to be arranged and paid for by you.

Work experience/practical placements Some courses require you to locate and undertake work experience in a suitable practice, clinic or workplace setting. You will be informed of this requirement, if applicable, on your enquiry/application to the course. Note you may be required to log your hours/tasks and have them verified by a suitable third party.

For some courses, this placement program allows you to gain accreditation through peak industry bodies, which can provide tremendous benefit as a practitioner. For other courses, these placements allow a workplace supervisor to view you in action to confirm your new skills and knowledge are suitable for use in the industry.


The work experience component may form a part of your formal assessment. Where this is the case, the workplace you organise will be contacted by Australis to run through the expectations of the organisation and the supervisor and to support them in that process.

Australis is not responsible for finding your work experience placement. You are required to find your own placement. However, Australis will lend assistance where possible. If you anticipate any challenges with locating and engaging in any mandatory work experience, do NOT enrol in the course. Inability to attend or successfully complete work experience will not give rise to any extensions, refunds or other allowances.

Any costs associated with your work experience are outside of course tuition fees and will need to be arranged and paid for by you. This MAY include, but is not limited to:

A ‘working with children’ check appropriate to the state/territory you will work in. This must be approved and held before placement commences and must remain valid for the duration of placement.

A “fit to work/police check” to confirm you are clear of any prior offences that may prevent you from working in the industry. Where offences are highlighted, you will be asked to disclose details sufficient to allow for a fair judgement as to suitability for the industry. This could form part of your enrolment agreement.

Some placements require you to undergo (and evidence) vaccinations. If required, you would need to be covered before the placement commenced.

There may be additional requirements, such as a First Aid Certificate, or other checks that may be a prerequisite to undertake placement with a particular organisation.

Appropriate insurance to cover all aspects of your work experience placement. Australis has Work Cover that may address this, but if so this will be confirmed with you individually during enrolment.

Travel and other costs.

Australis is not liable for any issues or events that occur from your seeking out of or participating in work experience placements, or your inability to find suitable placement.

6. COURSE DURATION Subscriptions and Per Subject.

If you are accessing standalone subjects via the subscription model, you will have access to the course material for as long as you remain subscribed. If you are accessing via the per subject model, each subject has a specified duration; however, this will be extended indefinitely if you continue to purchase other subjects in that faculty before your access expires.

Access to any assessment for a subject is included with your Subscription or Per Subject content access. However, you need to also enrol in the ‘Assessment Only’ for an additional fee if you wish to be assessed. You will need to retain access to the platform until you graduate from subjects you want recognition for, so your Subscription or Per Subject access needs to be kept current until that time.

You are not enrolling in a qualification when you use Subscription or Per Subject; however, if you complete all of the units of competency required for a full qualification, you can apply to the College to have that qualification issued. This would incur additional fees if some units were completed at another College as authenticity will need to be verified. Refer to the website for current fees.


As Training Packages change over time or unit currency expires, earlier units of competency you have completed may not count towards current qualifications as a Credit Transfer. Where this is identified, and where the College can assess the newest version of the unit, you may be able to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning.

Full Qualifications.

Each full qualification has a formal duration as stated on course information sheets, the website or enrolment documentation. This formal duration is how long you have access to the course under your initial enrolment, noting you are permitted to complete faster than this, or you may require longer for an additional fee(s).

How long it will take you to complete will depend on how much time and energy you commit to your studies, and what existing knowledge you already have.

Once the expiry date of your course is reached, your enrolment will expire. If you have not completed your course at that time but still wish to do so, you may be able to re-enrol in the remaining units via our unique Rolling Re-enrolment, or a Full Re-enrolment.

If any issues or circumstances arise during your enrolment that MAY impact your ability to complete the course before expiry, please inform the Faculty at that time so action can be taken. This could involve a review of your study habits and techniques, the provision of additional support, or potentially a recommendation to withdraw before you incur further study costs.

It is important to leave sufficient time after your last submission to allow for assessing and any re-work required. We recommend you submit your last assessment no later than four weeks before your enrolment expiry date.

Minimum progression requirements Progression requirements typically only apply to full qualifications.

Many qualifications are delivered in an online environment, allowing you the flexibility to study when and where it suits you. This flexibility does NOT, however, remove the need for you to progress through your course proportional to the enrolment time remaining.

You need to set yourself deadlines for completing each unit/module and adhere to this. Guidance on setting deadlines and study techniques is provided in the Study Tips within iTRAIN.

The minimum progression requirement applicable to you will vary depending on the tuition payment method you use and/or the program you enrol in. If you fail to meet minimum progression deadlines, you may be suspended or cancelled from your course.

Please refer to Payment Options for more details on progression requirements.

Rolling Re-enrolment We understand that life occasionally gets in the way of even the best-laid plans! For this reason, we offer a unique Rolling Re-enrolment if your qualification enrolment expires before you complete.

This allows you to re-enrol in the units you still need, but instead of paying for them in full and locking in for another set term, you only pay a low monthly re-enrolment fee for as many months as you need to complete.

This option is limited to expiring Australis enrolments only, is limited to the specific units from the original enrolment that you did not attain and is offered at a significant potential discount to normal unit prices.

If you did not complete any units during your original enrolment, you will not be eligible for a Rolling Re-enrolment and will instead need to fully re-enrol if you still wish to attain the qualification.


Although we try to approve re-enrolment requests where suitable and possible, we cannot guarantee it due to various factors, e.g. superseded Training Packages. Given this, always aim to complete within the formal course duration and never assume re-enrolments will be granted or for how long they may continue.

Please note the following:

Approval is at the sole discretion of Australis.

Requests are to be submitted before your original enrolment expires.

The request must be on the Rolling Re-enrolment Application (available on the website or from the Faculty) and submitted to the Faculty via your iTRAIN Inbox.

The re-enrolment, if granted, will automatically continue on a rolling month by month basis until:

You complete the qualification.

You notify us you wish to terminate the re-enrolment or cease paying the monthly fee.

Australis decline further renewals. If we are going to decline your Rolling Re-enrolment renewal, we will aim to provide as much notice as we can.

The Rolling Re-enrolment fee varies between courses and may change over time. The current fee for your course can be obtained from the Faculty via iTRAIN, or from the Course Consultant during enrolment.

The re-enrolment fee is payable monthly in advance via direct debit from your nominated bank account or credit card. The link to make payment will be sent with the notification that your Rolling Re-enrolment request has been approved.

If you are on a Rolling Re-enrolment and there is a change in the fee amount, a minimum of 30 days’ notice will be provided.

A Rolling Re-enrolment is a new enrolment, not an extension to your original enrolment.

It is a re-enrolment only into those units you still require, not back into the full qualification. Any funding or other schemes relevant to your original enrolment will cease at your original expiry date.

If the course you originally enrolled in, or any standalone units within that course, are superseded, removed or otherwise varied on the National Training Register, the “replacement” units required will likely not be covered under the Rolling Re-enrolment unless they are considered fully equivalent units. If new units are required, they would need to be enrolled in on a per unit basis at the unit price applicable at that time.

The Rolling Re-enrolment fee represents a significant discount to the full enrolment fee, depending on how many months of Rolling Re-enrolment you need. If you do not intend to progress your course rapidly under a Rolling Re-enrolment, we recommend you do not re-enrol at all.

N.B. As an alternative to the Rolling Re-enrolment, you could choose to continue using the Subscription or Per Subject enrolment options.

Full Re-enrolment Where a Rolling Re-enrolment is not available, desired or granted, you may be able to fully re-enrol if you still want to continue after your expiry date. This re-enrolment may be for the full course or its replacement version, or just for those portions of the course you still need to attain the qualification.


As your re-enrolment may be personalised depending on what units you have already completed, or due to Training Package changes or other factors, please speak with a Course Consultant if you are considering a full re-enrolment.

Any units of competency within the qualification that you have already completed will be applied as Credit Transfer, thereby minimising the tuition fees associated with the completion of your qualification.

As an alternative to a Full Re-enrolment, you may be able to conclude your course using the Subscription or Per Subject enrolment options.

Major Event Extension If you suffer a major disruptive event during your enrolment which impacts your ability to study, you may be eligible for a free one-month extension.

Eligible events are limited to a major medical event to you or your immediate family (spouse or children only), or for a significant disaster affecting your immediate family.

Please note the following:

Only one free extension is available per qualification you are enrolled in.

The request must be submitted within 14 calendar days of the event occurring

The request must be on the Major Event Extension Application (available on the website) and must be submitted to the Faculty as an attachment to an email sent from your iTRAIN Inbox.

You must have had reasonable course progression as at the date of the event, in line with the time that has expired in your enrolment.

The extension will add one month to your course expiry date, but it does not change any other scheduled activities, e.g. payment plans, loan census dates.

Please note extension eligibility does not extend to being busy or having work issues; for non-major, pre-existing or ongoing health issues; for non-major disasters; or matters concerning friends or extended family. We offer Rolling Re-enrolments where such matters impact your study.

Approval of all extensions is at the sole discretion of an Australis College Executive.

Deferral We do not offer enrolment deferrals however if any issues do arise during your enrolment that may impact your ability to complete within the formal duration, please contact the Faculty immediately at that time so we can consider what options may be available to you.

7. COURSE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Subscription and Per Subject enrolment options are a Professional Development enrolment and do NOT have any academic entry requirements. If you go on to enrol in the Assessment Only option which is nationally recognised, you will at that time need to meet any relevant requirements of the issuing Registered Training Organisation.

Students enrolling directly in Assessment Only, or in formal qualifications, will need to meet formal requirements. Please refer to the course pages on the website or speak with our Course Consultants for any entry requirements/prerequisites for the courses you are considering.


Some courses may have Australis imposed entry criteria in addition to any mandatory Training Package requirements. Australis criteria may be relaxed on a case by case basis if evidence is presented to demonstrate the intent of the criteria has been otherwise met. Both parties must be in agreeance, and no claim can be made against Australis about any agreed relaxation.

All courses except those delivered entirely on campus will require you to have access to a decent quality internet connected computer for the duration of your study.

Please note some payment options have eligibility criteria you will need to meet if you wish to use that option. Refer to Payment Options for more details.

8. MAKING APPLICATION For VET Student Loan applications, please refer to ‘Supplementary Handbook - VSL’.

For Queensland Certificate 3 Guarantee and Higher-Level Skills applications, please refer to “Supplementary Handbook - Certificate 3 Guarantee and Higher-Level Skills’.

For Queensland User Choice/Traineeship applications, please refer to “Traineeship Agreement and Handbook”.

Our application process is designed to help you make an informed enrolment decision. The process will vary depending on the course and payment method but may include the following.

Pre-application On initial enquiry, a Course Consultant (all based in our Brisbane office) will typically discuss your specific situation and needs, consider your previous experience and knowledge, and answer queries you may have.

For formal qualifications, the emphasis is placed on the following areas:

Selecting the appropriate qualification; discussing:

Your previous study and life/work experiences and qualifications, including Credit Transfer options where applicable.

Any learning challenges you may face that may impact your ability to complete the course.

Your motivation and drive to complete the study.

Course information including any entry requirements, computer/internet access requirements, training content/processes, practice and assessment methods and possible vocational outcomes to aim for.

Fees, charges and payments, including any funding or loan options where applicable.

Methods of training and assessment, including any applicable locations or work experience requirements.

Your rights and obligations and support services available.

Selection and eligibility criteria We may assess you on your ability to meet the requirements of the course, in conjunction with any prerequisite or entry requirements and Training Package guidelines, in accordance with Access and Equity requirements.

For details on course, entry criteria view the relevant course on the website.


Note: Further eligibility requirements may also apply depending on how you intend to fund your study. For example, you may be requested to provide identification, proof of citizenship or migration visa status, or evidence of prior study.

Application During the application process, depending on your enrolment type, you may be required to:

Complete an Application Form and where applicable, a funding or loan application.

Sign a Training Plan (certain Queensland funded programs).

Complete a declaration acknowledging you have discussed and/or read and agree to abide by the terms and conditions outlined in the Student Handbooks and other enrolment documents.

Provide identification, noting the application cannot progress until verification of your identity.

Parental Consent Form if you are under 18 years of age.

Complete a Credit Transfer or Recognition of Prior Learning Application and provide supporting evidence (if relevant).

Create a Unique Student Identifier (USI).

The application process is non-committal; however should your application proceed to enrolment in a nationally recognised course, we must supply your information to the National Statistical Database (or their State/Commonwealth representatives).

Once all documentation has been received, and eligibility criteria met, your application will proceed to enrolment. Student Services will process your enrolment and issue you with logins to iTRAIN (if required).

Depending on the payment option being used, you may be required to complete a student survey, or to periodically ‘opt-in’ with government departments, as well as meet other progression criteria to be able to continue in your course.

Australis reserve the right to decline any enrolment application and/or fee payment method at our sole discretion. If declined, we would typically advise you why, however, we reserve the right not to do so.

Unique Student Identifier (USI) For full details on the USI, please refer to https://www.usi.gov.au/about.

The USI is a free student reference number issued by the Commonwealth Government, linking all your nationally recognised training under one identifier. You only ever need one USI which is unique to you and is yours for life. Given this, please be careful not to set up a new one if you may already have one.

If you enrol in a nationally recognised course (in full or part) you will be required to provide your USI at enrolment. If you are already enrolled but have not yet provided us with your USI, you will need to do so before a qualification or Statement of Attainment can be issued.

To check if you already have a USI, or to set one up if you don’t, go to https://www.usi.gov.au/students and follow the instructions there. If you have any issues, please speak with the Course Consultant during enrolment.

https://www.usi.gov.au/about

https://www.usi.gov.au/students


9. FEES AND CHARGES For VET Student Loan applications, please refer to ‘Supplementary Handbook - VSL’.



Course tuition fees are detailed on the course pages on the website, or you can speak to a Course Consultant, noting your total tuition fee may vary depending on your eligibility for Credit Transfer or subsidies.

Other fees may also be applicable depending on the course, payment option and other factors such as:

Potential administration, extension, resubmission and other fees.

Payment fees including admin, late and dishonour fees, and credit card surcharges.

Student Loan details.

Notification will be provided where you may incur additional costs such as:

Practical placements fees charged by external organisations.

Travel and accommodation costs for clinics/practicals/classroom sessions.

Uniform or clothing requirements.

Health and vaccination requirements.

Referrals to support networks or other study programs not offered by Australis.

Where fees or charges are in arrears, your enrolment may be suspended and eventually cancelled.

For further details also refer to the Schedule of Fees at http://www.australiscollege.edu.au/students/ and Payment Terms and Conditions.

10. PAYMENT OPTIONS – FULL QUALIFICATION There are several options for paying tuition and other fees. Details on which payment options are available for which courses are detailed on our website.

Before entering into any payment plan or loan contract, we recommend you complete a personal budget and obtain independent financial and credit advice from an appropriately licensed professional.

Upfront payment For Nationally Recognised courses Australis can accept a maximum $1,500 (incl GST) upfront payment, so this option is only available where the course tuition cost is below that amount. For all other courses, upfront payment may be available for the entire course.

Upfront payment is via direct debit from your credit card or bank account, EFT by you, or corporate invoicing.

There are no minimum progression requirements if you pay upfront.

You have access to iTRAIN for the formal course duration regardless of how quickly or slow you progress. However, if you wish to continue after your enrolment expiry, you will need to apply for a Rolling or Full Re-enrolment.

http://www.australiscollege.edu.au/students/


Payment plan An interest-free payment plan directly with Australis may be offered to eligible applicants. The plan is offered over a term of no longer than the formal course duration.

Instalments are taken directly from your credit card or bank account and will incur a per payment administration fee. Dishonour and late payment fees will also apply.

Some courses may restrict access to content in proportion to the tuition payments received by Australis. Given this, if you intend to complete rapidly, you will need to consider a short payment plan term. No qualification or Statement of Attainment will be issued until all fees have been paid in full.

There are no minimum progression requirements if you are on a direct payment plan with Australis, and you will not be removed from the course for non-progression so long as instalment payments are met. However, if you are not progressing, please voluntarily withdraw. This non-removal policy has been put in place at the request of students who do not progress for several months but then quickly complete once they get into the swing of studying.

Payment plan terms and conditions are detailed on the website and Payment Plan application. This includes details on penalties for late or dishonoured payments.

Study Loans (private lender) Australis have met the quality criteria to become an approved provider for Study Loans, a private tuition lender who will progressively lend eligible applicants the funds to cover their tuition fees.

Application for the loan is made via Australis, but your loan contract will be direct with Study Loans.

Details on this loan scheme including eligibility requirements, terms and conditions, and progression requirements, are provided on our website and the “Supplemental Handbook - Study Loan”.

VET Student Loan (VSL) Australis is an approved provider for the Commonwealth Government VET Student Loan Scheme where eligible students can borrow their tuition fees from the Commonwealth for specified Diplomas offered by Australis.

Only a limited number of VSL funded enrolments are available each year. Please speak with our Course Consultants to see if any allocation remains for the course you are interested in.

Given the limited VSL funding, and that for some students, VSL is the only financially viable option, please only consider VSL if you are unable to use other payment options.

For full details on VSL eligibility, terms and conditions, progression requirements and Australis approved courses and census information please refer the “VET Student Loan Supplementary Handbook”.

Centrepay Centrepay is a voluntary service offered by Centrelink to pay bills and expenses as regular deductions from your Centrelink payments.

Australis College is an approved Centrepay provider for Education and Training services, for Nationally Recognised Qualifications.

If you are receiving welfare payments via Centrelink, then you may elect to utilise Centrepay to make regular contributions to your course tuition fees.


In this case, Centrepay operates in conjunction with the Australis Payment Plan option, however rather than you making your payment via direct debit or credit card, Centrelink makes these payments on your behalf via the Centrepay system directly to Australis College.

Please discuss with our Course Consultants during the Pre-Application process more details regarding how you can utilise Centrepay to pay for your course tuition fees.

Queensland funding Australis is a Pre-qualified Supplier approved by the Queensland Department of Employment, Small Business and Training, to deliver training and assessment services under the Certificate 3 Guarantee, Higher Level Skills and User Choice.

For full details, please refer to the website course pages and the ‘Certificate 3 Guarantee and Higher Level Skills Supplementary Handbook’ or the ‘Traineeship Agreement and Handbook’ for User Choice.

11. WITHDRAWALS, CANCELLATIONS and SUSPENSIONS For VET Student Loan applications, please refer to ‘Supplementary Handbook - VSL’.



We hope you graduate and go on to great things, but there are other ways your enrolment may conclude.

Expired Enrolment An expired enrolment is where your enrolment expiry date is reached without you graduating.

Some students do this intentionally, enrolling to gain professional development knowledge but with no interest in attaining a formal qualification. Others do intend to graduate, but for whatever reason do not do so before their enrolment expires.

Once your course expiry date is reached your initial enrolment will expire, and a Statement of Attainment will be issued for any eligible units of competency completed.

There is no refund for expired enrolments.

Expiring students are encouraged to consider a Rolling Re-enrolment if eligible, or the Subscription/Per Subject options.

Withdrawal A withdrawal is where you voluntarily decide to exit before graduation or enrolment expiry. To withdraw you need to notify the Faculty in writing via Inbox in iTRAIN, or you can complete the “Withdrawal Notification” form available on the website.

Partial refunds may be available depending on the circumstances. If a refund is payable, it will be proportional to the time remaining in your enrolment at withdrawal notification, subject to further conditions below. If you intend to withdraw and request a refund, please notify Australis immediately on deciding to do so.

Refund requests must be on the Refund Request Form available on the website and will be subject to an administration fee as per the Schedule of Fees at http://www.australiscollege.edu.au/students/.



Regardless of the time remaining in the enrolment, refunds will not be payable in the following circumstances:

For non-Nationally Recognised courses, once the program has commenced or online access has been provided.

For any subjects/units/modules where course content has been provided or accessed (including textbooks, tools, subscriptions, iTRAIN access). Please note, if you pay in full upfront, you will typically be provided with access to the full course in which case there would be no refund payable on withdrawal.

For payment plans, any fees due before the withdrawal date will not be refunded.

Where there has been a breach of the Student Code of Conduct, e.g. plagiarism, abuse of staff or other students, fraud against Australis or its associates, copyright infringement.

The only exceptions to this policy are:

Where the student’s application for enrolment is declined by Australis.

Where Australis cancel a unit in which the student has enrolled or where the commencement of a course is postponed for more than six weeks.

Cancellation Cancellation is when a student is removed from their course by a decision of Australis.

Reasons a student could be cancelled from their course include:

Non-payment of tuition or other fees.

Breach of the Student Code of Conduct or Academic Integrity, e.g. collusion or plagiarism, abuse of staff or other students, fraud against Australis or our partners/service providers, copyright infringement.

Depending on the payment option used, failure to meet progression deadlines (refer Payment Options).

A student, before being cancelled, would first be suspended while an investigation takes place. If the matter is upheld, the student would then be cancelled.

There is no refund for cancellations. Students will also be billed for any unpaid fees owing at the date of cancellation.

Suspension Certain events may result in student course access being suspended.

These events include:

Non-payment of fees or charges

While under investigation for breaches regarding Academic Integrity, the Student Code of Conduct or other serious matters.

While suspended, there is no access to iTRAIN or physical classroom sessions, assessment services or other support services. Any payment plan in place must still be adhered to.

Any time lost due to suspension will not be added to your enrolment expiry date unless the issue is not upheld in full. Therefore, if you are suspended, you will need to adjust your study schedule to make up for any time lost.


Business Continuity Australis is committed to providing you with course access and related services for the duration of your enrolment, including to the end of any current monthly extension(s) that has been granted.

If Australis was unable to provide those services due to the closure of a course, faculty or the entire College, we have Tuition Assurance arrangements in place. Under these arrangements, the Tuition Assurance provider would endeavour to locate another suitable training provider to conclude your studies, else arrange applicable refunds.

Australis has previously been covered by the TAFE Directors Australia (TDA) Tuition Assurance Scheme. However, the Commonwealth Department of Education and Training has currently taken responsibility for Tuition Assurance.

12. ASSESSMENT For VET Student Loan applications, please refer to ‘Supplementary Handbook - VSL’.



Formal assessment is not required for subjects being completed for Professional Development purposes, but Nationally Recognised courses do have formal assessments which need to be completed if you wish to attain the relevant qualification or Statement of Attainment.

We know assessments can be nerve-racking if you have not studied for a while, but please do not worry. Within iTRAIN, we provide study techniques and tips, plus have a passionate and skilled team here to support you.

Assessment and evidence requirements are completed in or uploaded to iTRAIN, our online student platform. We do NOT accept any other form of assessment submission unless specifically approved at enrolment.

Some courses have a strong practical component to ensure you have the requisite skills to work in the industry. For these, you may be required to upload recordings of activities, perform tasks in the presence of an Assessor and/or use an approved supervisor (from within industry) to verify your skills. Details will be provided where relevant.

Our Assessors for Nationally Recognised courses meet VET requirements and will make a judgement of competency based on the evidence provided in accordance with the national criteria.

Our Assessors will ensure:

Recognition of Prior Learning is offered and recorded.

The assessment process is valid, reliable, flexible and fair.

All evidence submitted is deemed valid, current, sufficient and authentic.

Reasonable adjustment is used where necessary without compromising on the validity of the assessment.

Assessment outcomes are recorded appropriately.

Appropriate feedback on a not competent assessment outcome is given where applicable.

Australis has a responsibility to you, our graduates, industry and the community our graduates will serve, to maintain the integrity of the qualifications we issue. Given this, we implement an internal assurance process and reserve the right to question or refute decisions made by Assessors and to request further clarification or evidence if necessary.


If competency is not awarded on your first attempt, some courses permit you to re-submit assessments. Depending on your specific enrolment details, the resubmission cost may be included within your initial tuition fee else a resubmission may be charged. This will be detailed during your enrolment.

If assessments are not genuinely attempted, they will be returned unassessed. This includes questions that have been missed or only partly answered, where the question is not being answered, where it has poor spelling and grammar, or where collusion/plagiarism has been identified. Such submissions will still be considered a first attempt submission.

Credit Transfer Australis recognise verified qualifications and Statements of Attainment issued by other Registered Training Organisations. This means if you have previously achieved a relevant qualification or Statement of Attainment, you may not need to complete all units in the new qualification if Credit Transfer from the prior qualification is possible.

Our Student Services team will help you complete a Credit Transfer Application. You need to forward all evidence during the enrolment process, so the validity and currency of the transcript and the equivalence of competencies can be determined before your enrolment is finalised.

If you hold a qualification/Statement of Attainment that has been superseded and is no longer available or is not the version required by the qualification into which you wish to enrol, Credit Transfer will not apply. In such situations, Recognition of Prior Learning may be an option.

Important note: The presentation of false qualifications, Statements of Attainment, resumes and other materials is a serious issue with potentially significant implications. Australis reserve the right to investigate the validity of all materials presented to us, and where fraud is found, we are required to notify relevant authorities, cancel enrolments and ban students from re-enrolling with Australis.

Australis charge an administration fee for Credit Transfer originating from other Registered Training Organisations to cover the costs of authenticating Statements of Attainment and issuing qualifications.

Recognition of Prior Learning If you believe you already have some or all the skills and knowledge taught within a qualification, then instead of studying you might instead undertake our Assessment Only option for some or all the subjects in the course.

SHOULD YOU DO ASSESSMENT ONLY?

Just because you might be able to do Assessment Only does NOT mean you should.

If you do ‘Assessment Only’, you will not learn anything as you will not access the Content or Trainers. All you do is complete the assessments to demonstrate you already know the material.

The reason we rarely recommend this option is because you do not know what you do not know. Time and again, we have had experienced practitioners tell us how glad they were that they did

the full course due to the new and refreshed knowledge they obtained by doing so.

Australis has trained many top-rated and award-winning practitioners in various fields, and a common trait is their hunger to improve. The best rarely RPL, they seek to learn more.


Australis do NOT offer a bespoke RPL process, but instead, require you to complete the same Assessment questions as if you had studied the course with us. This avoids you paying for content and support, and you only pay the Assessment fee for the subjects you actually submit. This option does not provide you with access to the course material or trainers.

For further details on RPL, or to make application, please refer to the website or speak with a Course Consultant.

Resubmissions Australis will for some qualifications allow you to resubmit an assessment if you are found “Not Competent” on your first attempt.

This first resubmission is typically included within your original tuition fee if you enrolled in a full qualification, however poorly attempted first submissions or any further attempts after the first re-submission, if permitted by Australis, will typically incur a Re-submission Fee as per the Schedule of Fees at http://www.australiscollege.edu.au/students/ applicable at the time of the re-submission

Students completing assessments on a Per Subject basis will incur a resubmission fee as per the Course pages on the website.

Australis reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to disallow any further re-submissions after two attempts. This approach is necessary as it becomes debatable that Competence was demonstrated if a student was permitted virtually unlimited attempts.

If you are not approved for further re-submissions and you still wish to complete the course, you may need to re-enrol in the relevant subjects or units if approved by Australis; else you will need to enrol at another institution. This would incur another enrolment fee.

Should you wish to appeal against an assessment decision, please refer to Complaints and Appeals.

13. TRANSITIONING OF QUALIFICATIONS Every few years, qualifications are updated by the Australian Industry and Skills Committee/Industry Reference Committees, to reflect current industry practice and updated legislation.

Superseded qualifications are typically allowed a 12-month transition period which means in most cases an existing enrolment will not be impacted, although it does limit the time available for re-enrolments or Major Event Extensions.

Where a course is superseded, you will most likely still complete the version you are enrolled in, but on occasion, we may be able to offer the option of transitioning, or in very rare instances may require you to transfer to another RTO. Units of competency completed under the old version will where possible be recognised under the new version. If you voluntarily elect to transition or transfer, additional fees may apply.

Superseded equivalent qualifications.

Where the updated qualification is deemed to be equivalent to the superseded version, the newer version should automatically be added to Australis’ scope of registration.

Superseded non-equivalent qualifications.

In the event the superseded qualification is not deemed equivalent to the new version, Australis will decide whether the new version will be added to our scope of registration.


Should Australis elect to not add the newest version, students that cannot complete within the stipulated timeframes will be issued with a Statement of Attainment for any unit(s) of competency they have been awarded. Please note this will in most instances only impact students who fail to complete their course within the official course duration granted at the time of their enrolment.

Non-current qualifications.

Where a qualification has been deemed to no longer be industry-relevant and will not be upgraded, students will be required to complete their course within two years of the qualification being deemed non-current.

Students that do not complete within the two-year timeframe will be issued a Statement of Attainment for any units of competency that they have been awarded competency.

14. STUDENT SERVICES and SUPPORT We have a dedicated support team based in Australia.

For online students, the first port of call is the Faculty via iTRAIN and for campus students the Campus Student Support Officer. If you not sure who to ask or where to go, please call or email us as per the details on our website.

The Welcome Course, accessible from your dashboard in iTRAIN, includes sections on seeking support as well as tips on completing your studies. We recommend you read through the Welcome Course BEFORE you commence as it may save you considerable time and energy during your studies.

Australis endeavours to provide support via our Faculties; however, some students may need support we are not able or qualified to provide. In such cases, please refer to the support, welfare and guidance agencies listed in the Welcome Course. Any cost associated with third-party assistance will be your responsibility.

Student access to records You can access most information regarding your course and progress via iTRAIN.

Where you cannot access your online record or if you require additional information, you can contact our Student Services team. Verifiable forms of identify must be provided before access can be granted to personal records.

Identification checks At the discretion of Australis, you may be subjected to random identification checks when you upload assessments or have other dealings with the team. Generic information can be discussed and disclosed without the need for formal identification checks.

Updating your details Should you change your details (e.g. name, address, phone number) during your course, please notify Australis via a Change of Details Form available at http://www.australiscollege.edu.au/students/.



15. LANGUAGE, LITERACY AND NUMERACY (LLN) For VET Student Loan applications, please refer to ‘Supplementary Handbook - VSL’.



Australis offers courses and programs that may require a high standard of language, literacy and numeracy (LLN).

To enrol in some courses, or to access some funding schemes, you may be required to complete a government approved core skills assessment. This is not applicable if you are not enrolling to attain a nationally recognised qualification.

If you require additional LLN assistance, Australis may refer you to specialist services for further support. Any associated costs will be your responsibility.

As most courses are online in part or full, you also need to have reasonable computer literacy.

Using iTRAIN User Guides, videos and tips and tricks on using iTRAIN are provided in your Welcome Course in iTRAIN.

If you are having any difficulties logging into iTRAIN, please contact us via the details on the website.

iTRAIN is accessed at http://itrain.instructure.com using the username and password provided to you at enrolment.

16. ACCESS, EQUITY AND LEGISLATION

Access and Equity Australis is committed to offering the opportunity for everyone to access and participate in learning.

All Australis staff carry out their duties and responsibilities in a fair and equitable manner, following all organisational policies relating to access and equity, discrimination and equal opportunity. As an organisation, we endeavour to adhere to all relevant policies, regulations and legislation.

Harassment, intimidation or discrimination toward any group or individual, including, among other things; age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, is not tolerated. These principles are integrated into all Australis services delivered to students encompassing but not limited to student recruitment, training and assessment, support services, student application and administration services.

Your Trainer/Assessor moderates all classroom and online interactions and is responsible for monitoring and addressing any issues of harassment, discrimination or intimidation.

Should you feel a fellow student, Australis team member or third-party partner is in breach of these policies; please notify [email protected] so we can deal with the matter promptly. If the matter is not addressed sufficiently or continues, please refer to Complaints and Appeals.

http://itrain.instructure.com/

mailto:[email protected]


17. ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATION Upon full completion of one or more units of competency, receipt and verification of your Unique Student Identifier (USI) and full payment of relevant fees, a qualification or Statement of Attainment can be issued.

Partial completion of a qualification.

Should you wish to exit your course after being deemed competent in one or more units of competency, and if you are within enrolment and payment terms, you will be entitled to receive a Statement of Attainment.

Please note that due to the flexibility of Training Packaging Rules, some Australis qualifications may include import units of competency that may/may not lie within a qualification or explicit unit of competency on our scope of registration.

Should you complete and be deemed competent in an imported unit(s) of competency not on our scope, and where you elect to withdraw from the course, you will not be able to receive a Statement of Attainment for any affected import units. In such cases, you can download your USI transcript from the periodically active site https://www.usi.gov.au/ as evidence of completing the unit.

Completion of a qualification.

Full completion of all course requirements within terms and conditions will result in the issuance of a qualification. Successful completion of a unit(s) within a course; but not full completion of the course requirements will result in the issuance of a Statement of Attainment only.

Replacement certification If you require a replacement qualification or Statement of Attainment, please complete the Application for Replacement Certification Form and submit this along with payment to [email protected].

18. COMPLAINTS and APPEALS For VET Student Loan applications, please refer to ‘Supplementary Handbook - VSL’.



Australis endeavour to provide the best possible experience to you while remaining compliant with all applicable regulations. Despite this adherence to quality, and indeed sometimes because of it, there may be instances where you are not satisfied with a matter involving Australis, our partners or other students.

Where such a grievance exists, we will seek to deal with it confidentially and in a fair, efficient and effective manner.

Australis maintain a Quality Notification Register which documents formal complaints, appeals and the resulting outcomes. This register feeds into our continuous improvement processes so action can be taken to mitigate the likelihood of reoccurrence.

Review process – Assessment If you have a query regarding an assessment result, please contact the Faculty via Inbox in your student portal.

If you are not satisfied with the Faculty response to your query, please refer to the Appeals Process below.

https://www.usi.gov.au/



Complaint process – Other matters Where you have a minor grievance, please contact the Faculty via Inbox in iTRAIN to raise the matter and see if it can be resolved quickly and informally.

If you are not satisfied with that outcome or wish to make a formal complaint, complete and email the Complaint Form located at http://www.australiscollege.edu.au/students/ to [email protected].

Any formal complaint received directly by a Faculty or department will be immediately forwarded to Quality.

Your complaint/feedback will be acknowledged in writing, recorded in the Quality Notification Register, added to your student record and forwarded to the relevant Faculty and/or internal department for investigation.

We will endeavour to finalise the complaint as soon as practicable and notify you of the outcome in writing. Where resolution may exceed 60 days, we will provide periodic updates including reasons for the extended timeframe.

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint you may Appeal as follows.

Appeals An appeal should only be submitted if you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the complaints process above and must be lodged within ten business days of the complaint response being provided by Australis.

The appeal process must be followed in sequential order. There is no fee associated with Step One of the appeal process. However, if you appoint another party to support you during the appeal process, any related costs will be your responsibility.

We will endeavour to finalise the appeal process as soon as practicable. Where resolution may exceed 60 days, we will provide periodic updates including reasons for the extended timeframe.

Your appeal submission(s) will be acknowledged in writing, recorded in the Quality Notification Register, added to your student record and forwarded to the relevant person, faculty and/or departments for investigation.

STEP ONE:

Lodge an appeal directly with Australis by completing either the Appeal Form or the Assessment Appeal Form available at http://www.australiscollege.edu.au/students/ and emailing it to [email protected].

Any appeal received directly by a faculty or department will be immediately forwarded to Quality.

Depending on the nature of the appeal, it will be reviewed by an internal committee or senior manager not involved in the original decision, or by an alternate Assessor. Their decision will be communicated in writing as soon as practicable.

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the internal appeal, only then proceed to step two.

STEP TWO:

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome from Step One of the appeals process, you have ten business days within which to notify [email protected] that you wish to have an external review undertaken.

On such notification Australis will organise for a suitably qualified person, external to Australis, to review the appeal. Their decision will be communicated in writing as soon as practicable.

You will be required to pay the cost charged by the external reviewer before the review is conducted. This cost will be reimbursed by Australis if the matter is fully upheld in your favour.







If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the independent review, only then proceed to step three.

STEP THREE:

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome from Step Two of the appeals process, you can lodge a complaint to the relevant external party, such as the Queensland Training Ombudsman.

Note: Any student who has undertaken fraudulent acts against Australis or our partners will forfeit the right to access Australis complaints and appeals processes and may initiate civil legal proceedings initiated against them. Any matters identified that constitute a breach of Australian Law may be referred to relevant authorities.

19. CODE OF CONDUCT Australis is committed to providing a quality service to our students, clients and stakeholders.

We adhere to a set of nationally agreed standards (Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015) to ensure the quality of Vocational Education and Training (VET) services.

IMPORTANT NOTE: RESPONSIBILITY

Australis is committed to helping you succeed in your studies and career. We will do what we can to ensure you leave with the required skills and knowledge, but we cannot do it for you.

The decision to enrol, to incur the related costs, to progress and graduate, and to adhere to Academic Integrity requirements is yours alone.

You have enrolled as an adult responsible for your own decisions and behaviour, and Australis will treat you as an adult. If you are not engaging in or progressing your studies, the onus is on

you to request help or to withdraw from your enrolment.

Your Obligations By enrolling for a course of study at Australis, you agree to:

Pay fees, as agreed at the time of enrolment.

Complete each part of the course within the time frames set by your Trainer and/or enrolment conditions.

Attend training sessions as advised by your Trainer.

Submit your own work and adhere to Academic Integrity requirements.

Meeting the following student expectations at all times.


Expectations You are expected to maintain a professional approach to your studies, team members and fellow students. By enrolling, you agreed to meet the following standards. If you anticipate any issue in meeting all these standards, do not enrol.

Behaviour. We value ethical behaviour, demonstrated by openness, honesty and integrity in all our dealings.

Responsibility. We take responsibility for our actions and stand by our promises to each other, to our students and our organisation.

Respect. We respect ourselves, our organisation, and our students. We expect students to also show respect and value diversity and tolerance.

Caring. We value caring for our students, our staff and wider community in a holistic and sustainable way.

Quality. We value quality, embracing uncompromising standards in service provision.

Flexibility and Innovation. We value flexibility and innovation, encouraging original solutions and flexibility in our approach to education provision.

Learning for Life. We encourage the ongoing pursuit of knowledge and skills for students and team members via various professional development opportunities.

In all dealings with team members and students, in all mediums including but not limited to online, email, phone and face to face, you must adhere to the following:

Respect and courtesy to be always demonstrated.

Actively discourage and do not participate or engage in any form of harassment, bullying, slander or unlawful discrimination.

All actions and activities must be legal. Any fraud against Australis or other students will result in cancellation of your enrolment without refund.

Personal possessions are the responsibility of the student, and any interference with another student’s or Australis property will not be tolerated.

Consideration without disruption or impediment to others learning.

No inappropriate physical contact or verbal abuse, including offensive language.

Clothing, footwear and hygiene must be appropriate when attending any physical location, to a standard no less than that expected within the industry the qualification relates to.

Mobile phones are to be switched off during session times. No recording of sessions or photographs of facilities or other students is permitted without the permission of all parties involved.

Eating and drinking are to be confined to designated areas while in the training facility.

Smoking and alcohol are not permitted inside training facilities.

Drinking alcohol preceding or during training events is not permitted.

Drug use is strictly prohibited unless you are required to take legally prescribed drugs.

Respect start and finish times of all face-to-face sessions.

Be professional in conduct with all parties, including in class and clinic/placement days. This requires you to be responsive, engaging and helpful to fellow students, team member and service providers.


Disciplinary procedures will be enforced where failure to respect and uphold these behaviours and expectations occurs. This will typically involve immediate suspension of enrolment while an investigation is conducted. Based on the investigation findings students may be cancelled, suspended or other disciplinary proceedings initiated.

Please refer to Complaints and Appeals for further details.

Academic Integrity We take Academic Integrity very seriously to protect you and the integrity of the qualification you will earn.

Many of our courses have significant licensing outcomes in strict regulatory environments, and we have a duty of care to our graduates and to the industries and communities served by our graduates, to ensure all qualifications are legitimately earned.

We implement several software solutions to help identify collusion and plagiarism from sources including the web, textbooks, current and previous students, and Australis materials.

You must:

Undertake your study with honesty and integrity

Complete your own assessments without collaborating or plagiarising

Take steps to ensure other students cannot copy your work

Where relevant, seek permission to use and appropriately acknowledge others work

Where there is suspicion a student’s work is not entirely their own, they will be suspended pending an investigation by the Faculty. This will result in one of three potential outcomes.

1. Not upheld.

2. Breach in Error.

Where a breach was in genuine error and minor in nature, the student will be required to undertake an Academic Integrity awareness session with a Trainer. Please note the presenting of other students work as your own, in whole or part, will not be considered to be in error.

3. Intentional or Reckless Breach.

Where a breach was intentional or reckless, or there have been repeated offences, the student will, in most instances, be removed from the course without refund, and potentially banned from re-enrolling. In some instances, we may also be required to notify regulatory or industry bodies.

It is not difficult to avoid collusion or plagiarism. If you have any concerns at all, please contact the Faculty via Inbox to the left of the screen, and we will walk you through the requirements.

20. PRIVACY POLICY Our Privacy Policy can be downloaded at www.australiscollege.edu.au/students/.


Documents

Student Handbook 05062019 © Australis College …...Australis, for some courses and programs, may engage third-party partners to perform select functions, e.g. job services, recruitment