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Academic Performance Policy

SRSA sets a level of academic achievement that students must meet in each study period of their selected program. Students who do not meet that standard will be required to attend a counselling session with the relevant manager of their school and one staff member from the International Centre to explain the reasons for their academic non-performance.

Academic non-performance is defined as failing the majority of subjects during the first study period/ semester or certificate level of their selected program. Therefore, a student who passes at least two subjects out of four subjects in which they are enrolled will be deemed to have made reasonable progress towards the completion of their selected program. Students who are required to sit supplementary exams/resit exams in two or more of their subjects in which they are enrolled, will also be required to attend a counselling session with the relevant manager of their school and one staff member from the International Centre.

As a requirement of their student visa an international student will only be able to repeat a subject once.

Students will be advised of their need to attend a counselling session by mail and/or email. In all instances where students are counselled for poor academic performance during the first study period/semester or certificate level of their enrolment, an Academic Warning Letter is issued to the student. The Academic Warning Letter constitutes a formal notification to the student that their academic performance must be improved in the second study period/semester or certificate or diploma level of their enrolment.

The circumstances leading to the issue of the Academic Warning Letter are explained to the student and the student is required to sign a copy of the letter. A photocopy is provided to the student for their personal records. The student is entitled to have an independent representative attend the interview. Due to privacy considerations, however, the student must provide a signed and dated letter of authorisation advising that the third party is entitled to attend the counselling session.

Prior to the issue of an Academic Warning Letter, the relevant subject lecturer/trainer/teacher should advise the relevant manager of their school as soon as possible of any student experiencing academic difficulty in the course. In the first instance, the lecturer/trainer/teacher should provide as much assistance to the student as is reasonable in the circumstances. If the student still fails to understand the material, the lecturer/trainer/teacher is to advise the relevant manager of their school.

If it is deemed that the student is experiencing difficulty because of English language comprehension problems or writing problems, then this should be discussed with the relevant manager of their school who will, in turn, arrange for the student to be referred to academic support in Russo English | Australia (REA).

Alternatively, the lecturer/trainer/teacher may determine that the student needs to attend extra tutorials/lessons/classes for particular subjects or the student requires one-on-one assistance. In both instances, the lecturer/trainer/teacher should advise their relevant manager in writing of suggested method of assistance for the student. The manager in turn, will schedule extra tutorials/lessons/classes or one-onone sessions for the student. In all instances, student attendance at extra tutorials/lessons/classes or oneon-one sessions should be recorded on the respective student files. In certain cases, a student may be asked to enrol at another institution if SRSA does not have a program that is suitable for the student.

If the student fails to improve their academic performance to the required standard during the second study period, then SRSA will issue a Section 20 Notice under s137J of the Migration Act and that student will be required to explain to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) as to why their student visa should not be cancelled.