RMIT Policies There are a range of RMIT University policies relating to this topic, including: • Deferment, Leave of Absence, Course Withdrawal and Cancellation of Enrolment, Academic Progress Procedure for Onshore International Students • To access these policies, check out: www.rmit.edu.au/policies The above policies can be found by scrolling through the list of policies located on this page. These files are in pdf format. You should read these policies, as they contain important and useful information. You can discuss any questions you have about these policies with a Student Rights Officer. Other useful student rights leaflets You can pick up the following leaflets from your nearest Student Union Office, or download them from our website: www.su.rmit.edu.au/student-rights • Special Consideration • Being At Risk • Being Excluded from your Program • How to write a letter • How to get a refund How to defer or take a leave of absence (LoA) As a student of RMIT you have the right to apply to suspend your studies at RMIT either before you start by deferring for up to one year or by taking a Leave of Absence (LoA) from your Program at any time - but preferably before census date. Defining some common terms Deferral Describes the process by which people who have received an offer of a place in a Program at RMIT University, but who have not yet enrolled, seek to postpone the commencement of their studies for one year. Leave of absence Describes the process by which enrolled students request formal approval to suspend their studies for up to 12 months at a time from their Head of School. You can apply more than once during your program. Course withdrawal Disclaimer The information in this leaflet is a general guide only. RMIT is a very complex environment, and there are often a number of different rules which apply. For more student rights information visit our website: www.su.rmit.edu. au/student-rights For additional assistance drop into a Student Union Front Office to speak with a Student Liaison Officer. Or, send detailed information regarding your case to student. [email protected] City Higher Ed: Building 8, Level 3 For enquiries call 9925 5004 Carlton Campus: Building 57, Level 4 If required, an appointment will be made for you with a Student Rights Officer. Brunswick: Building 514, Level 2 Bundoora: Building 204, Level 1 Has this leaflet been helpful? Join the Student Union and join the fight to improve your rights! Is when a student chooses to discontinue one or more courses (subjects) that they are enrolled in during a semester. Cancellation of enrolment Describes the process by which a student’s enrolment in a semester is cancelled, due to Leave of Absence, discontinuation at RMIT or other circumstance. Frequently asked questions When can I defer? You are only eligible to defer your studies if you are a local student and have been offered a place in an Award Program. You can defer your studies in most programs offered by RMIT University. Some programs do not allow deferrals at all, while other programs may impose restrictions upon the granting of deferment. When can I take Leave of Absence? You can apply for a Leave of Absence if you are an enrolled student. There is no limit to how many times during your program you can submit an application. However a LoA is granted only under the following conditions: • At the discretion of the relevant Head of School • The granting of a LoA shall be restricted to a maximum period of one year per application. (ie, it is not possible to take an LoA for more than 12 months at a time – although exceptions could be made at the discretion of the Head of School under extreme circumstances) I am an international student. How does this affect me? Deferral International students who are offered a place at RMIT must take up that place in the year of offer. By Australian Government regulation, an international student cannot defer the offer of a place at any Australian University. Leave of absence International students who are granted a Leave of Absence are required to depart from Australia except in extraordinary circumstances. All such approved Leaves of Absence and the related cancellation of enrolment must be reported to the Associate Manager, Student Services, RMIT International Pty Ltd. Cancellation of enrolments in these circumstances must be reported to RMIT International within two working days. Cancellation of enrolment/ changing education provider By Government Regulation, international students who have been enrolled for less than one academic year (12 months), are not permitted to change to another Australian educational institution other than in exceptional circumstances. All such cases must be referred to the Associate Manager, Student Services, RMIT International Pty Ltd. You can find the procedure for changing your educational provider and the criteria for ‘exceptional circumstances’ on the Department of Immigration website: www.immi.gov.au/students/ Where can I get application forms from? The following forms are available from: www.rmit.edu.au/ browse;ID=62wggh21oy9rz • Enrolment Variation • Leave of Absence • Cancellation of Enrolment • Application to Defer Are there time limits and deadlines? The date for withdrawing from a course, cancellation of enrolment or applying for a LoA without academic penalty is set no later than the census date. Check with your School for deadlines in the Spring and Summer semesters. Higher Education students should be aware of HECS Census dates when applying to either defer, take a LoA or for enrolment variation, to avoid financial liability. Late withdrawals Useful RMIT contacts If you withdraw or cancel after that deadline, the course will show on your academic record as a fail grade. It is sometimes possible in exceptional circumstances for your Head of Department or School to authorise a late withdrawal without there being any academic penalty. There is no harm in asking but you need to have a compelling case. Contact your Student Rights Officer if you have any questions. If you are a local student, and you withdraw or cancel after the HECS census date (usually 31 March for first semester, 31 August for second semester), you will still have to pay HECS on the course/s. Check the application deadlines in the ‘important dates’ section of your student diary. RMIT Counselling Service 9925 4365 (BH) 9925 3999 (AH) www.rmit.edu.au/counselling RMIT Career Development & Employment 9925 2078 (City & Brunswick) 9925 7280 (AH) www.rmit.edu.au/careers RMIT Disability Liaison Unit 9925 1089 www.rmit.edu.au/disability RMIT Study and Learning Centre 9925 3600 www.rmit.edu.au/ studyandlearningcentre Complaints Student Complaints Coordinator [email protected] www.rmit.edu.au/students/complaints Student Wellbeing Advisory Services City campus: +61 3 9925 2963 Brunswick campus: +61 3 9925 2963 Bundoora campus: +61 3 9925 7280 www.rmit.edu.au/internationalsupport www.rmit.edu.au/housing www.rmit.edu.au/students/wellbeing/ finance [email protected]