Students achieving academic excellence at Victoria University will soon get formal recognition.
The Heads of Faculty in each school are set to make lists of their outstanding students. The Dean’s List, to be published annually, will acknowledge student’s achievement and success in undergraduate degree programmes. It will also be recorded in the awards
section of academic transcripts.
To be eligible for the list, students must obtain a grade point average (GPA) of at least 7.5 across a minimum of 100 points. This must be done during the period beginning trimester three the previous year and ending at the conclusion of trimester two to qualify for that year’s list.
The policy has been welcomed by VUWSA President Seamus Brady.
“As soon as Victoria began to discuss having a Dean’s List, VUWSA representatives spoke in support. It’s a great initiative and now undergraduates who achieve well will be officially recognised.”
Concerns have been raised about the process, as Deans have the discretion to exclude students from the list despite meeting the criteria. However Victoria University Senior Academic Policy Advisor Jenny Christie said “this only applies in certain cases, such as for students found guilty of academic misconduct.”
Seamus has called for accountability around the decision, as the university is not required to give a reason for exclusion. “We do understand that this will be a rare occurrence, but if it does happen, we want the student affected to be able to ask why without having to make a formal appeal. The University has acknowledged this need and has asked Deans to note the need for some form of record keeping.”
The Dean’s List will apply to all faculties, with the exception of the New Zealand School of Music. As the list occurs annually, most students will have at least three opportunities during their undergraduate study to be included.