Chapter 4 - General Resolutions Including Protocols
4.1 Committee of Convocation to see Proposed Amendments to the University Act
Any proposed amendments to the University Act must be referred to the Committee of Convocation for comment prior to their submission by Council to the Minister.
Section 2(a) of Statute 5.1 enables the appointment of any member of the academic staff as a member of a faculty. Council has resolved that this provision is an enabling mechanism to facilitate the appointment of particular staff members whose membership would not otherwise be possible under the appointment provisions of Statute 5.1. It is not intended that by this mechanism any faculty should be substantially constituted. (Council 1/3/82)
- Professors should normally be members of their faculty. This may not be possible in large faculties where the membership of all professors may lead to an unworkably large group. In such cases it is expected that at least one of the professors from each multi-professorial department will be a member of the faculty. (Council 5/3/84)
4.3 Naming Rights for Academic Positions
In order to provide safeguards where an outside donor is linked with naming rights for an academic position, or has a possible pecuniary interest in the academic activities of the appointee, the following procedures are to be followed:
agreement by the donor that, apart from recognition as a benefactor, the donor will not seek to gain direct financial or commercial advantage from the appointment or the association of its name with the position;
- agreement by the donor that, once appointed, the occupant of the position will be able to exercise the normal freedoms regarding teaching, publication, choice of research and the exercise of intellectual property rights which are enjoyed by other academic staff appointed at that level
The Council cannot recognise as a University distinction any prize the name of which is not recorded in the regulations or Announcements.
Council may no longer accept money as separate trust endowments for exhibitions for particular subjects but substantial gifts may be commemorated by named prizes from the general fund if the donor so desires and a list of the names of such prizes shall appear in the Calendar.
4.5 Scholarships with Religious Test
The University is unwilling to accept the administration of any trust for the provision of scholarships which requires the holder to be of a particular religion or to satisfy a religious test.
Every person who has fulfilled the conditions prescribed for admission to a degree or for the granting of a diploma is to be admitted to a degree or diploma. Diplomas of all kinds may be granted at faculty ceremonies, but degrees can be conferred only at University ceremonies authorised by Council for that purpose.
With the exception of conferring ceremonies conducted by the Victorian College of the Arts, and the School of Enterprise, the following procedure is to be followed for the conferring of degrees-
- Graduands in place in Wilson Hall - seated in front seats except for doctorates who are seated on dais.
- Academic procession files up central aisle, bedells take station and procession divides left and right; Deans take front seats on right.
- Chancellor seated, Mace laid in position. (The use of the mace is optional for conferrings conducted off-campus).
- Chancellor says-
"By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Council of the University I shall confer certain degrees. I call on Professor X, the President of the Academic Board.".
- President Academic Board goes to microphone right of stage, doffs cap and says-
"Chancellor, I certify to you and to the University that the candidates now to be presented have fulfilled the conditions prescribed for admission to certain degrees and are entitled to be admitted to the rank, privileges and responsibilities of those degrees.".
- President AB. doffs cap and returns to seat.
- Chancellor says-
"By virtue of the authority committed to me I shall present to each candidate a certificate of admission to the appropriate degree and by so doing shall admit them to the rank, privileges and responsibilities of those degrees. I will now receive the candidates for admission to Bachelors degrees."
"I call on Professor X, the Dean of the Faculty X.".
- BACHELORS DEGREES
Ordinary degree candidates for Bachelor of X rise and move to left aisle and up left stair, filing past seated academics.- Nominated Dean moves to right-hand microphone, doffs cap and says-
"Chancellor I present to you these (this) candidates (candidate) for admission to the degree of bachelor of X.".
- Student Administration Officer hands first degree certificate to the Chancellor from the rear.
- Dean reads name, as candidate moves forward to Chancellor and bows.
- Chancellor shakes hands and presents certificate to candidate.
- Candidate bows in acceptance, turns right, bows in passing to Dean.
- On completion of ordinary degree candidates, Dean reiterates process from 5.6.8 for Bachelors Degree with honours after which he doffs cap to Chancellor and returns to his seat.
- On completion of Bachelor candidates from first faculty Chancellor calls on next Dean.
- Second Dean reiterates steps 5.6.8-14 to completion of his faculty's Bachelor candidates.
- Reiteration of 5.6.15-16 for all faculties concerned.
- Chancellor then says-
"I will now receive the candidates for admission to post-graduate degrees. I call on Professor X (adding the words "the Dean of the Faculty of X" if the Dean has not previously been called).".
- MASTERS DEGREES
Dean of Faculty of X moves to right-hand microphone, doffs cap and says-
"Chancellor, I present to you these (this) candidates (candidate) for admission to the degree of Master of X.".
- Presentation as before, except that candidates doff cap to Chancellor and Dean of the faculty instead of bowing.
- Reiterate through presenting faculties.
- DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Chancellor says:
"I call on Professor X, Dean of the School of Graduate Studies to present the candidates for admission to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.".
- Dean of the School of Graduate Studies to microphone, candidates leave their seats individually.
- Dean of the School of Graduate Studies doffs cap and says-
"Chancellor, I present to you these (this) candidates (candidate) for admission to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy." The candidate is escorted from his seat to a position by an usher. As name is read candidate raises bonnet to Chancellor. Remaining in position turns and faces the Dean, who reads short citation, after which candidate moves forward to Chancellor who shakes hands and presents degree certificate to candidate. Candidate then raises bonnet to both the Chancellor and the Dean before returning to seat.
- OTHER DOCTORATES
Chancellor says -
"I call on Professor X, Dean of the Faculty of X to present the candidate(s) for the degree of Doctor of X.".
- Dean of the Faculty of X doffs cap, and follows procedure outlined in 5.6.24 as does candidate.
- The procedure in 5.6.25-26 is reiterated for all faculties concerned.
- IN ABSENTIA CANDIDATES
President of AB goes to right-hand microphone, doffs cap and says-
"Chancellor, I certify to you and to the University that the candidates whose names are included on this list have fulfilled the conditions prescribed for admission to the degrees severally set out and are entitled to be admitted in absentia to the rank, privileges and responsibilities of those degrees."
- The President of the AB walks over to the Chancellor and hands the list of in absentia candidates.
- 30 Chancellor says-
"I admit these candidates to the rank, privileges and responsibilities of the degrees severally set out." (The degree certificate for the in absentia candidates are subsequently mailed by Student Administration to the graduates concerned.)
- CONFERRING OF DEGREES - POSTHUMOUSLY
31.1 The testamur is understood to form part of the deceased's estate and is in the charge of the Executor or Administrator.
31.2 If the Executor or Administrator (or nominated representative) wishes to receive the testamur in person, the deceased's name is included in the attending section of the conferring program and appended with the notation, Posthumous.
The Dean of the Faculty will say:
The Chancellor, accepting the degree on behalf of [deceased's name] is [Executor or Administrator or nominated representative
31.3 If the Executor or Administrator (or nominated representative) does not wish to receive the testamur in person, the deceased's name is included in the In Absentia section of the conferring program and appended with the notation, Posthumous. The testamur is then mailed out.
- HONORARY DEGREES
Chancellor says-
"I call on Professor X, (President of the Academic Board or Dean of the Faculty) to present the candidate for the honorary degree of X.".
- The Protocol Officer escorts the candidate to a position facing the Chancellor and President of Academic Board, or Dean of the Faculty.
The President AB or Dean of the Faculty reads the citation, doffing cap when he addresses the Chancellor. At conclusion of the reading of the citation the candidate doffs his cap to the Chancellor, shakes hands and receives his degree. On returning to his seat he doffs his cap to both Chancellor and President AB or Dean of the Faculty.
- Chancellor invites the speaker to address the graduates and visitors.
- Chancellor and Procession retire.
- CONFERRING OF DEGREES (HONORIS CAUSA) - POSTHUMOUSLY (COUNCIL 7/12/81 )
Conferring of posthumous degrees (Honoris Causa) will take place at a normal meeting of Council, the degree parchments are to be passed to the families at a separate function arranged at a later date. The following procedure will occur:
- At a meeting of Council
37.1 The conferring would be listed as an AO item.
37.2 At the appropriate time, the Chancellor calls upon the University Secretary to report Council's decision to confer the degree or degrees posthumously.
37.3 The Chancellor then calls upon the Dean of the Faculty or the President of the Academic Board, as appropriate, to read the citation pertaining to the first degree to be conferred, to the Council. The citations for subsequent degrees would then be read following the same procedure.
37.4 After all the citations have been read the Chancellor then declares that the conferees are admitted to the rank of the degrees conferred and that suitable arrangements for the handing over of the parchments to the family(s) concerned be made.
37.5 The Council meeting then proceeds.
- At the small function
38.1 The function would be attended, on invitation, by the families and friends of the deceased persons together with senior members of the University and Council.
38.2 At the function, when all the guests are assembled, the Chancellor outlines the reason for the gathering and then calls upon the Dean or President of the Academic Board, as appropriate, to read the citation for the first award. The Chancellor would then present the parchment to the representative of the family.
38.3 The same procedure would be repeated for any further awards being presented.
38.4 Following the completion of this simple ceremony, afternoon tea (or whatever is appropriate to the time of day selected) would be served.
39 Care will need to be taken to ensure that the parchments are understood to form part of the deceased's estate and in the charge of the Executors.
- DEGREES CONFERRED AT CEREMONIES OF PREVIOUSLY INDEPENDENT INSTITUTIONS
The procedure for the conferring of degrees at the faculty of the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) and the School of Enterprise should follow the procedure outlined above as closely as possible whilst retaining the customary elements of their respective ceremonies.
At the commencement of each School of Enterprise ceremony at which University degrees are conferred, a member of the School Advisory Committee ( School of Enterprise) makes a statement confirming the University Council has vested the necessary authority in him or her, and that he or she is presiding at this ceremony. The certification of students (S.R. 4.6. para 5) is performed by that same person, acting on behalf of the President of the Academic Board.