Proposal for an Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement

Abstract

This Final Report provides an account of the program of work undertaken by the 'Development of a National Diploma Supplement Project' and sets out specific recommendations. On 10 January 2007, a Consortium of universities was commissioned to develop a single agreed template for an Australian Diploma Supplement. The Consortium represented 14 universities led by the University of New England, University of Melbourne, and Australian National University. The objectives of the project were to develop an agreed template for an Australian Diploma Supplement (by whatever name it might be known) and to make recommendations on detailed implementation and management strategies. The key recommendation from the Project is for the introduction of an Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement that will be the Australian equivalent of the Diploma Supplement currently being provided to graduates by higher education institutions in some 45 European nations. The Graduation Statement will take the form of documentation provided to graduates by awarding institutions in addition to the degree or diploma certificate or testamur. Its purpose will be to make qualifications more portable and their value more transparent by providing descriptions of the nature, level, context and status of the studies that were pursued and completed by graduates, as well as information about the education system to which the qualification belongs.