Student code of behaviour

The Student Code of Behaviour requires the following rights and expectation to be respected and adhered to at all times.

For non-compliance with the Code of Conduct the following procedure for discipline will be followed:

After the three steps in the discipline procedure have been followed, and breaches of the Code of Behaviour still continue, training services will be withdrawn and the student will be sent a student deferral, suspension or cancellation warning letter.

Failure to attend scheduled meetings may result in the College deciding to defer, suspend or cancel a student’s enrolment

If the College intends suspending or cancelling the student’s enrolment where it is not at the student’s request, the student must be informed they have 20 working days to appeal to the College. If the appeal is not upheld or the student withdraws from the appeal process then the College must report the student to DEERW and DIAC via PRISMS. The suspension or cancelling of the student’s enrolment cannot take effect until the appeal process is completed unless there are extenuating circumstances relating the student’s welfare.

Suspension or cancellation of your enrolment has to be reported to DIAC and may affect the status of your VISA.

At any stage of this procedure students are able to access the college complaints and appeals procedure to settle any disputes that may arise.

Student initiated deferral or suspension of enrolment

Students may initiate a request to defer commencement of studies or suspend their studies on the grounds of compassionate or compelling circumstances. Students wishing to defer the commencement of studies or suspend their studies must apply to do so in writing to the College using the student deferral, suspension or cancellation application form or in writing by email, fax or post. Full details and documentary evidence of the compassionate or compelling circumstances must be included with the application for it to be considered.

If approved, the College will report your deferral of commencement or suspension of studies to DIAC which may affect the status of your visa. If you require more information as to how this action may affect your visa status contact your local DIAC office or phone the DIAC helpline 131 881.

Student cancellation of enrollment

Cancellation of enrolment will trigger the refund arrangements in the Written Agreement between the College and the student. Students who cancel their enrolment and think they are due for a refund must also apply for a refund. Refund applications must be made in writing to the College Training Manager. The student refund application form, available from the College, may be used as the written application. Written applications for refunds will also be accepted by mail or by email. Refunds will be made within 28 days of receipt of a written application and will include a statement explaining how the refund was calculated.

The College will report your cancellation of studies to DIAC which may affect the status of your visa. If you require more information as to how this action may affect your visa status contact your local DIAC office or phone the DIAC helpline 131 881.

College initiated suspension or cancellation of enrolment

The College may decide to suspend or cancel a student’s enrolment on its own initiative as a response to breaching the student code of behaviour through misbehaviour, a poor academic record or poor participation by the student. If the College is intending to initiate a suspension or cancellation of enrolment a warning letter will be sent to the student’s currently notified address and the student will have 20 working days from the date of the warning letter to complain or appeal against the College suspension or cancellation. The College will report any suspension or cancellation to DIAC which may affect the status of your visa. If you require more information as to how this action may affect your visa status contact your local DIAC office or phone the DIAC helpline 131 881

College deferral of commencement

The College may also decide to defer the commencement of a course. If the College defers the commencement of a course the provider default conditions in the Written Agreement between the College and the student will be triggered and the College will be obliged to repay all course money within 14 days of the date of deferral unless alternative arrangements can be made which are acceptable to students.

If approved, the College will report its deferral of commencement to DEEWR which may affect the status of your visa. If you require more information as to how this action may affect your visa status contact your local DIAC office or phone the DIAC helpline 131 881.

Department of Immigration and Citizenship

According to the Dept of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) you must provide evidence that satisfies the assessment factors applicable to you to be granted a student visa. Assessment factors include your financial ability, English proficiency, likely compliance with the conditions of your visa and any other matters considered relevant to assessing your application". Additional information on student visa issues is available on DIMIA Internet site on http://www.immi.gov.au and the Study in Australia internet site http://studyinaustralia.gov.au/Sia/en/WhatToStudy/howtoapply/visarequirements.htm#student_visa_sub-classes

Full time study and participation

Australian law requires International students to study at a full time study load. A full-time study load is normally a minimum of 20 hours per week for 40 weeks each calendar year or continuous 12-month period.

Please be aware that students who have unsatisfactory academic progress will be reported to DIAC. Unsatisfactory academic performance is defined as failing more than 50% of units in two consecutive study periods or no attempt at all in doing any assessment for two consecutive study periods. The College is required to monitor, review and takes intervention action when a student is in danger of not progressing satisfactorily or completing their course.

Overseas student health cover

Overseas student health cover (OSHC) is insurance that provides cover on the costs for medical and hospital care which international students may need while in Australia. OSHC will also pay for most prescription drugs and emergency ambulance transport.

If you are an international student studying in Australia, you must purchase an approved OSHC policy from a registered health benefits organisation - commonly referred to as health funds before applying for your visa. You will need to buy OSHC before you come to Australia, to cover you from when you arrive. You will also need to maintain OSHC throughout your stay in Australia. You can find out more about purchasing OSHC at the Department of Health and Aging

Satisfactory progress

If you do not have satisfactory academic progress you will be reported to DIAC which will lead to cancellation of your visa. Unsatisfactory academic progress is defined in the ESOS legislation as failing more than 50% of units in any two consecutive study periods. If this occurs the College will report you to DIAC. A study period is one term of study.

The College will monitor your academic progress, identify students who are “at risk” of breaching this requirement and act to assist student who are “at risk” through meetings and counselling sessions.

Being “at risk” of not meeting satisfactory course progress requirements occurs when a student:

Failing a unit means being assessed as “Not Yet Competent” for a completed unit

In order to have the best chance of maintaining satisfactory progress you must:

School-aged dependents

There are requirements for compulsory school attendance for children or dependents of international students. In Victoria it is compulsory for children to attend school until the age of 16. The choice of schools includes public schools, private schools and religious schools. People over the age of 16 can continue to attend school until they have completed year 12. Dependents of persons holding a student visa may be required to pay full fees in any school, college or university that they enrol in whilst in Australia.

Student transfer

Under the ESOS Framework, the College cannot enrol students seeking to transfer from another college before that student has completed 6 months of their principal course of study except in some circumstances. If you want to transfer before completing 6 months of your principal course, you need to ask the College for a letter of release. The six months is calculated as six calendar month from the first day of your principal course. Your principal course is usually the final course of study you will undertake. For example, if you are studying ELICOS followed by a Diploma program, the Diploma program is your principal course. If you are considering requesting a transfer before completing 6 months of your principal course of study please contact the College administration for a copy of the transfer procedure and the application form

Students do not need a letter of release if:

Use of personal information

Information is collected during your enrolment in order to meet the College obligations under the ESOS Act and the National Code 2007; to ensure student compliance with the conditions of their visas and their obligations under Australian immigration laws generally. The authority to collect this information is contained in the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000, the Education Services for Overseas Students Regulations 2001 and the National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2007. Information collected about you during your enrolment can be provided, in certain circumstances, to the Australian Government and designated authorities and, if relevant, the Tuition Assurance Scheme and the ESOS Assurance Fund Manager. In other instances information collected during your enrolment can be disclosed without your consent where authorised or required by law.

It is a requirement of the Australian Quality Training Framework that students can access personal information held by the College and may request corrections to information that is incorrect or out of date. Apply in writing to the General Manager International if you wish to view your own records.

Working in Australia

Immigration laws allow students to work for a limited number of hours whilst studying on a student visa in Australia. Students can currently work 20 hours per week during the College study time and full-time during breaks. However, work is not always easy to find and under no circumstances can students rely on income earned in Australia to pay tuition fees. Students are not permitted to work if it interferes with their study.

Living in Melbourne

Australian

Australia is a land of contrasts: sweeping golden beaches, coral reefs rich with marine life, tropical rainforests, mountain ranges, vast grazing lands and sparse deserts.

One of the oldest continents, Australia is the only country to occupy an entire continent.

Surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Australia has many animals and plants, which are unique on the planet. The surface geology is typically old and flat with a major mountain range stretching down the eastern coast and another mountain range in the north west of the continent.

Victoria

About 36 per cent of Victoria is forest. The Murray is the State’s longest river and there are a number of large inland lakes. Victoria’s vast coastline extends over 1600 kilometres, bordering the Southern Ocean and Bass Strait and separating the Australian mainland from Tasmania.

Victoria is the most densely populated of Australia’s 8 States and Territories. Some 26 per cent of all Australians live in Victoria and, of those, most reside in Melbourne, the nation’s second largest city and capital of this state.

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital of the State of Victoria. It is situated on the Yarra River and around Port Phillip Bay with its beautiful beaches and water sports facilities. It is a beautiful spacious city with all the parks, gardens, sporting venues and scenic places that Australian space and natural resources allow.

Melbourne is a world-renowned cultural, artistic, financial and communications centre served by an international airport, a cargo and passenger seaport, and rail links to neighbouring States.

Melbourne, once voted the world's 'most livable city', enjoys clean fresh air and beautiful parks and gardens.

Melbourne is considered to be the shopping capital of Australia and offers some of Australia's biggest shopping complexes as well as sophisticated, exclusive boutiques and a host of lively and popular markets.

One quarter of Melbourne's population was born overseas making it one of the world's most multicultural cities. There are now people from 140 nations living harmoniously together. This broad ethnic mix has brought many benefits to the city including a wide range of cuisines and over 2,300 elegant restaurants, bistros and cafes. Melbourne has an excellent public transport system with trams, trains and buses providing an extensive network throughout the city and suburbs.

The population is approximately 4 million. Melbourne is a sprawling city with suburbs extending up to 50km from the centre of the city.

The city centre is on the banks of the Yarra River, 5km from Port Phillip Bay.

The city centre features world class

Melbourne is only a short distance from many beautiful beaches as well as the Victorian mountain regions, where skiing is popular during winter.

The city and surrounding suburbs are well serviced by a public transport network of buses, trains and trams.

A multicultural city enriched by 170 ethnic groups. Sometimes called the culinary capital of Australia, Melbourne has a vast array of restaurants, offering a variety of international cuisine.

Bustling Chinatown in the heart of the city, serves up the finest of Asian cuisine and culture. Several other Melbourne streets are dedicated to Vietnamese, Japanese, Italian and Greek food - cuisine to suit every palate and many to suit a student's budget

The ESOS Framework – Providing quality education and protecting your rights

The Australian Government wants overseas students in Australia to have a safe, enjoyable and rewarding place to study. Australia’s laws promote quality education and consumer protection for overseas students. These laws are known as the ESOS framework and they include the Education Services for Overseas (ESOS) Act 2000 and the National Code 2007.

Protection for overseas students

As an overseas student on a student visa, you must study with an education provider and in a course that can be found on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) at http://cricos.dest.gov.au CRICOS registration guarantees that the course and the education provider at which you study meet the high standards necessary for overseas students. Please check carefully that the details of your course − including its location − match the information on CRICOS.

Your rights

The ESOS framework protects your rights, including:

The ESOS framework sets out the standards Australian education providers offering education services to overseas students must obey. These standards cover a range of information you have a right to know and services that must be offered, including:

One of the standards does not allow another education provider to enrol a student who wants to transfer to another course, but has not completed six months of the final course of study you plan to undertake in Australia. If you want to transfer beforehand you need your provider’s permission.

If you are under 18, to ensure your safety, you will be granted a visa only if there are arrangements in place for your accommodation, support and welfare.

Your responsibilities

As an overseas student on a student visa, you have responsibilities to: