(w)...CIBM Chartered Institute of Business Management Credits A credit is a measure of a unit of learning. Each module has a designated credit value where each credit represents the

IIE012: GRADUATION AND CERTIFICATION POLICY (V11)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Independent Institute of Education (Pty) Ltd is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a higher

education institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997 (reg. no. 2007/HE07/002). Company registration number: 1987/004754/07

Page 1 of 25

1 S24: 2010-07-27 Item 9.6 (whole) 2 This version Includes IIE editorials/changes – alignment with 2012 IIE graduation and certification process 3 S40: 2015-11-05 Item 7.2.6 (name change of HESA and editorial changes) 4 Policy was edited, re-numbered and a Glossary and Roles section added. 5S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 (whole policy review)

POLICY NUMBER

IIE012

POLICY NAME

Graduation and Certification Policy

POLICY VERSION

11

LEGEND

POLICY APPROVAL

Date of Approval Date of Implementation

14 December 2005

January 2006

DATES AMENDED

15 November 2006(w) 23 November 2007(w) 30 June 2009 27 July 2010 (w)1 18 November 2010 16 August 20112 16 August 2014 05 November 20153 03 November 20164 05 July 20185

January 2007 January 2008 January 2010 January 2011 January 2011 January 2012 January 2015 January 2016 January 2017 January 2019

DATE FOR NEXT REVIEW

2021

RELATED POLICIES IIE001: Quality Assurance and Enhancement Policy

IIE002: Admissions Policy IIE009: Assessment Strategy and Policy IIE011: Student Records Policy IIE020: Official Documentation, Marketing and

Advertising Policy IIE029: Distance Education Policy

RELATED PROCEDURE DOCUMENTS

- HTG 33A: Graduation and Certification Process (FT & PT IIE Qualifications) v8

- Graduation Protocol - Issuing and recording of graduation and SLP

certificates (collected and uncollected) and requests for uncollected certificates procedure”




Page 2 of 25

This policy enjoys copyright under the Copyright Act, 1978 (Act, no 98 of 1978). No part of this policy may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any other information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the proprietor.

- Higher Education Quality Committee Information System (HEQCIS) Handbook v2

POLICY ANNEXURES Annexure A: Certificate Reprint Application Form




Page 3 of 25

Table of Contents Glossary and Roles .................................................................................................... 4 Table of Reports ......................................................................................................... 7 1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 10 2 Academic Criteria .......................................................................................... 10 3 Verification of Graduation Documentation .................................................. 10 4 Academic Transcript and Issuing of Confirmation of Graduation Letters 11 5 Graduation Process and Timelines .............................................................. 12 6 Identifying Possible Graduates .................................................................... 12 7 Graduation Invitations .................................................................................. 13 8 Graduation Programme, Ceremony, and Academic Apparel ..................... 13 9 Qualification Distinctions ............................................................................. 14 10 Certificate Printing ........................................................................................ 15 11 Distribution of Certificates ........................................................................... 16 12 Certificate Reprints ....................................................................................... 16

12.1 Reprint Application Procedure .............................................................. 17 13 Issuing of Blank Certificates ........................................................................ 20 14 Handing over of Certificates and Certificate Storage ................................. 20 15 Right to Graduate .......................................................................................... 21 16 Academic Records: Submission to NLRD, Verification Agencies and Third

Parties ............................................................................................................ 22 16.1 National Learner Record Database (NLRD) Submission ...................... 22 16.2 Graduation Records: Submission to External Verification Agencies ..... 23

Annexure A: Certificate Reprint Application Form ................................................. 25




Page 4 of 25

Glossary and Roles

CHE Council on Higher Education – the Quality Council for Higher

Education responsible for quality assurance and promotion through

the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC).

CIBM Chartered Institute of Business Management

Credits A credit is a measure of a unit of learning. Each module has a

designated credit value where each credit represents the amount of

learning that can be achieved in 10 notional hours of study and

includes all learning activities. The granting of credit therefore

refers to the recognition of learning for qualification purposes

against the credits and outcomes associated with a particular

module.

DBE The Department of Basic Education means the department

established in terms of section 7 (2), read with schedule (1), of the

Public Service Act, 1994 (Proclamation No. 103 of 1994), which is

responsible for basic education.6

DHET The Department of Higher Education and Training means the

department established in terms of section 7 (2), read with schedule

(1), of the Public Service Act, 1994 (Proclamation No. 103 of 1994),

which is responsible for overseeing universities and other post-

secondary education in South Africa.7

DHA The Department of Home Affairs means the department established

in terms of section 7 (2), read with schedule 1, of the Public Service

Act, 1994 (Proclamation No. 103 of 1994), with a sole mandate to

secure and manage identity and status of all South African citizens

and managing international migration i.e. citizens of other states

who want to visit, stay, or study in South Africa.8

Endorsement Endorsement is the approval of learning programmes through a

formal process and the use of the endorsement partners’ logo on

certificates and marketing material.

HEQCIS Higher Education Quality Committee Information System. This is a

CHE information system that stores information about the

qualifications that private higher education institutions may offer,

and the learner enrolments and achievements against them. The

HEQCIS in turn serves as a tool to populate the National Learners'

Records Database (NLRD) held and maintained by the South

African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). The CHE is required to

6 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 7 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 8 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4




Page 5 of 25

submit this information to the NLRD for all higher education

institutions.9

HEQSF The Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework provides a

basis for standards development and quality assurance. It provides

a mechanism for improving the coherence of the higher education

system and indicates the articulation routes between qualifications.

It thereby enhances the flexibility of the system and enables

students to move more efficiently over time from one programme to

another, as they pursue their academic or professional careers.

ITSU The Integrated Tertiary System Unit at The IIE CAT responsible for

the integration of the Student Administration Management (SAM)

system and technology to support teaching and learning and all the

tertiary systems used by CAT and the Brands for academic and

academic operational delivery.

IIE Marque The innovative IIEMarque QR code on The IIE qualification

certificate behind which is a URL that is unique to each student. It

is an IIE electronic verification process designed to make it easy

for students to communicate the detail of their qualification to

anyone they choose to – including future employers, graduate

studies institutions or anyone else who may need to know more

than the name of your qualification.10

Matriculation

Board

The Matriculation Board is part of Universities South Africa (USAf) and is responsible for the administration of the government-approved endorsement and exemption regulations and resolutions.

NLRD National Learner Record Database. This is the electronic

management information system of the NQF, under the authority of

SAQA, which contains records of qualifications, part-qualifications,

learner achievements, recognised professional bodies,

professional designations, and all related information such as

registrations and accreditations.

NQF The NQF is a comprehensive system, approved by the Minister of Higher Education and Training, for the classification, registration and publication of articulated and quality-assured national qualifications and part-qualifications. The South African NQF is a single integrated system comprising three coordinated qualifications Sub-Frameworks for General and further Education and Training, Higher Education and Trades and Occupations.11

National

Senior

National Senior Certificate. The certificate awarded as a final exit

qualification to a candidate who has complied with the relevant





Page 6 of 25

Certificate

(NSC)

exit-level outcomes stipulated in the policy for the National Senior

Certificate, a qualification at Level 4 on the NQF.

NSC

Equivalent

Certificates

Senior Certificate, Senior Certificate Amended, National Certificate

(Vocational) or SAQA Evaluation Certificate equivalent to the

NSC.12

NC(V) National Certificate (Vocational) - the certificate awarded as a final

exit qualification to a candidate who has complied with the exit-

level outcomes stipulated in the National Education policy on the

National Certificate (Vocational) (Level 4), a qualification at Level 4

on the NQF.

PHEIs Private Higher Education Institutions.

PRISA The Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa endorses the IIE

Diploma in Public Relations.

Programme Used to refer to a year of study in a full qualification or to a short

learning programme. Distinct from a qualification.

Qualification A learning programme registered on the NQF as a qualification,

accredited by a Quality Council and consisting of at least 120

credits. For The IIE it is normally a higher education qualification

registered on the HEQSF. Also referred to as a full qualification –

that is not a short learning programme or part-time qualification.

Quality

Councils

The promulgation of the NQF Act, Act 67 of 2008, constituted the

three Quality Councils, namely, Umalusi- Quality Council for the

General and Further Education and Training (GENFETQA), the

Council on Higher Education (CHE) for higher education and

training and the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations

(QCTO) for the occupational sector.13

Registrar The Registrar of The IIE

RPTS The Reprint Tracking System on Intralink used by brands to log

student applications for lost or damaged certificates.

SAM The IIE System for Academic Management.

SAQA The South African Qualifications Authority is a statutory body,

regulated in terms of the National Qualifications Framework Act No.

67 of 2008. The objectives of SAQA are to advance the objectives

of the NQF; oversee the further development and implementation of

the NQF; and co-ordinate the sub-frameworks.14

Senate The overarching academic governance structure of The IIE. It has a

policy setting, monitoring, and review mandate. It may oversee the

operational implementation of a decision, but it is not directly

involved in operational implementation of decisions, although its

policies may include mandated procedures.





Page 7 of 25

Senior

Certificate

(SC)

The Senior Certificate awarded as a final exit qualification to a

candidate who has complied with the exit-level outcomes stipulated

in the National Education Policy on the Senior Certificate.15

Senior

Certificate

(Amended)

SC(a)

A qualification for adults and out-of-school learners equivalent to the

National Senior Certificate (NSC) in terms of Examination Circular

No. 17 of 2014 of the Department of Basic Education (Policy). This

Policy allows adults, who are 21 years and older, who have no

previous credits, to write the Senior Certificate examination, which is

based on the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS)

of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS), the curriculum offered

in schools in South Africa.

SLP Short Learning Programme describes all short programmes,

whether credits are awarded or not, and is inclusive of skills

programmes, credit-bearing short courses, and non-credit-bearing

short courses.

The IIE The Independent Institute of Education.

USAf Universities South Africa, formerly known as Higher Education

South Africa (HESA), is a representative body of South Africa’s

public universities, that aims to promote a more inclusive,

responsive, and equitable national system of higher education.

Table of Reports16 Academic

Transcript

(GR030)

The official IIE Academic Transcript for reporting of students’ full

qualification results.

Academic

Statement of

Results

(AR017)

This is the IIE Academic Statement of Results for verification of full

qualifications.

Graduation

Report

(GR001)

This report is pulled post the completed graduation process and is

the Audit File for Brand/ the Office of the Registrar sign off on final

graduation numbers.

Graduation

Report

GR001 (B)


the Audit File for Brand/ the Office of the Registrar sign off on final

graduation numbers. It is used for students who graduated pre-

2013.

Graduation

Analysis

Report

(GR004)

This report is based on the module credit value per full-time

qualification from the Reporting Console to identify possible

graduates. It can be used to identify graduates who have a 100%

credit value completion rate. It can also be used to identify

projected graduates for the following year.

15 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 16 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4




Page 8 of 25

Graduation

Letter

(GR006)

This letter has two parts, the pre-graduation letter is used if the

student hasn’t been graduated off SAM and the post-graduation

letter confirming that they have fulfilled the graduation

requirements.

Graduation

Attire and

Programme

Information

Report

(GR007)


a report that brands can use for graduation apparel ordering. It

can also be used for the Graduation Programme as the graduates

are represented by Faculty and qualification earned.

Graduation

Print Report

(GR008)


a report that the Office of the Registrar can use for printing

purposes. This report creates the students “Certificate Number”

for the full-time qualification. This report can also be pulled for the

signing sheet used for students to sign for their certificates at

graduation. . This report will also indicate whether fees are

outstanding.

Please note that this is a recently amended report and so will

therefore not include the certificate numbers for 2011 graduations

but will be valid for all full qualifications in 2012. This report also

identifies reprints.

Graduation

Pack Report

(GR009)

This is the graduation pack report which is intended to be able to

provide students with evidence or documentation - between

having written the final examination and the graduation ceremony

- to indicate the qualification they have completed. It can also be

used when applying for jobs or for further study. This

documentation can also be used for students who are applying for

credits at another institution – only the modules completed should

be selected and the information printed for the student. All

modules or just one in particular can be printed.

Graduation

Programme

(GR032)

This report is comprised of the following:

• The Conferral of Qualification sheet lists all the students who

are graduating and is in order Brand > Campus > Faculty >

Qualification by academic award (Higher Certificate, Diploma,

Degree, Post Grad Certificate/ Diploma, Honours, Masters) >

Surname.

• The Top Achiever by Qualification lists all the students who

achieved the highest average mark per qualification, per

campus, also ordered as above.

• The National Top Achiever lists all the students who achieved

the highest average mark per qualification, by brand, also

ordered as above.

NSC

Database

Refers to the SAM Report of the student’s NSC results received

directly from Universities South Africa. This report can be used to

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Page 9 of 25

Report

(APR007)

verify if the students “NSCs” match the admission requirements

for the qualification they have registered for.

NSC

Exception

Report

(NSC001)

This report was created to be able to audit students based on

what they qualify to register for, compared to what they have

registered for. For e.g. if a student got a diploma entry on the NSC

and they have registered for a degree, this report will flag that

student.

Qualification

Guide

(QG001)

This report provides details of the modules per qualification, as well

as the credits per module.

GR013 This report is used exclusively for the SLP/ SOBT Certification

Process and is pulled post the completed SLP Certification

Process. It is the report that the site can use for printing purposes.

This report creates the students ‘Certificate Number’.

Please note: All GR reports (GR001, GR004, GR005 and GR008) highlight transfer students i.e.

students who transferred from Campus A to Campus B within their qualification. GR

Reports (GR001 and GR004) include the Campus A and Campus B name to assist users

in identifying the student’s previous campus. As per agreed business processes, the

student should be graduated on Campus B and included in all Campus B reports and

Graduation Programmes. However, it is the responsibility of Campus A to ensure that all

applicable transfer documents as per the 031 HTG on Transfers (Across Brand and

Campuses) are included for Campus B grad processing purposes.




Page 10 of 25

1 Introduction

(1) The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE) is committed to excellence, which

includes effective mechanisms to quality assure the processing and issuing of

certificates, and effective security measures to avoid fraud or illegal issuing of

certificates.

(2) This Policy must be read in conjunction with the G33A SAM: Graduation and

Certification Process (FT and PT IIE Qualifications) “How to Guide”, Higher

Education Quality Committee Information System (HQCIS) Handbook, Issuing and

recording of graduation and SLP certificates (collected and uncollected) and

requests for uncollected certificates procedure and the Graduation Protocol

Document.

2 Academic Criteria17

(1) All criteria related to admission, progression, assessment, credit, and graduation

are stored on the Student Academic Management System (SAM).

(2) Students are registered against the admission criteria and their progress is

monitored and recorded against the criteria which is contained in the Qualification

Guide (Qualification Guide Report (QG001)) on SAM.

3 Verification of Graduation Documentation

(1) Immediately after the admission process and in preparation for graduation, sites

load available verified student information onto the Student Academic

Management System (SAM). The documents to be uploaded via document

tracking on SAM confirmed and verified by the site as “submitted”, are:

a) a certified copy of the students’ South African Identity Document (ID) or valid

Passport with a valid study visa;

i. If a student does not have an ID, proof of application to the Department

of Home Affairs (DHA) must be provided.

ii. If a student’s surname has changed, a copy of the marriage certificate,

or if it was changed for another reason, an affidavit and or proof of

communication to the DHA must be provided.

b) a certified copy of the students’ National Senior Certificate/ equivalent school

leaving certificate;

i. If the students’ NSCs can be verified on the NSC database report

(APR007) and matches the admission requirements for the qualification

17 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 whole section review




Page 11 of 25

they have registered for, the NSCs can be imported in bulk and they will

be deemed verified.

ii. If the student appears on the NSC Exception Report (NSC001), the NSC

or equivalent must be uploaded.

c) If a student has been admitted through the recognition of prior learning (RPL)

or conditionally admitted, the relevant Registrar’s/ brand letters must be

uploaded onto the student’s SAM record.

d) Certified copy of the USAf exemption certificate.

i. This applies to all international all students as well as SA students who

obtained the South African Senior Certificate without endorsement or

have done technical and N5 subjects – these students need to apply to

the Matriculation Board of USAf for exemption to degree studies.

e) A certified copy of a higher qualification where students are registered for an

Advanced Certificate, Postgraduate Certificate, Advanced Diploma, Honours

Degree, Postgraduate Diploma, or Master’s Degree.

f) A signed copy of the student’s Academic Transcript (GR030) is automatically

uploaded in bulk after the graduation requirements have been met. If the

GR030 hasn’t been automatically uploaded, it must be uploaded manually.

g) If a student applied for external or internal academic credit, the relevant credit

letter (external or internal) must be uploaded.

4 Academic Transcript and Issuing of Confirmation of

Graduation Letters18

(1) In accordance with the Regulations19, The IIE academic transcripts (GR030)

indicate the following:20

a) the name of the issuing institution;

b) the registration number of the provider (in the case of private providers);

c) the full name of the graduate who is entitled to receive the qualification;

d) the full title of the qualification including designator and qualifiers;

e) the qualification ID number from the NQF;

f) the NQF exit level and total credits of the qualification;

g) the NQF level and credit value of each module (unless included in the

supplement);

h) the academic achievement of the graduate;

i) the person in the institution authorised to issue the documentation;

j) the identity number, or passport number and nationality, if not South African,

of the student;

k) the student number;

18 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 19 Higher Education Act 1997. Regulation 25 and the Revised Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework 2013. 20 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4




Page 12 of 25

l) the courses taken by code number and name for each year, in correct

chronological order;

m) the mark or grade for each course, with an explanatory note on the marking

or grading system;

n) the qualification awarded.

(2) The transcript curriculum is available on IIE marque.

(3) The IIE issues to IIE graduates an official IIE Academic Transcript (GR030) or

graduation letter (GR006 - post-graduation letter) confirming that they have fulfilled

the graduation requirements. The GR006 (post-graduation letter) can only be used

once the student has been graduated off SAM before the graduation ceremony –

see section below referring to reprints.21

5 Graduation Process and Timelines

(1) Brands submit the graduation dates for the following year for each campus, at the

last Senate meeting of the year. When determining these dates, due consideration

is given to public holidays and other religious days, as well as the availability of

venues where the graduation ceremonies will be held.22

(2) Once the graduation dates have been approved, the graduation timelines are

determined by the Office of the Registrar, in consultation with the sites, taking into

consideration the time allocation for each step as well as specific due dates. The

detail is unpacked in the SAM “How to Guide” (HTG) 33A: Graduation and

Certification Process (FT and PT IIE Qualifications) document.

(3) It is imperative for campuses to ensure that all possible graduates have been

identified and graduated on the system on the specified dates and that they appear

on the final print report (GR008).

6 Identifying Possible Graduates23

(1) Possible graduates are identified, using the Graduation Analysis Report (GR004).

Any students who were registered on the ALIAS database including those missed

from previous years may be uploaded on the Reprint Tracking System (RPTS),

marking the reprint purpose to ‘graduation’. These certificates will have a

completion note for the year they completed the qualification. Any student missed

21 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 22 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 23 S13: 2007-11-23 Item 8.1.4 (refers to all changes made) (replaced changes S9: 2006-11-15 Item 6.7); S48:2018-07-

05 item 7.2.4 whole section review




Page 13 of 25

from previous years must be checked on the GR004 from the last year in which

they were registered. (2) Transfer students must be graduated from the campus at which they completed

their qualification. Transfer students do not always appear on the GR004 and

therefore must be carefully tracked. The IIE CAT should be requested to graduate

these students before the transfer takes place.

(3) Students may attend the graduation ceremonies of other campuses but will be on

the graduation programme and graduation sign-off of the campus where they

completed. Campuses must handle the transfer of certificates between brands and

campuses.

(4) Late Graduation – is an official and recognised process that will take place each

year between June and August for all students who were missed in the graduation

process, or who have subsequently handed in documents since the campus sign

off. It is NOT for students who have qualified since the campus sign off. Campuses

need to take all reasonable steps possible to minimise late graduations.

(5) Campuses are requested to process internal credits as soon as they are awarded

and not wait until graduation before awarding them. If students have articulated

from one programme to another where internal credits apply, if these credits are

not processed onto the new qualification – these students do not appear at 90% -

100% to graduate on the GR004 and these students are easily missed.

7 Graduation Invitations

(1) Once the sites have signed off the Graduation Reports (GR001 and/ or GR001B),

invitations to the graduation ceremony can be sent to the students who have been

graduated off SAM. The following needs to be included on the Graduation Invitation

but can be formatted in the style that suits the Brand, and must be signed off by

the Office of the Registrar:

a) name and surname of student;

b) day, date and time of graduation; and

c) venue.

8 Graduation Programme, Ceremony, and Academic

Apparel

(1) Once all graduates have been confirmed on the Graduation Reports (GR001 and

GR001B) and the Graduation Print Reports (GR008), the campuses/ brands can

finalise the Graduation Programme (GR032).




Page 14 of 25

(2) All graduation ceremonies need to follow The Independent Institute of Education

(The IIE) protocol as detailed in the Graduation Protocol document - the ceremony

requirements; academic dress, office bearers, proceedings, award of qualification

and academic regalia. The Office of the Registrar must sign off the Graduation

Programme as it represents an official record of the qualifications conferred. This

programme is the official record of proceedings and thus, if a student is not listed

it calls into question the veracity of a claim that a student has graduated. Historical

copies of grad programmes should be lodged with the Office of the Registrar.24

(3) The Campus provides the number of graduates per qualification and per faculty to

the designated provider of graduation apparel to ensure adequate apparel is

available for ordering by the Brands. The Graduation Attire and Programme

Information Report (GR007) is pulled after the completion of the graduation

process on SAM. Brands manage their own graduation ceremonies – the Office of

the Registrar will ensure that The IIE Academic Gowns for office bearers are

arranged for each graduation ceremony. An IIE Central Academic Management

team member will officiate at the respective graduation ceremony and will also

deliver The IIE Director’s graduation speech.

9 Qualification Distinctions

(1) An average of 75% for all modules written over the duration of a programme has

to be achieved for the qualifier “distinction” to be awarded for the programme, and 25subject distinction would require a final mark of 75% for that subject.

(2) Subject distinctions are indicated on transcripts, while qualification distinctions are

reflected on graduation certificates.

(3) For students who achieve an average of 74%, overall for a qualification, the mark

will automatically be condoned to 75%.

(4) The IIE only uses the term distinction as explained above, it does not use the terms

cum laude, summa cum laude and magna cum laude “which are referred to as the

Latin system and are not widely used outside of the USA” 26

24 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 25 Teaching and Learning Committee (T&L9) meeting of 21 May 2007 26 https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cum-laude.asp; S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cum-laude.asp




Page 15 of 25

10 Certificate Printing

(1) A secure printer, duly authorised by the Registrar, prints bar-coded certificates

from the signed graduation/ certification lists. A record is kept of each certificate

printed against the barcode concerned. Damaged or spoiled certificates received

from the secure printer are recorded and then destroyed by the Office of the

Registrar – a register is kept of the destroyed/ damaged certificates.27

(2) The full qualifications certificates are signed, using the electronic signatures of

designated signatories (The IIE Director and the Managing Director of the Brand).

Some of The IIE full qualifications are endorsed by either the Chartered Institute of

Management Accounting (CIMA), the Marketing Association of South Africa MA

(SA), or the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA), and this is

reflected on the qualifications endorsed.28

(3) For short learning programme (SLP) courses, where necessary (such as for those

endorsed by the Chartered Institute of Business Management (CIBM)), the course

outcomes need to be printed on the back of each certificate issued to students.

This is decided on a case-by-case basis.

(4) The Registrar will approve the format of all SLP certificates issued and it will be

based on the requirements of this Policy and the Official Documentation, Marketing

and Advertising Policy (IIE020). In particular, these certificates will make explicit

the nature of the programme followed (an SLP).

(5) All SLPs must be referred to as short learning programmes or short courses and

the term “diploma” or any other distinctive name relating to qualifications on the

Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework (HEQSF) must not be used.

(6) The IIE Senate has delegated responsibility to the Campus Principals to sign SLP

certificates on behalf of The IIE. Such delegation is effective for a year at a time

and will not be renewed unless the relevant national manager can satisfy The IIE

Senate (through production of complete and accurate records) that the site

concerned has met the conditions of this and associated policies and has lodged

with the Registrar a complete list of all certificates awarded on that site for the

preceding year29 . The SLP certificates are certified off SAM.30

27 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 28 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 29 S25: 2010-11-18 Item 6.3 [paragraphs 4 & 5 – refer to Annex 6.3(d)] 30 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4




Page 16 of 25

11 Distribution of Certificates (1) The printers will pack, quality control, and distribute all the full qualifications

including the Marque cards, with the GR008 report, to the campuses.

(2) A copy of the signed GR008 report is also e-mailed to the relevant sites by the

Office of the Registrar.

(3) The graduation timelines for full qualifications indicate the courier delivery date.

The designated campus/ National Office person must acknowledge either receipt

or non-delivery of the certificates and confirm this with the Printer and the Office of

the Registrar within four hours of the expected delivery time to ensure that swift

action can be taken.31

(4) SLP certification is handled entirely by the brands on SAM, and the brands upload

the certification list to the external secure printer in the same manner as for the full

qualifications; after which the certificates are printed and couriered to the

respective national office/ campus.32

12 Certificate Reprints33 (1) Requests for reprints of certificates are considered under the following

circumstances:

a) If a student has lost his/ her certificate; and

b) If the original certificate has a misprint or other error.

(2) If a student has lost his/ her certificate, the student may apply to be issued with

another certificate, provided that the second issue is clearly marked “REPRINT”.

(3) In the case of internal errors caused by The IIE or printer, and errors resulting from

students not providing the correct information, the original certificate must be

returned to the Office of the Registrar and destroyed. A new certificate will then be

issued as soon as possible. If the error originated from the student, the second

certificate will be marked as “REPRINT”. The barcodes of both the erroneous and

corrected certificate must be recorded.34

(4) Reprints of certificates will be issued where the graduation date was from 2006 to

date; however, reprints of certificates will not be issued for qualifications awarded

31 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 32 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 33 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 34 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4




Page 17 of 25

prior to 2006 will indicate completion of the qualification in accordance with the

curriculum of the formerly registered institution which became an educational

brand of The IIE.35

(5) The fee for a reprint (if the reason for a reprint is not an internal error) is set by The

IIE in consultation with the brands.

(6) Where fees are still owed by the student, a request for reprint cannot be processed

until it has been ascertained that the original certificate has not been issued to the

student. Before an application for a reprint is processed, sites must ensure that the

first certificate was collected and, if not, it must be released by the campus or

requested from the Office of the Registrar upon proof of settlement of the

outstanding fees.36

12.1 Reprint Application Procedure37

(1) For certificates where the graduation date was before 2011, the relevant site

Administrator/ Manager or equivalent must request the reprint via the Reprint

Tracking System (RPTS) on Intralink and assign it to the Office of the Registrar.

(2) Reprint application processing will be done as follows:

a) The student is still required to apply via the Student Hub and submit relevant

documents/ proof of payment – Please take note of the generic Student

number for Legacy Queries: 11051808 (this number is given to students who

do not have a SAM student number).

b) Application is loaded on RPTS, but in addition, the manual GR008, available

on the RPTS system, must be completed by the student hub or in some

instances the Brand. The GR008 must also be loaded on the RPTS space,

using the campus name, month for reprints (first name) and year (surname)

as per example below.

35 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 36 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 37 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 whole section review


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Independent Institute of Education (Pty) Ltd is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997 (reg. no.

2007/HE07/002). Company registration number: 1987/004754/07

Page 18 of 25

Registrar Office will be sending these for print as per respective timelines. Only the following columns on the manual GR008 need to be completed: Count Campus First Name Middle Name Surname Student number (if known – otherwise 000000) ID or passport number Qualification Name Endorsed by (if relevant – possibly only PRISA, IMM and ICHM) Conferred date (original graduation date – if known otherwise year). Reprint (Yes) Reprint date Completion note (if applicable)


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Independent Institute of Education (Pty) Ltd is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997 (reg. no.

2007/HE07/002). Company registration number: 1987/004754/07

Page 19 of 25

COUNT

CAMPUS

FIRST NAME

MIDDLE NAME

SURNAME

STUDENT NO

ID NUMBER OR PASSPORT NUMBER

GENDER

RACE

QUALIFICATION CODE

QUALIFICATION NAME

QUALIFICATION CREDIT

S

STUDENT COMPLETED CREDITS

STUDEN

T GRADUATION

COMPLETION

RATE

CORE DISCIPLINE

FACULTY NAME

ENDORSED BY

CONFERRED

DATE

DATE OF SIGNATURE

OBTAINED DISTINCTION

CERTIFICAT

E NUMBER

REPRINT

REPRINT

DATE

COMPLETION

NOTE

IIE MARQUE (QR CODE)

AUTHENTICATION KEY

Completed in accordance with the curriculum of the former {insert brand name}




Page 20 of 25

(3) For certificates where the graduation date is 2012 onwards, the following

procedure applies:

a) The student is still required to apply via the Student Hub and submit relevant

documents/ proof of payment – using their SAM student number and the

application is loaded on RPTS, however, an automatic GR008 will be pulled

from the system by the Office of the Registrar for printing.

b) The relevant site Administrator/ Manager/ equivalent must request the reprint

via RPTS.

c) The “Request for Reprint Form” together with the affidavit (if applicable) must

then be uploaded onto the student’s document tracking record under the

“Graduation Application Form” category.

(3) The reprint requisition form (Annexure A) must be correctly filled in and supported

with the required documentation, namely:

a) original copy of certificate clearly marking what is incorrect;

b) certified copy of the corrected ID/ passport, if the error was on the original

ID/ passport document;

c) if the certificate was lost: an affidavit stating the reason the reprint is required;

and

d) a receipt of reprint fee or proof of payment (if applicable).

(4) The student’s identity, graduation eligibility (from the applicable graduation

programme), and the original certificate bar code as well as any outstanding fees

must be verified by the relevant site Administrator/ Manager.38

(5) A copy of the application for a reprint must be placed in the student’s file.

13 Issuing of Blank Certificates

(1) No blank certificates will be issued under any circumstances. Examples of

certificates or diplomas needed for official purposes will have the word SAMPLE

clearly marked across the face of the certificate or diploma, and the wording will

be STUDENT NAME; NAME OF PROGRAMME, etc.

14 Handing over of Certificates and Certificate Storage

(1) All certificates are handed to qualifying students (hereafter referred to as

graduates) at graduation ceremonies. Refer to the Issuing and recording of

graduation and SLP certificates (collected and uncollected) and requests for

uncollected certificates procedure. It is a minimum requirement for students to sign

a collection register on the day of the event when the certificate is handed over.

38 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4




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(2) A graduate who does not attend graduation will have to personally collect and sign

for receipt of their certificate, after presenting his/ her ID as proof of identity.

(3) If the graduate authorises someone else to collect his/ her certificate, this person

needs to provide a signed letter of authorisation with certified copies of the

graduate’s ID and his/ her own ID. The person collecting needs to sign the GR008

report/ log as noted below. Campuses may send the certificates to a student by

registered mail/ courier if a student so requests. Campuses are also required to

verify the student’s account balance before issuing.

(4) After each graduation ceremony, campuses must do an audit of the certificates

issued, and those not collected, and must submit a report (GR002) of uncollected

certificates to the Office of the Registrar within two weeks of each graduation

ceremony39.

(5) Certificates not issued or collected at graduation, due to non-attendance or

financial reasons, must be stored in a secure area with limited access until they

are returned to the Office of the Registrar. The GR002 report that is submitted to

the Office of the Registrar (see point above) needs to be used to log any issuing

of certificates after graduation.

(6) Campuses must return all full qualifications certificates not collected within one

calendar year of the graduation ceremony to the Office of the Registrar, for storage.

Campuses need to keep accurate records of certificates returned, and an

application for their release and subsequent re-issue must be made to the Office

of the Registrar.40

(7) The issuing of SLP certificates is handled by the campuses. It is the responsibility

of the campuses to ensure that the SLP students have met the SLP course

requirements, are certified off the system on SAM, that certificates are printed, and

receipt thereof is signed for by the students. All SLP certificates not collected must

be safely stored at the campus and a record of issued, reprinted and certificates

collected by an authorised person must be managed and kept by the campus.41

15 Right to Graduate

(1) Students will not receive their graduation certificates, transcripts, or proof of having

graduated if they have fees outstanding. Students whose fees are in arrears when

graduation lists are drawn up, but who have met the academic requirements for

graduation, are handled as follows:

39 Added to address concern raised in IIE Internal Audit Report (October 2015) re controls over uncollected certificates 40 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 41 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4




Page 22 of 25

a) No results are released to anyone in arrears.

b) The fee payer is sent a debtor’s letter and call, which includes the information

that a student who is in arrears may not graduate, and that fees should be

settled.42

c) If no payment has been made by the time graduation lists are being drawn

up, the student is included in all graduation arrangements (including printing

of certificates and inclusion in the official graduation programme) but is told

when invited to the graduation they will not receive their certificate of

graduation.

d) The student is permitted to join the ceremony with the other students but is

not given his/ her certificate. Instead, she/ he is given an envelope with a

letter indicating that his/ her certificate and transcript will be released when

he/ she has paid the outstanding fees.

e) The student’s record remains tagged as being in arrears and the transcript,

results, and certificate are not released until fees are paid.

f) The National Office keeps the certificates of those in arrears for one year

after which they are returned to Office of the Registrar and accurate records

kept. Once fees are paid, the certificate can be released by the National

Office/ Office of the Registrar.

(2) In terms of Section 3 of The Higher Education Act, 1997, published in the

Government Gazette, 5 October 2007, no qualification may be awarded as

compensation for a student’s failure at a higher level, or by default.

(3) No exit level certificates are issued for students beyond 2006.

16 Academic Records: Submission to NLRD,

Verification Agencies and Third Parties

16.1 National Learner Record Database (NLRD) Submission

(1) The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) is the custodian of The National

Learners’ Record Database (NLRD). The NLRD is used to provide learners and

employers with proof of qualifications obtained, and to provide policy makers with

comprehensive information to enable informed decision-making (Shapiro, 2008).

(2) All Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs) are required to submit their

student enrolment and graduation data on the Higher Education Quality Committee

Information System of the Council on Higher Education (CHE). The HEQCIS in

turn serves as a tool to populate the National Learners' Records Database

(NLRD).43

42 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 43 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4




Page 23 of 25

(3) The CHE is required to submit this information to the NLRD for all higher education

institutions, as per the Regulations for the Registration of Private Higher Education

Institutions’, 2016 (Regulations).44

(4) Clause 25(4) of the Regulations states that:45

“An institution must submit to the CHE, such information from its records as the

CHE and SAQA required for the National Learners’ Records Database (NLRD)”

(5) Furthermore, section 6 of the Higher Education Act, 1997 states that:46

"Every national and provincial department of state, every publicly funded science,

research and professional council and every higher education institution must

provide the CHE with such information as the CHE may reasonably require for

the performance of its functions in terms of this Act."

(6) To ensure compliance in this regard, the Office of the Registrar updates The IIE

HEQCIS records, as required, with site and qualification information, using the up-

to-date HEQCIS templates, which can be found on

http://www.che.ac.za/focus_areas/heqcis/overview. Once the HEQCIS has

updated The IIE site and qualification information, The IIE receives an updated .csv

file. Once the ITSU and Registrar’s team confirm the data in the file as correct, they

will submit it on the HEQCIS. Edudex system – this is done twice per year.

(7) Once The IIE submission is successful, the HEQCIS will issue a letter per site

confirming that the institution and its sites have complied with the regulations for

submission of data to the NRLD. These letters are included in the Department of

Higher Education and Training Annual Report, which is due on or before 30 April

each year.

16.2 Graduation Records: Submission to External Verification

Agencies

(1) It is common practice for employers to verify prospective employees’ qualifications

or certificates from the institution that conferred the qualification or certified the

short learning programme before they are employed. In this regard, The IIE

provides its graduation and certification data to verification agencies so that any

past IIE student’s academic credentials can be verified as quickly as possible. A

month after the last IIE graduation ceremony, the Office of the Registrar will ensure

that the graduation and certification reports are sent to the verification agencies.


http://www.che.ac.za/focus_areas/heqcis/overview




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(2) Brands are required to forward their SLP certificate records of the previous year,

to the Office of the Registrar by the end of the first month in the New Year.

(3) The Office of the Registrar receives and attends to verification of IIE qualifications

and SLP certificates on a daily basis and may request some of the legacy

information to be verified by the campus/ brand concerned.

IIE012: CERTIFICATION POLICY (V9)



Page 25 of 25

Annexure A: Certificate Reprint Application Form47 STUDENT INFORMATION

Name of Student: Surname1:

Date of Birth: ID No.:

E-mail Address: Cell No.:

Name of Programme: Yr. of

Graduation

Name of Campus

Graduated From:

Residential Address:

Postal Address:

Student’s Signature: Date of

Submission:

Reason for Reprint (Tick appropriate block on the RHS below)

Certificate/ Diploma/ Degree lost – provide affidavit

Incorrect detail: (Information omitted; misspelled; incorrect) – please attach copy of corrected ID document)

Administrator

Documents Required and Verified, Including Outstanding Fees: (Site Administrator to verify)

Documents: Submitted (Y/ N or N/A) Verified (Y/ N or N/A)

1) Student ID/ Passport

2) Affidavit (where certificate of qualification obtained, has been lost)

3) Original copy of Certificate, Diploma or Degree Barcode/ certificate no. and graduation eligibility to be verified)

4) Receipt of re-print fee

5) Outstanding fees (Y/ N)

Approval (Y/ N) and Comment:

Site Campus Administrator/ Equivalent Signature:

Collection Date:

47 S48:2018-07-05 item 7.2.4 Form reviewed