Identification of Graduates


When a Student meets the requirements for the award of the Qualification being studied, an Award Application is entered on the system.  The Award Applications is then processed and verified to make sure that the student complies to all the rules for the Qualification to be awarded.  If the application is successfull, it will result in the creation of a Qualification award on the system.


The process for identification of Graduates can be summarised as follows:


  1. Set up Graduation Process and Rules.
    • Process configuration allows an institution to define which steps to use to identify graduates as well as the rules that must be applied during each step.
    • Standard Rules.  Standard Graduation validation rules are available to all institutions.  These rules must be included in the process where they will be used.  Ony Active rules will be evaluated.
    • Curriculum Grouping Rules {SACAD-40} allows an institution to configure rules specific to a Qualification and Offering Type to identify graduates.
    • Custom Rules allows an institution to have rules that are applied within the specific Institution only.  The rules are stored in a separate package and can not be ovewritten or changed by other institutions, but can be activated or deactivated using the normal configuration mechanisms.

  2. Identify Possible Graduates. Create Graduation Application for Award with status P-Possible Graduate. This is done shortly after registration for planning purposes.
    • Graduation Applicants can be entered manually using {STGRDOP-7}.
    • Graduation Applicants can be identified in bulk shortly after Registration using {STGRDOP-16}. 
    • Graduation Applicants form the base for logistics and planning of graduation ceremonies.
    • As Subject Marks and Results are not yet available, we assume that the student will pass all the subjects registered for, and evaluate if the student will be able to graduate if he passes all registered subjects.   

  3. Identify Actual Graduates. Update the Graduation Applicant status to indicate if Graduation rules were met when actual Subject results become available.
    • After every examination run {STGRDOP-17}.  This will check if students meet the requirements for Graduation according to rules as set up for Graduation process and Rules.
    • Rules are checked against Actual Subject results.
    • The status of Graduation Applicants that meet all requirements is set to M- Met Requirements
    • The status of Graduation Applicants that do not meet requirements is set to  N-Not Met Requirements
    • The detail of rules Passed or Failed is displayed per rule in {STGRDOP-8}.

  4. Evaluate Graduation Rules. Rules are evaluated as per Process and Rules setup and depends on the timing and function of the evaluation:
    • P-Possible Graduate - assume that the student will pass all subjects that are registered even though no results are available.
    • M- Met Requirements and N-Not Met Requirements are determined by actual results.

  5. Approve Graduation Results.
    • Graduation applicants are presented in a tabular format {STGRDOP-18}
    • When results are verified, the status of the Graduation Applicant is changed to Y-Approved.

  6. The Student verification report {STGRDOR-9} can be used to inspect student results

  7. Transfer Confirmed Graduates
    • All specified Graduation Applicants with a status of  Y-Approved are copied to Graduates using {STGRDOP-19}.
    • Graduates can be entered manually using {SSTUD7-12}
    • Upon transfer, the Graduate Applicant status will change to A-Awarded

1. Set up Graduation Process and Rules

1.1. Graduation Process Setup

Example : Approval Stage Code {STGRDC-11}

The example below has separate Stage codes for the Identification of  Possible Graduates soon after registration, and Identify Actual Actual Graduates  when results have been processed.

.

Example : Maintain Graduation Validation Parameter {STGRDMN-3}

The example below indicates that Qualification Group Rules validation is Active and can also be used to specify parameter values to be used during the configuration process.




Example : Link Approval Stage Code Rules {STGRDMN-4}

The Validation Rule for checking  of Qualification Group Rules (GN) is added to Identification of Possible Graduates (STG1). 






1.2. Standard Graduation Rules

Certain rules are provided as standard within the system.  These rules can be activated by marking them as Active on {STGRDMN-3} and entering appropriate parameter values om this screen.  Rules that are not active are ignored during processing.
Rules must be linked to the appropriate Stage where the will be applied using {STGRDMN-4}.  E.g. It is possible to apply a specific rule during stage Identify Actual Graduates only
The following rules are supplied with the standard system:

No Rule Description Print detail
A1 CERTIFICATE Check if all required documents as specified in {STGRDMN-3} for this rule in the first parameter values were presented by the student as indicated on {SREGB-8} Certificate name
A2 CERTPERQUAL
 Check if all required documents for the specific qualification as specified in {SSTUD3-4} was presented by the student as indicated on {SREGB-8} Certificate name
B1 FEES
 Check if all outstanding debts i.r.o qualification was settled.
 Amount
C1 SAMEQUAL
 Verify that the student was not enrolled for more than one Approved qualification across different years, indicating that a qualification change was done.
 Number of Approved Qualifications
D1 ALLEXEMPTIONS
 Check percentage Subject Recognitions / Exemptions.  The number of Subjects exempted for the Qualification code may not exceed 50% of the number of Subjects that the student enrolled for with the same Qualification code. Only Exemption types specified in the first parameter for {STGRDMN-3} are included in the count.
E1 EXITEXEMPTIONS
 Check percentage Subject Exemptions in the Final year only.  The number of Subjects exempted for the Final year may not exceed 50% of the number of Subjects that the student enrolled for with the same Qualification code. Only Exemption types specified in the first parameter for {STGRDMN-3} are included in the count 
F1 STATBLOCK
 Check that the student does not have Active Financial Status Blocks on {SREGL-2} or {FSAC-1}.  Only Status codes linked to the first parameter for {STGRDMN-3} are checked. Status name
G1 CREDITS
 Check that the student has enough Qualification credits. 
Credits are accumulated from Passed or Exempted subjects within the same Approved Qualification. 
Attend only Subjects are excluded. A student is credited for a Subject only once.
The first parameter for this rule on {STGRDMN-3} will determine the type of credits that will be used:
  • 1 Stats Credit from {SACADO-17}
  • 2 National Credit {SACADO-10}
  • 3 Subject Internal Credits {SACADO-10} 
  • total must be at least {SACADO-1} Minimum Registration Credits
  • total must be at least {SACADO-1} Minimum Credit units for Graduation or {SCODE3-1} Minimum Credits for Qualification to be Awarded
H1 SUBJMARKS
 Ensure that marks are entered for all Subjects
I1 MINREGPERIOD
 Check that student was registered for a minimum period (number of years) as specified by {SACADO-7} Minimum Formal Time for the Approved Qualification.  Exam only registration blocks are excluded.
J1 PASSALLSUBJFORQUAL
 Check that student passed all Subjects that are marked as Compulsory on the {SACADO-17} Curriculum
 Compulsory subject not passed
K1 CUMLAUDE
 Depending on the outcome, the Cum Laude indicator is updated on the system.
The following parameters are provided:
  1. Qualification Types to be Included in Cum Laude Test
  2. Subject Levels - Not Exit Level Subjects
  3. Subject Levels - Exit Level Subjects
  1. An overall average for qualification > 75% for qualification types defined in parameter 1.
  2. All subjects passed first time (No re-exams, except special / sick exams)
  3. An average for Level 1 + Level 2 Subjects >= 75% . This refers to the study periods defined in parameter 2.
  4. An average for Final year Subjects >= 75% for the study periods defined in parameter 3.
GN
 QUAL_GROUPS Check Curriculum Groups as set up in {SACAD-40} and described further in section 1.3

POSTHUMOUS
 The system always checks if a student is deceased and will indicate this on the posthumous indicator

1.3. Curriculum Grouping (3-level) Rules


The Curriculum Grouping is used to build the rules as presented in the Prospectus for verification of Graduates.
  • To use Curriculum Grouping functionality,
    • User Access for the 3 level Grouping is set up on {SMNT-5} for the QGRS Type.
    • Grouping rules can only be added by users that are authorized for Faculty/Department specified.
    • Rules may only be created or modified when the Cycle 5 - Group Maintenance is open on {SMNT-2} System Control Cycle - Other.
    • The Standard rule GN  - QUAL_GROUPS  must be Active on  {STGRDMN-3}
    • The Standard rule GN  - QUAL_GROUPS  must be linked to the applicable process on {STGRDMN-4}

    • The Grouping and Rules tab on {SACAD-40} is used to create Headings.  Rules are linked to headings.
    • There are 3 nested Grouping levels or Headings, and Rules can be added to each Heading.
    • Headings on Level 1 implement only AND functionality
    • Headings on Level 2 and 3 are used to implement AND and OR functionality
    • Instruction text can be added to each heading

    The Grouping within Qualification tab on {SACAD-40} is used to link Subjects to Groups or Headings
    • Subjects can be linked on 3 different levels
    • The Grouping provides a selection of Subjects from which group rules must be satisfied.
    • Different structures can be set up for each Academic year, Qualification and Offering Type.
    • A Subject can be included in multiple Groups
    • Subjects can be taken in any Study period
    .
    The example has
    • A Home Language and B Alternative Language on Level 1.  Therefore a student will be forced to make a selection from each of these groups.
    • Groups A1 Xhosa and A2 English on Level 2 within group A Home Language.
    • Group A2i Select 2 of 3 on level 3 within group A2 English
    • Subject 6, Subject 7 and Subject 8 are part of group A2i Select 2 of 3, A2 English and A Home Language
    • A student can be forced to take subjects from both group A1 AND group A2  by specifying that rules for 2 groups within group A must be passed.
    • A student can be allowed to make a selection  from either group A1 OR group A2 by specifying that rules for 1 group within group A must be passed.

Example : Grouping and Rules {SACAD-40}

The example below indicate Fields that can be used to specify Graduation rules.  The values for ALL, Minimum Graduate, Maximum Register and Groups may be left blank if the corresponding rule does not apply.  


Field Format Rule Description
All
 Y/N
 When Y, All Subjects in group are compulsory and must be passed. It Overrides Curriculum settings on {SACADO-17}
Groups
 N2
 When a value is entered, specify the number of groups from the lower level for which rules must be passed. The Subjects that need to be passed are linked to the group on the next level
Example:  If a 2 is specified in Groups for B Alternative Language,  the student will have to comply to the rules of both B1 Dutch AND B2 Sotho.
Minimum Graduate Modules
 N2
 When a value is entered, it specifies the Minimum number of Subjects from the group that must be passed in order to graduate
Maximum Register Modules
 N2
 Not used during Graduation checks
Minimum Graduate Credits
 N2
 When a value is entered, it specifies the Minimum number of Subject credits from the group that must be passed in order to graduate
Maximum Register Credits
 N2
 Not used during Graduation checks





Example : Grouping within Qualification {SACAD-40}

The example below indicates how Subjects are linked to Headings/Groups on the 3 different levels.



1.4. Local Software Rules

Local Software rules can be created by the institution, and is stored in a separate package that is not not overwritten by standard software changes.
The rules are stored in a separate Local package to ensure that the rules can not be modified by Standard Development. 


2. Identification of Graduates

Graduation Applicants are displayed on {STGRDOP-18}.  The steps for the identification of Graduates are as follows:


Example:    View Detail / Verification Report  {STGRDOR-9}

The view detail button can be used to display student details.  The same report can also be run for a batch of students using {STGRDOR-9}


Example: Validation Results {STGRDOP-8}

Validation results are displayed per rule in  the screen for Maintain Student Validation Results.  The Validation Rule detail that should be printed on the iCOMMs letter {STGRDCM-2} indicating to the student why the application was not approved, is updated on the Validation Rule Detail tab.




History Of Changes

Date System Version By Whom Job Description
25-Nov-2020 v04.1.0.0 Esther Nel
 T247465 Original manual document.
11-Nov-2022 v04.1.0.1 Esther Nel T254204
 Minor changes to add GN into standard rules