The following set of minimum guidelines must be used by each faculty board in determining candidates for the award of university medals, within the limits prescribed from time to time by the Academic Board.
Each faculty is permitted to award university medals at each graduation ceremony, provided that the awardee is an undergraduate student and meets the minimum requirements.
Normally, the maximum number of medals awarded at a graduation ceremony in Autumn and Spring teaching sessions for each faculty (approximately proportional to the numbers of eligible graduates and taking account of the spread of undergraduate courses) will be as follows and in no calendar year will it exceed twice this number for each faculty:
- Arts and Social Sciences: 5
- Business: 3
- Design Architecture and Building: 3
- Engineering and Information Technology: 5
- Law: 2
- Health: 2
- Science: 3
The undergraduate student with the highest Weighted Average Mark (WAM) or Grade Point Average (GPA) in each substantive program or program area in each graduating cohort is considered by the relevant results ratification committee, school board or faculty board.
Individual cases are debated to determine whether in the opinion of the committee (or board) they are of exceptional merit.
In general, the students will have achieved a WAM greater than 85 (or equivalent GPA) together with meeting other particular faculty requirements such as a certain level of achievement in an honours or undergraduate research project, a certain WAM in the final or last two years of the course, and/or a certain level of honours if it is an honours course.
No award is recommended if no student is judged to be of exceptional merit.
Two candidates of equal merit in a program or program area may be recommended for a joint award (aeq) of the university medal.