Charles Sturt University has defended its early entry programs after a coalition of high school principals labelled the statewide program "an appalling practice" that encourages students to slacken off during their HSC.
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Prospective students in Wagga and surrounds may have received an early-round offer from Charles Sturt University before many schools had held their graduations.
In the final week of September - still three weeks before the HSC had commenced - more than 700 early entry offers were issued by the institution.
It follows comments made by Craig Peterson, acting president of the NSW Secondary Principals Council at the weekend, claiming that over-extended pre-exam entry strategies have the potential to jeopardise student performance.
"If some students pull up stumps in term three because they have their uni place, the pool of marks is affected," he said.
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But a spokesperson for the Charles Sturt University defended the institution's decision, saying acceptance of the early round offer is pursuant to a variety of academic requirements.
"The offers made under this program are conditional and year 12 applicants must achieve the ATAR or other academic requirements listed in the Charles Sturt Advantage program for the offer to remain valid," a spokesperson told The Daily Advertiser.
The offers range across 51 degree types in the Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Education, and the Faculty of Science.
Under proviso of the university's Advantage program, students still need to demonstrate their academic strength in order to qualify for the early offer.
Despite receiving an early offer, students may not know whether they have been accepted into their preferred course until the first round of offers are released by the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) after the HSC.
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"The conditional offer for year 12 students will be converted after the ATAR results are released on 17 December; if the applicant achieves the requirements an offer will be made through UAC on 23 December," the spokesperson said.
With so much emphasis on the academic rigor of the year 12 matriculation, the early entry program is intended to reward other areas of student excellence.
"In conjunction with ATAR results, the early entry program requires applicants to provide examples of key attributes and qualities, such as emotional intelligence, collaboration, empathy and communication skills, resilience, and a commitment to creating a world worth living in," the spokesperson said.