Policy Directory

STUDENT ACADEMIC CONSIDERATION GUIDELINES

Date approved

19 February 2009

Date Procedure will take effect

2 March 2009

Date of Next Review

April 2011

Approved by

Senior Manager, Policy and Governance Unit

Custodian title & e-mail address

Senior Manager, Policy and Governance Unit
governance@uow.edu.au

Author

Policy Analyst, Policy and Governance Unit

Responsible Faculty/

Division & Unit

Policy & Governance Unit, Academic Registrar’s Division

Supporting documents, procedures & forms of this policy

Student Academic Consideration Frequently Asked Questions
Statutory Declaration for Academic Consideration

References & Legislation

Student Academic Consideration Policy
Assessment Committee Standards

Code of Practice – Honours

Code of Practice – Teaching and Assessment

Disability Discrimination Act 1992

Disability Policy - Students

General Course Rules

Privacy Policy

Records Management Policy

Student Conduct Rules

Academic Grievance Policy (Coursework and Honours Students)

Academic Grievance Policy (Higher Degree Research Students)

Audience

Public – accessible to anyone

Expiry Date of Procedure

Not applicable

Contents

1 Introduction

  • 1. These Guidelines support the Student Academic Consideration Policy1 and are intended to assist students and staff in the management of applications for academic consideration. The Guidelines promote good practice in the application of the Policy, and should be read in conjunction with the Policy.
  • 2. Academic consideration is a process intended to help minimise the impact of serious or extenuating circumstances most of which are beyond a student’s control on their performance in a subject or to progress academically in a subject relevant to their course of study.
  • 3. Academic consideration is not intended to accommodate those common occurrences which interfere with daily life. Students who need assistance with study skills, essay writing or time management should contact Student Services.

2 Purpose

  • 1. These Guidelines are intended to assist students making an application for academic consideration. It applies to all undergraduate students, (including Honours students), postgraduate coursework students (including distance education students), Higher Degree Research students enrolled in coursework subjects, and non-award students.
  • 2. These Guidelines are also intended to assist academic staff in determining whether to accept or deny an academic consideration application. In determining an outcome, academic staff should use their judgement carefully to ensure that granting consideration to one student does not disadvantage other students.
  • 3. Informal arrangements for academic consideration made between staff and students outside the formal processes defined the Policy will not be binding.

3 Definitions

Word/Term

Definition (with examples if required)

Original document

The original document. For example, a medical certificate, Statutory Declaration for Academic Consideration

Original certified copy

Where a photocopy is made of the above stated “original document” and the Justice of the Peace stamps (or writes) on the photocopy “I certify this to be a true record of the document shown and reported to me as the original” and signs with their name and JP registration number.

  • 1. A detailed listing of the definitions relating to academic consideration can be found in Section 2 of the Student Academic Consideration Policy.

4 Flowcharts of the Academic Consideration Application Process

  • 1. The flowchart of the process for applying for academic consideration is presented in Attachment A.
  • 2. The flowchart of the process for responding to an application for academic consideration is shown in Attachment B.

5 Eligibility

  • 1. Students shall be eligible to apply for academic consideration if their ability to complete an assessment task on or by the due date as stipulated in the Subject Outline or to progress academically in a subject relevant to their course of study has been significantly affected by illness, injury, other serious cause, or extenuating circumstance.
  • 2. Academic consideration is determined on the basis of medical grounds, compassionate grounds and/or extenuating circumstances.

Table 1: Types of Eligibility

      Eligibility

      Explanation

      Examples

      Medical Grounds

      Applications made on medical grounds may include illnesses of short-term duration which require medical attention and significantly impair the student’s ability to complete an assessment task or performance in their course of study.

      • 1. Illness
      • 2. Injury
      • 3. Hospitalisation
      • 4. Treatment programs
      • 5. Exacerbation of existing medical condition

      Compassionate Grounds

      Applications made on compassionate grounds include conditions where a student is affected by suffering or misfortune.

      • 1. Loss or bereavement – such as death of a family member, immediate relative or close friend or family relationship breakdown
      • 2. Hardship or trauma – such as sudden loss of income or employment, significant disruption to domestic arrangements, victim of crime

      Extenuating Circumstances

      Applications made because of extenuating circumstances of reasonable significance that interfere with the student’s ability to meet a subject’s requirements.

      • 1. Carer’s responsibilities – where a student has substantial unplanned responsibilities to either members of their immediate family or members of their household who need their care and support
      • 2. Religious reasons – where a student is required to observe religious obligations
      • 3. Legal commitments – where a student is called for jury duty or is required to attend a court or tribunal
      • 4. Timetable clash for simultaneous in-session tests
      • 5. Military service
      • 6. One-off unusual work commitments
      • 7. Accidents or natural disasters
      • 8. Participation in sporting events at state, national or international level, or
      • 9. Participation in major cultural events
  • 1. Academic consideration will not be granted on grounds such as usual work or family commitments, clashes with recreational activities or holiday arrangements.

6 Application Process

How and When to Apply

  • 1. Students log onto SOLS to create an Academic Consideration Application. An information page appears first. Students have to scroll to the bottom of the page and click ‘I understand’ to proceed to the next screen.
  • SOLS - Academic Consideration - Information Page

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  • 2. The online application form is divided into four sections: Dates Affected and Selection of Subject and Assessment Type, Grounds for Academic Consideration, Supporting Documentation, and Nature of Assistance Sought. All four sections must be completed before the application can be accepted into the system and receipted.
  • Academic Consideration - New Application
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  • 3. Once students have completed and submitted the application, a Confirmation Page is automatically generated. This page contains the student’s details, the academic consideration application number, the date the application was submitted and it lists the subjects that the student requested academic consideration for. It also flags to students who have made five or more applications within six calendar months, that they should contact the Sub Dean/Associate Dean for academic advice. This screen reinforces the timelines for submitting supporting documentation. Students should print this screen as a copy for their records especially if they post their supporting documentation for verification.

Academic Consideration Confirmation Page

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  • 4. Applications should normally be made in advance of the due date or on the due date of an assessment task, including the scheduled date for an in-session test or end-of-session examination. On rare occasions, applications can be made no later than three working days after the due date of an assessment task or the scheduled date for an in-session test or end-of-session examination.
  • 5. Late applications will be denied on the basis of non compliance with the timelines provided in the Policy unless an exemption is granted. Subject Coordinators may grant an exemption only in exceptional circumstances, for example, if a student was involved in a serious accident, or has a sudden illness which requires immediate hospitalisation, or if a student is homebound without access to a computer. Students should notify the Subject Coordinator, in person or through a contact, as soon as possible to seek permission for a late application in these circumstances.

Types of Supporting Documentation

  • 6. Students must provide relevant supporting documentation which complies with the criteria set out in the Policy; failure to comply will result in the application being denied. Applications without supporting documentation will not be accepted.
  • 7. Supporting documentation should be an original document. Where this is not possible, a certified original copy will suffice. Certified copies signed by family members are not acceptable. All supporting documentation should indicate the exact dates of the event or circumstance and how it impacts on the assessment.
  • 8. Where it is not possible to obtain supporting documentation, students must seek advice from the Subject Coordinator before or at the same time as lodging the application. In some cases, the Subject Coordinator may refer the student to the Sub Dean/Associate Dean for further consultation. Following consultation with the Subject Coordinator (and Sub Dean/Associate Dean where necessary) the student may be asked to complete a Statutory Declaration for Academic Consideration to support the application. The Statutory Declaration should state in detail the facts upon which academic consideration is based, providing any relevant information or documentation to support statements made in the Statutory Declaration.

Table 2: Types of Supporting Documentation

Criteria

Examples of Supporting Documentation

Requirements of Documentation

Medical Grounds

Original medical certificate (or original certified copy) which must indicate:

  • 1. the name of the student
  • 2. the date the certificate was written and signed
  • 3. the date on which the doctor considers the student is likely to return to studies
  • and should
  • 4. indicate the degree of incapacity of the student, and
  • 5. be addressed to the parties requiring the certificate as evidence of illness (ie UOW).
  • 6.

These should be completed by qualified and registered health professionals for their area of expertise. For example, medical practitioners, dentists, physiotherapists.

Compassionate Grounds

Notification or letter from a registered psychologist (eg University Counsellor)

Details of the condition or circumstance that prevents the student meeting the assessment requirements.

Any statement is kept confidential. If the student does not want the details specified, the notification or letter should state “Matters are confidential”.

Death Certificate or Death notice

A Statutory Declaration may also be required if the relationship between the student and the deceased is not obvious from the death notice or death certificate. As an example, where a close friend has passed away, the death notice may not confirm the relationship to the student. However, in the statutory declaration, the student may state that the person was ‘a best friend’.

Police report or event number plus a Statutory Declaration for Academic Consideration

An event number by itself does not provide enough detail and as a result, students are required to complete a Statutory Declaration for Academic Consideration outlining the facts and impact on studies.

Letter from a minister of religion on relevant letterhead.

Details of the condition or circumstance that prevents the student meeting the assessment requirements.

Letter from an employer on relevant letterhead.

Details including the date employment arrangements or status changed and the nature of the changes. The student may attach a statutory declaration to explain how the circumstance has affected their life. As an example, if a student’s work hours have been reduced and they are the sole income earner, this may be causing stress on the family as the student may be searching for work.

Extenuating Circumstances

Notification or letter from a registered psychologist (eg University Counsellor)

Details of the condition or circumstance that prevents the student meeting the assessment requirements.

Letter from a minister of religion (or the like) on relevant letterhead

Details of the event and the period during which the student’s study will be interrupted.

Jury notice or other relevant documentation

Details of the event including period during which the student will be required to attend a court or tribunal.

Police report or event number plus a Statutory Declaration for Academic Consideration

An event number by itself does not provide enough detail therefore students are required to complete a Statutory Declaration for Academic Consideration outlining the facts and impact on studies.

Satisfactory written evidence from the armed forces on relevant letterhead

Satisfactory written evidence from the armed forces on relevant letterhead detailing the times when attendance at the camp or training course is to take place. These can be either compulsory or occasionally non-compulsory exercises.

UOW Subject Outlines or Statutory Declaration for Academic Consideration

The Subject Outlines should demonstrate when the in-session tests are scheduled.

Letter from an employer on company letterhead

Details outlining why the employer needs to stop the student from coming to university and the period during which the student’s study will be interrupted. For example, a student may have a troubleshooting/critical incident role and may be required to go interstate or overseas at short notice.

Selection confirmation on the letterhead of the state, national or international sporting body

Details should outline the student’s commitments and the period during which the student’s study will be interrupted.

Students at Wollongong campus may liaise with the Executive Director at URAC if they require assistance.

Letter from a relevant cultural authority on relevant letterhead

Details of the event, the student’s involvement and the period during which the student’s study will be interrupted.

Indigenous students at Wollongong campus may seek advice from the Woolyungah Indigenous Centre (WIC) for activities which require their attendance at cultural activities and may provide notification from WIC stating the cultural event and the period the student’s study will be interrupted.

  • 7. A Statutory Declaration for Academic Consideration should be used when it is not possible to obtain any of the above or if the documentation is uninformative. Statutory Declarations are written statements declared to be true in the presence of an authorized witness (normally a Justice of the Peace). A person who wilfully makes a false statement in a statutory declaration is guilty of a criminal offence.

Getting Supporting Information Verified

  • 8. Supporting documentation must be submitted at the campus at which the student is studying to designated staff at:
        • a. Student Central Wollongong Campus
        • b. Sydney Business School
        • c. Shoalhaven campus
        • d. Education Centres, or
        • e. offshore partner institutions.

      within 3 working days of the SOLS application for applications made in advance or on the due date of the assessment task, or on the same or next working day for applications made after the due date.

  • 9. Supporting documentation can be submitted via mail or in person and must be in hard copy, written in English or be a certified and signed translation
  • 10. Students mailing their supporting documentation should request a time stamp on the envelope so as to avoid the possibility of having the application denied because it does not comply with the required timeframes.
  • 11. Designated staff at the above locations will process the application by confirming the details of when the student was affected, indicating the type of supporting documentation provided, verifying its authenticity ensuring compliance and providing any extra details as appropriate.

Academic Consideration – Verification of Documentation

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  • 12. The supporting documentation will be returned to students once it has been verified. A Subject Coordinator may wish to view the supporting documentation before making a decision. Students are responsible for keeping the supporting documentation for twelve months.

7 Criteria for Granting Academic Consideration

  • 1. Subject Coordinators are sent an Email advising that there is an outstanding academic consideration request once the supporting documentation is verified.

Example Email:

This email was generated automatically from a database on behalf of the student as the result of their applications for Academic Consideration (input by Mr John Smith on student behalf). To process this application, please sign on to SMP_CENTRAL at http://staff.uow.edu.au/cols/smpcentral/

Applicant Details

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Student Number: 3540212

First Name: Test Last Name: Student

Application Details

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Application Number: 2008100102

Affected From: 01/12/2008 To: 01/12/2008

Part A: Application Items

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Subject: ACCY100 (Accounting IA)

Instance Details: Spring, Wollongong, On Campus, Class 1.

Assessment Items Affected: Attendance/Participation.

Tutors Name: Name Tutor.

Due Date: 01/12/2008.

Assistance Sought: Extension of time to submit an assessment task.

Part B: Ground for Academic Consideration

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The selected eligibility criteria: (one or more can be listed) Medical Grounds

Documentation Verification (From Administration)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Affected From: 01/12/2008 To: 01/12/2008 Documentation Type: Medical Certificate.

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  • 2. Subject Coordinators log onto SMP_Central and select the subject instance from the Class Selection screen and clicks to view the Class Roll where following message appears:

* There are outstanding Academic Considerations to be processed is clearly displayed at the top of the screen. In the column with the drop down box, headed Info, AC or *AC will appear. *AC means that the application needs to be actioned. The documentation has been verified and the Subject Coordinator needs to submit a response. AC means that the application does not need to be actioned as a response has already been submitted. The Column headed AC Update, shows the date the Academic Consideration Application was entered on SOLS.

SMP_Central-Class Roll-Academic Consideration

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  • 3. The Subject Coordinator clicks on the *AC link to submit a response to the Academic Consideration Application. The Academic Consideration Summary screen will appear. If the application details are highlighted in orange, a reply has not yet been sent. If the application details are highlighted in green, a reply has been sent to the student. The Academic Consideration Summary screen shows the date the Student Submitted the application and the date University staff verified the documentation. To reply, the Subject Coordinator clicks on the Application ID link – The Academic Consideration Details screen will appear.

Academic Consideration Summary

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  • 4. In deciding whether or not to grant a request for academic consideration, and in deciding what form of academic consideration, if any, may be appropriate, regard may be had to:

Table 3: Granting Academic Consideration

    Factors for Consideration

    Examples of Scenarios

    The seriousness of the circumstances and the extent to which these impact on the student’s academic progress in a subject relevant to their course of study

    A Subject Coordinator has asked for material in a written diary to be submitted for assessment. A student presents with a sprained left thumb. The student is right handed. In this example, the injury has nothing to do with the student's ability to write (ie extent of impact on student’s academic progress is minimal). The Subject Coordinator denies the academic consideration.

    The extent to which the circumstances and their impact were beyond the student’s control

    A student lives in a group house and a fire has occurred in the kitchen. The fire was due to an electrical fault. The student's room was above the kitchen and all their material for the session was destroyed. In this example, the student had no control over the event and should be granted academic consideration.

    The extent to which the student may have contributed to producing the circumstances

    A student has three pieces of assessment for different subjects due around the same time. All the deadlines are clearly presented in the Subject Outlines. The student applies for academic consideration giving the reason that they are overwhelmed and can’t complete the assessment in your subject. In these circumstances, the student has not managed their time well. While you are sympathetic, you are not willing to give academic consideration.

    Whether the academic consideration sought would unfairly advantage the student in relation to other students enrolled in the subject

    As assignment has been set over a 10 day period mimicking working to deadlines in the real world. A student presents with some evidence that they have worked on the assignment but state that they are overworked and cannot complete the assignment in time. They ask for academic consideration based on work pressure. In this example, were the student to be given academic consideration, then they would get more time to complete the assignment to a better standard than students who have finished on time. The application is lacking in merit.

    The student’s academic progress in the session

    A student requests academic consideration for a final assignment. However they have not met the attendance requirements beforehand and have already failed every other assignment for the subject. In this example, giving academic consideration will have no effect on the student's final grade. The student has already obtained a technical fail and even without the technical fail has no chance of passing the subject. The academic consideration is denied.

8 Response Time to Verified Applications

  • 1. Subject Coordinators must respond through SMP within five working days of receiving the email notification of ARD’s receipt of the student’s verified application for academic consideration and supporting documentation.
  • 2. If the Subject Coordinator has not responded within five working days, the Subject Coordinator will be sent an email, copied to the student, requesting an urgent response within a further two working days.
  • 3. If after that period, no response has been given, the application will be forwarded automatically to the Sub Dean/Associate Dean who is responsible for investigating the delay, taking advice from the Subject Coordinator or Head of Academic Unit (or Academic nominee) as appropriate, and may, failing advice from these staff, determine the outcome of the application within a further three working days.
  • 4. Students who have not received a response within ten working days should discuss the matter with the Sub Dean/Associate Dean of the faculty responsible for the subject as soon as possible.

Figure 4: Visual representation of the response times to academic consideration applications

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9 Outcomes of Academic Consideration

  • 1. To reply, click on the Application ID link – The Academic Consideration Details screen will appear.

Academic Consideration Details

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  • 2. There are three reply options – Application Approved, Application Denied or Application requires further information. Once the user clicks to select one of these options, additional selections for that reply will appear:

Application Approved

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  • 3. Reasons given for applied applications may include the following:

Table 4: Approved applications

Responses for approved applications

Examples of Scenarios

Being granted an extension of time to submit an assessment task

An assessment task noted in the subject outline is due. A student has had the flu during the previous week. They apply for academic consideration based on medical grounds and it would normally be granted.

A student has to attend an Olympic trial and is away four days before an essay is due. They applied for, and are given, academic consideration with a four day extension. The assignment comes in two days after the extension without any further notification. The student should be penalised according to the unit's policy for late assignments. This policy must be in the Subject Outline.

Being permitted to undertake a supplementary assessment task

Where the student has attempted part of the original assessment:

As an example, as part of one assessment task in a music theory subject, students must attend and critique the two performances of the Wollongong Symphony Orchestra held during the session. A student cannot attend one of the performances because of their participation in the finals of the ABC Young Artist Award. They have applied for, and been granted, academic consideration, but are now missing one component of their assessment. The subject co-ordinator requests the student to attend, and critique, the next performance of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, which will be held before the session ends.

Where the student has not attended the original assessment task or examination:

It is expected that supplementary assessments are sufficiently different from the original assessment so as to maintain the integrity of those assessments.

As an example, a subject is based on field work. A major field trip involving two assistants and four buses is run on a Saturday. It is repeated with fewer assistants and buses on Sunday for those who have sporting commitments on the Saturday. A student applies for academic consideration on the basis of illness over the weekend. There is no possibility of running this field trip again because of the costs involved. It is not possible to run an alternate field trip. The student in this case might be set a field project as supplementary assessment.

Being permitted to undertake a supplementary in-session test

Students are notified via SOLSMail of the date, time and venue of the supplementary in-session test, at least three working days prior to this date.

If a student cannot attend the scheduled supplementary in-session test, they may apply again through SOLS in accordance with the Policy. The Subject Coordinator has the discretion to allow the student to undertake a second supplementary in-session test or to complete a substitute piece of assessment where this option is offered in the Subject Outline. The Subject Coordinator will determine, in a reasonable manner, the nature, date, time and venue of any supplementary test. This information will be given to the student at least three working days before the supplementary test. Or the student may be offered the opportunity to withdraw from the subject without academic penalty or may be awarded a zero fail for the in-session test.

For example, a student has been infected with glandular fever and missed an in-session test. The subject has a large number of students and there are others who missed the test because of illness. A supplementary test was set, but the student in question has suffered a relapse and was unable to make this supplementary test. In discussions, it becomes obvious that the student’s illness is ongoing and has affected a number of other pieces of assessment, for which the student has no hope of catching up. In this case, the student may be advised to withdraw without academic penalty and request to re-enrol in the subject when it is offered next.

Being permitted to undertake a supplementary end-of-session exam

If the supplementary end-of-session exam is run by ARD, students are notified via SOLSMail. Students are responsible for checking their personalised timetable in SOLS to see when and where the supplementary end-of-session exam will be held.

If the supplementary end-of-session exam is run by the Faculty, students are responsible for contacting the Faculty to find out the details of when and where the supplementary end of session exam will be held.

If a student cannot attend the scheduled supplementary exam, they may apply in writing to the Subject Coordinator for academic consideration, in accordance with the Policy and following the timing procedures outlined in Clause 9.3. The Academic Unit responsible for the examination has the discretion to allow the student to undertake a second supplementary examination or to complete a substitute piece of assessment where this option is offered in the Subject Outline. The Subject Coordinator will determine, in a reasonable manner, the nature, date, time and venue of the second supplementary end of session exam. This information will be given to the student at least three working days before the second supplementary end of session exam. Alternatively, the student may be offered the opportunity to withdraw from the subject without academic penalty or may be awarded a zero fail for the examination.

In exceptional circumstances and only with the agreement of the Head of Academic Unit

Consideration is given for a mark in a particular assessment task/component

A student has suffered the flu in the week before a major essay is due. They hand in the essay, but apply for academic consideration requesting that their illness be taken into account when the essay is marked. The essay is poor and of a standard below the student’s previous assignments.

The Subject Coordinator must consult and seek agreement from the Head of Academic Unit and may determine to raise the mark closer to the overall performance of the student for the session.

Consideration in determining a final mark

A student has suffered the flu in the week before a major essay is due. They hand in the essay, but apply for academic consideration requesting that their illness be taken into account when the essay is marked. The mark is a Pass. However this is a first year subject and this is the first assessment task. There is no record of performance for this student at university. The Subject Coordinator decides to wait until the final assessment committee meeting where they will take the student’s request into consideration at a time when more information is available.

Only with the approval of the Sub-Dean/Associate Dean

Recommendation for an application for a late withdrawal without academic penalty

A student has been ill during the session. They have missed a compulsory assignment for which a substitution task could not be developed. They have also failed a major assessment due to their illness. The student has sought advice from the Subject Coordinator, who agrees to consider the illness in the student's final mark if the student passes the final exam. The student fails the exam because they have missed too many lectures because of their illness. The Subject Coordinator believes that the student has not gained enough competence in the subject to raise the failed mark to a pass grade. They recommend that the student not be given a fail grade, but be allowed to withdraw from the subject late without academic penalty.

After consultation with the student, a Subject Coordinator may suggest to the Head of Academic Unit that the student be offered to late withdraw from a subject without academic penalty. The Head of Unit may approve the recommendation and then forwards the request to the Sub Dean/Associate Dean for approval.

Application Denied

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  • 4. Reasons given for denied applications may include the following:

Table 5: Denied applications

Reasons Given

Examples of Scenarios

Application does not warrant academic consideration

A student going on an overseas trip when advanced planning could have prevented a clash with the timetable of assessment

Assessment task has been returned to students

Tutorials in a subject are assessed every week. The marked assignments are returned to classes in the following week. Tutorials occur on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. A student in Thursday's tutorial was sick in the previous week and requests an extension until Wednesday. No extension can be given because some of the students will have had access to the marked assignments. There is no guarantee that the student requesting academic consideration could not view these assignments. An alternate assignment could be set or the final tutorial mark calculated pro rata.

Dates in the application do not relate to the due date of the assessment task

Assessment was due on 8 May. Dates in supporting documentation indicate the student was sick during the period of 10 May and 12 May. The application is denied.

Supporting documentation does not confirm the details in the application

A student has indicated they were sick in bed for three days over the period the assessment task was due. The medical certificate is given for one day – not the day the assessment was due. The application may be denied.

Assessment was submitted beyond deadlines specified for academic consideration

A major assessment item is due on a Wednesday. On the following Monday, a student hands in the assessment and the Subject Coordinator finds a request for academic consideration in SMP submitted the same day. The student states that they were ill during the week before the assignment was due. This submission is beyond the deadlines specified in the academic consideration policy and could be refused.

Application was submitted beyond deadlines specified for end-of-session exam

A subject has an examination scheduled on the first Thursday of the end-of-session exams. On the last day of the examination period, a student submits a request for academic consideration stating that they were ill on the day of the exam. This is beyond three working days after the exam and the request will be refused.

  • 5. The third possible outcome is that the “Application Requires Further Information – Contact the Subject Coordinator”.

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Table 6: Applications requires further information

Reason why an application requires further information

Example of a Scenario

The information is insufficient, confusing or contradictory

A student applies for academic consideration on medical grounds and submits a Statutory Declaration as supporting documentation. The details on the Statutory Declaration are insufficient. The Subject Coordinator is unwilling to accept this and requests the student to come and see them to discuss the matter. After they meet, the Subject Coordinator advises the student to reapply and resubmit a statutory declaration stating that the matter has been discussed with the Subject Coordinator.

  • 6. The “Other Comments” box provides an opportunity for a Subject Coordinator to add any other information or comment they deem applicable. It should not contradict or substitute the defined responses provided under Application Approved or Application Denied options. It is merely a mechanism to communicate further with the student.
  • 7. If a student does not agree with a decision made regarding their application, then there may be grounds for a student to lodge an academic grievance. Students are advised to refer to the Student Academic Grievance Policy for further details. Procedures for filing an academic grievance are listed on the web pages of the Faculty responsible for the subject. Students may file a grievance in writing with the Faculty offering the subject.
  • 8. Students are notified through SOLSMail Message of the outcome of their application. Below are examples of SOLSMail messages student receives when the documentation has been verified and the academic has replied:

SOLS – Academic Consideration – SOLSMail Messages

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10 Roles & Responsibilities

  • 1. Roles and responsibilities are detailed in Section 6 of the Student Academic Consideration Policy

11 Version Control Table

Version Control

Date Effective

Approved By

Amendment

1

19 February 2009

Senior Manager Policy and Governance Unit

New guidelines to support Student Academic Consideration Policy.

2

28 April 2009

Senior Manager, Policy and Governance

Migrated to UOW Procedure Template as per the Policy Directory Refresh Project.

3

9 March 2010

Senior Manager, Policy and Governance Unit

Future review date identified in accordance with Standard on UOW Policy.

4

Autumn session 2011

University Council

References to the Code of Practice – Students removed.

ATTACHMENT A

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ATTACHMENT B

# Note: consideration in determining a final mark or in marking a particular assessment item can only be granted in exceptional circumstances, with the agreement of the Head of Academic Unit and the Subject Coordinator

1 Hereafter referred to as the Policy

Last reviewed: 16 January, 2012

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