(1) The University supports students in managing unforeseen adverse circumstances that may impact on their academic progress. Academic consideration is a process intended to help minimise the impact of short-term compassionate, compelling or extenuating circumstances beyond a student’s control which significantly impair a student’s ability to complete an assessment task on or by the due date, or to progress academically in a subject relevant to their course of study. (2) This Policy applies to: (3) Academic Consideration is not the primary support mechanism for students who have a disability or an ongoing medical condition (including a psychological condition) in managing the impact of that disability or condition on their studies. These students are supported by the Student Accessibility and Inclusion Team. (Student Access and Inclusion Website) (4) The Academic Consideration process should not be used to request a review of mark or grade. This is within the scope of the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Policy. (5) The principles guiding this Policy are: (6) Applications for academic consideration may be submitted where the: (7) For assessment tasks to which the academic consideration process does not apply, students who are affected by unforeseen adverse circumstances should contact their subject coordinator directly. (8) academic consideration may only be granted on the basis of compassionate, compelling and/or extenuating circumstances, where those circumstances: (9) Requests are based on an event and may apply to multiple subjects. The maximum length of consideration for a single event is limited to seven days. Where further time is sought, students must re-apply subject to clause 10. (10) Students must apply before, or on the assessment/s due date. Where evidence is required, students must provide evidence no later than three working days after the assessable item’s due date for their request to be considered. (11) Evidence requirements are outlined in section 4. Students must comply with the documentary evidence requirements as detailed in section 5 and in Schedule 1. (12) Students cannot apply for academic consideration for an exam or assessment task after completing and submitting that exam or assessment task. Where a student has commenced an exam and had to leave before completion due to illness, they must inform the examiner immediately and may still apply for academic consideration in line with all conditions outlined in this policy. Exceptions will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis where it is clear that a student was unfit to make reasonable judgement on their fitness to undertake the assessment, due to mental illness or other extenuating circumstances, and this is supported by the subject coordinator. (13) Requests for academic consideration submitted by students enrolled at onshore campuses will be reviewed by Student Administration Services Division who will make a determination of eligibility based on if the circumstance and evidence meet the policy requirements. (14) Where an eligible academic consideration request is submitted in line with cluase 21 and 22, academic staff will determine the appropriate outcome and type of consideration to be applied as outlined in Section 8. (15) 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 is given to: (16) Students who experience three or more adverse events in a session for which they have applied for academic consideration, or where the circumstance is of a more serious or long-term nature, will be referred by SASD to the Head of Students of the Faculty for academic advice or to UOW support services. The University will not determine any further application for academic consideration until the student has met with the relevant Head of Students or Student Support Coordinator. (17) While students may request a particular type of consideration during their application, academic staff may determine that an alternative form of consideration is more appropriate to meet the criteria outlined in clause 39. (18) In the event of a high risk incident, an authorised UOW staff member may manage the academic consideration application process on behalf of a student or group of students. (19) Guidelines for using and applying this policy correctly are available for students online, and for academic and professional staff via the UOW intranet. (20) Students requesting short extensions of time to submit individual written assignments (assignment, essay, portfolio, professional task, project, proposal, reflection, report, thesis) due to short-term, acute illnesses or short-term unforeseen circumstances are permitted to self-certify the event in the following circumstances: (21) Any subsequent requests within the same session, or requests of a duration longer than three days, require evidence to support the application. (22) Where the request does not meet the self certification criteria outlined in clause 20(a to d)(for example the assessment type is not an individual written assignment e.g., exam, presentation, lab/prac/simulation, performance, placement, quiz, or group work assessment) or the request relates to attendance or participation requirements, evidence is required to support the application. (23) Students must comply with the documentary evidence guidelines for medical and non-medical grounds as outlined in Schedule 1. (24) Student Administrative Services Division may approve an exemption of the timeframes specified in Clause 10, provided a student’s documentary evidence shows that exceptional circumstances prevented the student from adhering to the timeframe/s. Examples of exceptional circumstances justifying an exemption may include, but are not limited to, an accidental injury or sudden illness requiring the student’s immediate hospitalisation without access to a computer. (25) Documentary evidence must be written in English or be a certified translation. (26) Collaborative Delivery Partners are responsible for establishing appropriate criteria regarding documentary evidence in accordance with this Policy, appropriate to the local regulations, and approved by the relevant Academic Unit. (27) Compassionate, compelling, or extenuating circumstances may include (but are not limited to): (28) Students who have alternative arrangements with the Student Accessibility and Inclusion Team should use Academic Consideration when applying for circumstance/s which are not outlined in their approved access plan documentation. Applications for these circumstances are treated as a normal Academic Consideration and are bound by all conditions outlined in this Policy. (29) Academic consideration will not be granted for common occurrences which interfere with daily life. These non-eligible, common occurrences include, but are not limited to: (30) Extension of time to submit an assessment task beyond the due date specified in the subject outline. (31) Permission to undertake a deferred assessment task or in-session test beyond the date specified in the subject outline. The Subject Coordinator will determine the nature, date, time and venue of an approved deferred in-session assessment task or in-session test. (32) Permission to undertake a deferred end-of-session exam during the supplementary exam period as outlined in the UOW Key Dates. Students intending to graduate should be aware that an approved deferred end-of-session exam will impact their eligibility to graduate in that session, as results may not be released in time for graduation cut off dates. Students approved to undertake a deferred end-of-session exam will be advised of the details at least three working days prior to the commencement of the supplementary exam period and their grade recorded as Withheld Deferred (WD). (33) Consideration for compulsory attendance or participation, where the subject outline clearly states that attendance or participation has an effect on a subject’s final grade. (34) For onshore students, SASD will assess the eligibility of applications. Where an application is deemed eligible, the student and the relevant subject coordinator will be notified. (35) Where evidence is required, Subject Coordinators, Head of Students', Associate Deans, or Faculty Assessment Committees will determine the appropriate type of consideration to be awarded as outlined in Section 8 and must provide details to the student on the type of consideration to be granted in addition to any dates of deferrals or extensions. (36) Denied applications shall include the reason/s why the application has been denied. A denied application is not an indication that UOW staff do not believe their circumstances are genuine, but that their application and/or documentary evidence do not meet the criteria outlined in this Policy. (37) A student may be asked to provide additional evidence and/or information if the assessor of the application believes the application to be incomplete as determined by the criteria of this Policy. In these instances, the assessor will provide the student with a deadline for providing this information. If the additional evidence and/or information is not received by the deadline, application/s will be declined. Where additional evidence and/or information is provided by the deadline, the application will be assessed in line with the criteria outlined in this Policy. (38) Where a student has been approved to sit a deferred or supplementary end-of-session exam and is subsequently unable to attend on the scheduled day, a second deferred or supplementary exam may be approved by the delegated authority on rare occasions, provided the request meets all other eligibility criteria outlined in this policy. A third deferred end-of-session exam will not be considered. (39) For further requests for consideration types other than a deferred end-of-session exam, if a request still meets all other eligibility criteria outlined in this Policy, an academic assessor may in rare circumstances approve further consideration in the form of one of the following: (40) Requests for further consideration are bound by all other conditions outlined in this Policy. (41) Where requests for further consideration are not considered or approved, the student may be offered the opportunity to discuss alternative appropriate options with the Head of Students, or may be awarded a zero grade for the assessment item in question. (42) If the student believes that the outcome of their application is not in line with the rules of this policy, they may request a review of the decision via the Review of Academic Decisions Policy. (43) The University has a responsibility to: (44) Students have a responsibility to meet deadlines as set out in the Subject Outline. Students who cannot meet such deadlines because of circumstances outlined in Section 6 of this Policy, and who are seeking academic consideration must ensure they: (45) Designated Professional staff with access and authority to process documentary evidence have a responsibility to: (46) Professional staff at partner institutions are respoponsible for establishing appropriate procedures approved by the relevant Academic Unit in accordance with this Policy. (47) Subject Coordinators have a responsibility to: (48) The Head of Academic Unit (or academic nominee) has a responsibility to: (49) The Head of Students has responsibility to: (50) All staff designated to access information contained in applications for academic consideration are obliged to preserve confidentiality in accordance with the Privacy Policy,the University Code of Conduct and other relevant privacy legislation. (51) Records relating to academic consideration applications will be retained and disposed of in accordance with the State Records Act 1998, General Retention and Disposal Authority-Higher and further education GA-47, and the Records Management Policy. (52) This Schedule provides guidance to professional and academic staff engaged in the process of determining whether a student’s circumstances or events affecting assessment should be regarded as being: (53) Documentary evidence must indicate the following information: (54) Where it is not reasonable for a student to provide documentary evidence (for non-Medical Grounds) as outlined above, or where the nature of the circumstances and how they have affected the student are not obvious in the document, a student may be permitted to provide a statutory declaration to accompany secondary forms of evidence. (55) Secondary forms of evidence may include flight tickets, photographs, receipts or any other form of document which supports a student’s eligibility for academic consideration. (56) Except in the cases noted above, a statutory declaration will not be accepted as documentary evidence without some form of secondary evidence. (57) A statutory declaration will not be accepted as documentary evidence for medical grounds, regardless of whether it is accompanied by secondary evidence. (58) Once submitted, documentary evidence will be verified by Student Services. (59) In submitting documentary evidence for verification, students consent to UOW contacting the issuer of the document/s to confirm their legitimacy. Students consent to the release of information to relevant third parties for the purpose of verifying document legitimacy. (60) The submission of fraudulent documentation will be regarded as serious misconduct and will be managed in accordance with the Student Conduct Rules and associated procedures. The matter may also be referred to the State or Federal Police.Student Academic Consideration Policy
Section 1 - Purpose of Policy
Section 2 - Application and Scope
Section 3 - Policy Principles
Top of PageSection 4 - Submitting an Application for Academic Consideration
Section 5 - Documentary Evidence Requirements
Section 6 - Eligible Circumstances
Section 7 - Non-Eligible Circumstances
Top of PageSection 8 - Types of Consideration Which May be Requested
Section 9 - Responses to Applications and Outcomes of Academic Consideration
Applications Denied
Request for Additional Evidence and/or Information
Section 10 - Requests for Further Consideration
Section 11 - Appeal Against a Decision on Academic Consideration
Section 12 - Responsibilities
Top of PageSection 13 - Privacy and Confidentiality
Section 14 - Definitions
Top of Page
Word/Term
Definition (with examples if required)
Academic Decision
A decision made by a member of University staff or a University committee, normally under the University's rules or policy, which affects a student's academic progress in relation to their coursework studies or research candidature. Students can refer to the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Policy for further details.
Academic Consideration
Academic Consideration is intended to help minimise the impact of compassionate, compelling or extenuating circumstances beyond a student’s control, which significantly impair a student’s ability to complete an assessment task on or by the due date as stipulated in the Subject Outline; or which affects Academic Progress in a subject relevant to their course of study. Academic consideration may be granted on the basis of compassionate, compelling circumstances and/or extenuating circumstances.
Academic Progress
Successful completion of subjects towards a degree within established time limits.
Academic Staff
Staff of the University who carry out teaching responsibilities under the authority of the Head of an Academic Unit.
Academic Unit
Faculty, School, Unit, Program or Discipline.
Academic Unit Assessment Committee
The Academic Unit Assessment Committee is as described in the Finalisation of Student Results Policy
Assessment
Work which a student is required to complete to provide a basis for an official record of achievement or certification of competence in a subject. This may include summative and/or formative forms of assessment. Examples of assessments include, but are not limited to: examination, test, take-home examination, quiz, assignment, essay, laboratory report, thesis, demonstration, performance, tutorial presentation, class participation, practicum, clinical placement, and work experience.
Compassionate or Compelling Circumstances
Circumstances that are beyond the student’s control and have a direct impact on the student’s course progress or wellbeing.
Course
A program of study consisting of a combination of subjects and other requirements, whether leading to a specific higher education award or not.
Authorised UOW Staff
Authorised UOW staff are:
Deferred assessment
An assessment taken by an eligible student as a result of an approved Student Academic Consideration application. Deferred assessment includes in-session or end-of-session assignments and examinations and can be administered by the faculty or centrally.
Disability
Disability in relation to a person includes one or more of the following:
And one which:
Examiner
A person or persons with responsibility for the assessment of work in
any subject.
Head of Students
An academic staff member with nominated responsibility for providing academic advice and decisions for a particular faculty.
High Risk Incident
High Risk Incidents include, but are not limited to:
Collaborative Delivery Partner
Another institution or organisation (typically another higher education provider) with which the university has a partnership arrangement. This includes affiliated entities under the management of UOW Enterprises (UOWE): UOW Dubai (UOWD), UOW College (UOWC) and Community College of City University in Hong Kong (CCCU).
Access Plans
Alternative arrangements that are made to ensure that students with a disability and students who are associates of persons with a disability are able to undertake their study and complete their course requirements without disadvantage.
Registered Medical Practitioner
A medically qualified person registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Registration Agency (AHPRA) as a medical practitioner to practice in Australia.
Registered Psychologist
A qualified person registered with Australian Health Practitioner Registration Agency (AHPRA) as a psychologist to practice in Australia.
Session
A period in which subjects may be offered. Standard sessions are defined as, Trimesters, Autumn and Spring..
Student Support Co-ordinator (SSC)
Members of the DVCA portfolio who provide support to students with complex, sensitive student issues.
Student
A person registered for a course or enrolled in subject/s with UOW.
Student Services
The service centre responsible for the provision of guidance, enrolment management support and services for all UOW students and external clients.
Student Administration Services Division
The Unit responsible for policy, governance and the management of core student administrative functions.
Subject Coordinator
An academic staff member with nominated responsibility for a particular subject.
Subject Outline
The document governing content, delivery and assessment of material for a subject.
Section 15 - Schedule 1 – Academic Consideration Supporting Evidence
Purpose
Documentary Evidence Requirements
Eligible Circumstances
Documentary Evidence Requirements
Short term illness, injury or health related matter (medical grounds)
*Registered health practitioners include general practitioners, pharmacists, psychiatrists, physiotherapists, registered psychologist, social workers and counsellors (for personal or family problems only).
Difficult Personal Circumstances such as: natural disasters (e.g. fire, floods, earthquakes), housing insecurity, victim of domestic or family violence or abuse, and or family or relationship breakdown, e.g. divorce, separation.
To verify natural disasters, secondary evidence should be sourced from the range of departments listed on the Resilience NSW website. https://www.nsw.gov.au/resilience-nsw.
Loss or bereavement
An adverse experience (witnessing a serious accident, eviction notice or being the victim of a serious crime)
Unavoidable commitments such as:
Unexpected carers duties for a close family member or household members for whom the student is the primary carer.
Simultaneous in-session tests
UOW subject outline or exam timetable, where assessable tasks are scheduled at the same time.
Technical issues experienced at the time of assessment which can be substantiated (interruptions in online exams refer to the instructions within the Online Exams Procedures, Section 11).
Timestamped screenshot or photo evidence and proof of help request.
Military or emergency services e.g. Active Service, ADF Reserve, SES.
Letter from the armed forces or SES on official letterhead.
Participation in sporting events at state, national or international level with an official sporting body.
Selection confirmation on the letterhead of the state, national or international sporting body.
Statutory Declarations and Secondary Evidence
Verification of Documentary Evidence
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