• Scope
• Section 2 - Policy
• Section 3 - Procedures
• Responsibilities and Required Actions
• Applying for Special Consideration
• Evidence
• Assessment Process
• Outcomes
• Withdrawal of Special Consideration Application
• Notification of Special Consideration Application Outcome
• Withdrawal Without Academic Penalty Recommended
• Section 4 - Guidelines
• Section 5 - Definitions

(1) To set out the Procedure for students seeking to notify the University when they experience short-term, unexpected, Serious and Unavoidable Circumstances, which affect their performance in assessment, and the basis and mechanisms through which the University will provide support in accordance with the Special Consideration Policy.

Scope

(2) This Procedure applies to:

1. all coursework students, including those on sub-degree, undergraduate, postgraduate taught, and non-award provision;
2. all types of assessment, including examinations and coursework;
3. staff involved in administration, teaching, assessing or managing units of study at the University; and
4. Student Wellbeing staff.

Section 2 - Policy

(3) Refer to the Special Consideration Policy.

Section 3 - Procedures

Responsibilities and Required Actions

(4) There is a Special Consideration Procedure Flowchart available for this Procedure.

Applying for Special Consideration

(5) A student who has experienced short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive and that affect their performance in assessment may lodge an application for Special Consideration.

(6) Applications will only be accepted in the following circumstances:

1. where academic work has been hampered to a substantial degree by illness or other cause; and
2. the circumstances or events are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive and beyond the student’s control; and
3. the application for Special Consideration is lodged no later than five (5) working days after the assessment task due date, examination, or test date; or
4. During the COVID-19 pandemic and until a date determined by the Academic Senate, where students in standard teaching periods have been impacted by COVID-19, the application for Special Consideration must be lodged no later than seven (7) working days after the assessment task due date, examination or test date.

(7) All Special Consideration applications must be lodged online via the University’s AskMQ system and must include supporting documentary Evidence.

(8) Lodging an application for Special Consideration does not guarantee that a student will be granted an additional / alternative assessment. Students are advised to continue to work on their assessments and complete them as soon as possible.

(9) Applications for Special Consideration may be refused if:

1. they are not submitted in the manner and timeframe required;
2. the student has not complied with all other mandatory requirements for successful completion of the unit; or
3. they are not supported by appropriate documentary Evidence.

(10) Applications made on behalf of a student by an external representative will only be accepted in cases where the student is incapacitated.

Evidence

(11) A Special Consideration application must be supported by documentary evidence at the time of submission. Evidence requirements are specified within the Special Consideration Supporting Evidence Schedule and may include:

1. original supporting documentation; or
2. a medical certificate; or
3. a completed Professional Authority Form (PAF); or
4. appropriate documentary evidence for non-medical circumstances; or
5. a statement of fact.

(12) The evidence must:

1. identify the circumstances;
2. include dates and / or the length of the circumstances;
3. explain the severity and impact of the circumstances;
4. clearly describe how the circumstances have adversely affected the student’s capacity for effective study to which an assessment relates; and
5. include the date(s) on which the student was seen by the professional providing the Evidence.

(13) The University reserves the right to request and retain the originals of supporting documentation, and will conduct regular audits of supporting documentation submitted electronically.

(14) Students must retain all original documentation for a six (6) month period and must supply original documents to the University within ten (10) working days of such a request being made.

(15) All documentation (in hardcopy or electronic form) relating to a Special Consideration applications will be treated in accordance with the University’s Privacy Policy.

Assessment Process

(16) The assessment of whether a student’s circumstances were serious and unavoidable is made at the administrative level by professional staff according to a pre-approved set of criteria described in the Special Consideration Supporting Evidence Schedule. Professional staff processing an application may seek input from the relevant academic staff when assessing an application, if necessary.

Outcomes

(17) If a claim for Special Consideration is accepted, the University will attempt to provide students with one (1) additional opportunity to demonstrate that they have met the learning outcomes of a unit or units.

(18) Outcomes of an application for Special Consideration may include:

1. no action (where an application fails to meet requirements of the Special Consideration Policy / this Procedure / Special Consideration Supporting Evidence Schedule);
2. additional assessment to fairly assess performance;
   
   The additional assessment should take the form of the original assessment as closely as possible and will ensure the same learning outcomes are assessed.
   
   In submitting a Special Consideration application, the student is acknowledging that they may be required to undertake additional work. The time and date, deadline or format of any required extra assessable work as a result of a Special Consideration application is not negotiable. In submitting a Special Consideration application, the student is agreeing to make themselves available so that they can complete any extra work as required.
   
   No more than one (1) alternative assessment will be offered to a student in each affected unit, so it is essential that the student makes themselves available for the alternative assessment activity.
   
   Where a student is offered and undertakes assessment as above, the mark from the alternative assessment will supersede the mark from any initial assessment, regardless of whichever is the higher.
3. supplementary examination;
   
   Where Special Consideration is granted in the form of a supplementary examination, any initial examination affected by the circumstances will not be marked; rather the mark from the supplementary examination will be used.
   
   Other than in exceptional circumstances only one (1) opportunity for a supplementary examination will be provided.
4. a deadline for assessment may be extended;
   
   The length of a deadline extension will normally be equivalent to the duration of the circumstances affecting the student. If a deadline for assessment is extended, in some circumstance this may result in the release of the final grade being delayed.
5. marks derived from other, completed assessment tasks may be aggregated or averaged to achieve an overall mark;
6. in exceptional circumstances, the final mark for the unit may be excluded from calculations for Honours, WAM, or Academic Standing; or
7. in certain circumstances, where the student has demonstrated circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive, but the University determines that Special Consideration is not possible for the assessment affected, the outcome may be to recommend the student apply to Withdraw without Academic Penalty. The student must determine whether to apply to Withdraw without Academic Penalty, or accept the outcome where no alternative assessment can be provided.
8. COVID-19 Exception: In the period that face-to-face teaching is unavailable to students due to the COVID-19 pandemic or until such time as advised by the University, the application for Special Consideration due to circumstances directly related to the pandemic will be considered additional to any other opportunity provided.

Withdrawal of Special Consideration Application

(19) Once the student has submitted a Special Consideration application the student may not withdraw the application, and must either submit themselves to partake in the alternative assessment activity(ies), or accept the mark received for the relevant assessment item.

Notification of Special Consideration Application Outcome

(20) The University will aim to communicate the outcome of a Special Consideration application to the student’s email address within five (5) working days of receipt of the application and all necessary supporting evidence.

Withdrawal Without Academic Penalty Recommended

(21) In certain circumstances, the outcome of a Special Consideration application may be to recommend the student apply to Withdraw Without Penalty in accordance with the Withdrawal Procedure. The student must determine whether to apply to Withdraw without Academic Penalty, or accept the outcome where no alternative assessment can be provided.

Section 4 - Guidelines

(22) Nil.

Section 5 - Definitions

(23) Commonly defined terms are located in the University Glossary. The following definitions apply for the purpose of this Procedure:

1. standard teaching period means Sessions 1 and 2, and ‘non-standard teaching period’ means Session 3, a term, a block, or an external delivery mode, and includes the Global MBA.
2. Evidence means documentation specified in the Special Consideration Supporting Evidence Schedule that demonstrates the severity and impact of a disruption to study.
3. Professional Authority Form (PAF) is a form to document Evidence of medical related disruptions (physical or psychological).