Assessment Consideration

Academic Appeals

All appeals will be assessed within the guidelines stipulated by The University of Sydney (Student Appeals against Academic Decisions) Rule 2006. Students are responsible for familiarising themselves with the University’s Appeals policy and with the Academic Board Resolutions concerning the Assessment and Examination of Coursework. Both policies are available at http://sydney.edu.au/policies/.

If you are wishing to appeal you must meet with your Unit of Study Coordinator and take with you the ‘Appeal Against an Academic Decision - Departmental’ form and your written appeal letter. This must be done within 15 working days of the academic decision that you are appealing being made. If you are appealing against a mark for an assessment you must also take a copy of the relevant assessment task with you.

You will need to indicate the grounds on which you are basing your appeal, chosen from the list below:

• The weightings specified by the department in its assessment program do not conform to the Academic Board Resolutions: Assessment and Examination of Coursework.
• The procedures used by the department for determining the final grade do not conform to the Academic Board Resolutions: Assessment and Examination of Coursework.
• There are computational, arithmetical or other clerical errors in the determination of the assessment mark.
• The decision regarding special consideration or simple extension does not conform to the Assessment and Examination of Coursework Rule.

If you remain unsatisfied with the outcome, the next step is to submit an ‘Appeal Against an Academic Decision – Faculty’ form. This application will not be processed unless it is submitted with a completed ‘Appeal Against an Academic Decision – Departmental’ form.

Late Work and Extensions

Late penalties apply from the day after the published due date. The penalty applied is two marks (out of 100) per day. The Academic Board Policy mandates that ‘day’ refer only to working days (i.e. week days). So, an assignment due on Thursday 4 September and handed in on Tuesday 9 September, will count as 3 days late. For more information see the Policies page under Late Work Policy section on the Faculty website.

We understand that students encounter difficulties of various kinds during their study and we are able to refer you to appropriate counselling services where necessary, but is your responsibility to contact the Unit of Study coordinator if you do have problems that affect your attendance or prevent you meeting assignment deadlines.

Extensions may be granted in the case of illness, personal problems or misadventure; these must be negotiated directly with the Unit of Study coordinator (see below).

Special Consideration and Extensions

Special Consideration should be sought only in cases of extreme difficulty, affecting your ability to complete attendance and assessment requirements over a significant part of the semester, or inability to attend an exam held during the University’s formal examinations period due to illness or misadventure, and should not be used as a way of dealing with every minor case of illness or misadventure (a request for an extension is the appropriate course of action here).

See Academic Board policy on Assessment of Coursework (including Illness and Misadventure) at myuni.usyd.edu.au : Policy : Study at the University : Assessment and Examination of Coursework, and Faculty guidelines on Special Consideration at http://sydney.edu.au/arts/current_students/online_application.shtml

All applications for Special Consideration must be made via the online system. To access this system please go to: http://sydney.edu.au/arts/student_applications/.

If students miss an exam because of illness or misadventure they should FIRST notify the department concerned to make alternative arrangements and then apply for Special Consideration using the online system.

The online system also covers Special Arrangements and Extensions on formal hand-in written assessments.

NB: Students are allowed to request extensions on or after the due date (within reason) in case of sudden illness, accident or misadventure happening on or close to the due date.