APPLYING FOR SPECIAL CONSIDERATION

We recognise that sickness or misadventure may have an adverse effect on student performance and have set up procedures to ensure that no student is disadvantaged because of this.

Here you will find the official School guidelines regarding Applications for Special Consideration (ASC) and will answer the questions:
What should you do if you are sick or have other problems during the semester?
What should you do if you are sick or have other problems during the examination period?

If you would like assistance in interpreting this information, please see your Unit of Study Coordinator.

The Faculty of Science Special Consideration Policy can be viewed from the Faculty webpage http://www.sydney.edu.au/science/cstudent/ug/forms.shtml#special_consideration

It is the student's responsibility to be familiar with the guidelines and to ensure the defined procedures are followed.

HOW TO APPLY

1. Obtain and complete an Application for Special Consideration (ASC) from the Faculty of Science office or website http://www.sydney.edu.au/science/cstudent/ug/forms.shtml#special_consideration

This includes a Professional Practitioners Certificate (PPC) to be completed by your registered medical practitioner or counsellor. In cases of misadventure, it may be necessary to include other documentation, such as a police report, instead of, or in addition to, the Professional Practitioners Certificate.

2. Lodge completed ASC with supporting documentation at the Faculty of Science office. Bring one set of original documents for the Faculty’s records and a full set of copies for each assessment item for which consideration is being sought. All copies will be stamped ‘Received Faculty of Science dd/mm/yyyy’ and you will be issued with a receipt. Applications must be received within five (5) working days of the assessment task for which you are seeking consideration (i.e. 5 working days from the assignment due date or date of examination).

3. On the same day, bring a set of stamped copies to the School of Molecular Bioscience (one set for each assessment item for which Special Consideration is sought). The copy should be marked “To the attention of . . . (the UoS Coordinator’s name)”, and should be handed directly to the Administration Office, located on Level 4 of the School of Molecular Bioscience building (G08). Note that no one else can accept this documentation.

4. After academic judgment is complete, you will be advised of the outcome by the Faculty office via an email to your University email account within ten working days of lodging the application.

Please note that acceptance of an application for Special Consideration at the Faculty Office is an indication only that the paperwork is correctly completed and submitted in the correct time frame. The academic judgement made by the School will be based on the merits of the information contained within the application.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What does "within 5 working days of the assessment" mean?

This means that you have a period of five workings days from the date of the assessment within which to submit a complete and correct application with the Faculty Office. This does NOT include weekends and public holidays.

Applications may only be submitted during Faculty opening hours.

This deadline is final and will not be extended, except under documented extenuating circumstances (see below).

In the case of illness, the only circumstances in which this may be different is if you have had a prolonged illness of more than seven days and your professional practitioner certificate states this clearly - in this circumstance it is recommended that you lodge your application within 24 hours of the last date of illness on your certificate or the first working day thereafter.

I missed the deadline - what can I do?

Faculty of Science staff will not be able to accept or process a late application which does not meet these requirements. If you have been unable to submit an application because you have been physically unable to do so (e.g. in hospital), the Faculty staff may accept the application if a PPC or hospital discharge papers indicate that submission of forms on-time was impossible.

If there are no documented extenuating circumstances, your claim will not be considered and your application will be rejected.

Can I fax my application in?

No. A special consideration application must be submitted in person. You may send a friend or family member to submit your form for you (make sure they have all the right documentation).

Why not?

Your application may be incomplete or incorrect. Incorrect or incomplete applications will be rejected. Submitting in person allows us to check it is correct and complete.
After submission to the Science Faculty a copy must be taken to the School or Department administering that unit. This is your responsibility.

In case of any difficulty with the above procedures, you should contact your UoS coordinator by email.

How many copies should I bring in?

One for your records
One for the Science Faculty
One for each assessment you are claiming special consideration for.

The Faculty Office will not be able to photocopy for you or supply stationery.

An application without the correct number of copies is considered incomplete and will not be accepted.

I have a medical certificate - will you accept it?

No, all students must supply the same documentation. If you have a medical certificate you will need to go back to the doctor and ask to have your professional practitioner certificate completed. You will need to provide us with a statutory declaration as well.
How many copies should I bring in?

One for your records
One for the Science Faculty
One for each assessment you are claiming special consideration for.

The Faculty Office will not be able to photocopy for you or supply stationery.
An application without the correct number of copies is considered incomplete and will not be accepted.

COURSEWORK ASSESSMENT – ASSIGNMENTS AND CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

Where Do I Submit An Assignment?

The arrangements for submission of assignments may vary according to the particular UoS and the nature of the task. Details of arrangements for submission of assignments are shown in the appropriate UoS Course Manual/Course Handout.

What do I do if I experience illness or misadventure during the semester and cannot submit assignments by the due date?

If you are ill or experience misadventure during the semester and cannot submit an assignment by the due date, you should submit an Application for Special Consideration (ASC).

If you are experiencing chronic illness or misadventure, i.e. more than fourteen (14) days’ duration, that is affecting your ability to study, you should see your UoS Coordinator as soon as you think that your study is being affected, with documentation of your circumstances (within limits of confidentiality). All efforts will be made to help you cope with the assessment deadlines and exam preparation. However there are certain mandatory limits (see p7 Faculty of Science Handbook 2010) to the amount of class time that can be missed without academic penalty or failure of the UoS, so you may need to consider whether it would be better to discontinue the UoS until you can resume your studies effectively. You are also strongly advised to access University health and welfare services such as Disability and/or Counselling http://www.sydney.edu.au/current_students/student_services/health_welfare/index.shtml

When should I submit my ASC?

Your ASC must be submitted within five (5) working days from the due date of the assignment, preferably before the due date. The length of an extension of due date will not exceed the length of time for which you were affected by your illness or misadventure.

The academic judgement made and any granting of extension and rescheduling of assessments is dependent upon the evidence submitted in your application.

Extensions to the due date of an assignment can only be made after an ASC has been lodged. Please note the Faculty of Science does not grant simple extensions.

Should I hand in an ASC every time I am sick?

If you are sick for less than a week and there are no assignments due during your absence then you do not need to submit an ASC. However, any absence from practical classes must be explained to the UoS Coordinator and supported by relevant documentation as appropriate.

What does the Faculty do with my ASC?

Your ASC is treated confidentially and does not disadvantage you in any way.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have supplied all relevant details. A decision to extend the due date of an assignment is made only if:

the illness or misadventure is considered serious enough (moderately affected or higher) by your registered medical practitioner or counsellor to have affected submission of your assessment
and/or the date of the illness or misadventure is considered close enough in time to have affected submission of your assessment

It is your responsibility to ensure that you keep your contact details up to date with the UoS Coordinator in case it is necessary to speak with you regarding your ASC.

The Faculty informs you by email to your University email address, within 10 working days of lodging your ASC. In some cases, the UoS Coordinator may need to contact you more quickly, to arrange additional testing.

What happens after I submit my ASC?

After you apply, the Faculty office checks and logs your application and you take a copy to the School or Department that administers that unit.

After academic judgment is complete, you will be advised of the outcome by the Faculty office via an email to your University email account within ten (10) working days of lodging your application.

What happens if the Academic Judgement made is that my ASC is declined?

If your application is declined, then lateness penalties for assignments will be applied and the assessment will not be rescheduled. You have fifteen (15) working days from the date the outcome of the Special Consideration application was sent to your University email address within which to appeal this decision through the Faculty of Science.

What happens if the Academic Judgement made is that my ASC has been accepted?

A new date will be arranged for the assignment. It is your responsibility to contact the UoS Coordinator to confirm the new date.
If the assignment is not received by the new date, then lateness penalties will apply unless further documentation relating to the more recent circumstance is supplied.
Students experiencing prolonged problems with regard to the completion of assessment tasks will be referred to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies within the Faculty of Science.
If your ASC is in relation to compulsory classes that cannot be taken at a different time, it may be possible for appropriate arrangements to be made.

What penalties apply for late submission of an assignment?

The penalty for late submission of an assignment may vary according to the particular UoS and the nature of the task. Details of penalties for each assignment are shown in the appropriate UoS Course Manual/Course Handout or notified at the time of setting the assignment.

EXAMINATIONS AND TESTS

What do I do if I am sick or experience misadventure on the day of an examination or test?

You should make every reasonable effort to attend the examination at the scheduled time. By attending, you are declaring that you are fit to do the exam.

If you are unable to sit for the examination as scheduled, you must submit an Application for Special Consideration.

What happens if I complete the exam or test, but feel that my performance has been affected?

You should submit an Application for Special Consideration.

What happens if my ASC is accepted?

You will be offered a replacement assessment. The replacement assessment will be an examination which will take place in the School after the examination period has finished.

Replacement exams will be held within 6 weeks of the date of the original examination (typically, but not certainly, within 3 weeks of the original examination)..

All students are advised to remain in Sydney and not make any overseas or interstate travel plans until the official end of the examination period, and any other period that may be necessary if Special Consideration and Special Arrangement have been applied for.

The replacement assessment will be a different examination paper. It will assess the same skills and knowledge as the original examination. It will contain questions which are of the same format but different from the original examination.

If you sat for the original examination and choose to accept the offer of a replacement assessment, your original examination will not be marked.

It is your responsibility to consult your University email account and to ensure that the UoS Coordinator has your contact details, so that you can find out whether your ASC has been successful and the arrangements for your replacement assessment.

What happens if a replacement assessment is not offered?

You have fifteen (15) working days from the date the outcome of the Special Consideration application was sent to your University email address within which to appeal this decision through the Faculty of Science.
If you decide to appeal you will need to provide more evidence to support your initial ASC, but must not introduce new circumstances or material which are not directly relevant to the original application.
You should submit the appeal in writing to the Appeals Officer at the Faculty of Science.
The appeal will be considered by the Dean or a nominee of the Dean within ten (10) working days of receipt of the appeal, and you will be notified of the result of the appeal by email to your University email account.

NON-ALLOWABLE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER THE SPECIAL CONSIDERATION POLICY

Occasional, brief or trivial illness (one or two days’ duration) which occurred seven days or more before an assessment is due or an exam undertaken
Competing workloads from other studies or employment
Planned commitments such as elective surgery (see Special Arrangements)
Holidays or weddings
Computer related problems, except where a police report is provided indicating that burglary or calamity has resulted in the loss of a computer.
Jury service, military service, national sporting and religious or cultural commitments are not covered by special consideration. Students should view the special arrangements guidelines and note that special arrangements must be submitted before the event.
Long illness or ongoing disability are not processed through special consideration, in these circumstances students should register with Disability Services. If you have an illness for more than 4 (four) weeks you should book an appointment with the Pro-dean at the Faculty of Science to discuss your options, which may include suspending your studies for a semester.

The University of Sydney - School of Molecular Bioscience