Attendance and class requirements

Attendance requirements

Attendance requirements for this unit of study include weekly seminars, mandatory briefing and debriefing classes, off-campus placement attendance, and group and individual self-directed learning. As per SHS Faculty Resolutions, attendance is required at a minimum of 90% of all timetabled activities. Mandatory sessions, minimum total hours, and minimum hours per activity type also apply, as outlined below, followed by instructions on what to do for occasions of absence.

Attendance at some on-campus seminars and placement contribute towards the total of 1000 hours of fieldwork required for graduation from the degree. 

Mandatory pre-placement preparation classes: Weeks 11, 13 (2 hours).

Mandatory post-placement debriefing class: Date TBC (2 hours).

Self-directed learning: It is expected that students will complete between 2 and 6 hours self-directed learning in preparation for commencing their placement. Guidelines for what is considered acceptable activities for self-directed learning are located in the SHS WIL Canvas site: https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/9121/pages/occupational-therapy 

Placement attendance: 40 hours/week for 2 weeks = 80 hours. Students are expected to attend ALL scheduled placement days. Where missed hours occur, the actions to be taken are outlined in the section below.

Attendance records are taken for mandatory classes and attendance at placement is recorded. Students are required to accurately log their attendance for these activities via the timesheet function in Sonia according to the guidelines provided, in support of demonstrating you have met the attendance requirements.

Missed hours

• ALL absences must be notified to the unit of study coordinator and supervisor (placement). Notification must be timely and should include the nature of the leave and the expected return. Students may be required to undertake alternative learning tasks within specific timeframes to demonstrate the attainment of learning outcomes.

• Absences ≤ 8 hours cumulative (including relevant classes and placement) across the duration of the subject must be notified to the unit of study coordinator.

• Absences of greater than 10% (>8hrs) of fieldwork requirements must be notified to the unit of study coordinator AND accompanied by an application for special arrangements (contact the unit of study coordinator for details). Special arrangements will be required to make up the missed hours.

• Absences of greater than 16 hours cumulative (including relevant classes and placement) will require a formal application for special consideration. Applications for special consideration for missed hours must be entered as “In-class assessment; Attendance”. The nature of fieldwork means that such circumstances may require withdrawal from the subject to complete the entire subject or component at another time. Contact the unit of study coordinator for details

Students should also refer to the “Fieldwork Activity and Attendance Guidelines” on the Work Integrated Learning Canvas site (available to all students) on the Occupational Therapy page at https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/9121/pages/occupational-therapy

Pre-placement requirements:

Students must meet all pre-placement requirements as outlined on the University of Sydney Course-specific Checks and Clearances website (http://sydney.edu.au/current_students/enrolment/course_check.shtml).  Further, students must have an up-to-date declaration (in Sonia) that they have read and understood key documents related to privacy and confidentiality, codes of conduct, NSW Health policies and general communication/email etiquette. Failure to meet these requirements may prevent a student from being allocated to, and/or completing a placement or placement unit of study irrespective of their enrolment status and may thereby be unable to meet mandatory attendance requirements. Students must complete pre-placement requirements within the timeframes indicated in the UoS Canvas page.