Assessment Consideration

The Faculty of Arts assesses student requests for consideration relating to completion of assessment in accordance with the regulations set out in Part 5 of the Academic Board’s policy on Assessment and Examination of Coursework and the Special Arrangements for Examination and Assessment policy. Students are expected to become familiar with the University’s policies and Faculty procedures relating to Special Consideration and Special Arrangements.

There are two types of consideration students can apply for as follows:
Special Consideration - for serious illness or misadventure
Special Arrangements – for essential community commitments

The University’s assessment practices are designed to ensure that conditions are fair to all students, as consistent as possible, and that individual students are not disadvantaged by adverse personal circumstances beyond their control or by the activities of other students.

There is a clear distinction between longstanding serious illness or misadventure and short-term serious illness or misadventure.

Longstanding serious illness or misadventure
Students who, because of serious illness or misadventure, are prevented from attending classes for prolonged periods should seek an interview with the Undergraduate Coordinator in each of the departments in which they are studying. Even if they do not exceed any specified permitted period of absence, they may need to consider whether their best interests are served by discontinuing with permission from the course until they are able to resume their studies effectively. They may apply to the Faculty of Arts in writing for a suspension (leave of absence) of their candidature or to withdraw from the unit or units of study affected. International students may seek advice from the International Office regarding visa requirements prior to making any changes to enrolments.

Short-term serious illness or misadventure
Only well-attested serious illness or misadventure during a semester or occurring at the time of an examination will warrant special consideration for academic performance. This policy deals with short-term serious illness or misadventure that may prevent an otherwise well prepared student from sitting for an examination or completing a particular assessment.

Special Consideration will NOT be granted in the following instances:

• Occasional brief or trivial illness of a one or two week duration that occur one week or more before an assessment is due or an examination undertaken;
• Workloads from other units of study, disciplines and faculties, except where the request for special consideration is made within the first three weeks of semester;
• Employment where the request for special consideration is made less than four weeks before the date of the assessment;
• Illness and misadventure that have prevented students from acquiring a Pass level of knowledge/skills (including all illnesses/misadventures resulting in the student missing six weeks or more of lectures or tutorials);
• Adequate standards of documentation and processes have not been met;
• Requests for extensions for assignments made after the assignment is due or an assessment has taken place (except where the circumstances prevented earlier provision; no special consideration requests shall be processed if submitted more than one week after the assessment);
• The supporting documentation post-dates the period for which special consideration was sought;
• The performance of the student was equivalent or superior to that demonstrated in other assessments in the unit of study; and they pertain to planned commitments, such as elective surgery, holiday or work, where the student could reasonably be expected to have scheduled the commitment or their studies to not adversely affect their studies;
• Computer-related problems, except where a police report is provided indicating that burglary or calamity has resulted in the loss of both a computer and backups from the student’s place of residence (NB it is assumed that students keep regular back-ups of their work, so theft of a laptop is not grounds for special consideration).
• Jury Service, Military Service, National Sporting, religious or cultural commitments and other unforeseen events are not dealt with under this policy, as they are not instances of illness or misadventure. Such matters are dealt with under the Special Arrangements policy.

Any student who is found to have provided forged documentation in order to obtain special consideration will be subject to the University’s procedures for dealing with cases of student discipline as set out in Chapter 8 of the University of Sydney By-law 1999 (as amended).

Examiners may respond to a request for special consideration in one or more ways:

1. When the candidate is on the ‘borderline’ between grades the examiners may elect to give the higher grade;
2. The candidate may be given a further test usually before the meeting of the Board of Examiners;
3. An extension for missing or unsatisfactory assignments may be approved, or new assignments arranged;
4. If in the judgement of the examiners the candidate is not capable of achieving a pass even with extensions of time and/or further tests, no action will be taken. The approval of such special arrangements is entirely at the discretion of the examiners. It should be noted that no extensions or further tests could be given, in any circumstances, after the beginning of the following academic year. If the requirements for a unit of study have not been completed by then, the candidate has failed it. (In some cases, a department may be willing to grant exemptions for work completed if the student re-enrols in the unit of study in a later year, but the candidate must re-enrol in the whole unit of study).

Requests for special consideration are sympathetically treated, but candidates must appreciate that in some cases Faculty cannot make the concession requested, even when strong evidence is presented.

The special consideration application form, further information and the Academic Board policy are available from the Arts website: www.arts.usyd.edu.au

1. Obtain a form below, or from the Faculty offering your unit of study.
2. Complete the special consideration form:
   a. For consideration due to serious illness – have a registered medical practitioner or counsellor complete the Professional Practitioner's Certificate.
   b. For consideration due to misadventure attach appropriate documentation (e.g. police report).
3. Make the appropriate number of copies - enough for each unit of study.
4. Lodge the original of this form to the Faculty Office.
5. Lodge a stamped copy of the form with each School Office.

Applications must be received within one week from the end of the period for which consideration is sought (ie no later than the latest date for which your supporting documentation indicates that you were unable to study/attend).

Students will be notified of the academic judgement concerning their special consideration application by the relevant unit coordinator.

You can download a copy of the Special Consideration Form here.

Special arrangements may be made available to any student enrolled in a Faculty of Arts unit of study, who is unable to meet assessment requirements or attend examinations, because of one or more of the following situations:

1. essential religious commitments or essential beliefs (including cultural and ceremonial commitments)
2. compulsory legal absence (eg jury duty, court summons, etc);
3. sporting or cultural commitments, including political/union commitments, where the student is representing the University, state or nation;
4. birth or adoption of a child, and
5. Australian Defence Force or emergency service commitments (including Army Reserve).

The special arrangements application form, further information and the Academic Board policy are available from the Arts website: www.arts.usyd.edu.au

Any student who is found to have provided forged documentation in order to obtain special arrangements will be subject to the University’s procedures for dealing with cases of student discipline as set out in Chapter 8 of the University of Sydney By-law 1999 (as amended).

Students should first contact either their unit of study coordinator or the department’s undergraduate coordinator.

1. Obtain and complete a Special Arrangements Application pack from the Faculty of Arts Office or download below.
2. Complete the Special Arrangements Application:
   a. A student seeking arrangements due to an essential religious or ceremonial commitment must have a religious authority complete the Statement of Essential Religious or Ceremonial Commitment.
   b. A student seeking alternative arrangements due to Compulsory legal absence, Sporting or cultural commitments or Australian Defence Force Commitments, must attach the appropriate documentation (Jury Summons, Notification of Selection for Sporting Event or Brigade Statement etc).
3. Lodge the original paperwork with the Faculty of Arts Office. One photocopy of the Application Form and any supporting documents is required for each piece of assessment for which Special Arrangements are being sought and must be lodged by the student with the appropriate School.
4. Students will be notified of the Academic Judgement concerning their application for Special Arrangements by the appropriate School.
5. You can download a copy of the Special Arrangements Form here.