Results and Progress Status

Please note that hard copy information may become outdated.  The information below should be considered the more up-to-date.  If you have any queries, please contact the Faculty Administrative Officer.

Rules in relation to completion of a unit, assessment and examination, including advice of results, missed examinations, appeals, etc are covered by University General Rules and Faculty Rules

Satisfactory and UnSatisfactory Progress

To make "SATISFACTORY PROGRESS" students must comply with University General Rule 1.2.1.29 or the equivalent 1.2.2.9 for combined degree students, and Faculty of Law Rule 7.2.2.9. The following is a key to the abbreviations which MAY appear on your results and the procedures which MUST be followed in each case:

• GOOD STANDING: Students who make satisfactory progress are assigned a course status of good standing and are permitted to enrol for the following academic year.
• OP-ON PROBATION -must see Associate Dean before re-enrolling in the course and conditions may apply to re-enrolment
  Students returning from suspension or who have failed to make satisfactory progress but are granted permission to re-enrol will be awarded a progress status of on probation. Conditions may be imposed (eg part-time enrolment, minimum load) on students with this progress status.
• SU-SUSPENDED: not permitted to re-enrol in the course for a period of 12 months
  Students who fail to make satisfactory progress for the first time are given the status of 'suspended' for a period of 12 months.
  
  Students who have been suspended may not re-enrol in the course during the 12 month period of suspension unless the Dean of the Faculty of Law, as empowered by the Board of Examiners, determines otherwise in light of exceptional circumstances. Students who are suspended but wish to apply for re-enrolment in the next academic year are required to apply in writing to the Dean of the Faculty of Law, setting out the reasons for their poor performance during the calendar year and explaining the exceptional circumstances that would justify the Dean exercising his discretionary power to permit re-enrolment without first serving the 12 month suspension period. The letter, together with any relevant supporting documentation, should be received by the Faculty  within 20 University working days of the release of results. Students in combined courses should also provide a copy of the letter to the Dean of the other faculty in which they are enrolled as a Progress Committee, made up of members of both faculties, will be convened to consider any such application.
  
  Students will be permitted to automatically return to study following the 12 month period of suspension with a progress status of "on probation".
  
• EX-EXCLUDED: Excluded from further study in the course
  Students who fail to make satisfactory progress for the second time are assigned the status of 'excluded" in accordance with Faculty of Law Rule 7.2.2.2.9(5) or University General Rule 1.2.2.10(b) for combined degree students, and will not be permitted to re-enrol in the course (Unviersity General Rule 1.2.1.30(1))
  
  In accordance with University General Rule 1.2.2.10, students enrolled  in a combined degree may not be assigned a status of 'excluded" if the Progress Committee, comprising members of both faculties involved, determine otherwise in light of exceptional circumstances. Combined degree students who have been excluded but wish the Progress Committee to re-consider their progress status in light of exceptional circumstances should apply in writing to the deans of both faculties involved setting out the reasons for their poor performance during the calendar year and explaining the exceptional circumstances that would justify the exercise of this discretion. The letter, together with any relevant supporting documentation, should be received by the faculties within 20 University working days after the official release of results.
  
  Law students not enrolled in a combined course who have been excluded who have experienced exceptional circumstances which have affected their performance in their law course may apply to the Dean of the Faculty of Law to consider supporting a rule waiver of Faculty of Law Rule 7.2.2.9(5) to permit them to re-enrol in the course. Any such application should set out the reasons for the student's poor performance and explain the exceptional circumstances that would justify the Faculty supporting a waiver of the rule in the circumstances. The letter, together with any relevant supporting documentation, should be received by the Faculty of Law within 20 University working days after the release of results.
  
  As provided for in the University General Rule 1.2.1.32, a student who has been excluded from a course and has not had their progress status changed as a result of an appeal or a request for special consideration, may apply to the faculty to re-enrol in the course after a period of at least 12 months has elapsed since their exclusion if the student believes that their case has changed. The decision as to whether the student will be allowed to re-enrol wil be made by the Dean of the Faculty. In the case of combined course students, the decision will be made in consultation with the other relevant faculty.
• DISSATISFACTION WITH AN ASSESSMENT RESULT AND/OR PROGRESS STATUS
  In the case where there is dissatisfaction with an assessment result and/or progress status students should refer to http://www.secretariat.uwa.edu.au/home/policies/appeals for advice and assistance, as well as policy and procedures for lodging an appeal against an academic assessment or progress status. Students are reminded that they have 20 working days from the release of results in which to lodge a formal appeal.
• RW — REPEATED WITHDRAWAL — General Rule 1.2.1.17 states "Students who withdraw more than once from all units in which they are enrolled are not permitted to re-enrol in any course of the University without the special approval of the faculty concerned."
  
  Students seeking the permission of the Faculty to re-enrol should forward a letter together with relevant supporting documentation to the Dean of Law explaining the reason for their repeated withdrawal.
• RF — SUCCESSIVE FAILURE IN THE SAME UNIT – General Rule 1.2.1.28 states that students who fail a unit twice are not permitted to enrol again in that unit unless the faculty approves otherwise.
  
  To apply for re-enrolment in the unit concerned, students must apply in writing to the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Law, setting out the reasons for their poor performance and why they now feel they have a reasonable prospect of improving their performance. The letter, together with any relevant supporting documentation, should be received within 20 working days after the release of results. The application will be referred to a Committee for consideration.
  
  * For student with results from the deferred/supplementary examination period, the deadline is 20 University working days after the release of results. 

Award of Degree with Distinction

Faculty of Law Rule 7.2.2.10 provides for the faculty to award the degree with distinction to students who complete the coursework requirements of the degree with an average mark of 70 per cent or more.  A student who is awarded the degree with honours under Faculty of Law Rule 7.2.2.12 is not eligible for the award of the degree with distinction.

Award of Degree with Honours

The Faculty of Law (Rule 7.2.2.12) determines whether the degree is to be awarded with honours and, if so, the class of honours to be awarded on the basis of the standard of work completed for LAWS4345:Supervised Research 2 Part 1 and LAWS4346:Supervised Research 2 Part 2 and work completed throughout the entire course.

Scaling of Results

(1) (i) For units of 30 students or more a mandatory graded percentile scale is to be applied. 
     (ii) For units of less than 30 students the scale is not mandatory but is a guide to examiners.
                                   Resolved 16 October 1997 (R50/97)
  
     (iii) As from 31 August 2004, the range of grades for scaling purposes is:

                                Resolved 31 August 2004 (R15/04)

(iv) The degree of compliance with the scale in all units is to be reported to the Board of Examiners.
                         Resolved 16 October 1997 (R50/97)

      (2) Non-compliance with the scale by a fraction of one student should be ignored in applications of the scale.

The following examples illustrate the application of this approach:

(3) The scale is to be applied by examiners in a manner that is fair to all students in the unit, not merely those with marks on the boundary of a higher or lower grade.
                                           Resolved 16 October 1997 (R50/97)
                           Amended pursuant to R15/04 – 31 August 2004

(4) The marks used for calculation of Honours should be the scaled marks, not the raw marks.
                                                 Resolved 4 May 1990

Anonymity

Assessors shall adhere, as closely as practicable, to the principle of anonymity in relation to all forms of written assessment.

In the period between the sitting of an examination and the publication of the result for that examination, students must not communicate with any member of the teaching staff, except the Associate Dean, on any matter relating to that examination.

Illegible Examination Scripts

Students who submit illegible scripts will be required to print out their answers above their handwritten answers.

An examiner who considers a script illegible should request the Faculty Administrative Officer to arrange for the student to print out the script exactly (without addition or subtraction) e.g. a student may not spell out words which have been abbreviated in the first instance.  A student should not approach an examiner or the Faculty Administrative Officer for an opportunity to print out an answer.

Check Marking

All examination scripts which are graded as Fails should be check marked.  The check marker receives anonymous scripts, may see previous marks and may request that the marking scheme be provided by the chief examiner.

Supplementary Assessment (Faculty of Law Resolution R15/06)

In line with University General Rule 1.2.1.25(3), the Faculty of Law has determined that supplementary assessment will be available to Bachelor's degree students who receive a final mark of between 45 and 49 per cent inclusive in:

* LAWS1130 Legal Process, LAWS1105 Criminal Law I, LAWS1101 Contract I or LAWS1107 Torts I; or
* a unit in which they are currently enrolled provided it is the only remaining unit the student must pass in order to complete their course.

These Guidelines cover:

• Satisfactory Progress
• Award of Degree with Distinction
• Award of Degree with Honours
• Scaling of Results
• Anonymity
• Illegible Examination Scripts
• Check Marking
• Supplementary Assessment