Exchange Information for Law Students
Special Consideration: guidelines and policyFollowing is some very important information about the way in which the Faculty conducts and administers special consideration in relation to examinations and assessment. This information should be read in conjunction with the relevant University General Rules and Faculty Rules available in the University Handbooks as well as the Faculty of Law policy on Special Consideration in Examinations and Deferred Examination (below). Student Services provides a range of very helpful services and advice if you are contemplating an application. UWA Stress Less also gives very practical information and contact details for when things get really tough. Applications for Special ConsiderationThe University-wide Special Consideration form can be used to apply for a number of things, including deferred examinations, special consideration of academic assessment and late withdrawals. If you wish to make such an application you must complete the Special Consideration Form. Hard copies are available from the Law School Office. Report supporting the applicationSection 7 of the Special Consideration form provides room for a report provider to comment on the reasons behind your application. For example, if you are applying for a deferred exam because of illness, you will have this section completed by your doctor. Please note this section MUST BE COMPLETED. Medical certifcates will not generally be accepted in lieu of completion of this section (they may be included in addition to completion of this section). If it is impossible for you to have the form completed by a doctor or other relevant report provider, you may attach an original signed letter, preferably on letterhead, provided that it includes ALL information requested in Section 7. This is important because to make an informed judgement, the Faculty needs to know the extent to which your preparation has been impacted. All reports are treated with strict confidence. Rescheduled exams(Note that "rescheduled" exams are not the same as deferred exams. Information on deferred exams is below). Exam periods are published years in advance so if you are planning on being away around the time exams are held check before you make your booking. Do not approach the Faculty after making alternative arrangements and expect accommodation. Deferred ExamsUniversity General Rule 1.2.1.24 governs deferred examinations and provides for a Faculty to approve a deferred examination where as student is, due to medical or other exceptional reasons, substantially hindered in preparation for an examination or absent from or unable to complete an examination. Students applying for deferred examination must therefore have a compelling case to demonstrate that they have either been SUBSTANTIALLY hindered in preparation for an exam, or are absent from or unable to complete an examination, and they must also demonstrate that this has occurrerd due to medical or other EXCEPTIONAL reasons. You should also note that a deferred examination will not be granted if you have already completed the exam in question. The Faculty of Law also takes the view that where a student requires a deferred examination in one unit, they ought to require a deferred examination in all units. Deferring some but not all exams should not be considered as an option to lighten your load. The deadline for applying for a deferred examination is three (3) University working days AFTER the date of the exam. However the Faculty strongly encourages you to submit any application prior to the exam. Regardless of whether your application is submitted before or after the date of the exam, it will be assessed in the same way despite the fact that the consequences for a student applying for a deferred exam after the scheduled date are much more severe, i.e. we will not be more lenient on you if declining your application will mean you fail the unit for not attending the exam. Alternative exam arrangementsStudents with medical or other conditions may apply for alternative examination arrangements such as extra time or access to examination papers with larger printing. Applications for such arrangements must be made to UniAccess: UWA's Disability Office AT LEAST THREE WEEKS BEFORE the commencement of the relevant exam period. Students with ongoing medical issues are expected to take appropriate pro-active steps to minimise the impact their condition(s) have on their ability to complete asessment tasks without recourse to Special Consideration. Alternative exam arrangements are an excellent way to do this. Backing up documents - it is your responsibilityIf your computer crashes shortly before an exam and you lose your notes, there is no guarantee that the Faculty will be in a position to offer you any assistance through special consideration. It is your responsibility to ensure that all electronic files are regularly backed up and/or hard copies of notes are kept - this is all part of the exam process. It is imperative that you ensure you take sufficient steps to safeguard against such an occurrence. Special Consideration of Academic AssessmentUniversity General Rule 1.2.1.21 governs the awarding of special consideration in academic assessment and provides for special consideration to be granted where, in the course of producing work for assessment, a student was adversely affected by serious illness or other specific problems which could reasonably have been expected to cause them to perform less well than would otherwise have been expected. Rule 1.2.1.21(2) allows the Faculty to increase a student's mark for a piece of work by a maximum of 5%. Students may apply for special consideration by submitting an application form as mentioned above. Applications are considered by the Faculty after preliminary results are in but before they are released to students. As such, the mark students see when marks are released on StudentConnect are the marks as amended (if amended) by the Special Consideration Committee. The process for determining what consideration, if any, is to be applied is set out in the Faculty of Law's policy on special consideration in examinations and deferred examinataions. There is no set deadline for special consideration however it is expected that students will submit an application as soon as possible. You should not wait for your results to come out before applying. At the latest you should apply prior to the meeting of the Board of Examiners as this is the body responsible for confirming all marks. The Board of Examiners typically meets on the Thursday before the release of results to students. Changes to marks after the Board has met can only be made by the Dean and typically only in certain situations (for instance if an arithmetic error in a mark calculation is discovered). If you do lodge an applicaiton after the Board of Examiners has met, you should outline the circumstances that have made you unable to submit the application earlier. Late withdrawal without academic penaltyLate withdrawal without academic penalty can be applied for usiing the Special Consideration form. Such an application should be made where a student is/was UNABLE for medical or other exceptional reasons to complete the unit/s in question and could not withdraw prior to the academic withdrawal date (the midpoint of instruction). Students wishing to apply for a late withdrawal must demonstrate that they were both unable to do the unit for reasons outside their control and also that they could not withdaw on time. If late withdrawal is approved, the unit will show on your formal academic record as WD (withdrawn) and no academic penalty will be applied. Students who then wish to apply for a refund of their tuition fees or a remission of HECS-HELP/FEE-HELP debt may do so by completing the relevant form. ExtensionsOne of the options on the Special Consideration from is lodging an application for an extension. The Faculty of Law does not centrally make decisions on assignment extensions - this power rests with the relevant unit coordinator. Please contact your unit coordinator for further information as the Faculty Office is unable to grant an extension. AppealsSeveral avenues of appeal exist in relation to many of the decisions made in relation to examinations. Students may appeal their final mark, any progress status assigned, the outcome of an application for special consideration and other decisions. All students considering lodging an appeal must familiarise themselves with the Guidelines before making an application. The deadline for all initial appeals is 20 University working days from the release of results. Where a student wishes to lodge an appeal against a mark, the first step is to informally seek feedback from the unit coordinator/lecturer/tutor. If you cannot make contact within a reasonable time after the release of results because they are not available, you should notify the Faculty Administrative Officer of your intention to appeal. This will "stop the clock" on the time limit until the appropriate staff member is contactable. GuidelinesPolicyApplication Form
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