Special Consideration
‘Special Consideration’ is a specific term used within the University informing staff that you have experienced a disruptive event affecting your ability to study or attend exams in the mid or end of year examination period. The Special Consideration form is accompanied by a Professional Authority form which must be completed by a Doctor, Psychologist, Policeman or other such professional able to comment on your circumstances.
How does it work?
- If you are on the border between two grades and your previous results
show a clear pattern of achievement then you may be awarded the higher
grade. For example, if you are regularly achieving Credit grades but have
suffered some mishap that has clearly affected your ability to study and
you achieve a high Pass then you may be scaled up to a Credit.
- If you have...
failed an examination or,
failed to attend a mid or end of year examination or,
received a grade of ‘Incomplete’ (I) or ‘Incomplete Special’ (IS) AND
submitted a Special Consideration form accompanied by the Professional Authority form and any other supporting documentation...then you may be awarded a supplementary exam. If you have a history of requesting ‘Special Consideration’ at exam times, or if your circumstances are considered routinely encountered (colds, headaches, work commitments, etc) your chances of being granted a supplementary examination are low.
Do not assume that by submitting an appeal for Special Consideration you will automatically get a supplementary exam or a change in grade.
Students who have sat supplementary exams in at least two consecutive exam periods will no longer be granted special consideration.
How do I Submit a Special Consideration Form?
Special Consideration and Professional Authority forms are available from the Student Enquiry Service or can be downloaded from the Macquarie University web site.
You must supply a separate Special Consideration form for each Department or Division in which you are undertaking units. Make sure you complete each section of the form. Where possible, speak to your unit convenor or tutor before requesting consideration. The earlier they know a problem exists the more time there is to organise options.
Complete all forms and get photocopies for your records. You can mail the originals or drop them in at the Student Enquiry Service. If you submit your forms through the Student Enquiry Service they will be date stamped and marked as received. Get your copies date stamped as well. Your forms will then be delivered to the Academic Program Section who will attach them to your student file and send them to all relevant department staff. Alternatively you can submit them directly to the Academic Program Section on the 4th floor of the Lincoln Building (RA). You will need to check their opening hours in advance. Special Consideration forms must be submitted "...as soon as possible after such examination, and in any case no later than the day following the final day of the examination period." (Handbook of Undergraduate Studies 2006.)
After the examination period contact your unit convenor(s) to discuss the outcome of your appeal. Remember, it is your responsibility to resolve any outstanding grade issues within the designated time periods.
Advice of Absence Forms
Special Consideration forms can only be submitted during the official mid or end of year examination period. Throughout the semester Advice of Absence forms are used if you cannot attend classes or miss assessments held in class. These forms should not be used in the final examination periods. An Advice of Absence form can be downloaded from the Macquarie University website.
When disaster strikes: Unavoidable Disruption
Sickness, or unforeseen circumstances that affect your ability to study or attend examinations, is called ‘Unavoidable Disruption’ by the University
Circumstances routinely encountered by students are not considered ‘unavoidable disruption’. Things like these, do not count:
- routine demands of employment;
- routine family problems such as domestic tension with or between parents, spouses and other people closely involved with the student;
- difficulties adjusting to University life, to the self-discipline needed to study effectively, and to the demands of academic work;
- stress or anxiety associated with examinations, required assignments or any aspect of academic work;
- routine need for financial support;
- demands of sport, clubs and social or extracurricular activities.
If you find yourself in such a situation you should contact your unit convenors / lecturers to discuss your options. If the answer is to withdraw from studies until your circumstances improve, and it is after the HECS Census date, then you should apply for a Withdrawn Without Penalty or ‘W’ grade(s). This grade does not affect your Grade Point Average. You must, however, retake the unit in its entirety if it is a prescribed unit for your degree. An appeal for ‘W’ grades follows a similar path as an appeal for a review of grades.
Contact your unit convenors/lecturers to inform them of your situation and to discuss your options. Making them aware may help speed up the process. State your case in writing, preferably typed, outlining your reasons for your withdrawal. Attach any documents that you believe will support your case. Make sure you include your full name, student number, address, telephone number and if you have one, an email address. Address the letter to the appropriate Dean of Division and send it to either the Undergraduate Studies Section or the Postgraduate Studies Section. From here it will be attached to your official student file and sent out to the appropriate Dean of Division. The Dean or her delegate will request information from your unit convenors/lecturers regarding your level of performance and attendance. If both are found to be satisfactory prior to the disruptive event then the chances of receiving a ‘W’ grade are good. If both, or either, are found to be unsatisfactory, or a distinct pattern of failing or withdrawing is detected, then your chance of gaining a ‘W’ grade is significantly reduced. Allow approximately 21 days for an outcome. The more units that are affected, the longer it will take.
If the outcome results in the granting of a ‘W’ grade then you may be entitled to a remission of tuition fees. For remission of HECS fees you need to make an appeal to the Department of Education, Science & Training (DEST). Instructions on how to appeal are sent along with the letter from the University advising you of your ‘W’ grade. If you are a full-fee paying student you would send your appeal to the Registrar via the Undergraduate or Postgraduate Studies Sections.
For more information regarding Appeals, Special Consideration and Unavoidable
Disruption
please visit the University
Handbook