Division of Law Student Assessment Policy
- ELIGIBILITY
Any student who has not complied with the requirements of a particular unit may be excluded from further participation in the unit including attendance of the final exam. A student who is excluded from a unit is deemed to have failed the unit and the grade of F should be recorded. (BDR s11(1))(For example, where it is set as a unit requirement in the Study Guide of that unit, failure to attend 80% of tutorials or seminars, renders a student ineligible to participate further in the unit unless the convener waives the requirement in a case of exceptional circumstances).
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SIT-DOWN EXAMINATIONS
2.1 The assessment value, duration and dates of the relevant examination period of the sit-down examination must be included in the Assessment section of the Study Guide.
2.2 Students should be advised that they must be available for examination at any time during the examination period. Students should check the draft timetable for clashing examination times and advise the Examinations Officer, Academic Program Section immediately. If they are not able to attend an exam for any reason they must make a request for special consideration to the Registrar. This is not a matter for the Unit Convener.
2.3 Any student who is prevented from attending the examination by unavoidable disruption or who is affected by unavoidable disruption during the course of an examination should contact the Unit Convener immediately. Conveners may, in accordance with Rule 9 (2) provide the student with a Supplementary Examination (see below).
2.4 At the conclusion of the examination period, after the notification of results to students by the University, any student is entitled to view their examination script. To do so, the student should discuss their concern with the Unit Convener and provide a completed Appeals Against Grades Form before the deadline specified in the Handbook for the submission of formal appeals. Conveners should consult the Handbook regarding the University policy and procedures for Appeals Against Grades. Conveners should note that they are required to respond to the student enquiry within 10 working days from the date of student’s contact. All examination papers should be retained by the Unit Convener in their office for six months after the examination. Students are not permitted to take away the original version of their examination script.
3. TAKE-HOME EXAMINATIONS
3.1 The assessment value, length of exam paper and dates of issue and submission of take-home examination should be included in the Assessment section of the Study Guide.3.2 Students should be advised that they must be available for examination for the period between the issue and submission of the take-home exam and will not be granted Special Consideration (and therefore the possibility of a Supplementary Examination) for any clash of the examination with work, travel or family commitments that arise within that time.
3.3 Any student who is prevented from submitting the examination by unavoidable disruption or who is affected by unavoidable disruption during the duration of the take-home examination should contact the Unit Convener immediately. Conveners may, in accordance with Rule 9 (2) provide the student with a Supplementary Examination (see below).
3.4 At the conclusion of the examination period, after the notification of results to students by the University, any student is entitled to view their examination script. To do so, the student should discuss their concern with the Unit Convener and provide a completed Appeals Against Grades Form before the deadline specified in the Handbook for the submission of formal appeals. Conveners should consult the Handbook regarding the University policy and procedures for Appeals Against Grades. Conveners should note that they are required to respond to the student enquiry within 10 working days from the date of student’s contact. All examination papers should be retained by the Unit Convener in their office for six months after the examination. Students are not permitted to take away the original version of their examination script.
4. SUPPLEMENTARY EXAMINATIONS
4.1 Any student who is prevented from attending the examination by unavoidable disruption on the day of the exam or who is affected by unavoidable disruption during the course of an examination should inform the unit convenor and report the circumstances in writing to the Registrar according to the procedure in s9(1)(c) of the Bachelor Rules. The student may request either that the circumstances be taken into account when assessing the result of the examination, or make a request for a supplementary exam. When the convenor receives notification of the unavoidable disruption, the convenor will determine in consultation with the conveners of other Law units in which the applicant is enrolled whether the student is eligible for a supplementary exam, and if not, what special consideration is warranted in relation to the student’s performance in the exam (BR s9(2)).
Note: Supplementary exams are available only to students who have formally applied for, and been granted Special Consideration for that unit.4.2 Supplementary examinations must be set within 6 weeks after the notification of Exam Results. (BR s9(2)).
4.3 The supplementary examination must be a completely new assessment task containing no questions that appeared in the final exam. However, it should be of the same duration as the final exam, and assess the same range of unit content as the original examination
4.4 Once conveners know the final number of supplementary exams in their unit, they must notify the conveners setting supplementary examinations in other units to check for possible clashes, and to prepare the timetable of supplementary exams. The conveners must advise students in writing of the details of the exam location and time; and invigilation.
4.5 Supplementary examinations can be offered once only. If a student fails to attend the supplementary examination, no further assessment will be set or considered in-lieu of the supplementary examination.
5. REQUESTS FOR A REMARK OF ASSESSMENT TASKS
5.1 Students have no entitlement to have their assessment tasks reviewed by the unit convenor or remarked. However, if convenors are prepared to review scripts and entertain a remark, they should follow the following procedures:5.2 Requests for a remark or review of assessment tasks should only be entertained after a student has examined their assessment tasks, and discussed with the unit convenor why they believe the mark they received did not reflect the quality of their work. Conveners may request this information in writing. (Consider also Dept of Psychology criteria and form)
5.3 In determining whether a re-mark is warranted, conveners should not accept as reasons for a remark the following: (i) an assertion that a great deal of time was spent on reading, library/research and other preparation normally required for any piece of academic work; and (ii) an intuitive self-evaluation of the project.
5.4 If a unit convener is satisfied that a remark is warranted, they should advise the student that the second mark on their assessment task will be the final mark, and no further remark will be entertained.
5.5 Where possible, the re-mark should be undertaken by person involved in the marking of that particular assessment task, but not the person who marked the assessment item in the first instance. If there is no such person, the convener may re-mark the assessment task themselves, or seek an independent assessment from another member of staff in the Division.
5.6 Where possible, all evidence of the original mark and any comments on the paper should be removed before the re-mark is conducted (i.e. the student should submit a ‘clean copy’ of the assessment task for the purpose of the remark).
6. APPEALS AGAINST GRADES
6.1 There is a formal system for appeals against grades for units of study. This is set out in the ‘Appeals’ section of the Handbook of Undergraduate Studies. Unit conveners should familiarise themselves with these procedures. Queries regarding this process may be directed to the Dean of Students, Dr Judith Dickson.6.2 Appeals must be in writing to the convenor on the Appeals Against Grades Form available on the University website and in hard copy at the Student Centre.
6.3 The deadlines for submission of appeals is set out in the Handbook for each semester.