FSTE Policy and Administration Guide
Matters Affecting your Assessment
3.1 Examination Period
3.2 Special Consideration
3.3 Alternative Examination Arrangements
3.4 Supplementary Assessment
3.4.1 Units with a compulsory hurdle requirement
3.4.2 Marginal fail
3.5 Conceded Passes
3.6 Notification of final results
3.7 Graduation
The mid-year examination period is from the 12 June to 2 July 2009 and the end-of-year examination period is from the 6 to 26 November 2009. Official timetables are published approximately five weeks prior to the commencement of the examination period. Students can access the examination timetables via the web www.latrobe.edu.au/students/timetables.html.
Students are required to make themselves available for the entire duration of any official examination period (including Supplementary/Special examination period).
Students are advised not to make any travel arrangements prior to the publication of the Official Examination Timetable.
You should check the allowable materials/instructions, dates, times, and locations of your examinations carefully, as it is your responsibility to observe all requirements specified in the timetable. Failure to present for an examination through misreading the timetable is not sufficient grounds for special consideration.
The University provides no information regarding examination dates, times and/or locations over the telephone.
Should you have two examinations set down for the same examination session, you must contact your Student Administration Centre at least three weeks prior to the commencement of the examination period and complete a request for alternative examination arrangements form.
Candidate seat numbers will be displayed on notice boards outside the appropriate examination venue approximately 30 minutes prior to the commencement of each examination session. You are advised to check your seat number immediately on arrival. If your Student ID does not appear on the seat list you should report immediately to the venue's Chief Supervisor.
If through ill-health, or for some other valid reason, you miss an examination or part of the semester's work, or you feel that your performance has been adversely affected by circumstances beyond your control, you should submit an Application for Special Consideration. All applications must be supported by documentary evidence (such as a medical certificate, copy of a death notice for a close relative and so on) and must be submitted within the approved time interval. These applications are considered by the examiners who may decide that no further action is warranted or the examiners may decide that you will be awarded a special examination.
If the examiner decides that no further action is warranted you will not be awarded a special examination, but rather, you will receive your grade and the code SCG will appear beside your grade to indicate consideration has been given.
If the examiners decide that you will be awarded a special examination your grade will appear with a "SP-E" or "SP-A" and the code SCG.
Special Consideration forms can be lodged at:
BUNDOORA: Student Administration Office, located in the David Myers Building
BENDIGO: Faculty Office located in Applied Science 2, room 3.01
ALBURY-WODONGA: Student Administration Centre, University Drive, Wodonga, Victoria 3690
3.3 Alternative Examination Arrangements
Alternative examination arrangements may be made for semester, annual, special or supplementary examinations for students who are either permanently or temporarily disabled. For example, candidates may be given breaks during examinations, be provided with additional time to complete their examinations or sit their examinations in an alternative venue. Students with a permanent or long-term disability should consult the Disability Liaison Officer (Bundoora & Albury-Wodonga campus) or Equity & Access Coordinator (Bendigo campus) in the first instance. All other students should contact the Student Centre directly to obtain relevant details on the process. Requests must be lodged at least three weeks prior to the commencement of the examination period.
Requests should be lodged at:
BUNDOORA: Student Centre, David Myers Building
BENDIGO: Academic Services - Student Administration
ALBURY-WODONGA: Student Administration Centre, University Drive, Wodonga,
Victoria 3690
The University has identified two situations in which it is appropriate to provide the opportunity for supplementary assessment rather than require unnecessary extension of the time needed for a student to complete his or her degree. These situations are covered by the following policies:
3.4.1 Units with a compulsory hurdle requirement
An undergraduate or postgraduate coursework student who has obtained 50 per cent or more in a unit but who has failed to meet a compulsory (hurdle) requirement shall be offered supplementary assessment in order to meet this requirement, unless it is impractical to provide this assessment. Upon successful completion of the supplementary assessment, the original mark will stand. (See point 3.4 of the supplementary assessment policy.)
In these circumstances, your grade will be recorded as "SAH-A"1 or "SAH-E" with no mark shown. Upon successful completion of supplementary assessment, the original mark will apply. Otherwise, the grade will be amended to "N".
You should check with the relevant Department to find out what minimum performance level must be met in a hurdle area in order for supplementary assessment to be made available.
1SAH-E May present for supplementary assessment in a compulsory (hurdle) component - which will include a centrally administrated Examination.
SAH-A May present for supplementary assessment in a compulsory (hurdle) component - which will not include a centrally administrated Examination.
3.4.2 General coursework units
An undergraduate or postgraduate coursework student shall be granted supplementary assessment in any failed unit for which a mark of 47 per cent or more has been obtained, provided that a single piece of work or assessment is worth more than 50 per cent of the assessment in the unit. Upon successful completion of supplementary assessment, the final mark awarded shall be 50 per cent.
Note: Supplementary assessment shall not be awarded where less than 47 per cent is obtained in a unit or where all assessment items are worth 50 per cent or less of the total assessment in the unit.
Supplementary assessment can take many forms, for example, additional laboratory or assignment work, an oral examination or an examination similar to the normal end-of-semester examination. In the event of an examination being required, it is usually held during the Supplementary and Special Examination period which occur twice yearly, at the end of each progression period. Whatever the form of supplementary assessment, it must be completed by the end of the week after the end of the Supplementary and Special Examination period.
Note that supplementary assessment cannot be applied retrospectively to units failed in a previous year.
Subject to Sections 3.2.4 and 3.2.6 of the Conceded Passes policy, a conceded pass will be awarded in a unit, in an undergraduate award course, when both of the following conditions are satisfied in a given Progression Period
(a) The mark obtained in the unit is at least 47% (but less than 50%);
and
(b) the student's Weighted Average Mark(WAM) is at least 50%.
No student will be awarded conceded passes totalling more than twenty (20) credit points in an undergraduate award course, in any progression period.
In addition, no student will be awarded conceded passes for more than one-sixth of their total degree (i.e. 60 points in a normal 360-point degree).
You should note the following:
- A conceded pass will not be granted for a specific unit if:
(a) it is a final core year unit; or
(b) It is required for professional accreditation; or
(c) It is necessary for a student to demonstrate professional or clinical competence as part of its assessment requirements; or
(d) The student has failed a hurdle requirement. - All conceded passes are terminal passes i.e., they are not regarded as satisfying the prerequisite for later-year units.
- A student who has obtained a conceded pass in a unit (NCE) is entitled to supplementary assessment in that unit. In such circumstances, the maximum mark obtainable for the unit is 50%.
- A student who has obtained a conceded pass in a unit may be permitted to re-enrol in the unit.
3.6 Notification of subject results
Final results will not be mailed to you unless you have been awarded a supplementary assessment or special examination or you fail to meet the academic progress requirements of your course, in which case, you will be asked to "Show Cause" why you should be permitted to re-enrol. To view your results, you must log on to Exams and results > StudentOnLine (URL: www.latrobe.edu.au/students/exams/studentonline). Results will be available from late-July and mid-December. You can check your "Show Cause" status on StudentOnLine, listed under "Course", then under "Course Progression." Please note that the "Show Cause" decision is not displayed until one week after results have been released.
Final dates may also be obtained in October from:
BUNDOORA: 03 9479 2005
BENDIGO: 03 5444 7474
ALBURY-WODONGA: 02 6024 9791
If you have been granted a special examination, then your grade will be shown as "SP-E" or "SP-A"2. Supplementary assessment is indicated by grades of "SA-E", "SA-A", "SAH-E" or "SAH-A". (See 3.3 for a fuller explanation of special and supplementary assessment.) If you have applied for special consideration but have not been granted a special examination, your result will be listed in the normal way (i.e. a letter grade will be shown) and the annotation "SCG" will appear beside the result.
2SP-E Granted a special Examination - which will include a centrally administrated Examination
SP-A Granted a special Examination - which will not include a centrally administrated Examination.
Remember, it is your responsibility to find out your final results. Since supplementary assessment is awarded without you applying for it, it is most important that you check the results as soon as possible after their release.
Details of special examination or supplementary assessment requirements will be available from the relevant Department immediately after the release of the results. (Some departments, such as the Department of Computer Science and Computer Engineering, will mail details to you shortly after the release of results and should reach you before the University re-opens after the Christmas break.)
Please take particular note: if special examinations or supplementary assessment are realistic possibilities for you, it is imperative that you ensure your availability during the assessment period.
Students are required to make themselves available for the entire duration of any official examination period.
Special and supplementary examinations will be held in early 2010 and all other supplementary assessment must be completed by the end of the week after the Supplementary and Special Examination period concludes. Examinations will not be rescheduled to fit in with individual student requests.
The Admissions, Examinations and Graduations Office send out Graduation packages to students who have qualified.
You may check the Graduations web page (URL: www.latrobe.edu.au/students/graduations/apply) for details regarding ceremony details, graduation pack postal dates, times, colours for the various hoods and answers to Frequently Asked Questions.