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Course Management and Assessment Manual

Section 1 - about this manual, introduction, acknowledgements, section 2 - student responsibilities, student workload, student communication, academic integrity and conduct, section 3 - courses , part a - policy on courses, new courses, course availability list (cal), table 1 – approval authorities for course availability list, learning management system, academic subject codes, course content , course structure, multi-term sequence courses, course enrolment rules, table 2 – course enrolment rule types , course enrolment requirements, table 3  - course enrolment requirements, assumed knowledge, compulsory course requirements, compulsory placements or whs requirements, table 4 – compulsory placement and whs types, compulsory requirement – assessment, table 5 – compulsory assessment requirements and descriptions, learning activities - compulsory attendance, course delivery, appointment of course coordinators, course materials, course outlines, part b - course responsibilities, program and course approval committee, head of school, course coordinator, part c - course procedures, course approval procedure, placements , reasonable accommodation on placement for students with a disability, review of courses, requests to audit courses, section 4 - assessments , part d - assessments policy, assessment items, word limits, single assessment items, submission of assessment items, supplementary assessments for fail grades, examinations, permitted items in an examination room, table 6 – permitted materials and devices in examinations, rescheduled examinations, examination papers, marking , re-marking assessment items, school assessment body, record management, part e - assessment responsibilities, part f - assessment procedures, attending examinations, supervised examination procedure, how to request a review of an assessment item mark, school assessment body procedure, section 5 - course completion, part g - course completion policy, final results, table 7 - amendment to final results in a course - approval authorities ,  appeals against a final result , applications for supplementary assessment lodged by a potential graduate following failure in a course, part h - course completion procedures, how to request a review of final results, table 8 – example of assessment types, weightings and results, appeal a final result procedure, section 6 - course revision, part i - course revision policy, school level course revisions , table 9 – school level course revisions, college level course revisions, table 10 – college level course revisions, university level course revisions, table 11 – university level course revisions , part j - course revision procedure, section 7 - discontinuation, part k - course discontinuation procedure, table 12 – course discontinuation – approval authorities, section 8 - relaxing provision, section 9 - appendices.

(1) This Manual supports Schedule 2 – Delegation of Academic Matters of the Governance Rule . 

(2) This Manual is designed to provide clear and concise directions for staff of the University of Newcastle ( University ) when designing, managing, and reviewing courses and assessments, and to provide information to students .

(3) This Manual will be revised annually and published in the University's policy library . 

(4) This manual remains in effect for the calendar year (January to December) and will usually only be changed in that year if there are changes to external legislation or urgent amendments are approved by the President Academic Senate.

(5) The content of this Manual has benefited from input from other universities. The content has been reviewed to ensure the University's academic policies comply with the relevant sections of the Higher Education Threshold Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 .

(6) This Manual applies to courses created and offered by the University to:

• enabling students ; and
• enrolled in a program leading to an award ;
• with single course enrolments for non-award and cross-institutional study; and
• studying in Australia and offshore, including those enrolled through a third-party provider.

(7) This Manual applies to the Joint Medical Program (JMP) . In the event of an inconsistency between this manual and the policies and procedures specific to the JMP, the policies and procedures of the JMP will prevail to the extent of the inconsistency, unless the matter relates to a delegation of authority.

(8) This Manual does not apply to Higher Degrees by Research (please see Higher Degree by Research Policy ). 

(9) This Manual makes references to College structures and positions. Equivalent structures and positions may exist in Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre and are referenced where relevant.

(10) Students are required to: 

• comply with all relevant University policies and procedures;
• comply with the terms and conditions of enrolment; 
• ensure that they are academically prepared to meet the assumed knowledge specified for the course ;
• actively engage in all learning activities; 
• read prescribed materials and submit assessment items by the due date; 
• submit applications for consideration of adverse circumstances at the earliest opportunity; 
• provide the Course Co-ordinator with any Reasonable Adjustments Plan in a timely manner;
• comply with any instructions given by the course teaching staff , Head of School, or other supervisor relating to an assessment item ; 
• attend all assessable activities prescribed for each course in which they are enrolled; 
• comply with the University documentation within the University Health and Safety Management System ; 
• complete the University Academic Integrity Module (AIM) before the end of their first term of enrolment;
• sit for all examinations prescribed for the courses in which they are enrolled;
• a course offered at Newcastle City Precinct where the examination will be held at Callaghan campus ; or 
• a course offered at Gosford Precinct where the examination will be held at Ourimbah campus ; or
• where the student is enrolled at a campus , but is studying at a teaching location (e.g. Taree, Tamworth); or
• an online open book exam where the exam will be delivered via the Learning Management System (LMS); or
• online/distance courses where other provisions may be made; and
• comply with all requirements and instructions relating to materials that can be taken into an examination room.

(11) A student should expect to spend, on average, 120–140 hours of effort or total load (including contact and non-contact course requirements) per 10 unit course. This applies to all courses , for all fields of study and modes of delivery, excluding placement courses .

(12) The University's primary method of communication to  students is to their University email account.

(13) All students are required to check their University student email account frequently.

(14) The requirements for academic integrity are set out in the Student Conduct Rule and Academic Integrity and Ethical Academic Conduct Policy , and these apply to all courses and programs offered. 

(15) Students must comply with the Code of Ethical Academic Conduct Policy .

(16) A new course may be created to: 

• offer new content; 
• replace an existing offering; or 
• consolidate two or more existing courses under a new course code.

(17) A new course may only be offered where: 

• the course meets at least one of the criteria (above) for creation of new courses ; 
• the new course proposal has been submitted to the relevant College Board or Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre Board for approval of the academic content; and 
• the Program and Course Approval Committee (PCAC) has approved the creation of the course . 

(18) The annual CAL will be finalised in May for the subsequent year.

(19) The authority to approve the inclusion, amendment, or removal of a course from the CAL is outlined in Table 1 below:

(20) The University uses a Learning Management System (LMS), and every course offering, regardless of mode, has a site in that system. Combining of sites across locations and modes will be considered on a case by case basis on request to the Assistant Director, Learning Design and Teaching Innovation. 

(21) Each course site must comply with the Learning Management System Teaching Courses: Minimum Presence requirements  and reflect the University Course Site Quality Principles .

(22) An academic subject code for an undergraduate or postgraduate course is the four-letter prefix at the beginning of a course code, for example: EDUC or MATH. 

(23) For enabling courses , the academic subject code it is a six-letter prefix, for example: EPMATH.

(24) New academic subject codes should broadly cover one of the narrow Field of Education codes listed in the Australia Standard Classification of Education.

(25) New Academic Subject areas must be approved by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Vice President on the recommendation of the Academic Division General Manager and Academic Registrar.

(26) An academic subject code may be deleted by Student Central where the Academic Subject code is no longer required because it has been replaced by a more appropriate code or is no longer available at the University .

(27) Course content must: 

• be appropriate for the field of study and the level at which it is being offered;
• be current and of high quality; 
• be distinctive and avoid unnecessary duplication with other course offerings; 
• be delivered by those with appropriate expertise in the relevant field of study; 
• be equivalent across modes and locations in terms of the academic content and the number, weighting, and types of assessment items within a course ; 
• comply with the Code for the Protection of Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom ;  
• be clearly identified if the course is a re-badged course as both an undergraduate and postgraduate offering so that students are not able to claim credit for both units ; and
• have clearly defined learning outcomes and assessments that relate to the course content. 

(28) Regardless of the mode of delivery of the course, content should be made available in a manner consistent with the University   Course Site Quality Principles .

(29) The standard unit value for courses is 10, 20, 30 or 40 units . The Program and Course Approval Committee (PCAC) may consider courses proposed to have a unit value other than a standard unit value .

(30) The total workload required must correspond to the unit value of the course .

(31) The University utilises the below course types: 

• core course ; 
• compulsory course ; 
• a course chosen from a course list; and 

(32) Each course's learning outcomes , assessment items , course content, learning activities and teaching methods must be aligned.

(33) Advice on principles for offerings across different modes is available at Modes of Delivery and in the Course Site Quality Principles . A course  that is to be taught at multiple locations within the same academic term  must have equivalent weightings and coverage of the learning outcomes across the assessment items . The assessment items should be consistent in the Course Handbook. Subject to Head of School approval, local assessment instances may be indicated in the Course Outline to enable flexibility for courses  that are to be taught across sites or with different modes of delivery.

(34) The learning outcomes , knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills for each course level will vary depending on the field of study. When approving the course content the relevant College Board or Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre Board will be guided by the following: 

• 100 - 900 level – enabling;
• 1000 level - introductory; 
• 2000 level - mid program; 
• 3000 level - senior; 
• 4000 and 5000 levels – advanced; 
• 6000 levels - postgraduate courses.

(35) Courses at higher levels require assessment tasks that demonstrate a greater depth and breadth of knowledge and greater complexity in skills.

(36) An undergraduate course cannot be re-badged as a higher-level undergraduate course .

(37) Undergraduate courses may be re-badged as postgraduate courses and offered jointly to both undergraduate and postgraduate students .

(38)  Where an undergraduate course has been re-badged as a postgraduate course , the postgraduate course will require students to: 

• access additional extension material needed to contribute to meeting the relevant learning outcomes (at least 20% of the postgraduate course must be different from the undergraduate course ); 
• complete different and more challenging assessment items ; and
• complete targeted learning activities such as tutorials, workshops, or laboratories either face to face or online, and additional contact hours may be necessary. This is essential to provide the necessary depth of analysis or treatment of the course content for postgraduate students .

(39) Postgraduate students may attend the same lectures as undergraduate students .

(40) Single semester courses are the norm and the preferred option. Multi-term sequence courses are the exception.

(41) Multi-term sequence courses will be identified by an A and B suffix following the alphanumeric course code e.g. MATH1234A and MATH1234B.

(42) Multi-term sequence courses will usually have a unit value of 20, 30 or 40 units only. The unit value of a multi-term sequence course is the total value of the sequence and is not divisible.

(43) Multi-term sequence courses may only be offered in standard terms (semester or trimester).

(44) If a course is supervised (for example, WIL, a project, a thesis, fieldwork, or a practicum), it may be a multi-term sequence course . Justification must be provided for the creation of a multi-term supervised sequence course .

(45) Multi-term sequence courses must have clearly identifiable components which align with the term of offer (semester or trimester).

(46) The preferred option for the offering of multi-term sequence courses is Part A in Semester 1 and Part B in Semester 2 of any particular year. Multi-term courses need to be studied sequentially, with Part B studied in the semester immediately after Part A. Part A and Part B cannot be taken concurrently. Variations to this preferred option may be justified for end-on honours.

(47) Course Enrolment Rules must be listed under the Course Enrolment Rules header in the curriculum management system.

(48) A course will not usually have more than two Course Enrolment Rules.

(49) The PCAC must approve all Course Enrolment Rules.

(50) The Course Enrolment Rule types are codified in Table 2 Course Enrolment Rule Types.

(51) Course Enrolment Rules will only be approved where they are pedagogically based or required to ensure the health and safety of students or the community.  

(52) Guidance such as assumed knowledge and other recommendations or advice will be captured within the Course Enrolment Requirements section of the Curriculum Management System and will be published to the online course handbook. See types of Course Enrolment Requirements in Table 3. 

(53) The inclusion of assumed knowledge in a course indicates that the course will be taught on the understanding that students will already have a prescribed level of knowledge. 

(54) A Compulsory Course Requirement is an assessment item or other element in a course which: 

• is listed as compulsory and approved for inclusion in the curriculum management system entry for the course ; 
• is specifically linked to course learning outcomes ; 
• is listed in the Course Outline; 
• may or may not be awarded marks; and 
• must be satisfactorily completed before a pass mark (or greater) can be awarded for the course .

(55) Compulsory Course Requirements, including Compulsory Placement, WIL, WHS requirements, assessments set as a compulsory requirement, and compulsory attendance should not, wherever possible, cause the student workload for the course to exceed the 120-140 hours of effort per 10 unit course . This requirement may be relaxed for WIL or placement courses .

(56) Compulsory placement and WHS requirements must be met by the student to enable them to proceed with a placement or other activity(s). 

(57) Compulsory placement and WHS requirements will not be awarded marks.

(58) Failure to undertake or successfully complete any Compulsory placement or WHS requirement will result in a CF grade.

(59) Assessments set as compulsory requirements may have pass requirements of between 40% and 100%, which must be achieved to pass the course .

(60) Table 5 outlines other possible compulsory assessment requirements.

(61) Compulsory attendance may be set for specific learning activities. When attendance is compulsory: 

• attendance records must be maintained for all sessions included in the assessment, for example, tutorials, seminars, workshops; 
• the attendance record must be stored in accordance with the University's Records Governance Policy ; 
• students must be advised in the Course Outline that attendance records will be recorded and are being kept, and the means by which they are being kept, for example, myUON app or a sign-in sheet; 
• a student unable to attend due to approved adverse circumstances must be provided with an appropriate option to complete the activity;
• the course entry in the curriculum management system will include the compulsory attendance requirement; 
• opportunities may be provided to students to re-attempt the Compulsory Course Requirement if unsuccessful in only this component of the course (including provisions for cases where Adverse Circumstances are granted). If it is not possible to re-attempt the Compulsory Course Requirement the rationale explaining this must be provided; and
• regardless of the overall mark obtained for assessments within the course , where a compulsory attendance requirement is not met a CF grade will be awarded for the course .

(62) Adverse circumstances applications are permissible for compulsory attendance.

(63) The documentation for placements, including WIL, will provide a clear statement regarding: 

• the explicit procedures for allocation of placements; 
• criteria regarding eligibility for placement (e.g. completion of required courses or program requirements); 
• the completion of Compulsory Course Requirements, compulsory program requirements and/or enrolment rules (e.g. vaccinations, first aid certificate, course prerequisites ) by students ; 
• provision of required documentation by students (e.g. criminal record check, Commissioner for Children and Young People Working with Children Check, student declaration or health checks); 
• risk assessments undertaken by the Course Co-ordinator, School and/or placement agency; 
• procedures for students with a disability seeking adjustments; 
• how the placement fits the course and program learning outcomes ; 
• placement compliance with relevant professional accreditation; 
• specific learning outcomes of the placement;
• assessment, including how the assessment will measure learning outcomes ; 
• requirements regarding compliance with privacy legislation within the placement agency; 
• procedures for dealing with absences, conflicts or other difficulties, including breakdown of the placement due to student performance and/or other circumstances; 
• the cost involved in the placement and clear advice that the cost is borne by the student ; and 
• the process for obtaining Head of School approval to withdraw from a placement course after the placement has commenced.

(64) Agreements with host organisations must be approved by:

• the Head of School, where the agreement is the standard University legal template; or
• the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Vice President if the agreement is not the University legal template.

(65) Placements for individual students must be approved by either the Head of School or Deputy Head of School.

(66) The University is required to provide reasonable adjustments for students with a disability to complete placement requirements for programs in which they are enrolled.

(67) Placement agencies, where appropriate, must be required to provide the student with an induction prior to the student commencing the placement.

(68) Placement agencies, placement agency supervisors and students must be advised of their responsibilities under Anti-Discrimination, Work Health and Safety (WHS) and Privacy Legislation and the University's Risk Management Policy .

(69) Placement supervisors, placement agency supervisors and students will be provided with appropriate preparation regarding their role and responsibilities before, during and after the placement.

(70) Students on placement will:

• be supervised by a professional in the field preferably with at least two years professional experience , or a designated individual supervisor of equivalent clinical / professional / industrial experience;
• actively participate in safety training or instruction provided by the placement agency or host until deemed competent to perform tasks in a safe manner; 
• be in regular communication with the agency and/or University supervisors; and 
• be provided with feedback during the placement regarding their progress towards the learning outcomes of the placement.

(71) Where a student has failed a course which includes a placement they may be required to complete a pre-placement support and training session, before being permitted to re-enrol in the course . This requirement will be listed in the Course Outline.

(72) A course may be offered:

• at single or multiple locations in the same term ;
• using different modes of delivery during the same term .

(73) Regular communication with students must be provided, irrespective of the mode of delivery. Course Co-ordinators must document in the Course Outlines the communication/interaction mechanisms to be used. This may include group emails, discussion boards, and meetings, phone, or face-to-face meetings.

(74) Learning activities and teaching methods must be appropriate to the content, field of study, level offered, and mode of delivery. Assistance and advice are available from Learning Design and Teaching Innovation.

(75) Staff must advise students of their availability for consultations in the Course Outline. Regular interaction is strongly encouraged.

(76) Student's queries should be addressed within an appropriate timeframe (usually three University working days ).

(77) The guidelines for teaching qualifications for course delivery and course coordination are outlined in the Appendices.

(78) Each course is required to have a Course Co-ordinator who is appointed by the Head of School to oversee the course , including offerings on different sites, in different modes and terms .

(79) A Head of School may appoint joint Course Co-ordinators for a course with multiple offerings or where there is need to have a Course Coordination Team.

(80) The Course Co-ordinator will usually be a Level B academic or above but may be a Level A academic or a conjoint academic member of the University if suitably qualified and experienced.

(81) The Course Co-ordinator should be appointed at least four weeks prior to the start of a term in which the course is offered.

(82) Course materials must contribute to the achievement of the course learning outcomes . 

(83) Course materials should:

• be current and/or appropriate, 
• appropriately referenced;  
• offer a variety of perspectives on the course content; and
• use a considered mix of media, appropriate to the mode of delivery.

(84)  All course materials and information are to be provided via the LMS course site. The course site inclusions must comply with the standard LMS course site blueprint (See the Learning Management System Teaching Courses: Minimum Presence ).

(85) The purpose of course materials, their use in learning activities and the distinction between required and optional material should be explained to students .

(86) When advised there is a need, Course Co-ordinators must provide accessible course materials to  students with disability. Click here for information on how to provide accessible resources. Course materials must be made available to the AccessAbility support service upon request. When appropriate, the Adaptive Technology Centre will adapt these materials.

(87) Students will be provided with all additional details and information about formal examinations and assessments (further to what is provided in the Course Outline) at least three weeks before the due date of an assessment item .

(88) An approved Course Outline must be made available at least two weeks before the commencement of each term in which the course is offered. 

(89) The Course Co-ordinator must arrange for a Course Outline to be provided in an appropriate format and timeframe to students where this is required in a Reasonable Adjustments Plan.

(90) The Course Outline must be produced from the curriculum management system.

(91) Course Outlines must include: 

• course title, name, unit value , location of offer and term of offer; 
• overview - course description; 
• contact hours; 
• contact details of the Course Co-ordinator, teaching staff and school details, including details of availability for consultations; 
• summary of course content; 
• course learning outcomes ; 
• a list of course materials; 
• assessment item summary, including assessment name, due date and time, involvement (individual, group); 
• assessment item details, type of assessment, assessment criteria, word limit or duration, weighting, alignment to learning outcomes , how feedback will be provided, if and how assessment items are returned or collected; 
• any additional assessment details such as the requirement that students must pass a particular assessment to pass the course , or that marks will be deducted for not including a coversheet on hardcopy submissions;  
• assessment item submission method, including any requirement that the assessment items must be submitted via text-matching system (e.g. Turnitin), or hand delivery of the assessment is required (e.g. a creative work submission on a weekday); 
• grading scale (pre-populated in template); and
• relevant policy information (pre-populated in template).

(92) The approved Course Outline will be stored as a ‘read only’ document at the conclusion of the teaching period. Archived Course Outlines will be available to the Course Co-ordinator and the students who were enrolled.

(93) All students in a course must be notified of any changes to the Course Outline approved by the Head of School after the first week of term . The updated version will be provided via the Learning Management System .

(94) The Program and Course Approval Committee (PCAC) is responsible for ensuring that: 

• new courses comply with the criteria listed in this Policy; 
• courses , other than enabling courses , with zero enrolments for the most recent three years of offerings are discontinued following consultation with the Head of School and College Pro Vice-Chancellor;
• for enabling courses with zero enrolments for the most recent three years of offerings are discontinued following consultation with the Head of Domestic Programs, and the Director, Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre; 
• courses that have not been offered for three consecutive years are discontinued following consultation with the Head of School and College Pro Vice-Chancellor; and
• for enabling courses that have not been offered for three consecutive years, are discontinued following consultation with the Head of Domestic Programs and Director, Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre.

(95) The Head of School is responsible for:

• appointment of Course Co-ordinators;
• appointment of Honours supervisors;
• provision of support to Course Co-ordinators;
• approval of Course Outlines.

(96)  Course Co-ordinators are responsible for:

• the delivery and management of a course with support from the relevant Head of School;
• the planning of the course , assessing student learning outcomes in the course , ensuring students are given constructive and timely feedback, designing, and managing the course site, and managing course quality;
• evaluating and making necessary adjustments to a course , considering staff and student feedback and student outcomes (pass and fail rates, withdrawals, and achievement levels) (see Teaching Staff Reflection on Course Offering );
• waiving course  rules for students on a case-by-case basis;
• approving requests to audit their course ;
• ensuring that their course site and the course material provided complies with copyright legislation;
• ensuring they understand relevant academic policies and procedures; 
• the preparation and provision of course materials including assessment items and assessment criteria; 
• planning teaching activities including lectures, tutorials, and online options; 
• managing the course site in accordance with the University's   Course Site Quality Principles ;
• developing the Course Outline; 
• planning course assessments that are consistent with the course learning outcomes , course content, learning activities, teaching methods, and delivery mode; 
• organising resources including textbooks and reference materials, online materials and support, the availability of facilities or equipment, and inviting and scheduling any visiting lecturers ; 
• ensuring student access to staff for regular consultations, either online or by direct meetings throughout the term . Responses to student enquiries should usually be provided within three University working days . Assessment feedback should be provided within fourteen calendar days from date of submission of the assessment item , or earlier if students need to incorporate this feedback for subsequent assessment items ;
• being available to consult with students and/or respond to requests to review their results during the three University working days following the publication of the final result in ‘MyHub’; 
• obtaining approval, from the appropriate body, for any proposed course changes;  
• communicating effectively with all teaching/tutoring staff to review notes for teaching sessions; 
• discussing course details including learning outcomes , assessment, marking and student feedback; 
• supporting new and casual teaching staff in their teaching roles; and 
• working with joint Course Co-ordinators or Course Coordination team members; 
• developing options for students who provide a reasonable adjustment plan obtained from AccessAbility support service; and 
• approval of adverse circumstances applications; 
• the course evaluation to assist schools , College Boards and Academic Senate with monitoring continuous improvement and the quality assurance of courses ; 
• liaising with all relevant Program Convenors to ensure that the needs of all participating student cohorts are considered when altering a course ; and 
• obtaining approvals for any necessary adjustments to the course learning outcomes , course content, learning activities, teaching methods, assessment tasks and delivery modes in response to the outcomes of post offering follow-ups; and 
• all other activities related to the course , as directed by the Head of School, or as required by the policies of the University .

(97) To assist Course Co-ordinators, a checklist has been developed (see Course Co-ordinator Checklist ).

(98) At least one of the following criteria must be demonstrated to justify the creation of new courses : 

• Criterion 1 - online, and available as an elective to all students ; 
• proposed as part of a revised program , balanced by the deletion of another course ; 
• proposed as part of a new program , balanced by the deletion of another course ; or 
• proposed as part of a new program , where Portfolio Strategy Group (PSG) has approved a net increase in course numbers; 
• Criterion 3 - a course required for a revised program following an external program review, developed in response to an approved College Response and Action Plan; 
• Criterion 4 – a course replacing another course with similar content; or 
• Criterion 5 - a course which does not comply with Criteria 1-4, where appropriately justified.

(99) New course proposals will be considered by the PCAC via the curriculum management system, and must also include the: 

• criteria under which the new course is proposed (see above); 
• assessment item weightings; and 
• formal examination duration (where appropriate).

(100) The following reporting indicators within the new course proposal should be indicated as ‘yes’ where the listed criteria are met:

(101) During the course approval process, there will be a quality assurance check for new courses , which must consider: 

• the content of the course in relation to existing bodies of knowledge and research ; 
• the proposed academic level of the course ; 
• the alignment of learning activities, teaching methods, assessment requirements and learning outcomes ; 
• the appropriateness of the timing, level, and weighting of assessment items ; 
• if the learning outcomes of the new course are valid, achievable, and at the appropriate level; and 
• the existence and clarity of the proposed curriculum management system entry.

(102) To seek approval for a new academic subject code, a College or Division must complete the required New Academic Subject Area form. The form is available at Forms, Guides and Templates .

(103) Placement agencies and placement agency supervisors will be provided with the necessary information, training, and support to fulfil their role and responsibilities to the satisfaction of the University , placement agency and students .

(104) University Placement Supervisors and/or Course Co-ordinators will ensure that in addition to meeting the requirements outlined in clause 67 that:

• student progress is systematically monitored during the placement and that University staff and support systems are available to students during the placement; 
• students keep a log of the work undertaken in the placement;  
• have been provided with information regarding their roles and responsibilities; 
• conduct an induction with the student including information relating to any WHS and privacy legislation requirements for the placement agency; 
• provide the student with an appropriate work environment; and 
• are insured, with appropriate contracts in place to cover any legal and safety related liabilities associated with working as a placement agency supervisor.

(105) The University Placement Supervisor and/or the Course Co-ordinator will: 

• liaise with the University's AccessAbility support services to ensure that an accurate assessment of the student's needs and the requirements of the placement are conducted; 
• liaise with the Program Convenor to identify the essential requirements of the placement in relation to the course and program ; 
• liaise with the University's AccessAbility support services and the Program Convenor to determine how the essential requirements of the course might be achieved while accommodating the needs of the student ; 
• take into account the particular needs of the student in the selection of the placement agency and the arrangements made (e.g. access, furniture, communication, flexibility of attendance, assessment changes/ exemptions as appropriate); 
• ensure that implications for WHS, duty of care and legal liability are assessed, particularly in the context of anti-discrimination, WHS, and privacy legislation. The University and the placement agency have the right to refuse a placement if either considers that there is a danger to the student , fellow workers, or clients of the agency; and 
• ensure that any additional support mechanisms or review/monitoring processes that may be required are in place.

(106) All courses are subject to regular interim monitoring that is overseen by academic governance as prescribed by the  Education Quality Assurance Policy and its procedures.

(107) Academic Senate and the PCAC may request periodic reviews to ensure that all courses continue to offer distinct content and appropriate learning outcomes .

(108) The Course Co-ordinator may approve a staff member’s or student's request to audit a course .

(109) A student may request or be advised to audit a course in which they will not formally enrol.

(110) Students auditing a course are:

• permitted to attend, or access online, the lectures, tutorials, and course materials without enrolling in the course ;
• not required to submit assessment items and will not receive a mark or grade.

(111) University staff may audit any courses that do not require the completion of an enrolment rule such as practicums, laboratories, placements, or have any other restrictions on enrolment and attendance, including work health and safety (WHS) requirements.

(112) The purpose and focus of assessment is to encourage, challenge, stimulate and support student learning, to identify high achieving students and those in need of additional academic support, and to ensure the following are met:

• the educational standards of courses and programs meet the relevant AQF level and any other requirements e.g. professional accreditation; 
• the course learning outcomes ; and 
• the specific program requirements.

(113) Clear assessment requirements and criteria are essential components of quality course design. This applies equally to formative assessment and summative assessment.

(114) Students have differing levels of experience and expertise in learning and assessment, and therefore, require full explanations of the methods and types of assessment used in the field of study prior to major or summative assessments.

(115) Assessment must be considered part of and embedded within student's learning. Assessments must provide reliable indicators of student learning and achievement and be appropriate for the mode of delivery.

(116) Marks cannot be awarded for attendance or participation alone, except within a placement course . Attendance and participation may contribute up to 100% of the marks for a placement course and may be either graded or ungraded.

(117) The requirements for assessments are:

• the method and focus of each assessment item must align with the learning outcomes , course content, learning activities, teaching methods and delivery mode of the course ;
• quality assurance processes, including peer review of the content, design of assessment materials and the moderation of course marking, must be embedded to provide evidence of the validity and quality of assessment practices;
• assessments in core and compulsory courses within a program should be mapped to enable student assessment workload planning and the coordinated embedding of graduate outcomes across courses ;
• assessment weightings should reflect the demands and relative importance of an assessment item , and the overall assessment load in a course should reflect the unit value of that course ;
• courses should use an appropriate number and variety of assessment items ; 
• assessment documentation must clearly identify what is required of students for each assessment item ;
• where possible, assessment methods should be considered holistically across the program ; 
• the assessment load within a course , including examinations, must align with the advice on student workload in this manual; and
• be scheduled to allow the spread of assessment items across the term (date due); and 
• wherever possible, be scheduled to facilitate individualised feedback to students in the first half of the term to enable them to identify their level of progress to date.

(118) Student performance is to be measured against pre-advised criteria. This assists with consistency in marking and feedback, by clarifying the requirements for all students and the markers for a course . 

(119) To help students  develop their own ability to evaluate the quality, completeness, and accuracy of their work, students must be familiarised with the course assessment expectations, requirements and criteria early in a course.

(120) Assessment criteria must:

• inform students of the knowledge, skills, and other outcomes they are required to demonstrate in an assessment task;
• describe the level or standard of achievement a student must demonstrate to achieve a specific grade;
• align with the learning outcomes of the course ;
• be consistent with the course level; and
• be written in clear and simple language.    

(121) The results of individual assessment items and final results, including those provided via the LMS, are “unofficial results” prior to their confirmation by the School Assessment Body and Head of School. 

(122) Major assessment items are any assessment items weighted as 30% or more of the overall value of the course (e.g. formal examinations, quizzes, in-class tests etc.).

(123) Minor assessment items are any assessment items weighted at less than 30% of the overall value of the course .

(124) The assessment items should be consistent in the Course Handbook, but local assessment instances may be indicated in the Course Outline to enable flexibility for courses run across sites or with different modes of delivery.

(125) Where assessment items utilise self and/or peer assessment as part of the marking:

• the outcomes of the assessment are equitable; and 
• clear guidelines and criteria are used to determine the marks; and
• the Course Co-ordinator must ensure there are mechanisms for moderating the results or ensuring fair assessment.

(126) Assessment items marked by students or student peers within the course must not contribute to more than 10% of the final grade. Where the course also includes a 50% weighted group work component both group work and the peer marking components should not exceed 50% of the final grade.

(127) Written assessment items will usually have a word limit. Word limits will include headings, sub-headings, in-text citations, quotes and referencing, but will not include the list of references, appendices, and footnotes. The Course Co-ordinator will allow a tolerance of at least 10% of the word limit.

(128) No penalties for exceeding the word limit may be applied. Students should be made aware that any work after the maximum word limit may not be included within the allocation of marks.

(129) Single assessment items must contribute to at least 10% of a final course result. Exceptions to this requirement may be approved by the Head of School who must be satisfied that a group of assessment items are linked, for example: 

• small multiple-choice quizzes i.e. end of class tests; 
• weekly lab reports or other progress statements.

(130) Single assessment items , including formal examinations, must not contribute to more than 50% to a final course result. Exceptions to this requirement may be approved by the Head of School, where: 

• the assessment requires the creation or completion of a significant body of work, e.g. creative project, capstone project or thesis; 
• individual feedback is provided to students to inform the creation or completion of the assessment in advance of submission; and 
• it can be established that the assessment links to all course learning outcomes .

(131) Students undertaking group work within a course will have an induction into group work processes at the commencement of the course or at least 3 weeks prior to the item being due.

(132) Within the course site the following details will be provided: 

• purpose and function of the group work and how it will be assessed; 
• process for allocating students to groups; 
• roles, responsibilities, and expectations of group members; 
• conduct of group meetings; 
• processes for managing any conflict; 
• evaluation of individual performances within the group; 
• feedback stages; and 
• promote equitable workload within and across groups; 
• ensure each student is accountable for their personal contribution to the group work; and 
• maintain regular communication with each group.

(133) Group assessment items should be highly structured and managed by staff experienced in group work, specific to the mode of delivery. Where staff have not previously managed a group work assessment in a particular mode of delivery, or where other experienced staff would like additional support, they should contact the Learning Design and Teaching Innovation.

(134) Group assessment items should not contribute to more than 50% of the total marks for a course .

(135) Where possible the University requires electronic submission of assessment items . 

(136) The mark for an assessment item submitted after the designated time on the due date , without an approved extension of time, will be reduced by up to 10% of the possible maximum mark for that assessment item for each day or part day that the assessment item is late. Note: this applies equally to week days and weekend days.

(137) With the approval of the Head of School, a Course Co-ordinator may determine that an assessment item cannot be submitted after its due date (if, for example, an online quiz or a laboratory test may only be available for a set period of time). The course outline must advise that failure to complete such an item within the set period of time will result in a zero mark for the assessment item . A student may lodge an adverse circumstances application to seek an exception to any requirement that an assessment item cannot be submitted after its due date, see the Adverse Circumstances Policy and Adverse Circumstances Procedure .

(138) For terms commencing on or after 1 January 2024, a  student will be eligible for a supplementary assessment in a course  where they have failed the course and the overall final mark for the course is between 45 and 49, subject to the following conditions:

• the course must be a 10 or 20- unit course . If the course is part of a multi-term sequence, the total value of the multi-term sequence must not exceed 20 units ;
• the student has satisfied any attendance requirements;
• the student has not failed an assessment which is a compulsory course requirement;
• the student must not have already taken a supplementary assessment, or been provided an opportunity to resubmit or reattempt, where allowable in the course , other than on the basis of adverse circumstances;
• the student must have submitted all required assessment items throughout the term , except where there has been an approved application for adverse circumstances extension of time or reschedule of formal examination ;
• the fail grade must not have been a result of academic misconduct under the provisions of the Student Conduct Rule .

(139) Eligible students will be identified through the School Assessment Body. The Course Co-ordinator will provide students with details of the supplementary assessment no later than three working days after the release of final results.

(140) If the supplementary assessment is an examination , the School will be responsible for the coordination and administration of the supplementary examination .

(141) If the student elects not to undertake the supplementary assessment or fails the supplementary assessment the original mark will stand.

(142) If the student passes the supplementary assessment the mark will be changed to a passing mark of 50% via the amendment to result process.

(143) Courses will have a maximum of one University supervised examination with that examination component not contributing to more than 50% of a course result.

(144) The Head of School cannot approve an examination to contribute to more than 50% of a final course result as individual feedback may not be provided to inform completion of the examination.

(145) All examinations undertaken on behalf of the University must comply with the provisions for Formal Examinations within this document.

(146) Examinations undertaken at all venues and organised on behalf of the University must comply with all University approved policies and procedures.

(147) All formal examinations must: 

• be identified as such by the relevant School staff on the timeline set by the Academic Division General Manager and Academic Registrar; 
• contribute to between 30% and 50% of the final result in the course ; and 
• be conducted as online open book examination ; or 
• be conducted as a face to face supervised examination where endorsed by the College Assistant Dean (Education) where accreditation requirements exist; and
• be of two hours duration or 3 hours duration if approved by PCAC. 

(148) As part of the evaluation process of any assessment item an oral examination may be conducted. The purpose of the oral examination is to verify the authorship of the material submitted in response to the assessment task and provide a quality assurance measure. The oral examination will be conducted in accordance with the principles set out in the Oral Examination (Viva) Procedure . Where the oral examination reveals the assessment item may not be the student's own work the matter will be dealt with under the Student Conduct Rule .

(149) All formal examinations held in the scheduled examination and rescheduled examination periods for standard terms will be administered by Student Administration.

(150) The responsible officer will publish timetables showing when and where examinations will be held prior to the examination period. Students will not usually be expected to sit more than three formal examinations within a 48-hour period.

(151) The arrangements for examinations conducted outside of the scheduled examination and rescheduled examination periods are the responsibility of the relevant Head of School (or nominee).

(152) Students are required to be available during the scheduled examination and rescheduled examination periods each term . This includes being available for examinations scheduled on Saturdays and in the evenings.

(153) Unless an examination is rescheduled under the Adverse Circumstances policy , students who fail to attend an examination scheduled on the examination timetable will be awarded a mark of zero for that examination.

(154)  Reasonable Adjustments Plans may specify changes to examinations processes or conditions as appropriate to the needs of a student .

(155) Students may bring the following into an examination room:

• water in a transparent bottle, 
• pens, and pencils; 
• a memory aid, unless otherwise notified in the Course Outline and noted on the front cover of their examination paper. (Note, a memory aid is one A4 double sided sheet of handwritten or typed notes. Memory aids must be left on the examination table and cannot be removed from the examination venue.);
• mobile phones or other electronic devices provided they are switched off and placed under the student's chair for the duration of the examination; 
• watches, other than smart watches, provided they are removed and placed on the desk in view of the Invigilators; and
• any additional support items such as calculators or log tables, as explicitly listed in the relevant Course Outline.

(156) Where students are permitted to bring additional support items into an examination the following will apply: 

• the relevant School staff will specify in advance, via the examination portal, the support items which may be used; 
• the opportunity to have additional support items will be detailed in the Course Outline; and 
• it is the responsibility of the School offering the course to scrutinise the support items to be used in the examination at the request of an Exam Invigilator. 

(157) Calculators, except calculators within mobile phones and similar devices, may be used by students in an examination if approved by the appropriate Course Co-ordinator. The Course Co-ordinator must: 

• advise students in the Course Outline the type of calculator permitted, such as programmable or non-programmable calculators, and that instruction booklets or cards (e.g. reference cards) on the operation of calculators are not permitted in the examination room as students are expected to familiarise themselves with the calculator's operations beforehand; 
• include a detailed description on the Examination Cover Sheet of the types of calculator permitted, providing sufficient information for Exam Invigilators without technical knowledge to assess the appropriateness of calculators taken into an examination room. If no description is provided by the Course Co-ordinator the Examinations Office will refer to the NSW Education Standards Authority list of approved scientific calculators; and 
• consider specifying calculators listed as approved scientific calculators by the NSW Education Standards Authority.

(158) Taking material into an examination room that breaches the above requirements will be deemed as student misconduct in accordance with the Student Conduct Rule . Evidence of material that breaches the above requirements may be photographed and used to determine an outcome under the provisions of the Student Conduct Rule . Should a student refuse to be photographed, the lack of cooperation by the student may be considered as evidence against the student .

(159) Students who fail to switch off their phone or device and place it under their chair, access the phone or device during the examination, or are found to have a phone or device on their person following a visit to the bathroom, will be reported for academic misconduct in accordance with the Student Conduct Rule . 

(160) The permitted materials and devices for the relevant examination are outlined in Table 6.

(161)  Rescheduled examinations may only be granted in accordance with the Adverse Circumstances Affecting Assessment Items Policy .

(162) Rescheduled examinations will only be supervised by Examinations if they are held within the formal examination period.

(163) All arrangements for rescheduled examinations held outside the rescheduled examination period are the responsibility of the School .

(164) All rescheduled examinations must be conducted in the same manner as formal examinations.

(165) A rescheduled examination will, except in exceptional circumstances, be scheduled:

• once only; and 
• after the originally scheduled examination.

(166) A rescheduled examination will not offer advantage to the student who has:

• been unable to sit the original examination;  
• attended but been unable to complete the scheduled examination; or 
• completed the examination but been affected by adverse circumstances.

(167) Students undertaking a rescheduled examination will complete a different paper to that completed by students who sat the original examination.

(168) A rescheduled examination paper, except for a wholly multiple-choice paper, must be at least 20% different to the paper that was prepared and used for the original scheduled formal examination.

(169) Course Co-ordinators are responsible for the preparation of examination papers, including alternate examination papers, for each of their courses in accordance with any requirements and timelines specified by Examinations , Student Administration.

(170) The examination paper for a course with multiple offerings in the same term must be the same, irrespective of location of offer or mode of delivery. The content may be contextualised for specific offshore requirements with approval from the relevant Head of School.

(171) The Head of School must ensure, through the submission of the relevant completed Hardcopy Examination Paper Creation and Review Checklist to Student Central, that the master examination papers, including any alternate master examination papers, are quality reviewed (see Examination Paper Creation and Review Checklist ). This review must ensure that the: 

• review is conducted by an individual from the appropriate discipline area; 
• scripts are reviewed for clarity, spelling, grammar, format and content, and all mark allocations are checked; and 
• the examination scripts are corrected and transmitted to Examinations if required.

(172) Norm based marking is not utilised.

(173) Assessment marking must be based on the assessment criteria that is made available to the students in the Course Outline and/or other materials. 

(174) All markers must have received identical information to ensure marking consistency.

(175) Staff who are marking assessment items must be familiar with the criteria for all assessment items as early as possible in the delivery of a course .

(176) When an assessment item is being conducted at multiple locations the same marking criteria must be used in each location.

(177) Markers must ensure the marking process produces feedback that will contribute to student learning.

(178) Quality assurance of marking is important to safeguard the academic integrity of a course and ensure fairness for students through processes of formal or informal moderation. This is primarily the responsibility of the Course Co-ordinator, as is the design of the assessment for a course .

(179) All marking related quality assurance outcomes and processes are to be documented and made available if required by the Head of School or School Assessment Body.

(180) All marks for individual assessment item results must be recorded in the Learning Management System .

(181) To finalise the marking of a research component in Bachelor Honours Degrees:

• the mark will be the average of the two examiner marks, where two examiners conduct the marking;
• if the difference between the examiner’s marks is more than ten marks (from 100 total marks, a third examiner is to be appointed (not the supervisor);
• where three examiners are used, the final mark shall normally be an average of the two closest marks with consideration being given to the written reports of the examiners; and
• if the mark from a third examiner is more than 10 from either original marker, the final mark will be as decided by the relevant Head of School on the advice of the relevant Program Convenor .

(182) Moderation is the process to independently review the marks of all, or a randomly selected set, of students for one or more assessment items in a course. Informal moderation should occur routinely to ensure consistency across multiple markers and must occur when significant anomalies are identified.

(183) Formal moderation may be used when a Course Co-ordinator, Head of School, Pro Vice-Chancellor, or the University requires a formal investigation of marking in a course . If initiated by a Course Co-ordinator a formal moderation requires the prior approval of the Head of School.

(184) A formal moderation might be initiated in response to the identification of major discrepancies or other issues to address uncertainty about the validity of an assessment outcome, or to confirm equivalence of the University's expectations with national or international benchmarks.

(185) If a single marker is responsible for marking 75% or more of all assessment items of a course , a sample of 10% or 10 assessments, whichever is greater, should be moderated by another examiner to examine for consistency and reliability. If significant consistency or reliability issues are identified within the sample, all assessments should be re-marked (see ‘Re-marking’) and further moderation processes conducted for all remaining assessment items for that course .

(186) Where two markers are responsible for marking an individual assessment item , they can either provide a jointly agreed mark or separate individual marks. If the latter, the process for establishing the final result must be agreed between the two markers in advance. Double marking is usually used only for marking Honours theses (see section on marking the Honours research component, clauses 184-5).

(187) Where more than one marker is marking assessment items within a course , a calibration process should be adopted to promote consistency of judgment between markers. The process should involve each marker reviewing the marks of other markers of the same set of assignments or examination papers. The assessment items chosen should represent a range of marks obtained in the assessment item . Calibration meetings should be held prior to the commencement of formal marking to confirm this process.

(188) For a research component that is 40 units or more in the Bachelor Honours Program: 

• there will be a minimum of two examiners of the research component, who will be selected following advice from the supervisor(s); 
• at least one of the two examiners are to be external to the School unless an external moderator is appointed by the relevant Head of School to monitor the quality of research dissertations in the field of study; 
• the examiner must not be a supervisor of their student's research component. The supervisor may provide a report to the Program Convenor for consideration by the markers when the research component is submitted for examination; and 
• the College will provide the student and examiners, including the moderators, with the assessment criteria for the research component.

(189) For a research component that is less than 40 units in the Bachelor Honours program: 

• all individual research components larger than 10 units must have at least two markers. The students research supervisor may be one of those markers. When the research component is submitted, the supervisor should provide a report to the Program Convenor (or nominee), for consideration by all markers; 
• where the research component is aggregated across multiple 10 unit courses , or elements thereof; a single marker is sufficient for any 10 unit course providing that no single marker contributes to marks for more than 10 units of the overall research component of the degree program ; 
• the College will have a regular process of moderating the quality and grading of the research component with an external moderator appointed by the relevant Head of School (or nominee); and 

(190) A single assessment item , or part of an assessment item , may be re-marked. This may follow the identification of concerns about the mark(s) awarded or where consistency or reliability issues are identified during moderation.

(191) A re-mark of an assessment item may be initiated at the request of the Course Co-ordinator, the Program Convenor , the Head of School, the School Assessment Body, the relevant College Progress and Appeals Committee or Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre Progress and Appeals Committee, or the relevant College Pro Vice-Chancellor.

(192) Re-marking arrangements must be communicated to the student in advance of the re-marking. Where the assessment item is being re-marked by an independent marker or markers, the final assessment result will be either the: 

• re-mark results;
• average of the original and re-mark results; 
• average of the two re-mark results (where there are two independent re-markers); or 
• average of the original and the two re-mark results (where there are two independent re-markers).

(193) If the Course Co-ordinator is the initial marker of an assessment item : 

• they will usually ask an independent marker to do the re-marking; 
• they must provide the independent marker with the assessment criteria for marking the assessment item , the course details, and a copy of the student's answer(s) with all initial marks, comments and annotations removed; and 
• the independent marker is not to be provided with the original mark prior to marking the assessment item .

(194) Where a re-mark is undertaken the resultant mark may remain the same or be higher or lower than the original mark.

(195) The Course Co-ordinator must provide the new/revised mark and a recommendation to the initiator of the re-mark and advise the initial marker of the outcome of the re-mark. If the Course Co-ordinator initiated the re-mark, they must be able to justify the final mark to the Head of School or Pro Vice-Chancellor, if requested.

(196) Effective feedback is integral to the learning process and can enhance student engagement and success.

(197) At least one form of individualised feedback, which identifies strengths and weaknesses in relation to the specific assessment criteria, should be provided to students per course .

(198) All feedback must: 

• refer to the assessment requirements and criteria provided to the student prior to their commencing the assessment; 
• be in constructive and supportive language;  
• inform students of those areas where they performed well and where improvements can be made; 
• when possible advise what students may be able to do to improve (formative) and/or provide a statement of how the student performed against the assignment criteria (summative); and
• be provided in accordance with this manual.

(199) Formative feedback should be provided to students when possible. Depending on the type of assessment item , this may be individualised or given to the group of students enrolled in a course . 

(200) Feedback should be provided to students within 15 University working days of submission of an assessment item so that they can incorporate it into their learning and future assessment items . Where feedback is not able to be provided in accordance with this requirement, such as for very large classes or due to staff illness, students should be informed as soon as possible as to when the feedback will be provided.

(201) Feedback can be provided to individuals, or to a group of students in a variety of ways. It may be: 

• provided verbally by the teaching staff ; 
• by peer interaction and self-reflection, provided appropriate prior preparation of students has occurred;  or
• written and provided online, or in hard copy, on the item or in a separate report.

(202) A School Assessment Body must be established in accordance with the School Assessment Body Generic Terms of Reference .

(203) Except for exam papers, assessment items should be returned to the student following marking.

(204) Electronic return of assessment items is recommended.

(205) Items not returned to students (e.g. exam papers) will be made available for review by the student , upon request, in a controlled and monitored setting.

(206) Assessment items will be retained for six months after the fully graded date for the term and may then be destroyed.

(207) Examination papers will be retained by the relevant School for six months after the final result is published. After this period the examination scripts may be destroyed.

(208) Student Central is responsible for: 

• coordinating examinations held during the formal and rescheduled examination periods for standard terms (semesters and trimesters);
• organising alternative examination arrangements for students with a disability or other adverse circumstances within the formal and designated rescheduled examination periods for standard terms ; 
• managing all arrangements for the administration of supervised examinations conducted in the formal examination period and designated rescheduled examination periods for standard terms ; 
• ensuring adherence to procedures for formal examinations as set out in this Manual;
• reporting final results and maintaining student academic records; 
• publication of final results on myHub; and 
• undertaking a review of examination processes for supervised examinations held during the formal examination period and designated rescheduled examination periods for standard terms .

(209) The Academic Division General Manager and Academic Registrar is responsible for administering formal examinations held within the scheduled examination and rescheduled examination periods for standard terms .

(210) The Head of School / Head of Domestic Programs is responsible for:

• appointing a School Assessment Body to act as their advisory in accordance with the School Assessment Body Terms of Reference (see Appendix – School Assessment Body Generic Terms of Reference ); 
• confirmation of final results and grades for all courses within the relevant School ; and
• ensuring final results and grades are posted in the student administration system for official publication in accordance with the fully graded date .

(211) The Course Co-ordinator is responsible for:

• managing the re-marking process and recording the outcome;
• ensuring that feedback is provided to students ;
• finalising and collating the marks of all assessment items and for ensuring that the final results are available for publication on myHub;
• validating the grades ensuring consistency across markers, location and modes of offer; 
• identifying and addressing any areas of concern;
• recording the analysis and action (if any) undertaken to validate the grades in accordance with School practice;
• ensuring that the relevant templates are completed in accordance with School practice (see the Course Co-ordinator Checklist );
• coordinating the collation of all marks, cross-checking to ensure all marks have been included in the final grade, arranging assessment moderation when required;
• providing all students ’ results in accordance with the School Assessment Body Responsibilities Guideline (see appendix);
• breakdown of the distribution of grades for the course for the current and last three offerings of the course (if available);
• a list of final results achieved by students for the course ;
• Instructor evaluation of course outcomes (Course Evaluation);
• Student Feedback on Course Results (SEC);
• results and weightings across each of the assessment components;
• a link to the official the course outline;
• a list of students with either I or S grades at the end of term including the details of when and how these will be resolved; and
• outcomes of any applications made under the Adverse Circumstances Affecting Assessment Items Procedure ;
• details of any scaling procedures or any moderations undertaken, and a rationale for their use; and
• providing an assurance that the assessment components and their weightings accurately reflect the information made available to the students through the course outline; and
• ensuring the timely delivery of student feedback after each assessment in accordance with the relevant section of this Manual.

(212) Student Administration staff are responsible for liaising with the Head of School regarding courses which do not have posted final results and grades prior to the fully graded date .

(213) All students undertaking a face to face examination are required to present their current University Student Card or other current photo identification (such as proof of age card, driver's licence, or passport) to the Exam Invigilators upon entry into an examination room. Students who fail to present suitable photo identification at the time of the examination: 

• will have their name recorded by Student Central on a register of students who fail to present suitable identification at a formal examination. Students who appear on the register more than once may be reported for student misconduct in accordance with the Student Conduct Rule ;  
• will have their photograph taken at the end of their examination and will be required to present their identification for verification at a Student Central location within 48 hours of the examination. The Course Co-ordinator will be advised that the student attended the examination without suitable identification and whether the student has/has not had their identification subsequently verified. Students who do not appear at a Student Central location within the required timeframe may be reported for student misconduct in accordance with the Student Conduct Rule ; and 
• may be refused entry into an examination venue and will not be eligible to request a rescheduled examination where they decline to have their photograph taken to enable verification of their identity.

(214) Supervised examinations will be conducted in accordance with the following procedures.

(215) Students must: 

• comply with all instructions given by an Exam Invigilator. This may include one-on-one directives and/or room wide announcements made before, during and at the conclusion of the examination; 
• enter the examination room within the first thirty minutes of writing time; 
• only bring items into the examination room that are specified as allowable; 
• provide suitable photo identification (e.g. student card, current driver’s licence, current passport) per clause 209; and 
• comply with any other requirements specified by the University .

(216) Students must not: 

• bring any books or other permitted printed materials that contain additional markings, e.g.notes; 
• bring unapproved materials/devices/property into the examination room; such materials may be confiscated; 
• bring any food or drink into the examination except for water in a transparent bottle; 
• re-enter the examination room after leaving unless they have had appropriate supervision throughout the full period of their absence; 
• leave the examination room during the first thirty minutes of writing time or the last ten minutes of an examination, unless the examination supervisor determines that exceptional circumstance exists; 
• remove any examination answer book, examination paper, graph paper, drawing paper or other material issued during the examination from the examination room unless the Course Co-ordinator has expressly permitted the removal as part of the submission via the Examination portal; or 
• begin reading their examination paper before being granted permission by the Exam Invigilator.

(217) Unless otherwise noted on the examination paper or by the Exam Invigilator, reading time during a formal examination is to be used for reading only. Students doing anything other than reading during the reading time may be reported for suspected academic misconduct .

(218) Exam Invigilators will record and report student absences from examination rooms.

(219) The procedures for supervised examinations may be relaxed by the supervising Exam Invigilator in the event of an emergency.

(220) All instances in which procedures are relaxed during an examination must be reported in writing to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Vice President, Head of School and the Course Co-ordinator immediately following the examination.

(221) The following clauses do not apply to review of final results in a course .

(222) A student who believes that an error has been made in the determination of their mark of an assessment item should email the Course Co-ordinator no later than three University working days after their mark has been made available.

(223) The student must clearly specify the error that they believe has been made in the determination of their mark and how they reached this conclusion, providing evidence and specific examples wherever possible.

(224) The Course Co-ordinator may elect to seek a recommendation from the original marker.

(225) The Course Co-ordinator will respond to the review request within three working days , and may determine to: 

• leave the original mark unchanged; 
• amend the mark; or
• ask an independent marker to undertake a re-mark of the assessment items .

(226) The Course Co-ordinator will email the student and marker(s) once a determination has been made.

(227) Students unable to contact the Course Co-ordinator within three University working days after their mark has been made available should contact the Head of School. The student must provide evidence of their attempts to contact the Course Co-ordinator, and the details outlined in clause 219 that supports their request.

(228) The Course Co-ordinator is responsible for contacting eligible students to advise the arrangements for supplementary assessments within ten working days of the official release of final results.

(229) After notification of the supplementary assessment item , the student has ten days to complete the item, unless there are approved adverse circumstances arrangements. If the item is not completed within the specified timeframe the original result will stand.

(230) If a supplementary assessment is undertaken and the student passes the item, the official result will be capped at 50 (Pass).

(231) The School Assessment Body will undertake the responsibilities documented in the School Assessment Body Generic Terms of Reference , or an approved amended Terms of Reference.

(232) The School Assessment Body will:

• reach consensus on all decisions regarding students results and grades. If consensus cannot be reached a secret ballot will be undertaken and all members will indicate the result or grade they consider appropriate. The outcome of the secret ballot will be that agreed by the majority and must be recorded in the minutes;
• seek clarification from the Course Co-ordinator;
• request moderation of the results assigned to all students or to a group of students for a particular major assessment item or the final results and grades;
• request details of any inaccuracies or anomalies between the recorded final result or grade and those recommended to the Assessment Body, together with any reasons for the differences;
• inaccuracies have been identified;
• non-compliance with a University policy or the approved course outline;
• a moderation has revealed discrepancies in the results awarded;
• the Course Co-ordinator has confirmed that there is no requirement for a supplementary assessment.

(233) The Head of School will approve the final results using the deliberations of the School Assessment Body as a guide.

(234) Following the Head of School's approval of the final results, the College Pro Vice-Chancellor may view the Quality Enhancement Framework Course Dashboard to monitor student retention, success and feedback.

(235) If the College Pro Vice-Chancellor has concerns about the course outcomes, the Head of School and Course Co-ordinator will be asked to explain, and, where necessary, adopt strategies for improvement.

(236) Where there are significant improvements or trends are identified, these should be reported by the College Pro Vice-Chancellor to the College Board.

(237) The College Pro Vice-Chancellor will facilitate regular interim course performance montioring by the College Board in accordance with the University's   Education Quality Assurance Policy and its procedures.

(238) The final result for a specified course will be based only on studies completed by the student in that course . Performance in another course cannot contribute to the final result.

(239) A student will be deemed to have successfully completed a course where the student has: 

• enrolled and accepted all enrolment terms and conditions; 
• satisfactorily completed all Compulsory Course Requirements; and 
• a mark of 50% or greater; or 
• an ungraded pass.

(240)  A student will be deemed to have not successfully completed a course where they withdraw after the census date has passed or receive a fail grade.

(241) Final results will be provided as a mark and a grade for each course (see Grading Scales and Administrative Codes ) except when the course is: 

• awarded an ungraded pass, in which case the student will receive a UP; or 
• the first part of a multi-term sequence, in which case the student will be awarded an N/A. 

(242) Following approval by the Head of School or Head of Domestic Programs (PALSC)the course results become the official course results. They will be available on the fully graded date for the term .

(243) Irrespective of a student's mark, if a student has achieved overall marks greater than 50% in a course but has failed to satisfactorily complete a Compulsory Course Requirement then the relevant School  or Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre will enter a component fail (CF) mark and grade against the course and a fail grade (FF) will be recorded on their official transcript.

(244)  Results pending finalisation may be recorded using an administrative code (see Grading Scales and Administrative Codes ).

(245) Final results for Bachelor Honours will be as shown in Grading Scales and Administrative Codes , for End-On-Honours programs and Embedded Honours Programs respectively. 

(246) The Course Co-ordinator (or their nominee) must be available to consult with students during the three University working days following the publication of the final result. In the absence of the Course Co-ordinator, the relevant Head of School is responsible for ensuring that appropriate assistance is available to students during this period.

(247) The authority to approve an amendment to a final result in a course is described in Table 7 below:

(248) An appeal against a final result must be in accordance with the Academic Appeals Policy .

(249) A valid appeal against a final result is one which addresses one or more of the following appeal criteria and includes relevant supporting evidence in writing: 

• due regard was not paid to an allowable adverse circumstance; 
• the student was disadvantaged due to a disruption during the conduct of the assessment; 
• the mark for an assessment item (s) (including the final examination) is inconsistent with the stated marking criteria; 
• the type or weighting of an assessment item (s) differs from information in the Course Outline;
• the content or topic of an assessment item (s) does not reflect the content of the course ; or 
• the student's performance in the course was adversely affected by circumstances which were not apparent at the appropriate time.

(250) The following are not valid grounds to appeal a final result:

• a study overload; 
• personal or medical problems other than those permitted under the Adverse Circumstances Policy and its associated procedure ; 
• financial implications of not passing the course ;
• marks or grades received by other students in the course ; 
• marks or grades received by the student in other courses ; 
• lack of language proficiency; 
• the amount of effort the student has contributed; 
• a penalty imposed on a student for academic misconduct in accordance with a University policy;
• the need for additional marks to achieve a higher grade; or 
• general unspecified grievances.

(251) Where a mark or grade has been awarded as a consequence of academic misconduct , any review of the final result must be made in accordance with the Student Conduct Rule .

(252) A late appeal of a final result: 

• may be accepted provided that the student has not already lodged an appeal against the final result in that course ; 
• must be lodged within two months after the publication of the final result; and 
• evidence of having contacted the Course Co-ordinator; and 
• supporting documentation including information that precipitated the late submission.

(253) The acceptance of a late appeal of a final result may be at the discretion of the relevant College Progress and Appeals Committee or Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre Progress and Appeals Committee.

(254) Students submitting an appeal more than two months after publication of the final result can only apply for a Withdrawal (W).

(255) In exceptional circumstances, students may be eligible to apply for a Remission of Tuition fees – refer to Refunds and Remission of Debt for details.

(256) Determinations made by the relevant College Progress and Appeals Committee or Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre Progress and Appeals Committee relating to appeals against final results in a course are final and there is no further avenue for appeals within the University . The student may have rights of appeal outside the University . Please refer to the Academic Appeals Policy .

(257) A potential graduate may lodge an application for a Supplementary Assessment in a course when a fail grade in that course prevents them from completing their program .

(258) The application for a supplementary assessment must be submitted within 10 University working days of the publication of the final result on myHub via the online portal Appeal Against a Final Result, and meet all of the following criteria;

• the course must be a 10 or 20 unit course . If the course is part of a multi-term sequence, the total value of the multi-term sequence must not exceed 20 units ;
• the student must have undertaken the course in their last year of study and all other program requirements must have been satisfied;
• the final result achieved for the course in their last year of study and all other program requirements must have been satisfied;
• the student must not have already undertaken a supplementary assessment (other than on the basis of Adverse Circumstances) in the course ;
• the student must have submitted all required assessment items throughout the relevant term on time (subject to any applications under the Adverse Circumstances Affecting Assessment Items Procedure where applicable); and
• the grade must not have been awarded as a consequence of academic misconduct under the provision of the Student Conduct Rule .

(259) If all the above conditions are meet, the student will automatically be granted a supplementary assessment. 

(260) Where a supplementary assessment is granted the Course Co-ordinator is responsible for determining the nature, timing and content of a supplementary assessment item .

(261) Where the student passes the supplementary assessment they will be awarded a final mark of 50% (a minimum pass) in the course , irrespective of the marks awarded for the supplementary assessment item .

(262) Where the student is not awarded a minimum pass in the supplementary assessment item , the original fail grade will remain and the student will not be eligible to graduate .

(263) A student who wishes to seek advice or clarification of their final results in a course must email the Course Co-ordinator for that course within three University working days of their final result being published on myHub.

(264) The student must clearly specify why they believe an error has been made in the determination of their final grade and how they reached this conclusion, providing evidence and specific examples wherever possible.

(265)  Where the student indicates that they believe not all assessment items have been included in the calculation of the final result, the Course Co-ordinator will provide the mark breakdown to the student , refer to Table 8 – Example of Assessment Types, Weightings and Results.

(266) The Course Co-ordinator (or their nominee) will respond to a request from a student within three University working days of receipt, and after reviewing the result will either: 

• leave the original mark unchanged; or 
• recommend an adjusted mark to the Head of School; and 
• submit an Amendment to Final Result Form if required (see Forms, Guides and Templates ).

(267) The Course Co-ordinator will email the student with the outcome once a determination has been made.

(268) If an administrative error is identified in a final result, an Amendment to Result Form will be completed by the Course Co-ordinator (e.g. where not all required items of assessment were included in the final determination of the result), and approved in accordance with Table 8 Amendment to Final Results Approval Authority.

(269) After seeking a review by the Course Co-ordinator a student may lodge an appeal against their final result for a course in accordance with this Manual.

(270) To lodge an appeal a student must submit an application within 10 University working days of the publication of the final result via the online portal Appeal Against a Final Result .

(271) The relevant College Progress and Appeals Committee or Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre Progress and Appeals Committee will consider all valid appeals against a final result. Where the outcome of the appeal is to amend a final result, the CPAC will make a recommendation to the relevant delegate (see Table 7).

(272) Appeals that do not provide evidence of the following criteria will be rejected by the Secretary to the relevant College Progress and Appeals Committee or Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre Progress and Appeals Committee: 

• contact or attempted contact with the Course Co-ordinator (or nominee); and 
• addressing at least one of the above valid appeal criteria listed in this Manual and including relevant supporting evidence in writing.

(273) Where an appeal is rejected the original final result for the course will stand.

(274) The relevant College Progress and Appeals Committee or Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre Progress and Appeals Committee may request any additional information required to determine the outcome of an appeal.

(275) The College Progress and Appeals Committee may determine that: 

• no amendment to the final result is required;  
• an amendment to the final result is required;  
• an amendment to the final result may be required due to a significant error in the assessment processes, and will then determine what remedial action (such as moderation of marking) may be required. When a moderation process is initiated all students who may be affected will be informed by the relevant Head of School or Head of Domestic Programs (or their nominee) that the process is being undertaken and warned that their marks may be varied upwards or downwards; or 
• an amendment to the final result may be required, subject to the student completing a supplementary assessment item to be set by the relevant Course Co-ordinator. This determination will be used only when exceptional circumstances have prevented the student from applying for Adverse Circumstances, in accordance with the Adverse Circumstances Affecting Assessment Items Policy . 

(276) The Chair of the relevant College Progress and Appeals Committee or Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre Progress and Appeals Committee is authorised to undertake urgent business between scheduled committee meetings. Actions taken under this delegation must be ratified by the relevant College Progress and Appeals Committee or Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre Progress and Appeals Committee at the next meeting.

(277) The outcome of an Appeal Against a Final Result request will be actioned by the Secretary to the relevant College Progress and Appeals Committee or Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre Progress and Appeals Committee, including notifying the student of the outcome, usually within twenty-five University working days after publication of the final result. The notification should identify which appeal criteria formed the basis of the appeal decision.

(278) Each College Progress and Appeals Committee will report to their College Board annually on the activities initiated under this section. The Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre Progress and Appeals Committee will report to the Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre Board annually on the activities under this section. These reports must be available for compliance and monitoring if requested by Academic Senate.

(279) Course revisions should not affect students currently enrolled in that course unless the revision is to correct an identified error.

(280) Corrections to typographical errors may be made at any point and do not require approval, providing the correction does not change the context.

(281) School level course revisions are approved by the Head of School or Deputy Dean (Education) (PALSC).

(282) The types of course revisions that constitute a School Level Course Revision are outlined in Table 9 below:

(283) College level course revisions are approved by the College Board or the Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre Board.

(284) The types of course revisions that constitute a College Level Course Revision are outlined in Table 10 below:

(285) University level course revisions are approved by the Program and Course Approval Committee.

(286) The types of course revisions that constitute a University Level Course Revision are outlined in Table 11 below: 

(287) Where a course is core, compulsory or part of an accredited program , and there is a proposed change the School will ensure that all relevant College Education and Innovation Officer or equivalent staff are notified of the change. Following appropriate consultation, the College Education and Innovation Officer will provide confirmation to the School that there will be no adverse impact upon the program and the proposed change may proceed or, alternatively, identify the need for further consultation involving the Assistant Dean (Education).

(288) When amending the term of offer of a course that is core or compulsory in a program or programs , the Head of School offering the course will ensure that all relevant College Education and Innovation Officers are notified of the change. Following appropriate consultation, the College Education and Innovation Officer will provide the School confirmation that there will be no adverse impact upon the program and the proposed change may proceed, or, alternatively identify a need for further consultation involving the Assistant Dean (Education).

(289) The approval authority for course discontinuation is outlined in Table 12 below:

(290) If the discontinued course is a core or compulsory course within a program , the Head of School will ensure consultation with the Assistant Dean (Education) of the College offering the program . For enabling courses, if the discontinued course is a core or compulsory course within an enabling program , the Head of Domestic Programs will ensure consultation with the Deputy Dean (Education). The resultant major program revision must be submitted to the PCAC according to timelines so that students are not disadvantaged. If multiple Colleges  and/or Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre are involved all stakeholders need to be consulted on the change. Refer to the Program Management Manual - Coursework .

(291) If the course is contained in a course list for a program (s), the relevant Head of School will ensure that a notice of the intention to discontinue the course is provided to the Assistant Dean (Education) of the College which offers the program . The resultant minor program revision must be submitted to the relevant College Board or Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre Board according to timelines that will ensure students are not disadvantaged. Refer to the Program Management Manual - Coursework .

(292) To provide for exceptional circumstances arising in any particular case (for an individual student or student cohort), the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Vice President and President Academic Senate in a joint capacity and on the recommendation of a Pro Vice-Chancellor, may relax any provision of this procedure manual except for clauses relating to the determination of appeals against final results.

(293) Grading Scales and Administrative Codes

(294) Teaching Staff Reflection on Course Offering

(295) Learning Management System Teaching Courses: Minimum Presence

(296) Assessment Types and Combinations

(297) Course Coordinator Checklist

(298) School Assessment Body Generic Terms of Reference

(299) Coursework Program Teaching Qualification Guidelines

(300) Formal Examination Paper Creation and Review Checklist – Online Open Book Exams

(301) Formal Examination Paper Creation and Review Checklist - On Campus Exams

(302) Modes of Delivery for Courses

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Academic regulations

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Assessment regulations

This page contains the University's regulations for the completion of assessed coursework, examinations and mixed assessments. Its content is relevant to staff and students across all of the UK, China and Malaysia campuses.

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Please be aware that during academic year 2019/20, the University introduced exceptional regulations in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This page was previously affected by these arrangements and has been documented accordingly. 

Further details can be found in the "Exceptional regulations applied in response to Covid-19" section below.

Assessed coursework regulations

Includes:  submission; hard copies; deadlines

• All assessed coursework should be submitted electronically wherever practical, except for cases where it is physically impossible due to format (e.g. physical models, hand-written fieldwork, laboratory or project notebooks/diaries, complex or hand drawn graphics or scientific notation not supported by current technologies etc).
• Schools should not otherwise request the submission of hard copies.  Cases where work is not submitted electronically will be reviewed by Faculty Associate Pro-Vice Chancellors (APVCs) annually to ensure consistent practice. 

Examination regulations

Includes:  expectations; late arrival; Regulations 1 - 2

• Students must attend all examinations set as part of their programme of study.
• Students must submit coursework required by their programme of study.
• If a student has extenuating circumstances which they believe may affect their performance in assessed coursework or examinations, they should submit an extenuating circumstances claim (EC), by the deadline set in our Extenuating Circumstances Policy.
• If a student has extenuating circumstances which they believe caused them to miss some or all of an examination, they should submit an extenuating circumstances claim (EC), by the deadline set in our Extenuating Circumstances Policy.
• If a student misses an examination or fails to submit coursework and has no extenuating circumstances the University's Regulations governing attendance and engagement will be applied.

For more information about the Regulations governing attendance and engagement, please consult the following:

Regulations governing attendance and engagement

Regulation 1

• Students late for an in-person written examination who arrive before one hour of the examination has elapsed shall be permitted to sit the paper. No extra time shall be allowed, whatever the reason for their lateness.

For more information, please consult the following:

Regulation 2

• Students late for any written examination who arrive one hour or more into the examination shall not be permitted to sit the paper.

Missed assessment regulations

Includes:  leaving the examination; missing an assessment; weighted average; deadlines and penalties; student responsibilities; Regulations 3 - 8

Regulation 3

• No student shall be permitted to leave the examination within the first hour. 

Regulation 4

(a)    A student who misses an assessment (this includes not submitting assessed coursework prior to the meeting of the relevant Board of Examiners) may submit an extenuating circumstances claim. If the student is offered a further assessment, the timing and form of this will be at the discretion of the student's School/Department and will be regarded as the equivalent sit at the assessment.

For more information about extenuating circumstance procedures, please consult the following:

Extenuating Circumstances procedure

(b)   If a student misses an assessment and is offered and declines another opportunity to take the assessment, the original mark will not be used. The student would be awarded a mark of zero for the assessment.

(c)   If a student is offered another opportunity to take an element of assessment through the extenuating circumstances process, and declines the offer, then the original mark will not be used. The student would be awarded a mark of zero for the assessment.

(d)   If a student takes up the opportunity for further assessment described in (a) and subsequently achieves a lower mark, that lower mark will stand.   

For more information about the University's academic regulations, please consult the following category:

Regulation 5

(a)   Students will be regarded as missing an assessment with sufficient cause if they have an upheld extenuating circumstances claim for circumstances in which the relevant Board of Examiners judges that it would be unreasonable to expect the student to have attempted the assessment.  Boards will reach that judgement on the basis of evidence and recommendations provided by the School/Department.

(b) Where possible, students must make their School/Department aware of circumstances that may constitute sufficient cause prior to the meeting of the relevant Board of Examiners/Extenuating Circumstances Panel.

Regulation 6

Where the student has, with sufficient cause and an upheld extenuating circumstances claim, missed an assessment which counts for 50% or less of the overall module mark, the marks obtained from completed assessments may be used as the overall module mark on a 'part for whole' basis.  A Board of Examiners may recommend this course of action only after considering the relevant learning outcomes.

This regulation does not remove the need to offer the student another opportunity to take an assessment.

Regulation 7

• A student who misses a timetabled assessment without sufficient cause will receive a mark of 0% in that assessment. 

Regulation 8

(a)   A student who submits assessed coursework after the deadline (as modified by any extensions granted by the relevant School/Department) shall have the mark for that coursework reduced by 5% for each normal working day (including vacations but not weekends, public holidays or University holidays) that has passed since the deadline, until a mark of 0% is reached. For example, an original mark of 67% would be successively reduced to 62%, 57%, etc.

For more information on the regulations on penalties for late submission, please consult the following:

Policy on penalties for late submission of assessed work

(b)    Notwithstanding (a) above, a student's School may specify any length of time after the coursework deadline as the point at which a mark of 0% will be awarded, so long as: the period is not longer than that which would arise from the application of Regulation 8 (a) above; and the period is given in writing to the student at the beginning of the module. 

(c)    In all circumstances, a student will receive a mark of 0% if, without sufficient cause, the coursework has not been submitted prior to the meeting of the relevant Board of Examiners.

There is a requirement for completed e-exam papers to be uploaded within a given timeframe, which depends on the format of the e-exam (see below). 

1.    ExamSys (formerly Rogo) e-exams invigilated on campus:

This timeframe is equal to the duration of the exam plus any period of ‘technical time’ permitted, added by the invigilator when a student has a technical difficulty. 

2.    ExamSys (formerly Rogo) e-exams sat remotely:

An additional 10 minutes is now built in to allow for IT issues, so final submission time is the length of the paper plus a further 10 minutes if needed.

3.   Moodle e-exams of up to 3 hours (STEs):

In addition to the exam length, an additional 30 minutes will be permitted for all students to cover IT issues and upload time.

Information provided to students will clearly state that the time permitted includes additional time for upload, and that work submitted after the end of the additional 30-minute period will not be accepted and will be given a mark of zero unless there are approved extenuating circumstances that are supported by evidence.

4.    Moodle e-exams of 24 hours:

No additional time is given for 24 hours as that already allows time for technical issues.

Work submitted after the end of the 24-hour window will not be accepted and will be given a mark of zero unless there are approved extenuating circumstances that are supported by evidence.

5.    Extenuating circumstances for late submission of e-exam:

5.1     The criteria to be used when considering such extenuating circumstances are:

• The strength of the evidence of any disruption and its duration. 
• The length of the exam and how much potential advantage has been gained through late submission.
• The clarity of communications sent to students about time allocated for uploading and the consequences of late submission.
• The requirements (if any) of any relevant Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs).

5.2    It is noted that not all e-exams are taken in a format where late submission is possible and that some examinations are proctored. These exams are outside of the remit of this policy. Students should follow local guidance on how to proceed in these cases.

5.3    Possible outcomes

• Where a paper is uploaded no more than 5 minutes after the upload time:

Paying particular attention to the potential advantage that might have been gained through late submission and the consequences of decisions made by the EC panel for the student, the EC panel may approve the paper for marking.

• Where a paper is uploaded after the specified upload time and the additional 5 minute window:

EC panels may offer a first sit reassessment; this reassessment will take place at the first opportunity.

6.    E-exams are subject to self-certification, which allows a student to self-certify absence from exams for a maximum of 48 hours (two consecutive days). A student is not able to self-certify after the assessment window has opened.

For more information about self-certification (which is covered by the extenuating circumstances regulations), please consult the following:

Extenuating circumstances regulations

7.    In the case of severe system performance issues:

Academic and professional services leads will be provided with a summary report where there are documented system performance issues during any exam release, and QSC will advise Schools and Departments on approaches to extenuating circumstances.  In exceptional cases (e.g. significant documented system degradation), Schools may seek permission from Quality and Standards Committee to offer a blanket extenuating circumstance to an entire cohort, offering a reassessment at the earliest opportunity. Such requests should be treated, via Registry and Academic Affairs, under the QSC procedure for cases outside of regulations.  

For more information about the QSC procedure for cases outside of regulations, please consult the following:

Quality and Standards Committee

Exceptional regulations applied in response to Covid-19           

Please be aware that the following Exceptional Regulations were developed and applied during academic year 2019/20 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. These records are campus specific and should be read in conjunction with all other content on this page.

The active application of these arrangements then ceased at the beginning of academic year 2020/21. Any outcomes from their application during academic year 2019/20 will, however, continue to be honoured and used in all decisions regarding those affected. 

For more information about the Exceptional Regulations as a whole, please consult the following:

Exceptional Regulations: Covid-19 - 2019/20 - 2020/21

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• Extenuating Circumstances

Outcomes – What do they mean?

Once your claim form has been submitted, your School/Department will arrange for it to be considered by an Extenuating Circumstances Panel. The Panel is responsible for reaching a decision on whether to uphold or reject your claim. After the Extenuating Circumstances Panel has made a decision, a Service Centre will write to you explaining what decision has been made. Guidance on Recommendations for EC Panels can be found here .

What happens if my claim is approved?

Taught Students (Undergraduate and Postgraduate students undertaking taught programmes or modules)

If your claim is accepted your School/Department may offer one of several possible recommendations to allow for the impact of the circumstances. In deciding this they will take into consideration what outcome you requested on your Extenuating Circumstances Form.

It’s important to note that the Panel cannot change marks based on an extenuating circumstance claim.

Typical outcomes may include:

• Waive of late submission penalties.
• Extension: For circumstances affecting your ability to submit coursework on time your School/Department will normally offer you an extension.
• First Sit: An opportunity to take the assessment again as though for the first time. This is important as only first attempt marks are used when calculating the weighted average for your degree and therefore the final classification.
• Further reassessment attempt: Failing a re-assessment may have a significant impact on whether you can progress on your course. Therefore, your School/Department may grant a further re-assessment opportunity. UG students should be aware that it’s a myth that reassessment marks are ‘capped’. The marks you receive from a further reassessment are only used to determine if you can progress on your course of study. So, if the pass mark for an assessment is 40 and you achieve 52 in the reassessment, you will be able to progress on the course. However, the 52 will not count towards your weighted average (and therefore will not count towards your final classification), it’s the mark from your first attempt that is used for the weighted average and on your transcript. There are other considerations for reassessments for some PGT students so, if you’re unclear about what this means for you, make sure you speak to a member of staff e.g., Personal Tutor, Course Director, Senior Tutor.

For final year students, your EC may be provisionally approved based on the evidence provided but a final decision on the outcome and any recommendations will be deferred to a meeting of the Extenuating Circumstances Panel at the end of the academic session when the full impact can be assessed.

Postgraduate Research Students

If you are studying for a postgraduate research degree the outcomes for you will be different. The School will either:

• Grant an extension for the annual review or
• Permit a further annual review if you fail the initial one

Receiving Support

As well as the various academic outcomes listed above your School/Department may also suggest that you engage with appropriate support in the future to help manage your extenuating circumstances. This may include meeting with your Personal Tutor/Support and Wellbeing Officer or seeking support from Counselling or your GP for example. If you choose not to take up this support the University could choose to reject later extenuating circumstances claims about the same matter.

What can I do if my extenuating circumstances are not approved?

If your School/Department decides not to accept your circumstances, the outcome letter will explain the reason for this. For example:

• The claim and/or evidence were submitted late without good reason
• The circumstance was not considered acceptable
• The evidence was not sufficient to support the claim or did not show the seriousness of impact

New Evidence

If you feel that your claim has been rejected because you did not fully explain or provide sufficient evidence for your circumstances, you should discuss the matter with your Student Service Centre and consider submitting a further claim to your School/Department. Ordinarily this should be done by email, submitting the new evidence to the EC team along with a clear explanation as to why you were unable to submit this evidence with your original claim. You should do this as soon as possible as the rules on deadlines for submitting claims set out in section 9 of the EC procedure will still apply.

If you have received a final progression or award decision such as a course termination or degree classification, and you want the University to consider circumstances that you’ve not previously raised, you should raise these circumstances by submitting an Academic Appeal . Again, it is essential that you explain why you were unable to submit this earlier and provide evidence to support this.

If you feel that the School/Department’s decision in respect of your extenuating circumstances claim was unfair or unreasonable you may have grounds to raise an Academic Appeal . The Academic Appeals procedure is in place to assess the fairness of the School/Department’s decision. Disagreeing with the decision alone is not grounds for an appeal. You are required to explain, with evidence, how the School/Department acted unfairly in line with the University’s grounds for appeal. Therefore, you may argue that they did not apply the procedure properly or/and they took a completely unreasonable decision or/and that the decision was taken with prejudice and/or bias.

An appeal must be submitted within one month of the letter confirming the School/Department’s rejection of your circumstances. However, you should do this as soon as possible so that, if the appeal is successful, any further assessments can take place in the next re-assessment period.

We would advise you to contact the Students’ Union Advice team if you wish to submit an academic appeal in respect of an extenuating circumstances claim.

If the University’s final decision, following an appeal, is to reject your extenuating circumstances claim and you believe this is unfair, you have the right to raise the matter externally by making a complaint to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education . This should be done no later than one year of you being issued with a ‘Completion of Procedures Letter’ confirming the University’s final decision.

Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs - Procedures | UniSC | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

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Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs - Procedures

• Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs - Academic Policy
• Central Examinations - Procedures
• Coursework Curriculum - Academic Policy
• Coursework Curriculum - Procedures
• Deferred Examinations - Procedures
• Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) - Academic Policy
• Review of Assessment and Final Grade - Procedures
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• Supplementary Assessment - Procedures
• Work Integrated Learning (Placement) - Procedures
• Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld)
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• Australian Qualifications Framework
• Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (Cth)
• Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld)

1.1 These procedures detail the process for designing assessment, feedback and marking, administration of assessment, and assuring standards.

2. Scope and application

2.1 These procedures refer to assessment in undergraduate and postgraduate coursework courses of all unit values.

3. Definitions

Please refer to the University’s Glossary of terms for policy and procedures . Terms and definitions identified below are specific to these procedures and are critical to its effectiveness:

Feedback is the information offered to the student on their performance that helps them move towards achieving the learning outcome.

Formative assessment is a learning process that enables both the student and assessor to identify the student’s strengths and gaps in knowledge and skills, more specifically;

(a) assessment for learning involves staff using evidence about students’ knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills, to clarify student understanding and learning, and to inform their future teaching.

(b) assessment as learning involves students monitoring their own learning to decide what they know and can do, and how to use assessment information for new learning.

Moderation is a rigorous quality review and assurance process that confirms or modifies the assessment task’s fitness for purpose, the consistency of the marker’s judgments and the validity, reliability and fairness of the outcome and ultimately ensures that academic standards are met.

Standards referenced assessment is the approach taken to assessment at the University where the achievement of students is assessed and reported in relation to a predetermined standard established for the course.

Summative assessment is assessment of learning and uses evidence of student learning to assess achievement against outcomes and standards. It contributes to the student’s final grade in a course.

4. Contents

5. Designing assessment

6. feedback and marking, 7. administering assessment, 8. assuring standards.

9. Records Management

10 Roles/Responsibilities

5.1 Assessment is part of curriculum design and will be influenced by the:

(a) Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF);

(b) Curriculum Design Principles; and

(c) Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Principles.

These elements are detailed below.

5.2 The quality of assessment is reviewed during curriculum accreditation and approval by the accrediting and approval authorities, using the Curriculum Design and UDL Principles.

5.3 A request for a variation from any element of these procedures can be made to the relevant Dean on the basis of pedagogically sound arguments consistent with the curriculum design principles.

5.4 If the relevant Dean endorses the variation request, it is referred for approval to the next meeting of the Program and Course Committee (PACC).

5.5 Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)

5.5.1 As outlined in the Coursework Curriculum – Procedures, assessment tasks provide scaffolded opportunities to demonstrate achievement of program learning outcomes that align with the learning outcomes for each AQF level and qualification type, in a clear progression of knowledge and skills across the program:

(a) from introductory, through developing to graduate at undergraduate level; and

(b) from advanced to specialised at postgraduate level.

5.5.2 Bloom’s Taxonomy is used for developing intended learning outcomes, assessments and activities.

5.6 Curriculum design principles

5.6.1 The curriculum design principles inform the design of the University’s curriculum. The principles are:

1. learning-centred;

2. standards-based;

3. constructively aligned; and

4. career and future focussed.

5.6.2 The curriculum design principles accommodate the diversity of disciplines at the University and allow assessment to be designed using a range of approaches. Course Coordinators use the principles to inform their approach to assessment design and to demonstrate its quality.

5.7 Program design

5.7.1 In a coursework program, there will be a clear progression in the expectations of performance required in assessment tasks in courses at the undergraduate level from Introductory, through Developing to Graduate and at postgraduate level – from Advanced to Specialised (refer to the Coursework Curriculum - Procedures for details).

5.7.2 There is evidence of constructive alignment of the assessment tasks, in required courses, with the relevant Program’s Learning Outcomes, manifest through the course learning outcomes.

5.7.3 A coursework program contains courses that provide students opportunities to engage with multiple types of assessment tasks.

5.7.4 The spread of assessment tasks across required courses in a program is monitored to prevent students in the program being exposed to an unreasonably high workload.

5.7.5 No program can contain more than 50 percent of required courses that are assessed using Limited Grades to ensure students can measure their individual performance and allow a representative Grade Point Average calculation to be recorded on the student’s transcript.

5.8 Course design

5.8.1 undergraduate course-based assessment.

(1) An undergraduate course is coded at 100, 200, 300 or 400 level and will be designed with a typical course assessment pattern to help students construct meaning and generate new understandings.

(2) For a 12 unit value course:

(a) Two (2) or three (3) summative assessment items;

For example:

In a semester

• one formative non-graded and three summative tasks; or
• one formative graded and two summative tasks; or
• three summative tasks

In a session;

• one formative non-graded and two summative tasks

(b) up to six (6) assessment exercises can be spread throughout a course with the formative assessment starting in the first third of the teaching period;

(c) where there are three (3) summative assessment tasks, these will be distributed to enable students to receive and action feedback on submitted work before the next assessment task;

(d) a variety of assessment task products;

(e) the maximum word length of 5,000 or equivalent, taking all assessment tasks into consideration will be applied (see Bachelor Honours Degree - Procedures for undergraduate dissertation courses);

(f) the maximum weighting of an assessment item is 50 percent of the total summative assessment for the course;

(g) the minimum weighting of an assessment item is 10 percent of the total summative assessment for the course;

(h) the allocated weighting of each summative assessment task reflects its relative value in measuring the learning outcomes and the student workload to successfully complete the task;

(i) the maximum weighting for the collective component of group work is 50 percent of the total summative assessment for the course or 70 percent for a course with group work as the majority of the learning outcomes; and

(j) the maximum weighting which can be allocated to multiple choice questions in assessment products is 40 percent of the total assessment value for the course.

(3) For courses with a unit value other than 12 units:

(a) the maximum word length of a three (3) unit course will not exceed 1500 words or equivalent;

(b) the maximum weighting of an assessment task for a six (6) unit course is 70 percent;

(c) the maximum word length of a six (6) unit course will not exceed 3,000 words or equivalent, taking all tasks into consideration;

(d) the maximum weighting of an assessment task for a twenty four (24) or thirty six (36) unit course is 50 percent;

(e) the maximum word length of a twenty four (24) unit course will not exceed 10,000 words or equivalent;

(f) the maximum word length of a thirty six (36) unit course will not exceed 15,000 words or equivalent; and

(g) the maximum weighting of an assessment task in an identified dissertation course of 24 or more units is 100 percent as identified in the Bachelor Honours Degree – Academic Policy and related procedures.

5.8.2 Postgraduate course-based assessment

(1) A postgraduate coursework course is coded at 500, 600 or 700 level and will be designed with a typical course assessment pattern to help students construct meaning and generate new understandings.

(a) the maximum weighting of an assessment task in a postgraduate course is 70 percent;

(b) the maximum weighting of an assessment task in an identified postgraduate dissertation or project course of twelve (12) or more units is 100 percent;

(c) the maximum word length is 7,000 or equivalent, taking all assessment tasks into consideration; and

(d) in a research course of forty eight (48) units or greater, the assessment of that course will be consistent with the arrangements for supervision and examination of the dissertation, with a maximum word length of 28,000 words.

5.8.3 Limited grade courses

(1) The use of Limited Grade – Pass (PU) and Limited Grade - Fail (UF) is restricted to courses where there is:

(a) a work integrated learning (WIL) activity categorised as a workplace and industry ‘placement’ (refer to the Work Integrated Learning - Academic Policy); or

(b) extensive project work/coursework assessed in diverse settings external to the University; or

(c) a professional competency task is included in the course.

(2) In a course eligible to use Limited Grades, all assessment items in that course are marked on a Pass/Fail basis and all assessment tasks are required to be passed for a student to successfully complete the course.

(3) In accordance with the Supplementary Assessment – Procedures, supplementary assessment is not available in Limited Grade courses.

(4) In a Limited Grade course, there is no requirement that each summative assessment task be allocated a weighting reflecting its relative value in measuring the learning outcomes.

5.8.4 Work Integrated Learning student placement code of conduct assessment

(1) In courses identified as a workplace and industry placement course, under the Work Integrated Learning - Academic Policy, an assessment task will be included to assess a student’s performance against a discipline specific code of conduct, or set guidelines for professional conduct, or another suitable instrument which is informed by the professional standards or code of conduct for the relevant profession.

(2) The student placement code of conduct assessment task is assessed on a Pass/Fail basis.

(3) The student placement code of conduct assessment task is not included in the count of maximum number of summative assessment tasks in a course, as identified in these procedures.

5.9 Assessment design

5.9.1 assessment tasks.

(1) Assessment tasks assess the retention and application of the valued knowledge and skills that students are provided with the opportunity to learn in the course.

(2) In designing the assessment tasks for a course, consideration is given to:

(a) professional standards;

(b) the AQF level of the course (introductory, developing, graduate, advanced or specialised);

(c) the scaffolding of knowledge, skills and application through any pre-requisites or assumed knowledge for the course;

(d) alignment of marking criteria with course learning outcomes, which in turn align with the program learning outcomes;

(e) Bloom’s Taxonomy of measurable verbs to describe and observe knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills;

(f) support for students’ transition to higher education and provision of early formative feedback on progress to students and staff in first year assessment;

(g) the link between formative and summative assessment and constructive feedback;

(h) the number and types of assessment tasks required to generate evidence that enables reliable and valid judgments of student performance;

(i) the amount of assessment required to generate evidence that enables reliable and valid judgments of student performance to be made about the degree to which the student has met the learning outcomes; and

(j) the workload that the assessment requires of both students and markers and the sustainability of those approaches to assessment.

(3) Assessment task definitions can be found in the  Assessment product list (task types).

5.9.2 Academic integrity through assessment design

(1) In designing assessment tasks, strategies should be considered to assist students to maintain their academic integrity, these include:

(a) design assessment tasks that assess the student’s knowledge, skills and the process undertaken to complete the task i.e., design assessment tasks/topics around authentic activities relating to a work context or recent or current events; personalise the assessment topics by inviting students to draw on their own experiences;

(b) changes to assessment topics and/or products every iteration of a course;

(c) help students work in cooperative learning groups and set expectations in group assessment tasks; and

(d) clarify the boundaries between collaboration and collusion.

5.9.3 Class participation and mandated attendance

(1) Class participation can be used as assessment as and for learning for courses, and assesses student contribution in an active and cooperative learning process either on campus or online. Class participation:

(a) will not be weighted at more than 10 percent of the total assessment for the course; and

(b) will be assessed on an evidence basis through the application of criteria.

(2) A minimum level of participation may be required to pass a course when:

(a) the course is a WIL placement or where students are required to demonstrate competency in a range of practical tasks;

(b) the course contains professional competencies required as a pre-requisite for a WIL placement course;

(c) there are statutory requirements such as occupational health and safety training; and

(d) professional accreditation specifies particular activities for students to achieve particular competencies.

(3) No result can be allocated for attendance (either on campus or online).

(4) If attendance is mandated by a professional accreditation authority, then this will be specified in the program requirements and the specific Course Outlines and reasonable alternatives will be provided for students who cannot attend because of circumstances beyond their control.

5.9.4 Self and peer-assessment

(1) Self-assessment is a formative assessment activity and no summative results can be awarded, as the focus of self-assessment is to monitor progress and reflect on and improve the learning as demonstrated through summative tasks.

(2) Where peer-assessment is a summative assessment task, it can be weighted at a maximum of 10 percent of the total assessment for the course. Peer-assessment can also be utilised formatively to enable students to actively improve their learning.

(3) Processes for peer-assessment will be designed to ensure that students are treated with fairness, consistency, and respect. The Course Coordinator will provide written instructions and criteria for students undertaking peer assessment.

(4) The Course Coordinator will moderate the results of peer-assessment to ensure that student feedback is explicit, informative and accessible as a requirement for summative tasks and as appropriate for formative tasks.

5.9.5 Group work assessment

(1) Where group work is an assessment task, the Course Coordinator will design the curriculum to include processes and learning activities to facilitate effective management of, and learning through, group work.

(2) Group work can be assessed individually for each group member, collectively for the group, or preferably by a weighted result allocation comprising both a whole group and individual component (including peer assessment). Students will be made aware of the criteria and any weighting associated with each criterion in the Course Outline.

(3) The assessment criteria will make it possible for students to be marked separately should exceptional circumstances necessitate separate results.

5.9.6 Negotiated assessment

(1) In some instances, the Course Coordinator may want to negotiate aspects of the assessment task(s) with students during the teaching period as part of the learning experience. When this occurs, all students in the course must be given an opportunity to participate.

(2) Negotiated assessment opportunities are represented in the Course Outline through a broad description of the purpose and process. If required, the learning outcomes that will be addressed in the task are identified as a proxy for criteria, until specific criteria are designed. All other assessment procedures still apply in a negotiated task.

(3) The weighting of an assessment task or the number of assessment tasks cannot be altered through the process of negotiated assessment.

5.9.7 Multi-location and online course assessment

(1) Assessment tasks for courses offered in multiple locations will be designed so that all students have an equal opportunity to engage with them. All offerings of the course will have assessment requirements designed to enable equivalent opportunities for student academic success through achievement of the expected learning outcomes for the course.

(2) The use of different assessment items for courses offered in the same mode at different locations in the same teaching period will be approved by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic).

5.9.8 Variation to assessment

(1) Adjustments and variations of assessment for a student are made in accordance with the Students with a Disability - Operational Policy.

(2) A student who has a temporary disability or experienced a traumatic event that will affect their ability to complete an assessment task(s) should contact AccessAbility Services.

(3) A Learning Access Plan outlining the determined reasonable adjustment is provided to the student, based on recommendations from the student’s treating health professional. The student should ensure the Learning Access Plan is given to the relevant Course Coordinator in a timely manner and discuss any alternative arrangements/adjustments. If the Course Coordinator has any concerns that the recommendations will compromise any Inherent Academic Requirements, they should contact AccessAbility Services to discuss.

(4) The Central Examinations - Procedures are followed for students requiring alternative arrangements for central examinations.

5.9.9 Alternative assessment tasks

(1) An alternative assessment task may be set when circumstances prevent a student from completing an assessment task and it is not feasible to recreate the required circumstances for that assessment task. A Course Coordinator will then vary the details of that assessment task provided that the alternative enables an equitable assessment to be made and does not compromise an essential requirement of the course.

6.1 Formative and summative feedback

6.1.1 Each course teaching team will have an equitable approach to providing feedback across all delivery locations.

6.1.2 Feedback on formative assessment tasks will include information that helps a student progress from their current practice to more effectively achieve the learning goals of the course.

6.1.3 Each course will include early feedback on formative tasks (non-graded or graded) in the first third of the teaching period. Providing “formative” feedback allows students to monitor their own progress effectively and to use that information to guide their own effort, practice and decision making.

6.1.4 Feedback on all summative assessment tasks will include:

(a) a result for the task in response to stated assessment criteria;

(b) an explanation of student performance in relation to the assessment criteria and the standards to which each is met; and

(c) summary comments, including what aspects of the task have been done well and how students could improve their performance.

6.1.5 All students receive feedback on all summative assessment. Feedback on final examinations is only required to be provided on the request of the student.

6.2 Timing of feedback

6.2.1 The design of assessment task must consider the requirement for feedback to be given to students. Students must receive feedback on submitted work before the next assessment task when the tasks are related.

6.2.2 Feedback on assessment tasks will normally be provided within ten business days and must be provided within fifteen business days from the due date for the assessment task or the date when the task was submitted, whichever is the later. In the case of a final assessment task, where feedback will not inform the submission of another task in the course, feedback on the assessment must be provided no later than with the submission of final grades.

6.3 Marking

6.3.1 assessment criteria and standards.

(1) Assessment criteria are the elements the assessor will focus on when making a judgement about the task. All assessment tasks will have criteria which will be specified in the Course Outline.

(2) Criteria will be based on the learning outcomes of the course and will assess those learning outcomes.

(3) An assessment task will have no more than six (6) criteria.

(4) Any grading tools, such as criterion-referenced assessment rubrics or marking guides, will be made available to students at the beginning of the teaching period when the course site on the Learning Management System (LMS) is made available, or simultaneously with the release of the assessment task to students. Rubrics and marking guides will have the same criteria as those specified in the Course Outline.

(5) Rubrics and marking guides typically include three elements: the criteria, the standards (for example High Distinction (HD) to Fail (FL)) and the standards descriptors, which succinctly describe the levels of achievement required for each criterion at each standard. (Refer to the Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) - Academic Policy for generic descriptions of each standard).

(6) The result a student receives for an assessment task is provided to the student in a numeric form, except for courses using limited grades. Markers may additionally use a letter grade that is consistent with the Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) - Academic Policy.

6.3.2 Making judgements on student performance

(1) Results for all assessment tasks and the overall grade for a course are decided only by predetermined criteria and standards. Results are neither determined by the comparative performance of other students in the course nor allocated to fit a predetermined distribution.

6.3.3 Marking non-replicable assessment tasks

(1) When students are required to complete an assessment task greater than 30 percent that cannot be preserved or replicated (e.g. oral presentation or organising an event), the assessment task will be either video recorded or assessed in real time by more than one marker.

(2) Work integrated learning placements are exempt from this clause. Refer to the Work Integrated Learning - Academic Policy.

6.3.4 Negative marking

(1) Negative marking, in which a result less than zero is allocated to any part of any component of an assessment task, is not permitted.

6.3.5 Markers

(1) Where academic judgement is required to assess, the marker will have an appropriate level of discipline knowledge and assessment capacity, understanding of the course and the task’s role within it, and an understanding of the University’s policy documents relating to assessment. It is the responsibility of the Course Coordinator to ensure that staff appointed as markers satisfy these requirements.

6.3.6 Conflict of interest

(1) Staff who mark assessment tasks have a responsibility to assess student work fairly, objectively and consistently for all students enrolled in a course.

(2) Staff who assess a student who is a relative, family or personal friend must disclose the relationship as this may create an actual or perceived conflict of interest. Refer to the Conflict of Interest – Governing Policy.

7.1 Submission of assessment tasks

7.1.1 A single submission method is required per assessment task.

7.1.2 The required method of submission of assessment tasks is electronically through the LMS, Eportfolio or Work Integrated Learning System. If an alternative submission method is required, this is identified in the Course Outline.

7.1.3 Students must keep a copy or record of all submitted assessment tasks to minimise the impact of lost, stolen, or damaged assessment tasks when submitted. On request, students will be able to present a copy of the task if required.

7.1.4 Date of submission will be decided by the Course Coordinator in consultation with the Program Coordinator. No assessment tasks are to be due during the University’s identified examination preparation period or on a weekend or public holiday unless attendance on a weekend or public holiday is a requirement for the course.

7.1.5 Time of submission is between 9.00am and 4.30pm to ensure a range of student support services are available.

7.1.6 A submission date may be extended by the Course Coordinator for all students. Any extension to the submission date for an assessment task will be communicated to all students through the LMS.

7.1.7 Penalties for late submission of assessment tasks

(1) The Course Coordinator can apply a range of penalties for late submission of an assessment task for students without an approved extension. The penalties for late submission of an assessment task must be applied consistently across all students who submit after the task due date without an approved extension.

(2) Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:

(i) One day : deduct 5%;

(ii) Two days: deduct 10%;

(iii) Three days: deduct 20%;

(iv) Four days: deduct 40%;

(v) Five days: deduct 60%;

(vi) Six days: deduct 80%;

Table: Maximum penalties for late submission

7.1.8 Penalties for late submission of online examinations

(1) In addition to the examination duration time, a submission time of 15 minutes will apply to all online examinations of duration of one hour or more that require a student to submit their work (if not submitted automatically when the examination duration has elapsed).

(2) The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:

(3) Penalties will not apply if a student can demonstrate system and/or process issues beyond their control resulting in the late submission of the assessment or for students with a Learning Access Plan.

(4) If a student experiences  technical issue/s which impact their ability to submit an online examination, they must contact the Course Coordinator as soon as possible via email to resolve the issue. If the issue continues, at the conclusion of the exam the student must provide evidence by taking screenshots of as many of the following:   

• error messages 
• screen not loading  
• timestamped speed tests   
• power outage maps 
• messages or information from their internet provider regarding the issues experienced.

All screenshots must include the date and time the issue occurred. The evidence will be reviewed, and an outcome provided by the Course Coordinator.

(5) Refer Central Examinations – Procedures for the conduct and design of central examinations and the Guide for supporting students for online centrally scheduled examinations.

7.1.9 Grounds and evidence for exemption from penalties

(1) The student must follow the application process identified by the relevant School for applying for an exemption from penalties for late submission of assessment tasks.

(2) Students can request to have late penalties removed after the due date if they provide the relevant supporting documentation.

(3) The Course Coordinator can require independent evidence for extension requests of less than five (5) calendar days. For extension requests of more than five (5) calendar days, students must provide independent evidence. The independent evidence will include an indication of the number of days the student is unable to undertake assessment tasks.

(4) The grounds and required supporting evidence for applying for an exemption from penalties are:

7.1.10 Renegotiation of assessment due dates

(1) Students must submit assessment extension requests to the relevant School with the identified supporting documentation.

(2) If a student requests an extension at least 48 hours prior to the due date and time, and the student is not replied to by the due date, an exemption from late penalties is granted.

(3) The renegotiated due date for all extensions cannot extend past the final date of the examination period for the study period in which the extension is being sought.

(4) A renegotiation to the due dates may result in a change, either earlier or later, or the student being required to undertake an alternative assessment task.

7.1.11 Resubmission of an assessment task

(1) At the discretion of the Course Coordinator, students who have failed an assessment task may be invited or permitted to revise and resubmit a specific assessment task for marking. This is not available if:

(a) the assessment item is a final examination; or

(b) the assessment task is related to core professional competencies in a Limited Graded course.

(2) In courses that use the standard grading scale, the maximum result that can be attained under such circumstances is 50 percent of the value of the assessment task.

(3) If a resubmission is approved by the Course Coordinator, the option must be available to all students with the equivalent circumstances.

7.1.12 Supplementary assessment

(1) Eligibility for supplementary assessment is outlined in the Supplementary Assessment – Procedures.

7.2.1 Aggregation of results – final grade

(1) In a course using the standard grading scale, a students’ final mark in a course will be the aggregate of the results from all assessment tasks according to the percentage weighting of the assessment tasks.

7.2.2 Release of results to students

(1) Students’ results for each task will be released via the LMS once the task has been moderated and within the time parameters set out in these procedures.

7.2.3 Transfer of results across enrolments

(1) The ‘carrying over’ of a result from an assessment task undertaken during a previous enrolment in a course, to a subsequent enrolment in the same course, is not permitted.

8.1 Grade Standards

8.1.1 Assuring grade standards has three processes:

(a) moderation

(b) verification; and

(c) ratification.

8.1.2 A course goes through all three processes each time it is offered.

8.1.3 An individual staff member can only perform one of the following roles when undertaking the process to assure grade standards for a course: Course Coordinator, Moderator or Grade Reviewer.

8.2 Moderation

8.2.1 Moderation is a rigorous quality review and assurance process to confirm the task’s fitness for purpose and the validity, reliability and fairness of the outcome which ultimately ensures that academic standards are met.

8.2.2 Appointment of moderators

8.2.2.1 A moderator is appointed for each course by the Dean prior to the commencement of the teaching session.

8.2.2.2 A moderator will have a combination of discipline knowledge and assessment experience so they can make informed judgements about the assessment processes.

8.2.2.3 The moderator’s role is to review and endorse the planned assessment prior to the course’s commencement, ensure that academic standards are being judged correctly and verify that the assessment took place as planned.

8.2.3 Forms of moderation

(1) The University requires three forms of moderation, which are consistent across multi-locations and online courses:

(a) pre-assessment moderation: assures the quality of specific assessment elements before they are used for assessment (for example, specific topics for an essay or examination questions);

(b) point of assessment moderation: ensures that academic standards are being judged correctly (for example, by moderating student work to ensure that markers are making consistent and accurate assessment decisions in accordance with the assessment criteria); and

(c) post-assessment moderation: confirms that the results awarded for each task and the student’s final mark and grade for the course overall reflect the performance descriptors in the Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) - Academic Policy.

(2) Pre-assessment moderation

(1) The aim of pre-assessment moderation is to ensure that assessment tasks are fit for purpose, likely to provide valid and reliable evidence of student learning, and compliant with relevant policy documents. Forms of pre-assessment moderation may include:

(a) the markers become familiar with the marking tools to be used in the course and agree on marking processes;

(b) the Course Moderator evaluates examinations for an appropriate match between the examination requirements and duration, the course content and alignment between questions and criteria, and the completeness, clarity and accuracy of the questions or problems;

(c) the Course Moderator evaluates assessment questions/topics for their appropriateness for that course, including consistency with the curriculum design principles; and

(d) the course teaching team meets to discuss expectations of assessment tasks, review criterion-referenced rubrics and mark and discuss a sample paper.

(3) Point of assessment moderation

(1) The aim of moderation at the point of assessment, is to ensure quality of judgements and confirm correct and consistent application of assessment criteria and standards for all tasks in the course. The Course Coordinator and the teaching team will usually engage in point of assessment moderation after each task. For courses where the Course Coordinator is the sole assessor, the Course Moderator will engage in the moderation process with the Course Coordinator.

(2) Point of assessment moderation is an opportunity for a professional dialogue between at least two colleagues about the quality of student work, and the application of standards to that work. This usually takes place after an assessment task has been submitted and a sample has been assessed. A number of moderation strategies may be utilised, including:

(a) expert moderation: an external person with marking expertise in the discipline area marks and comments on a sample – possibly difficult or borderline cases - and provides feedback to the Course Coordinator (refer to External Referencing – Academic Policy and External Referencing: Peer Review of Assessment – Procedures);

(b) blind re-marking: a selection of clean scripts are given to a second marker. Where significant differences between markers are identified, discussion takes place to resolve the differences, identify consensus-driven assessment principles and reach agreement;

(c) selecting scripts for review: the Course Coordinator marks a small sample and provides it to the Course Moderator for review; or a small sample of student work is marked and submitted to the Course Coordinator who moderates it and gives feedback to the course teaching team; or

(d) consensus moderation: the course teaching team meets to review marked samples of student work to reach a consensus about the standard of the work and the mark and grade applied to it.

(3) The sampling of scripts for review will be at each grade level and include student work from all modes/locations where the course is being offered. In the case of a course being offered by a third party, the level of sampling of the marking of assessment tasks will be from at least 10 percent of the student cohort.

(4) The Course Coordinator also monitors and samples the marking of individual members of the course teaching team to establish inter-rater reliability. Individual markers are encouraged to also review a sample of assessments made over several marking sessions to ensure intra-rater reliability.

(5) Moderation must occur before the task results are released to students.

(6) All task results must be recorded in the Grade Book of the LMS.

(4) Post-assessment moderation

(1) For post-assessment moderation, when the Course Moderator and Course Coordinator are satisfied with the moderation process of all tasks within the course, it is complete, and the results, final marks and grades move into the verification stage of the process.

(2) For post-assessment moderation, when a Course Coordinator and a Course Moderator do not agree, the relevant Dean is consulted. The Dean determines the action, if any, that the Course Coordinator is required to take and informs both parties of that decision.

(3) Results and final marks for all courses must be uploaded to the Grade Book within the University’s LMS, except for the following types of courses for which the verification and ratification processes are completed manually:

(a) Study Overseas program;

(b) Honours Dissertation;

(c) Progressive Courses (non-examinable components); and

(d) Fee for service/short courses.

(4) The Course Coordinator is responsible for ensuring that the task results are correctly entered and that the associated marks and grades are correctly calculated in the Grade Book of the LMS, and correctly submitted to the Interim Result Module (IRM) for verification.

8.2.4 Issues arising out of moderation

(1) When moderation indicates a problem with the marking of tasks/s, an investigation is immediately initiated by the Dean.

(2) When post-assessment moderation identifies that a problem has occurred which affects student grades, corrections must be undertaken immediately under the direction of the Chairperson, School Assessment Moderation and Results Committee.

8.3 Verification

8.3.1 The Course Coordinator and the Course Moderator verify that the assessment tasks were undertaken as advised in the Course Outline and that the moderation process has been completed.

8.3.2 The Course Coordinator determines students’ eligibility for supplementary assessment based on their final mark for the course (see Supplementary Assessment - Procedures), and notes this for ratification at the School Assessment Moderation and Results Committee.

8.3.3 The Course Coordinator provides a commentary on the moderation process and the grades awarded compared to previous iterations. A commentary on the outcomes for the student cohort is also required if there are 20 students or more in the course.

8.4 Ratification

8.4.1 A School Assessment Moderation and Results Committee (SAMRC) is convened in each School at the conclusion of each teaching period.

8.4.2 The SAMRC will make recommendations on the following matters:

(a) the grades or grade notations for all students enrolled in a course, ensuring that the results are awarded properly and reflect the levels of performance of individual students;

(b) the allocation and spread of results for each course, ensuring that any modification or scaling of marks has been applied fairly, systematically and for sound academic reasons; and

(c) in exceptional circumstances, following consultation with the relevant Dean and Course Coordinator, it may recommend a variation in the final marks.

8.4.3 In making a recommendation on the grades, the SAMRC:

(a) ratifies the Course Coordinator’s decisions on students’ results and interim and final mark and grades, including those eligible for supplementary assessment; and

(b) provides the Program Coordinator with a summary of the final results and grades, moderation, verification and ratification process for the teaching period for consideration in the Annual Program Monitoring (APM) process. The report will also include comparative data with summary or selected course performance in comparison to the previous teaching period.

8.4.4 Verification and Ratification are processed through the IRM.

8.5 Submission and approval of results, final marks and grades

8.5.1 The Dean has the final responsibility to approve the grades in courses offered in their School. With approval from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), this authority may be delegated to the Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching.

8.6 Final mark process

8.6.1 dean approval.

Step 1: The Dean approves and submits the final marks for each teaching period via the IRM to Student Services and Engagement by the date specified by the Academic Registrar and Director, Student Services. Any outstanding results (e.g. GP, IN) must be finalised no later than six (6) weeks after the release of grades date.

Step 2: The Dean may determine a different grade for a student from that recommended by the SAMRC or the Course Coordinator after consultation with the Chairperson, SAMRC and the Course Coordinator. Where the Dean is also the Course Coordinator, the decision will be delegated to an appropriate senior academic staff member.

Step 3: Following the release of final marks and grades, the Dean is responsible for advising Student Services and Engagement of any amendments to final marks and grades previously submitted.

8.6.2 Student Services and Engagement release of grades

Step 1: Student Services and Engagement will notify students of their final marks and grades on behalf of the Dean by the due date.

8.7 Error in the computation of the final grade

8.7.1 When an error in the computation of the Final Grade is identified after the release of final grades, a recalculated mark and, where appropriate an amended grade, will apply.

8.7.2 Course Coordinator

Step 1: The Course Coordinator checks the results for all students in all assessment items in the LMS. Any necessary adjustments are made and the results are then resubmitted to the IRM.

Step 2: The Course Coordinator provides an interim results report to the relevant Dean, which summarises the students who have had their mark recalculated, the new mark awarded, any grade amendments and the reason for the error.

8.7.3 Dean approval

Step 1: The relevant Dean may approve the recalculated grades, taking into consideration the time since the grades were released, the potential consequences to the students and equity across the affected student cohort.

Step 2: If approved by the Dean, the adjusted grades are submitted to the student information system to be applied to the students’ records.

Step 3: Following consultation with the relevant School, Student Services and Engagement communicates with all affected students, informing them of the rationale for the changed grade, available processes in the case of additional assessment and information about support services.

Step 4: At the discretion of the Dean, students who have received an incorrect grade may be eligible for an additional assessment task to assess their achievement against the course learning outcomes.

In cases where the Dean determines that additional assessment is required, the interim notation of AE (Alternative Examination) or AO (Alternative Assessment) is applied. If a student is eligible for both alternative assessment and supplementary assessment, then alternative assessment (AE/AO) will be applied, and is not restricted to a Pass/Fail result.

8.8 Review of assessment and final grade

8.8.1 The process for students to seek a review of their result in an assessment task or their final grade, is identified in the Review of Assessment and Final Grade – Procedures.

9. Records management

9.1 Effective recordkeeping and records management is implemented in relation to all assessment, including review of assessment, in line with the Information Management Framework – Governing Policy and associated procedures. Reviews will be documented, with all parties keeping relevant and complete records.

10. Appendix 1 – Roles and Responsibilities 

1. Course Coordinator

• Moderate marks and grades

2. Course Coordinator and Moderator

• Verify final marks and grades

3. School Assessment Moderation and Results Committee (SAMRC)

• Provide advice and recommendations to the Dean and ratify final marks and grades
• Approves final marks and grades

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Late submission of coursework

Meeting your deadlines, plan your workload.

You'll be given a deadline by which work is to be completed and handed in. You should always aim to submit work before the deadline. This ensures you should never have any problems with a late submission. A simple tactic is to set your own deadline, perhaps several days in advance of the last possible date for submission and to organise your work around that. 

You should familiarise yourself with the primary submission methods for coursework and online examinations of each department that you are taking a module with. Each assessment must be submitted by the deadline published in order to gain a mark. If you are concerned that you cannot complete an assessment by the deadline you should contact your department before the deadline or consider making a late submission claim.

If you have difficulty in managing your workload, you can seek advice from a number of sources, including from staff in your department including your personal tutor,  SU Advice  and your  Student Services Hub .

Missing a deadline

It is your responsibility to inform your department of any circumstances affecting your ability to submit on  time. It is at the discretion of the department to comment on work submitted later than the deadlines for formative feedback only (ie. no formal marks will be awarded).

Please  contact your department  for support and advice if you are concerned about your deadlines.

Late submission policy

There is a single  policy for the late submission of coursework and online examinations  (.pdf) for both undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes of study.

The policy states that all assessments submitted after the deadline will receive a mark of zero, unless there are valid circumstances resulting in your late submission.

Reasons you can't meet a deadline 

There may be times when you are unable to undertake, complete or submit a piece of coursework or an online examination on time due to circumstances beyond your control. You can still submit work late if you have submitted a valid late submission claim alongside evidence of your circumstances.

These guidance notes cover circumstances which affect your ability to submit coursework or online examinations by the deadline.

There are separate policies and guidance on  extenuating circumstances  concerning performance in coursework or online examination and your ability to submit at all .

Reasons accepted

These circumstances are defined as the inability to submit work by the deadline due to reasons beyond your control. Accepted circumstances include:

• medical reasons
• practical reasons
• reasons of a personal nature
• genuine emergencies which could not reasonably have been expected

This is not an exhaustive list of ‘accepted’ circumstances and our departments will consider all claims.

Reasons not accepted

The following are examples of circumstances which are not normally considered to be relevant for the instatement of marks due to failure to meet a deadline:

• minor ailments and illnesses on the day of coursework, such as colds, coughs, sprains, headaches
• personal disruptions or events which could have been anticipated, such as holidays, weddings, changing address or employment, religious holidays or festivals which are usually known in advance
• general pressure of work is not taken to be circumstances beyond your control, as you are expected to plan your work schedule
• excessive demands on time or pressure of employment which could have been anticipated
• financial constraints commonly experienced by students
• misreading/confusing the coursework or online examination deadline
• oversleeping on the day of the deadline
• transport problems, such as car breaking down or delayed public transport

It is not appropriate, nor possible, to list all of the potential circumstances that a student may encounter which would be accepted by the Extenuating Circumstances Committee. The list above should give you an indication of the types of circumstance that are not normally accepted by the Committee.

You should note that extenuating circumstances claims for marks instatement of work submitted after the relevant Late Submission deadline can only be considered under the Extenuating Circumstances Policy. This covers cases where you were unable to complete an assessment by the original deadline/the relevant Late Submission deadline due to a circumstance or event that could not reasonably have been anticipated and includes coursework, submitting an online examination or attendance at a coursework test/presentation.

If you miss your coursework deadline and believe that you have circumstances which have affected your ability to submit on time, then you should submit an  extenuating circumstances form  within seven calendar days (including weekends and/or holidays) of the deadline explaining those circumstances and providing any relevant evidence. You should also submit your coursework so that it can be marked if your claim is accepted. 

Online examinations over 23 hours 59 minutes or take-home exams

If you miss submitting your online examination, which is over 23 hours 59 minutes in length, or your take-home exam by the deadline and believe that you have circumstances which have affected your ability to submit by the deadline, then you should submit an  extenuating circumstances form  within 24 hours detailing those circumstances and any relevant evidence. You also need to submit your work within 24 hours so that it can be marked if your claim is accepted.

Online examinations under 23 hours 59 minutes

If you miss submitting your online examination which is less than 23 hours 59 minutes in length by the deadline, this will be treated as a missed assessment, for which you will be given a 0. You will need to submit an  extenuating circumstances claim  if circumstances outside of your control prevented you from submitting on time. 

Absence from in-class tests, practical assignment and presentations

If you have been unable to attend a coursework test, such as a timed in-class test, a presentation or a practical class, you should inform your department as soon as possible.

Some types of assessment, such as certain in-class tests, practical assignments or presentations, may not be covered by this policy. Where it is deemed impossible to accept a late submission request due to the nature of the assessment, this information will be available from the school/department (eg. in the module outline or departmental handbook). In such cases, a student who is unable to undertake the assessment by the deadline due to extenuating circumstances should submit an Extenuating Circumstances claim instead of Late Submission.

Postgraduate dissertations 

Postgraduate taught dissertations or equivalent are not counted as coursework and are therefore not covered by the standard policy on the late submission of coursework. Students can request an extension for their postgraduate dissertation if they find that, due to extenuating circumstances, they will be unable to submit the dissertation by the published deadline.

You can only request an extension before the current deadline for your dissertation and should speak to your supervisor as soon as you begin to have concerns about the deadline. 

Informal extensions

You can request an informal extension from your  department or school  of up to four weeks.

Please write to your Department explaining the reasons for needing an extension and when you hope to submit your dissertation by. Each request is considered on a case-by-case basis and your Department or School will notify you of their decision.

There are no registration fees for an informal extension.

Formal extensions

You will need to submit a formal extension request if:

• You require a longer extension than four weeks.
• You have had a formal extension granted to you previously.
• You have been given the opportunity to resubmit your dissertation by the Board of Examiners and need an extension to the resubmission deadline.

Formal extensions can be submitted via the  online form . Requests are will be considered by your Department or School, and final approval is granted by the Faculty Dean.

When an extension is approved, a registration fee of £100 for each term is payable.

Due to the time that it takes for a formal extension to be considered for approval, we recommend submitting your request as soon as you can, and preferably no later than 14 calendar days (including weekends and bank holidays) ahead of the deadline. A request submitted after your deadline has passed will not normally be approved.

What to do if you have missed the deadline

If the deadline for your dissertation has already passed and you have not been able to submit your work, you may be eligible to submit an  extenuating circumstances claim .

Dissertation marks and other results

If you are granted an extension, this date will be used to determine when your marks will be considered by Board of Examiners. If you submit your dissertation before the extended deadline, your results will still go to the next Board of Examiners based on the extension deadline given, not your submission date. 

Your Department or School can let you know when this will be but you should note that there could be a delay of several months between when you submit your dissertation and when your results are available.

What to include on your form

You should include on the  extenuating circumstances form  details of the specific piece(s) of coursework or online examination examinations that you are submitting late and describe the circumstances that prevented timely submission of the work. Make sure you explain the impact these circumstances had on your ability to submit your coursework or online examination by the deadline.

Documentary evidence

Where you are able, it is in your interest to submit independent and reliable supporting evidence as part of your extenuating circumstances application. Supporting evidence should be relevant to the circumstances described in both nature and timeframe. Without supporting evidence, the Extenuating Circumstances Committee/Board of Examiners may not be able to take action on your claim.

See our  guidance on documentary evidence .

Longer-term extenuating circumstances or non-submission of work

If you have experienced significant (longer term) extenuating circumstances that prevent you from either submitting your work at all, or submitting within the relevant late submission timeframe, you should  submit an  extenuating circumstances form . You should clearly explain how your extenuating circumstances affected your ability to submit your work on the form.

Processing your application

Late submission requests for coursework will be accepted for consideration by the relevant departmental Extenuating Circumstances Committee in line with the deadlines stated above, unless model answers have been released. It is at the discretion of the department to comment on work submitted later than the applicable late submission deadline for formative feedback only (that is, no formal marks will be awarded).

Each department has an Extenuating Circumstances Committee which will normally meet at least twice during the year. The Committee will decide whether your work should be marked and whether that mark will count towards your formal assessment (i.e. no formal marks will be instated). The department will advise you of the outcome.

Further information

If you need any further help and advice, please contact or visit the Student Services Hub or SU Advice who will be happy to assist you.

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Assessments and assignments

Assessments and assignments are used to measure learning outcomes and can take a variety of forms, such as tests, essays or oral presentations.

At the start of each term, you will receive course outlines for each of your subjects. These outlines include information about your assessments such as due dates, word counts and how much weight the assessment carries as a portion of your overall grade.

For more information on assessments and assignments visit our Academic Support pages .

Submitting assessments

There are a variety of ways for you to submit an assessment:

• Canvas: where you can directly upload your assessment or assignment to your lecturer or tutor.
• Turnitin (via Canvas) : allows you to revise your assessment and check for plagiarism and referencing issues prior to final submission.

Turnitin is a text-matching system which checks for plagiarism.

You can pre-submit through Turnitin, which will compare your work against:

• the Internet
• papers submitted to Turnitin by students of this and other universities
• online journal databases

The system then creates an originality report so you can revise your assessment before submitting again. The lecturer or tutor marking your assessment will only see your final originality report.

• Your individual assessment results throughout your course are available in Canvas .
• You can check your final course results at the end of each term at myHub through myUni .

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Can I resubmit assignments in Canvas?

You can resubmit assignments in Canvas if the submission portal allows multiple submissions. Your Course Coordinator can confirm if multiple submissions is enabled.

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What Happens If You Submit Coursework Late?

Everything you need to know about late submissions.

There’s nothing worse than working really hard on a piece of coursework and accidentally missing the deadline, especially if you’re just a few minutes late. Universities have strict rules around coursework deadlines and turnitin submissions and if you do submit a piece of coursework late, you will have to deal with the penalties, which can be really scary if the coursework makes up a large part of your degree.

Whether you’ve actually submitted a piece of coursework late, or you just want to know what to expect in case you ever find yourself in that situation, here’s what you need to know about late submissions.

What’s the reason for the late submission?

Ok, so you’ve known about this piece of coursework for weeks but when it comes to the deadline, you’re late. There could be a few reasons why you’re submitting coursework late, and some of them are more acceptable than others.

Universities are pretty strict when it comes to deadlines, but let’s say there were genuine factors that prevented you from handing your work in on time. For example, your wifi cut out meaning you missed the deadline by a minute, or there was traffic on the way to hand in your coursework in person, or there’s been a genuine emergency involving you or a family member. These reasons are obviously, much more valid than you just simply woke up late, forgot the time, or hadn’t finished your coursework in time.

If you do have a genuine reason for late submission, you’re going to need some form of evidence to back up your claims and some lecturers may be more forgiving than others. In-person late submissions may be accepted, but turnitin normally shuts off from accepting submissions after the deadline, which could land you in trouble.

Lecturers have probably heard every excuse in the book when it comes to late coursework, but if you do have a genuine and valid reason it’s best to talk to them straight away to explain what happened. If you don’t have a genuine reason, you can still attempt to hand in your coursework late, but you will have to face the penalties.

In-person vs. online submission rules

The golden rule of coursework, check whether it needs to be submitted in person as well as online.

Unfortunately, if you submit your coursework online but fail to do it in person and visa versa, many universities will still consider this as a late submission and may automatically fail you. Some universities aren’t too bothered about in-person submissions anymore and only want you to do it online, whereas others want both a physical and digital copy. This is normally because the digital copy submitted on turnitin is scanned for plagiarism , and the physical copy may be marked and annotated and given back to you afterwards.

Online and in-person submissions may have different rules and be due at different times, so on submission day you’re going to want to make sure you’re prepared. If you do need to do a in-person submission, it’s probably best to print it out the day before (lecturers won’t care if you ran out of printing credits or the printers weren’t working) on the day, and to get to the submission desk bright and early to avoid oversleeping or traffic.

If you need to submit online, it’s best not to leave it until the last minute. You can normally submit coursework as soon as it’s done, so as soon as you’ve completed a piece and you’re happy with it, upload it before you forget. Yes, your wifi could genuinely cut out 30 seconds before the deadline, but your lecturers will just ask you why you left it until the last minute or didn’t go to the library to use the public and more reliable wifi there.

Triple check deadline dates and times

You might have multiple pieces of coursework due in the same week that all require physical and digital submissions, so the only way to make sure you’re sticking to deadlines is to triple check.

Unfortunately, it is easy to accidentally mess up the days or misread the time but as easy as it is, universities probably aren’t going to be very lenient if you miss a deadline purely because you thought it was due at 1pm and it was actually 12pm. Being a student is all about being accountable for yourself, and if you do mix up the deadline date it will be your own fault even if it is a super easy mistake. So, we can’t stress enough double and triple check your deadlines! Write them on post it notes on your wall, set timers on your phone an hour before, and don’t leave it until the last half an hour to try and get everything done.

Speak to your tutors or university

If you do submit a piece of coursework late, the first thing you need to do is email your tutors or go and speak to them in person. If you’re too late to submit via turnitin, you need to email them as soon as possible to let them know what’s happened and with a copy of your work in case they’re willing to accept it late and they will be able to advise on next steps.

Sometimes, genuine emergencies can come up last minute which are definitely more important than a coursework deadline. If on the day before, or the day of your submission something comes up, for example a family member is rushed to hospital, email your tutors as soon as possible before the deadline to let them know what’s happening and to ask for an extension. Your tutors are much more likely to be lenient about late submissions if you’ve already told them in advance that it’s going to be late.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with your coursework and don’t think you’ll make the deadline or are really struggling with your mental health, try and let them know a few days in advance and request a possible deadline. Your tutors want you to do well and if they know there’s something going on, they will be much more likely to grant an extension or hold off on penalties for late submission if you’ve given them a heads up in advance.

What’s the penalty for late submission?

Unfortunately, late submissions are treated quite seriously by universities. The penalty will depend on your university, your reason for late submission and by how late you were at submitting, eg. were you one minute late to your in-person hand in or are you 4 hours late? It’s best to check on your universities website to find out the exact penalties for late submission, but some universities will deduct marks.

Your work could be reduced by anywhere from 5-10%, or if you’re really late capped at the pass mark, so you won’t receive a grade higher than 40. You might also fail the whole module. Penalties and mark deductions are normally based on how late you submitted your work, so if you leave it a few days you’re much more likely to have your work capped at a pass mark, but if you’re only a few minutes behind your mark might just be reduced by 5%. This is why it’s best to let your tutors know as soon as possible that you need an extension or that your coursework is going to be late, as the longer you leave it to submit the more severe the penalty will be.

Your tutors and Students’ Union should be able to help you out and offer advice on what to do based on your personal circumstances if you do submit a piece of coursework late.

For more uni advice, check out how to avoid plagiarism here.

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NILE Assignment Submission Guide for Original Courses

Submitting your assignment, worried about missing a deadline, need help with your studies.

• Submitting a Turnitin assignment
• Submitting a Blackboard assignment
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• Grades and feedback - Turnitin
• Grades and feedback - Blackboard

You will find that many of your assignments are to be submitted electronically.  In most cases you will submit assignments using either Turnitin, or Blackboard assignment.  The following pages of this guide explain how to upload and submit your assignment, and how to find your feedback and provisional grades.

In accordance with University policy, you can submit assessments up to one week late, but your grade will be capped to a bare pass. Extensions are available through your module leader if you have unforeseen circumstances that prevent you from meeting an assessment deadline. The maximum extension period is two weeks, and grades for assessments which have an extension will not be capped. Please note that late submissions and extensions are only available at the first submission point.

If unforeseen circumstances mean that you will need longer than two weeks to submit your assessment, you may be able to apply for mitigating circumstances. If your application for mitigating circumstances is successful this will defer submission of your assessment to the resit submission point, so you can submit to this for an uncapped grade. If a mitigating circumstances application is approved at the resit submission point, it is recognition of extenuating circumstances at that time, but there is no further opportunity to resubmit the assessment.

More information about late submissions, extensions, and mitigating circumstances is available in the Student Support and Advice Team's guide to mitigating circumstances and extensions.

• Student Support and Advice Team - Guide to Mitigating Circumstances and Extensions

There are a number of different teams at the University of Northampton who can help you achieve your full potential. While these teams can help you if you're struggling with your studies, they are also there to help you if you're doing well but want to know how to do even better.

The main sources of academic support at the University are:

Academic Librarians

Academic Librarians can help you with:

• using NELSON; ​
• using subject specialist databases;
• strategies for literature searching;
• referencing.
• View more information about Academic Librarians

Additional Student Support and Inclusion Services Team (ASSIST)

ASSIST provide support for students with:

• physical impairments;
• sensory impairments;
• mental health difficulties;
• medical conditions, for example epilepsy;
• Autistic spectrum disorders;
• specific learning difficulties, for example dyslexia.
• View more information about ASSIST

Learning Development

Learning Development can help you with:

• essay writing;
• critical analysis;
• presentation skills;
• time management;
• revision and exam techniques;
• maths skills and support.
• View more information about Learning Development

Student Support and Advice

The Student Support and Advice team can help you with:

• ​mitigating circumstances;
• course transfer;
• restarts (on the same or different courses);
• study breaks;
• course withdrawal;
• change of study mode;
• module repeats;
• progression;
• ​life events, such as bereavement or relationship breakdown;
• change of circumstances such as loss of income or illness;
• struggling on your course;
• thinking of leaving the University​.
• View more information about Student Support and Advice

More sources of help and support

As well as the academic support services mentioned above, you can also get help and support from the following places at the University:

• Care Leavers and Estranged Students Support
• Counselling and Mental Health
• Doctor's Surgery
• Exam Struggles and Support
• Financial Guidance team
• International Student Support Services
• IT Services
• Language Development Centre
• Library and Learning Services
• Multi-Faith Chaplaincy
• Residential Services
• Student and Academic Services
• Student Carers
• Student Cost of Living Hub
• Student Information Desk
• Your Personal Academic Tutor
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Guidance on late submission (to accompany the Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment)

Please note : this Guidance was updated in November 2023 to clarify the example scenarios relating to the procedure for cases where a student receives a pass mark for an assignment (including dissertations) but then fails the unit due to the deduction of marks as a penalty of late submission. New wording has been added under paragraph B 9 in the revised document, with example scenarios 9.2 and 9.3 being slightly revised to provide clarification. A new paragraph (A 5) has also been provided to confirm the aims of the Guidance.

This Guidance accompanies the Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment.

For a full PDF version of the Guidance, please see below:

• Guidance on late submission (PDF)

A. Background

B. Guidance

C. Communications to students

A.      Background

• The Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment was revised and approved in June 2015 for implementation from September 2015. It sets out the University’s policy on the process of submission and sets out the penalties associated with late submission. Updates were also made to the Policy in February 2019 for implementation from September 2019.
• As noted in paragraph 4.5 of the Policy, there is a standard University penalty for all work that is submitted late. This must be used by Schools in relation to large pieces of work (e.g. dissertations/projects) [1] ). It is also the default penalty for all other pieces of work, unless alternative arrangements are agreed by the relevant Faculty. Schools are required to make a case to their Faculty for any exceptions to the standard penalty and, if agreed, any variation must be made clear on each piece of assessment. Faculties should review any variations annually.
• For small pieces of work, in exceptional circumstances a Unit Lead may decide not to accept late submission of assessed summative work. These circumstances must be approved by the Faculty and be detailed within Unit Specifications, and the rationale and consequences must also be clearly articulated in Assignment briefs (see paragraph 4.10 in the Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment).
• The following guidance is provided for Schools to assist in their implementation of these aspects of the Policy. Reference should also be made to the Undergraduate and Postgraduate Degree Regulations , which provide more information in relation to assessment and progression, including compensation and referrals.
• This guidance aims to avoid unnecessary resits/referrals where that is appropriate. The application of the guidance should not lead to exclusion/early exit of students on the basis of a single assessment attempt being subject to a late penalty, unless the student’s total resit allowance has been exceeded.

B.      Guidance

6. Definition of late submission

Any work that has been submitted after a deadline has passed is classed as late except in cases where an extension has already been agreed via mitigating circumstances procedures and DASS extensions.  There should be no discretionary periods or periods of grace.  A student who submits work at 1 minute past a deadline or later will therefore be subject to a penalty for late submission.

This guidance relates to first attempts/first sits only (including deferrals).  Students who submit referral assignments (including carried forward failed credit) after the deadline will be automatically subject to a mark of zero. There should be no sliding scale in operations for resits/referrals and there are no further resit opportunities for referred assignments that are submitted late.

7. Application of penalties for late submission

In cases where a piece of work does not represent an entire assessment or unit, the penalty applies to the individual piece of work , not the total assessment or unit.

No calculations should be made for part-days.  Any work submitted at any time within the first 24 hours following the published submission deadline will receive a penalty of 10% of the maximum amount of marks available.  Any work submitted at any time between 24 hours and up to 48 hours late will receive a deduction of 20% of the marks available, and so on, at the rate of an additional 10% of available marks deducted per 24 hours, until the assignment is submitted, or no marks remain.

If a piece of work is not marked out of 100, the deduction per day is proportional to that for work marked out of 100. For example, for a piece of work marked out of 60, the deduction would be 6 marks per day/24 hours. The reduction is therefore 10% of the total assessment value , rather than 10% of the mark awarded for the piece of work. 

The Policy relates to 24 hours/ calendar days , so includes weekends and weekdays, as well as bank holidays and University closure days. If an assessment deadline is at noon on a Friday and the student submits it just before noon on the following Monday, their penalty would be a 30% mark deduction, based on being late by three days/72 hours.  Schools are therefore advised to consider the implications of deadlines (particularly for hard copy submissions) and are encouraged to avoid deadlines on a Friday.

Schools must make it clear to students that submission dates and times are in UK local time and it is the responsibility of students to ensure that they check the relevant time zone. (This may be of particular relevance to distance learning students).  

Should Schools require both online and hard copy submission of an assignment, the late submission penalty would apply to the piece of work with the earliest submission date.

8. Professionally accredited programmes

The requirements of Professional and Statutory Bodies can take precedence over the requirements of the Policy. Therefore, PSRB accredited programmes which have a deadline/time related Intended Learning Outcome (ILO), for example related to professionalism, are permitted to apply a zero tolerance approach and issue a penalty of zero marks for late submission.

Conversely, in areas where students need a mark/credit for PSRB purposes, they should still be given a mark for work submitted late, if that is a PSRB requirement.

9. Procedure for the handling of cases where a student receives a pass mark for an assignment (including dissertations) but then fails the unit due to the deduction of marks as a penalty of late submission

Students whose assignment mark falls below a pass as a result of a late penalty should not be asked to resubmit the assignment; instead, the original assignment will be used in lieu of a referral, and normal resit/referral procedures will apply*, with unit marks receiving a suffix of ‘C’ or ‘R’, as described below.  If a student’s original unit mark before the application of the penalty was a pass , the mark recorded for the unit will not fall below the minimum compensatable pass mark for the programme.

*If a student has exhausted all their resit credit allowance, the standard regulations (as contained within the Degree Regulations) will apply, in terms of students being required to repeat the level, be issued with an exit award, etc., as appropriate. For students in the final year (level 6) of a UG programme, as reassessment is not permitted in the final year other than for PSRB requirements, if a student’s original mark was a pass before the application of a late penalty, arrangements for dealing with the reduced mark would be carried out via the standard regulations for special compensation in final year.

Example scenarios :

9.1          In cases where a student’s overall unit mark is in the compensation zone (following application of a late submission penalty) and the student has compensation credit remaining, normal compensation procedures will apply. For example, UG marks after the penalty of between 30 and 39 are recorded as 30-39C. PGT marks after the penalty of between 40 and 49 are recorded as 40-49C.

9.2          In cases where a student’s overall unit mark is in the compensation zone (following application of a late submission penalty) but the student has exhausted all their compensation allowance or the unit is a core/compulsory unit which does not permit compensation , the original assignment submission is treated as a referral and the mark is capped, with the final unit mark recorded with a suffix of ‘R’ to denote its treatment as a referral.*

9.3          In cases where a student’s overall unit mark falls below the compensation zone , (following application of a late submission penalty), and has resit allowance remaining the original assignment submission is treated as a referral and the mark is capped, with the final unit mark recorded with a suffix of ‘R’ to denote its treatment as a referral. For example, UG course unit marks that were pass marks before the penalty but that after the penalty fell to below 30 are recorded as 30R (i.e. the minimum compensatable pass mark). PGT course unit marks that were pass marks before the penalty but that after the penalty fell to below 40 are recorded as 40R.

Programmes with minimum compensatable pass marks that are different from the above should adopt an approach that is equivalent but that reflects their pass mark.

10. Procedure for the handling of cases where a student’s original mark was in the compensation zone before the deduction of marks as a penalty of late submission

Students whose assignment mark was in the compensation zone should not be routinely asked to resubmit the assignment*; instead the student’s original mark will be used in lieu of a referral with the students’ unit marks being capped at the lowest compensatable mark (normally 30 for UG and 40 for PGT programmes) and the mark receiving a suffix of ‘R’ to signify that it is being used in lieu of a referral. For example, a UG student whose assignment makes up 100% of the unit and whose original assignment mark was 35, and receives a mark of 5 for the unit as a result of late submission penalties, would have their unit mark recorded as 30R.

*However, if the student has exhausted all their compensation allowance or the unit is a core/compulsory unit which does not permit compensation , the student would need to take a referral of the unit for progression purposes, and would receive an ‘R’ suffix.

11.    Shared units/students undertaking units from another School

In the case of shared units/students undertaking units from another School, it would be good practice for the application of any late submission penalties to be clearly communicated to the student’s programme owning School.

12.    Work submitted more than 9 calendar days late

If work is submitted more than 9 but less than 10 calendar days late, this is considered as a  late submission and a penalty will be applied that results in the mark being reduced to zero. The work should still be marked and feedback given.

If the work is submitted more than 10 calendar days late, then it is considered as a non-submission and a mark of zero applied.

13.   Providing feedback in relation to work submitted late

Work submitted within 10 calendar days of the deadline should be marked and feedback provided; the feedback should reflect the mark achieved before the penalty was imposed. If a student submits work more than 10 calendar days late, there is not a requirement for the work to be marked or feedback provided. However, Schools may choose to mark and provide feedback.

C.      Communications to students

14. Schools should ensure that they make clear to students the deadlines for submission of work and how the students are expected to submit (i.e. the format – online or hard copy, etc.)  Students should be advised via the handbook of the penalties that will be applied if they submit late and the implications for feedback. 

15. Students should also be advised that if they submit referred assignments late, a mark of zero will automatically be given.

[1] Large pieces of work, for this purpose, are defined as being single pieces of assessed work carrying a credit weighting of 30 credits or more.

Version 1.5, November 2023

• Policy and guidance
• Assessment and feedback
• Policy on Marking
• Guidance on Moderation, Fairness and Consistency in Marking
• Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment
• Guidance on late submission
• Policy on Feedback to Students
• Grade Descriptors
• Retention of Teaching and Learning Materials
• Policy on Alternative Assessments
• Assessment for Disabled Students
• Policy on Religious Observance
• Guidance for the presentation of Taught Dissertations
• Ethical Approval of research on human subjects