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Course Management and Assessment Procedure Manual

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Forewords

(1) This manual supports the Governance Rule, Schedule 2 – Delegation of Academic Matters, and the Awards and Graduation Policy. In the event of an inconsistency between lower level policy documents and the Rule, the Rule made by Council prevails to the extent of the inconsistency.

(2) In the event of an inconsistency between an Academic Senate approved policy document and a College policy, procedure or guideline, the policy document approved by Academic Senate prevails to the extent of the inconsistency.

Application of this Manual

(3) 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.

(4) This manual applies to courses created and offered by the University to:

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

(5) This manual does not apply to Higher Degrees by Research. Policies and procedures that apply to Higher Degrees by Research are located in the Policy Library.

(6) This manual generally 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, then the policies and procedures of the JMP prevail to the extent of the inconsistency.

(7) This manual will be revised annually and published on the University website. 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 approved by the President Academic Senate.

Acknowledgements

(8) 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 2015.

Communication with students

(9) The University's primary method of communication with students is electronic, through the University student email account and/or the student's nominated preferred email account, as recorded in myHub. Students may re-direct their University email to a personal account, but University staff primarily only use the University student email account.

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

Further Information for Staff and Students

(11) For assistance or further information about the procedure manual, please email academicpolicy@newcastle.edu.au.

Authorising Policy

(12) This Manual has been developed under the authority of the Awards and Graduation Policy and the relevant Award and Program schedules.

Guiding Principles

(13) The following clauses outline the guiding principles on courses and assessment as established by Academic Senate.

(14) Students are expected to spend an average of 120 – 140 total hours of effort or total load in any term per 10 unit course value. This includes contact and non-contact course requirements and assessments and applies to all fields of study and modes of delivery.

(15) Schools are responsible for ensuring that:

course content is:
1. appropriate, current, and of high quality;
2. distinctive and avoids unnecessary duplication with other course offerings;
courses are delivered by those with appropriate expertise in the relevant field of study;
the academic content and the number, weighting, and types of assessment items within a course offered in multiple modes or locations are equivalent;
the University Learning Management System is used to provide content, resources, and relevant information;
the course offerings comply with the provision of the Code for the Protection of Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom;
undergraduate courses re-badged as postgraduate courses are identified as such so that students are not able to claim credit for both units; and
the learning outcomes, content, and assessment for a course are described in the Course Outline available to students at the commencement of the term.

(16) College Boards are responsible for the approval of the academic content of new courses, their assessment and compulsory course components.

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

new courses comply with the criteria listed under clause 31;
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; and
courses that have not been offered for three consecutive years are discontinued following consultation with the Head of School and College Pro Vice-Chancellor.

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

(19) The method and focus of each assessment item must align with the learning outcomes of a course.

(20) Quality assurance processes, including the 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.

(21) 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.

(22) 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.

(23) Assessment items should be varied across a course.

(24) Courses should use an appropriate number of assessment items.

(25) 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.

(26) 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. Norm based marking is not utilised.

(27) Feedback should:

be in constructive and supportive language;
inform students of those areas where they performed well and where improvements can be made; and
be provided in accordance with this manual.

Section 1 - Course Approval

(28) 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.

Approval Pathway

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

the course meets at least one of the criteria (below) for creation of new courses;
the new course proposal, including a copy of the proposed NUSTAR entry, has been submitted to the relevant College Board for approval of the academic content; and
the PCAC has approved the creation of the course, and the addition to the Course Availability List (CAL).

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

(31) At least one of the following criteria for the creation of new courses must be demonstrated:

Criterion 1 - online, and available as an elective to all students;
Criterion 2 - a course:
1. proposed as part of a revised program, balanced by the deletion of another course;
2. proposed as part of a new program, balanced by the deletion of another course; or
3. 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.

(32) New course proposals considered by the PCAC will include the:

background to the proposal;
criteria under which the new course is proposed;
intended first term of offer;
new course details report (from NUSTAR);
assessment item weightings; and
formal examination duration (where appropriate).

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

Indigenous content – the course incorporates elements of Indigenous ways of knowing and being that are appropriate to the subject being studied, so that students develop a deeper and more meaningful understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their communities;
Work Integrated Learning (WIL) – students will undertake a significant engagement experience with industry, government, a non-government organisation or other possible future employer in order to develop their awareness of workforce practices and improve their workplace readiness. WIL may be simulated, undertaken within the University or externally and may include, among other things, clinical or other professional placements or internships or project work;
Internationalisation - the curricula of the course includes international content and perspectives, in order to develop student's understanding of the global contexts of what they are learning. This might include, among other things, international internships, or in class activities and/or course work assessments that require consideration of international contexts and perspectives.

(34) Once finalised the new course details will be published to the online Course Handbook from NUSTAR.

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Section 2 - Course Discontinuation

General Provisions

(35) The approval authority for course discontinuation is outlined in Table 1 below:

Table 1 Course Discontinue Approval Authority

Action	Approval authority and limits	Conditions
Approve the discontinuation of a course.	College Board	This authority is subject to the recommendation of the Head of School and appropriate consultation, see clauses 36-37. This authority may only be exercised where students will not be disadvantaged and appropriate teach-out or alternative arrangements have been made. Course discontinuations will be reported annually to PCAC by the Secretary to PCAC.
Approve the discontinuation of a course.	PCAC – limited to instances where it is identified that the same course content is being offered in two courses.	This authority may only be exercised where students will not be disadvantaged and appropriate teach-out or alternative arrangements have been made.

(36) If the discontinued course is a core or compulsory course within a program, the Head of School will ensure consultation with the Assistant Dean (Teaching and Learning) of the College offering the program. The resultant major program revision must be submitted to the PCAC according to timelines so that students are not disadvantaged. If multiple Colleges are involved all stakeholders need to be consulted on the change. Refer to Section 10 in the Program Management Procedure Manual.

(37) If the course is contained in a directed courses 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 (Teaching and Learning) of the College which offers the program. The resultant minor program revision must be submitted to the College Board according to timelines that will ensure students are not disadvantaged. Refer to Section 10 in the Program Management Procedure Manual.

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Section 3 - Course Revisions

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

(39) 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 (Teaching and Learning).

(40) The approval authority to revise courses is outlined in Table 2 below:

Table 2 – Course Amendment Approval Authority

Action	Approval authority and limits	Conditions
Amend a Course Outline	Head of School – limited to amendments after the commencement of the term
Amend the assessment weightings of a course	Head of School – limited to amendments for a future term
Amend the types or methods of assessment	Head of School – limited to amendments for a future term
Amend the assumed knowledge	Head of School – limited to amendments for a future term
Amend the Contact hours for a course offering	Head of School – limited to amendments for a future term	This authority must be exercised in accordance with the timelines set by the Pro Vice-Chancellor Student Experience and Academic Registrar.
Amend the course content, outcomes and mapping of course assessments to course outcomes, including amendments to course content to allow for contextualisation for specific offshore requirements or modes of delivery	Head of School	See clause 39. This authority must be exercised in accordance with the timelines set by the Pro Vice-Chancellor Student Experience and Academic Registrar.
Alter the modes of delivery and location of offer of a course
	PCAC
Approve the offering of a course for non award enrolments	Head of School
Amend the course title	College Board – limited to changes for a future term	This authority is subject to the recommendation of the Head of School. This authority must be exercised in accordance with the timelines set by the Pro Vice-Chancellor Student Experience and Academic Registrar. This authority may only be exercised where the update is being made to better re�,ect the course content.
Amend the grading basis for an existing course	College Board – for a future term, within the timelines set by the Pro Vice-Chancellor Student Experience and Academic Registrar.	This authority may only be exercised where there are not enrolments in a future term. Any change to grading basis must be actioned by Student Central.
Amend the Field of Education code for a course	College Board – for a future term, within the timelines set by the Pro Vice-Chancellor Student Experience and Academic Registrar.	This authority is subject to the recommendation of the Head of School. Any change to FOE code must be actioned by Student Central.
Approve Compulsory Course Requirements	Head of School	This authority may only be exercised where it is ensured that the Compulsory Course Requirements are achievable for all modes of delivery used and at each site of offering. Changes to course code will result in the creating of a new course.
Approve a new course code (i.e. new course creation)	PCAC	This authority is subject to the recommendation of the College Board. Changes to unit value will result in the creation of a new course.
Approve a formal examination within a course to have a duration of 3 hours.	PCAC
Approve a course being a Compulsory Program Requirement that will be monitored for academic progression purposes	PCAC
Addition of addition of new course requisite or an amendment to an existing course requisite	PCAC
Approve the removal of course requisites	College Board

(41) As a matter of process the Head of School may:

appoint a Course Co-ordinator, in accordance with the timelines set by the Pro Vice-Chancellor Student Experience and Academic Registrar; and
approve a course outline.

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

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Section 4 - Course – Quality Assurance

New Courses

(43) All aspects of new courses must undergo a quality assurance check before submission to the PCAC for approval. This will be undertaken by relevant discipline experts.

(44) The quality assurance check for new courses 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 NUSTAR entry.

Established Courses

(45) After each offering the Course Co-ordinator will evaluate and make 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). Any adjustments required may then be incorporated into the next iteration of the course.

(46) The course evaluation should be documented by the Course Co-ordinator and stored centrally in the Course Assessment Return (CAR) to assist Schools, College Boards and Academic Senate with tracking the quality assurance of courses.

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

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Section 5 - Course – Structure

Student Workload

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

Academic Subject Codes/Areas

(49) An academic subject code is the four letter prefix at the beginning of a course code, for example: EDUC or MATH. For enabling courses, the academic subject code it is a six letter prefix for example EPMATH.

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

(51) 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.

(52) New Academic Subject areas will be approved by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Vice President on the recommendation of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Student Experience and Academic Registrar.

(53) 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.

Course Levels

Enabling Courses

(54) EPXXXX123 level – denotes enabling courses.

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Courses

(55) The learning outcomes, knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills for each undergraduate course level will vary depending on the field of study. When approving the level, the College Board will be guided by the following:

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

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

Re-badged Undergraduate Courses

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

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

(59) 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.

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

Course Types

(61) The University utilises the below course types:

core course;
compulsory course;
capstone course;
directed course; and
elective.

Course Requisites

(62) The guidelines for course requisites are:

a course requisite must meet one or more of the criteria for course requisites as listed under clause 64;
a course will not usually have more than two requisites;
the PCAC must approve all course requisites.

(63) The Course Co-ordinator may waive course requisites for students on a case by case basis.

(64) The criteria for course requisites are:

enrolment limited by program - enrolment in a course is limited to students enrolled in specified programs;
professional placement - successful completion of listed courses or compulsory components is required prior to enrolment in an approved clinical or professional experience courses;
health and safety reasons - prior successful completion of listed courses or compulsory components is required for safety reasons;
required prior learning - a requisite may be approved when the prior successful completion of a course or unit of study is necessary to ensure successful progression of a student cohort;
capstone course - where the course represents the culmination of study in a program, and is described as such in NUSTAR;
course anti-requisite – where courses contain substantially similar content, such that both courses should not count together towards any program;
program anti-requisite – where a course cannot count towards a given program, because it is substantially similar to content already delivered through the program; and
course co-requisite - the content delivered in the course, and its required activities and/or assessments, are interrelated with another specified course to the extent in which it would be impractical for the student to enrol in the courses in separate terms.

(65) The course requisite types are:

enrolment by program requisite – students must be active in a specific program to enrol in the course;
program anti-requisite – students cannot complete a course as part of their program;
pre-requisite - a pre-requisite may be approved when the prior successful completion of a course or unit of study is necessary to ensure successful progression of a student cohort;
co-requisite – students may be prevented from enrolling in a course unless they are also enrolled in another specified course in the same term;
pre-requisite or co-requisite – students may only enrol in the course if they have successfully completed/have credit for, or are concurrently enrolled in another specified course;
course anti-requisite – a student cannot enrol in the course which is substantially similar to another course they have already successfully completed in their program; and
general enrolment requisite – limitations placed on enrolment in a specified course, based on a student's prior study outside of the University.

Assumed Knowledge

(66) 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. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that they are academically prepared to meet the assumed knowledge specified for the course.

Multi – Term Sequence Courses

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

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

(69) 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.

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

(71) If a course is supervised (for example, 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.

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

(73) 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.

Compulsory Course Requirement

(74) 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 NUSTAR 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.

(75) The course entry in NUSTAR will:

clearly state the nature of the Compulsory Course Requirement in the Compulsory Course Requirement field;
demonstrate the relationship between the learning outcomes of the course and the Compulsory Course Requirement;
describe how the Compulsory Course Requirement will be assessed as having been satisfactorily completed; and
detail any opportunities for 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.

Types and Uses of Compulsory Course Requirements

(76) Compulsory Course Requirements may be a:

course assessment requirement - part of the assessment requirements for a course; for example, students may be required to achieve a specified result in all or in identified assessment items;
placement requirement - for example, students may be required to:
1. successfully undertake a placement requirement;
2. complete a police or other type of check;
3. successfully undertake a first aid certificate;
4. complete any work health and safety requirements.
general course requirement – for example, students may be required to:
1. satisfy a particular requirement such as attendance and participation, where it can be demonstrated that this is required to meet an intended learning outcome;
2. satisfy an 80% compulsory attendance requirement across non-lecture activities in a 1000 level course;
3. attend and pass a work health and safety laboratory induction requirement before attending laboratories; or
4. submit a document relating to a specific task within a defined time period.

(77) Compulsory Course Requirements should not usually cause the student workload for the course to exceed the 120-140 hours of effort per 10 unit course.

(78) Where a Compulsory Course Requirement may extend the total workload beyond the 120-140 hours of effort per 10 unit course (e.g. a placement course), justification must be provided for consideration and approval of the relevant College Board.

Completion of a Compulsory Course Requirement

(79) 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 school will enter a CF mark and grade against the course and a fail grade (FF) will be recorded on their official transcript.

General Provisions for Placements

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

(81) The documentation for placement 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 requisites (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.

(82) Agreements with host organisations to provide placements must be approved by:

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

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

(84) 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.

(85) Students on placement will:

actively participate in safety training or instruction provided by the placement agency until deemed competent by the agency 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.

(86) 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.

(87) Placement agencies, where appropriate, will provide the student with an induction prior to the student commencing at the placement agency.

(88) 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.

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

Placements for Students with a Disability

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

(91) 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 account of 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.

Class Attendance and Participation

(92) 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.

Class Attendance

(93) When attendance is a Compulsory Course Requirement:

attendance records must be maintained for all sessions included in the assessment, for example, tutorials, seminars, workshops etc;
the attendance record must be retained in either the Course Assessment Return or the myUON app;
students must be advised in the assessment section of 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; and
a student unable to attend due to approved adverse circumstances must be provided with an appropriate option to complete the activity.

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Section 6 - Course – Content

Learning Outcomes and Assessment

(94) Each course must align learning outcomes, assessment items, course content, learning activities and teaching methods.

(95) Core, compulsory and directed courses together contribute to both the graduate and level specific learning outcomes for a program.

Course Content

(96) The content of a course must be current and, appropriate for the field of study and the level at which it is offered.

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

(98) The course content must be included in, or be accessible from, the course site for blended or online delivery mode.

(99) Advice on principles for blended and online course offerings is provided in the Quality Standards for Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) (Blended and Online).

(100) A course 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, 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 (blended or online).

Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

(101) Learning activities and teaching methods must be appropriate to the content, field of study, level offered, and mode of delivery.

(102) Assistance and advice are available from the Educator and Course Development Unit.

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Section 7 - Course – Availability

Course Availability List (CAL) Approval and Amendments

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

(104) 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 Officer 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 (Teaching and Learning).

(105) The authority to approve the inclusion, amendment, or removal of a course from the CAL outlined in Table 3 below:

Table 3 Course Availability Approval Authority

Action	Approval Authority and Limits	Conditions
Approve the CAL for the following year.	Head of School	This must be exercised in accordance within the timelines set by the Pro Vice-Chancellor Student Experience and Academic Registrar, and be finalised by the end of May.
Addition of course to the CAL after the CAL finalisation date set by the Pro Vice-Chancellor Student Experience and Academic Registrar.	Head of School	To address any instances where students may be disadvantaged.
Approve the removal of a course from the CAL.	Head of School – limited to removals prior to the commencement of the enrolment period.
	College Pro Vice-Chancellor, limited to removals after the commencement of the enrolment period, where no students are enrolled.	This authority is subject to the recommendation from the Head of School.
	Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Vice President – limited to removals after the commencement of the enrolment period, where students are enrolled.	This authority is subject to the recommendation from the College Pro Vice-Chancellor. This authority may only be exercised where the School has provided assurances that any impacted students will be contacted and provided with an alternative equivalent course so they can proceed with their study. No students may be disadvantaged in terms of completion times

Course Handbook

(106) Approved courses will be published from NUSTAR to the online Course Handbook.

Non-Enrolled Course Attendance – Auditing a Course

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

(108) Students auditing a course are permitted to attend, or access online, the lectures, tutorials, and course materials without enrolling in the course. Those auditing a course are not required to submit assessment items and will not receive a mark or grade.

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

(110) The Course Co-ordinator is authorised to approve a request to audit their course.

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Section 8 - Course – Delivery

Communication

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

(112) Students' queries should be addressed within an appropriate timeframe (usually three University working days).

(113) Regular communication with students must be provided, irrespective of the mode of delivery. Course Co-ordinators must always explain in Course Outlines the communication/interaction mechanisms to be used. For general issues this may include group emails, discussion boards, and meetings. For private or sensitive issues this may include email, phone, or face-to-face meetings.

Course Locations and Modes

(114) A course may be offered at single or multiple locations in the same term.

(115) A course may be offered using different modes of delivery during the same term, including blended or online modes.

Learning Management System

(116) 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. Caution should be used when combining cohorts of students into single course sites simply for the purpose of resource sharing.

(117) Each course site must comply with the Learning Management System Teaching Courses: Minimum Presence requirements. The Course Outline for each course will be provided to students in the course site.

(118) Course Co-ordinators are responsible for ensuring that their course site and the course material provided complies with copyright legislation.

(119) Course Co-ordinators must provide accessible course materials for students with disability where they are advised there is a need. Click here for information on how to provide accessible resources.

(120) All course materials and information are to be provided via the LMS course site. The course site inclusions must comply with the standard format and structure LMS course site for the mode of delivery (See the Learning Management System Teaching Courses: Minimum Presence).

Course Materials

(121) Course materials must contribute to the achievement of the course learning outcomes. Course materials should be current and/or appropriate, appropriately referenced, and offer a variety of perspectives on course content.

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

(123) Course materials should use a considered mix of media, appropriate to the mode of delivery.

(124) To assist students with a disability, Course Co-ordinators must make materials available to AccessAbility support service upon request. When appropriate, the Adaptive Technology Centre will adapt these materials.

Ethical and Safety Aspects of Student Class Experiments and Practical Exercises

(125) When delivering a course teaching staff must comply with the University's Ethical Framework, and other relevant ethics requirements; and with the Health and Safety Policy and related procedures, guidelines, and other health and safety documentation within the Policy Library and the University Health and Safety Management System.

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Section 9 - Course – Coordination

Course Co-ordinator Appointment

(126) A Course Co-ordinator is appointed by the relevant Head of School to manage a particular course.

(127) Each course is required to have a duly appointed Course Co-ordinator, to oversee the course, including offerings on different sites, in different modes (blended and online) and terms.

(128) 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.

(129) 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.

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

Course Co-ordinator Role and Responsibilities

(131) The delivery and management of a course is primarily the responsibility of the Course Co-ordinator, with support from the relevant Head of School.

(132) The Course Co-ordinator has overall responsibility for the planning and delivery 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.

Student Placements

(133) University Placement Supervisors and/or Course Co-ordinators will ensure that in addition to meeting the requirements outlined in clause 81 that:

mechanisms are in place to enable, where appropriate, individualised learning goals for each student;
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; and
placement agency supervisors are professionals in the field preferably with at least two years professional experience, or an appropriate level of equivalent clinical/professional/industrial experience; and
1. have been provided with information regarding their roles and responsibilities;
2. conduct, where appropriate, an induction with the student including information relating to any WHS and privacy legislation requirements for the placement agency;
3. provide the student with access to shared office space and a desk (when appropriate and available); and
4. are insured, with appropriate contracts in place to cover any legal and safety related liabilities associated with working as a placement agency supervisor.

Course Management

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

ensuring they understand relevant academic policies and procedures;
the timely preparation and provision of course materials including assessment items and assessment criteria;
planning teaching activities including lectures, tutorials, and online options;
designing and managing the course site;
developing the Course Outline(see Section 10);
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 particular 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 students should usually be provided within three University working days;
obtaining approval, from the appropriate body, for any proposed course changes as outlined in Section 3 of this manual;
actively working with those delivering the course, including placement supervisors, by:
1. communicating effectively with all teaching/tutoring staff to review notes for teaching sessions;
2. discussing course details including learning outcomes, assessment, marking and student feedback;
3. supporting new and casual teaching staff in their teaching roles; and
4. working with joint Course Co-ordinators or Course Coordination team members.
coordinating responses to administrative requests related to the course including:
1. developing options for students who provide a reasonable adjustment plan obtained from AccessAbility support service; and
2. addressing requests for approval of adverse circumstances applications.
coordinating the collation of all marks, cross-checking to ensure all marks have been included in the final grade, arranging assessment moderation when required, and providing all students' results in accordance with the School Assessment Body Responsibilities Guideline;
ensuring the timely delivery of student feedback after each assessment in accordance with the relevant section of this manual;
evaluating each offering of the course after considering formal and informal student feedback, feedback from staff teaching the course, and student academic outcomes, including:
1. documenting the course evaluation to assist schools, College Boards and Academic Senate with tracing the quality assurance of courses;
2. liaising with all relevant Program Convenors to ensure that the needs of all participating student cohorts are considered when altering a course; and
3. 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.

Checklist

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

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Section 10 - Course Outlines

(136) A Course Outline is made available by each Course Co-ordinator of a course at the commencement of each term in which the course is offered. The Course Outline must be produced from NUSTAR.

Availability

(137) The approved Course Outline for each course offered in a term will be available two weeks before the commencement of the term.

(138) 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 and the updated version will be provided via the LMS.

Delivery

(139) All Course Outlines will be supplied electronically via the LMS.

(140) 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.

Storage

(141) The approved Course Outline and any subsequently amended and approved versions must be stored electronically in the Course Assessment Return (CAR).

Content

(142) 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;
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).

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Section 11 - Academic Integrity

(143) The requirements for academic integrity is set out in the Student Conduct Rule and Student Academic Integrity Policy, and these apply to all courses and programs offered. All new students are required to complete the University Academic Integrity Module (AIM) before the end of their first term of enrolment.

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Section 12 - Assessment

Assessment Purpose and Focus

(144) 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.

Assessment Practice

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

(146) Assessment documentation must clearly identify what is required of students for each assessment item and be accessible from the nominated place in the course site.

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

(148) 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.

Assessment Weightings

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

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

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

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

(153) 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.

(154) 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.

(155) Single assessment items 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; and
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.

(156) 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.

Conflict of Interest

(157) Staff members must comply with the Conflict of Interest Policy and its associated documents.

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Section 13 - Assessment Design

Choice of Assessment Items

(158) A variety of assessment methods must be used.

(159) Where possible, assessment methods should be considered holistically across the program.

(160) The assessment load within a course, including examinations, must align with the advice on student workload in this manual (see Section 5 Course – Structure).

Design of Assessment Items

(161) Assessment items:

must be aligned with the course learning outcomes, course content, learning activities, teaching methods, and delivery mode;
must be weighted so the marks for the assessment item reflect its demands and importance to the course learning outcomes;
must be outlined clearly in the nominated place in the course site;
should be scheduled to allow the spread of assessment items across the term (date due); and
should usually 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.

Group Work Assessment

(162) 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.

(163) 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
strategies used to:
1. promote equitable workload within and across groups;
2. ensure each student is accountable for their personal contribution to the group work; and
3. maintain regular communication with each group.

(164) 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 Educator and Course Development Unit.

Self-Assessment and Peer Assessment

(165) Where assessment items utilise self and/or peer assessment as part of the marking, students must be provided with guidance and materials in advance of the marking exercise to ensure:

the outcomes of the assessment are equitable and credible; and
clear guidelines and criteria are used to determine the marks.

(166) The Course Co-ordinator must ensure there are mechanisms for moderating the results or ensuring fair assessment.

Assessment Mapping

(167) For information on assessment mapping and the input required from Course Co-ordinators, refer to the Program Management Procedure Manual.

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Section 14 - Assessment Responsibilities

Student Responsibilities

(168) Students are required to:

comply with the terms and conditions of enrolment;
actively engage in all learning activities;
read prescribed materials and submit assessment items by the due date;
notify the Course Co-ordinator at the earliest possible opportunity of any circumstances that may affect the completion of assessment items, and follow the procedures detailed in the Course Outline relating to applications for adverse circumstances;
act ethically in the preparation and submission of all assessment items;
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 Health and Safety Policy and related procedures, guidelines, and other Health and Safety documentation within the Policy Library and the University Health and Safety Management System;
comply with the rules for supervised examinations (see Section 18 – Formal Examinations section); and
provide the Course Co-ordinator with any Reasonable Adjustments Plan in a timely manner.

University Responsibilities

(169) The University 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 section 18 of 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.

School Responsibilities

(170) For School responsibilities see School Assessment Body Responsibilities Guideline.

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Section 15 - Assessment Item Submission

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

Assessment Item Submission Details

(172) The Course Outline must provide details of all submission requirements for assessment items, as outlined in Clause 142.

(173) A coversheet is not required for assessment items that are submitted online.

Penalties for Late Submission of Assessment Items

(174) 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 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 and weekend days.

(175) 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 e.g. 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.

Return of Assessment Items

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

(177) Electronic return of assessment items is recommended.

(178) 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.

Retention of Assessment Items

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

(180) 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.

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Section 16 - Assessment Item Marking

Assessment Criteria

(181) 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.

Marking Assessment items

(182) Assessment marking must be based on the assessment criteria that is made available to the students in the Course Outline and/or other materials. Norm-referenced marking is not permitted.

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

(184) 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.

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

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

Quality Assurance and Marking

(187) 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 (see Course Co-ordinator Role and Responsibilities, clauses 131-135).

(188) 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 Board.

(189) 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. The oral examination will be conducted in accordance with the principles set out in the Oral Examination (Viva) Procedure. In cases where the oral examination reveals the assessment item may not be the student's own work the case will be dealt with under the Student Conduct Rule.

Single Marker

(190) If a single marker is responsible for marking 75% or more of all assessment items of that course, a sample of 10% or 10 assessments, whichever is greater, should be moderated by another examiner. The examiner should moderate a total of 20% of all assessment items of that course to examine for consistency and reliability across all markers. If significant consistency or reliability issues are identified within the sample, all assessments should be re-marked (see ‘Re-marking’ clauses 194-200) and further moderation processes conducted for all remaining assessment items for that course.

Double Marking

(191) 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, clause 213).

Multiple Markers

(192) 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.

(193) Calibration meetings should be held prior to the commencement of formal marking to confirm this process.

Re-marking

(194) 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 (see clause 201-203).

(195) 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 Committee, the College Progress and Appeals Committee or the relevant College Pro Vice-Chancellor.

(196) 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).

(197) The Course Co-ordinator is responsible for managing the re-marking process and recording the outcome.

(198) 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;
the independent marker is not to be provided with the original mark prior to marking the assessment item.

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

(200) 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.

Moderation

(201) 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.

(202) 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.

(203) 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.

Student Request for a Review a Mark Achieved in an Assessment Item

(204) This section does not apply to review of a final results in a course, which is outlined in Section 20 of this manual.

(205) 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.

(206) 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.

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

(208) 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.

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

(210) 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 205 that supports their request.

Examination of the Research Component in Bachelor Honours Degrees

(211) 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 College Pro Vice-Chancellor 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.

(212) 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 College Pro Vice-Chancellor (or nominee); and
the College will provide the student and examiners, including the moderators, with the assessment criteria for the research component.

Marking the Research Component in Bachelor Honours Degrees

(213) Refer to clauses 19-22 in the Bachelor Honours Policy for students completing the requirements for an AQF level 8 Bachelor Honours.

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Section 17 - Feedback on Assessment Items

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

General Provisions

(215) As per clause 134(m), the Course Co-ordinator is responsible for ensuring that feedback is provided to students.

(216) 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.

(217) 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. Written assessment items will usually have a word limit. Word limits will include headings, sub-heading, in-text citations, quotes and referencing, but does 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.

(218) 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.

(219) 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.

(220) 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;
written and provided online, or in hard copy, on the item or in a separate report.

(221) Where feedback is not able to be provided in accordance with clause 216, 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.

(222) 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; and
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).

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Section 18 - Formal Examination

General Provisions

(223) 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.

(224) Students are expected to sit for all examinations prescribed for the courses in which they are enrolled.

(225) Students are expected to sit all examinations at the site of their enrolment, except for:

a course offered at Newcastle City Precinct where the examination will be held at Callaghan campus; or
online/distance courses where other provisions may be made.

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

(227) 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).

(228) 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.

Preparation and Quality Assurance of Examination Papers

(229) 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 Processes.

(230) 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.

(231) The Head of School must ensure, through the submission of the completed 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.

Supervised Examinations

(232) The Pro Vice-Chancellor Student Experience and Academic Registrar, on behalf of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Vice President, is responsible for administering formal examinations held within the scheduled examination and rescheduled examination periods for standard terms.

(233) All formal examinations held in the scheduled examination and rescheduled examination periods for standard terms will be supervised by Examinations.

(234) All formal examinations must:

be identified as such by the relevant School staff on the timeline set by the Pro Vice-Chancellor Student Experience and Academic Registrar;
contribute to between 30% and 50% of the final result in the course; and
be of two hours duration; or 3 hours duration if approved by PCAC.

(235) 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.

(236) All students 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 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 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.

(237) Students must comply with all requirements and instructions relating to materials that can be taken into an examination room.

(238) Students may bring water in a clear plastic bottle, pens, and pencils into the examination room. Students are permitted to bring a memory aid into the examination room unless otherwise notified in the Course Outline and noted on the front cover of their examination paper. 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.

(239) Taking material into an examination room that breaches the above requirements will be deemed as student misconduct in accordance with the Student Conduct Rule. For closed or otherwise exempted examinations this includes notes written on one's person. Evidence of material that breaches the above requirements may be photographed and used to determine an outcome in a Student Conduct hearing. Should a student refuse to be photographed, the lack of cooperation by the student may be considered as evidence against the student.

(240) Mobile phones or other electronic devices are permitted in the examination room provided they are switched off and placed under the student's chair for the duration of the examination. 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.

(241) Smart watches are not permitted on desks and must be placed under the student's chair. Other watches are permitted in the examination room, however, students are required to remove the watch and place it on their desk in view of the Invigilators.

(242) In some circumstances students may be required to supply their own additional support items such as calculators or log tables, such requirements will be explicitly listed in the Course Outline.

(243) Where students are permitted to bring 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.

Procedures for Supervised Examinations

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

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

(246) Supervised examinations will be conducted in accordance with the following procedures:

(247) 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 in clause 238 and/or papers, books, written materials, devices, calculators, aids or other items which have been approved in advance for the particular examination;
provide suitable photo identification (e.g. student card, current driver’s licence, current passport) per clause 236; and
comply with any other requirements specified by the University.

(248) 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 as outlined in clause 238;
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.

(249) 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.

(250) Any student found to be involved in an activity which is deemed to be academic fraud, cheating, plagiarism or any other dishonest conduct will be dealt with under the Student Conduct Rule.

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

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

(253) 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.

(254) The Examinations Co-ordinator will be responsible for the development and maintenance of a set of guidelines that are in accordance with the requirements of this manual, and which are to be made available to all Exam Invigilators.

Materials and Devices

(255) The permitted materials and devices for the relevant examination are outlined in Table 4

Table 4 – Examination Types, Materials and Approval

Exam type	Permitted Material	Permitted Devices	Approval Conditions	Notes
Examination with Memory Aid (default examination type)	Memory Aid – (a single double sided A4 sheet of handwritten or typed notes) plus any other materials or devices explicitly listed on the Course Outline and included in the examination request.	Any devices explicitly listed in the Course Outline and included in the examination request.	N/A	N/A
Open book examination	Any hardcopy materials, including a thesaurus, a dictionary, or a translation dictionary. No restrictions apply.	No devices permitted unless explicitly listed in the Course Outline and included in the examination request.	N/A	Open book examinations, may be held in the final week of the term by the Schools or set as a take home assessment. Formal Examination Conditions are not required.
Closed book examination	No memory aids or other materials permitted unless explicitly listed on the Course Outline and included in the examination request.	No devices permitted unless explicitly listed on the Course Outline and included in the examination request.	Assistant Dean (Teaching and Learning) will consider any request for closed book examinations via the appropriate form. Once approved the closed book examination will be recorded in the PCMS for future offerings.	The reason for the utilisation of the restricted examination type should be included in the Course Outline and on the examination paper.

(256) 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.

Rescheduled Examinations

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

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

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

(260) All rescheduled examinations must be conducted in the same manner as formal examinations (refer to clauses 232-256).

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

once only; and
after the originally scheduled examination.

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

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

(263) Students undertaking a rescheduled examination will complete a different paper to that, completed by students sitting the original examination.

(264) 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.

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Section 19 - Course – Final Results and Completion

Approval of Final Course Results

(265) The Course Co-ordinator(s) are responsible for finalising and collating the marks of all assessment items and for ensuring that the final results are available for publication on myHub.

(266) The Course Co-ordinator(s) are responsible for validating the grades ensuring consistency across markers, location and modes of offer. The Course Co-ordinator(s) will identify and address any areas of concern. The analysis and action (if any) undertaken to validate the grades will be recorded in the Course Assessment Return (CAR).

(267) The Course Co-ordinator(s) will ensure that the relevant CAR templates are completed (see the Course Co-ordinator Checklist).

(268) The Head of School will appoint a School Assessment Body to act as their advisory. The Head of School is responsible for the confirmation of final results.

(269) All marks for individual assessment item results must be recorded in the LMS.

(270) 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.

(271) Following confirmation by the Head of School the course results become the official results for the course. They will be available on the Fully Graded Date for the term via myHub.

(272) Final results will be provided as a mark and a grade for each course (see Table 6, Grading Scale – Coursework below) 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.

(273) Results pending finalisation may be recorded using an administrative code (see Table 6 – Administrative Codes below).

(274) Final results for Bachelor Honours will be as shown in Table 8, Grading Scale – End-On-Honours programs below, and Table 9, Grading Scale – Embedded Honours Programs respectively.

Amendment to Final Results

(275) The authority to approve an amendment to a final result in a course is described in Table 5 below:

Table 5 Amendment to Final Results Approval Authority

Action	Approval Authority and Limits	Conditions
Approve an amendment to a final result in a course	Head of School – limited to amendments within 6 months of the fully graded date.	This authority excludes instances where the grade is awarded in relation to a determination of academic misconduct in accordance with the Student Conduct Rule.
Approve an amendment to a final result in a course	College Pro Vice-Chancellor – limited to amendments more than 6 months after the fully graded date, but within 2 years of the fully graded date.	This authority is subject to the recommendation of the Head of School. This authority excludes instances where the grade is awarded in relation to a determination of academic misconduct in accordance with the Student Conduct Rule.
Approve an amendment to a final result in a course	Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Vice President – limited to amendments made more than 2 years after the fully graded date.	This authority is subject to the recommendation of the College Pro Vice-Chancellor. This authority excludes instances where the grade is awarded in relation to a determination of academic misconduct in accordance with the Student Conduct Rule.

Quality Assurances Cycle

(276) Within two weeks of the fully graded date of the term in which a course was offered, the Course Co-ordinator will reflect on the course to identify areas of strength and areas for potential improvement. Details of the reflection, and any proposed improvements are to be recorded in the CAR template,

(277) Within four weeks of the fully graded date of the term in which a course was offered, the Head of School will review the Course Co-ordinator reflection and proposed improvements and determine if further investigation or action is required to address any gaps within the analysis.

(278) The Head of School will prioritise proposed improvements in courses and/or disciplines with low or declining student outcomes and satisfaction.

(279) Proposed improvements prioritised by the Head of School will be included in the School Improvement Plan process, and reviewed by the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Education Innovation in consultation with the Head of School. The School Improvement Plan will:

evaluate the effectiveness of proposed and previous improvement initiatives;
identify School level interventions/actions that will address anomalies and gaps;
ensure there is collaboration with key internal/external stakeholders, such as student/academic services, to support the required improvements where necessary;
propose the school internally review courses and disciplines that have a pattern of poor student outcomes and or satisfaction over multiple offerings. This will include courses where:
1. student course completion rates are consistently below 70% post census date; or
2. the student feedback Overall Satisfaction mean is consistently 3.5 or below.

Course Completion

(280) 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
obtained a passing mark, being either:
1. a mark of 50% or greater; or
2. an ungraded pass.

(281) 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.

Grading Scales and Administrative Codes

Table 6 - Grading Scale – Coursework (except for Bachelor Honours)

Range of Marks	Grade	Attributes of Grading Scale
85-100	High Distinction (HD)	Outstanding standard indicating comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the relevant materials; demonstration of an outstanding level of academic achievement; mastery of skills*; and achievement of all learning outcomes.
75-84	Distinction (D)	Excellent standard indicating a very high level of knowledge and understanding of the relevant materials; demonstration of a very high level of academic ability; sound development of skills*; and achievement of all learning outcomes.
65-74	Credit (C)	Good standard indicating a high level of knowledge and understanding of the relevant materials; demonstration of a high level of academic achievement; reasonable development of skills*; and achievement of all learning outcomes.
50-64	Pass (P)	Satisfactory standard indicating an adequate knowledge and understanding of the relevant materials; demonstration of an adequate level of academic achievement; satisfactory development of skills*; and achievement of all learning outcomes.
0-49	Fail (FF)	Failure to satisfactorily achieve learning outcomes. If all compulsory course components are not completed the mark will be zero. A fail grade may also be awarded following disciplinary action.
	Ungraded Pass (UP)	A grade awarded in a course for which only a pass or fail is available. No marks are provided.

* Skills are those identified for the purposes of assessment item(s).

Table 7 – Administrative Codes

Code	Short description	Long description
I	Incomplete	Used where: - a student has not completed all aspects of the course and the result in the course is yet to be finalised; or - a placement or practicum does not align with the term dates and is continuing at the fully graded date; Incomplete (I) results will become Fail (FF) grades 90 calendar days after the fully graded date of a term for which the result was entered.
For courses which have been identified as practicum/placement courses, Incomplete (I) results will become Fail (FF) grades 365 calendar days after the fully graded date of a term for which the result was entered.
S	Special Consideration	Used where: - a student has been granted special consideration under the Adverse Circumstances Affecting Assessment Items Policy. Unless resolved, Special Consideration (S) results will become Fail (FF) grades 180 calendar days after the fully graded date of the term for which the result has been entered.
NA	Not Applicable	Used only for some components of Research Higher Degrees and multi-term sequence courses.
WW	Withdrawn	Used where: - a student withdraws from a course after census date; or - a student is permitted to withdraw by the College Pro Vice-Chancellor and/or the Academic Senate in accordance with the relevant University policy or procedure; or - a student is permitted by the Head of School to withdraw due to an administrative error.
EX	Credit Awarded	Indicates that credit has been approved and added to the student's record in accordance with the University policy.
CF	Component Fail	Used when student has failed one or more compulsory components of a course. Note: the CF grade will appear on internal transcripts only. An FF grade will appear on external/official transcripts.

Table 8- Grading Scale - End-on Honours

Overall Mark	Honours Class Awarded
85% or above	Honours Class I
75% to 84%	Honours Class II Division 1
65% to 74%	Honours Class II Division 2
50% to 64%	Honours Class III
0% to 49%	Fail

Table 9- Grading Scale – Embedded Honours

WAM	Honours Class Awarded
77 – 100	Class I
72 – 76	Class II Division 1
67 – 71	Class II Division 2
< 67	Ungraded

Table 10 - Attributes of Classes of Bachelor Honours

Honours Class I	Outstanding standard in research and reporting indicating comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the relevant field of study; demonstration of an outstanding level of academic ability; mastery of skills*; and achievement of all assessment objectives. In addition, if embedded Honours, an outstanding performance throughout the program.
Honours Class II Division 1	Excellent standard in research and reporting indicating a very high level of knowledge and understanding of the relevant field of study; demonstration of a very high level of academic ability; sound development of skills*; and achievement of all assessment objectives. In addition, if embedded Honours, an excellent or outstanding performance throughout the program.
Honours Class II Division 2	Very good standard in research and reporting indicating a high level of knowledge and understanding of the relevant field of study; demonstration of a high level of academic ability; reasonable development of skills*; and achievement of all assessment objectives. In addition, if embedded Honours, a very good to excellent performance throughout the program.
Honours Class III Available only to students in End-On Honours.	Satisfactory standard in research and reporting indicating an adequate knowledge and understanding of the relevant materials; demonstration of an adequate level of academic ability; satisfactory development of skills*; and achievement of most assessment objectives.

* Skills are those identified as required to meet the AQF level 8 program learning outcomes.

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Section 20 - Review of Final Result in a Course

Stage One – Course Co-ordinator Review

(282) 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.

(283) 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.

(284) 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 myHub. 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.

(285) 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, see example below:

Assessment Type, Weighting and Results
	Assessment item 1 – Essay	Assessment item 2 – Presentation and Report	Assessment item 3 – Formal Exam	Raw Result	Final Result
Assessment weighting	20%	40%	40%
Assessment result	15.5/20	85/100	60/100
Contribution to final result	15.6	34	24	73.6	74%

(286) 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).

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

Stage Two - Appeal Against Final Result

(288) After seeking a review by the Course Co-ordinator a student may lodge an appeal against their final result for a course.

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

(290) Only appeals submitted through the online portal will be considered by the College Progress and Appeals Committee.

(291) On behalf of the Pro Vice-Chancellor the College Progress and Appeals Committee will consider and determine an outcome for all valid appeals against a final result in a course made by students.

(292) A valid appeal 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 has been disadvantaged in some way due to the conduct of an assessment item;
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; and
exceptional circumstances (such as hospitalisation) prevented the student from submitting an Adverse Circumstances application at the appropriate time, including where new information has become available that could not have reasonably been provided by the student earlier, and it is probable that this information would have affected the determination of adverse circumstances.

(293) The following are not valid grounds to appeal:

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 work the student has done;
a penalty imposed on a student for academic misconduct or plagiarism in accordance with a University policy;
the need for additional marks to achieve a higher grade; or
general unspecified grievances.

(294) Appeals that do not provide evidence of the student meeting the following criteria will be rejected by the Secretary to the relevant College Progress and Appeals Committee:

contact or attempted contact with the Course Co-ordinator (or nominee)as per clauses 282-283; and
addressing at least one of the above valid appeal criteria listed in clause 292 and including relevant supporting evidence in writing.

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

(296) The College Progress and Appeals Committee may request any additional information required to determine the outcome of an appeal.

(297) 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 Head of School (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.

(298) The Chair of the College Progress and Appeals Committee is authorised to undertake urgent business between scheduled committee meetings. Actions taken under this delegation must be ratified by the College Progress and Appeals Committee at the next meeting.

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

(300) 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.

Applications for Supplementary Assessment lodged by a Potential Graduate following Failure in a Course

(301) 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.

(302) 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 is greater than 40% and less than 50% of the total marks for the course;
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.

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

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

(305) 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.

(306) 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.

Late Appeals of Final Results

(307) A late appeal:

will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances 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 on myHub; and
must be submitted using the online portal and provide:
1. evidence of having contacted the Course Co-ordinator; and
2. supporting documentation including information about the exceptional circumstances that precipitated the late submission.

(308) Exceptional circumstances are any circumstances that prevented the student from submitting an adverse circumstances application and an appeal against final result within the required timeframe,including new information that has become available that could not have reasonably been provided by the student earlier.

(309) Students submitting late appeals can only apply for a Withdrawal Without Academic Penalty (WW).

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

Administrative Error

(311) 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 5 Amendment to Final Results Approval Authority.

Reporting

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

Determination is Final

(313) Determinations made by the College 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.

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Section 21 - Relaxing Provision

(314) 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.

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Section 22 - Appendices

(315) Teaching Staff Reflection on Course Offering

(316) Learning Management System Teaching Courses: Minimum Presence

(317) Assessment Types and Combinations

(318) Examination Paper Creation and Review Checklist

(319) Course Co-ordinator Checklist