Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy

OVERVIEW

Assessment is a core academic activity and an essential component of the learning process. The Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy requires assessment practices to be fair and equitable and to give students the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.

This policy describes the modified arrangements that the University may provide to a student in the event that their capacity to demonstrate their true level of competence in an assessment or examination was, is, or will be significantly impaired as a result of medical, compassionate or extenuating circumstances.

SCOPE AND APPLICATION

This policy applies to all students enrolled in undergraduate or postgraduate coursework courses at the University and should be read in conjunction with the Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy.

DEFINITIONS

Assessment Deadline	means the published submission date for an assessment task.
Circumstance(s)	means Medical Circumstances and/or Compassionate Circumstances and/or Extenuating Circumstances as set out in clause 1.
Assessment Review Committee	means the committee referred to in the Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
Modified Arrangement	means an alternative assessment arrangement that the University may provide as set out in clause 2a.
Examination	includes any formally supervised summative assessment that requires a student to be assessed at a particular time and place irrespective of when in the semester it occurs
Primary Examination	means the first sitting of an Examination.
Last Course	means the single course in an assessment period that a student has failed but needs to pass in order to complete their program in that assessment period. This is identified at the time at which all final marks for Primary Examinations have been published and before results for Modified Arrangements are published.

Other definitions are as contained in the University's Glossary of Terms.

1. Eligibility for a Modified Arrangement

a) A student may be eligible for a Modified Arrangement if their capacity to demonstrate their true level of competence in an assessment or Primary Examination was, is or will be significantly impaired as a result of:

i. Medical Circumstances including serious illness, injury or hospitalisation of the student; or

ii. Compassionate Circumstances, being those which lead to serious suffering or misfortune which were outside of the student's immediate control, including but not limited to:

1) death or life threatening injury or illness of an immediate family member or a member of the student's household;

2) serious illness or injury of a dependent of the student which requires the student to provide care;

3) traumatic experiences including being a victim of a serious crime or involvement in a serious accident;

4) natural disasters or a major political upheaval in a student's home country;

5) significant disruption to a student's domestic arrangements;

6) substantial and unanticipated financial hardship; or

iii. Extenuating Circumstances, being events beyond the University's control that compromise an assessment process, or significant commitments or obligations which are outside of the student's control, including but not limited to:

1) religious obligations;

2) formal legal obligations;

3) military service commitments (including Army Reserve);

4) service with a recognised emergency management service (including CFS or SES);

5) representing the University, State or nation at a significant sporting or cultural event;

6) being an approved elite athlete preparing for or participating in a sporting event or attending a sporting commitment;

7) a timetable clash for tests or examinations.

b) A student will not be eligible for a Modified Arrangement if their Circumstances:

i. were avoidable and the student had reasonable opportunity to make alternative arrangements; or

ii. relate to an illness, physical or mental health condition for which the student has a disability Access Plan, unless there has been an exacerbation of the condition for which the student has provided appropriate documentary evidence in accordance with clause 7.

c) Modified Arrangements will not be granted for Circumstances such as, but not limited to, the following:

i. balancing workloads from other units of study, disciplines or faculties;

ii. personal commitments or events such as international travel, holidays or weddings;

iii. temporary minor ailments such as colds, minor respiratory infections, headaches or minor gastric upsets;

iv. stress or anxiety normally associated with examinations, required assessment tasks or any aspect of course work;

v. misreading or misunderstanding of the examination timetable.

2. Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment

a) The University offers three types of Modified Arrangements:

i. Assessment Extensions;

ii. Replacement Examinations; and

iii. Additional Assessment.

b) Modified Arrangements will only be granted if:

i. it is academically practicable and reasonable to do so; and

ii. the integrity of the total assessment scheme will be maintained.

c) All Modified Arrangements will be applied consistently and fairly.

d) The granting of a Modified Arrangement must not disadvantage other students in the course.

e) If a student is granted a Modified Arrangement, only the final official result will appear on the student's formal academic transcript.

3. Assessment Extensions

a) A student may apply for an extension to an Assessment Deadline in accordance with clause 7 if, as a result of their Circumstances they were, are, or will be unable to meet an Assessment Deadline.

b) The Course Coordinator will assess the student's application and will either:

i. grant an extension to the Assessment Deadline of up to 10 business days (or until the last day on which teaching occurs in the relevant teaching period, whichever is the earliest); or

ii. allow other Modified Arrangements in accordance with clause 3c and 3d; or

iii. reject the application if the student is not eligible.

c) If a Course Coordinator believes that a student's Circumstances are exceptional and that it would not be reasonable to extend the Assessment Deadline by only 10 business days the Course Coordinator may, in consultation with the Head of School (or delegate):

i. allow the student to complete an alternative assessment task in place of the original assessment task with an Assessment Deadline specified by the Course Coordinator; or

ii. after confirming that the faculty and school will support such an application, recommend that the student apply to withdraw from the course without obtaining a Fail grade; or

iii. allow an extension to the Assessment Deadline of more than 10 business days provided that the mark will be available before the date that a Result Pending grade is automatically converted to a Fail grade.

d) If it is not academically practicable or reasonable to provide an extension, the Course Coordinator may:

i. recommend to the Assessment Review Committee that the student be awarded a final mark obtained by excluding the assessment in question and proportionally scaling up the student's marks for work completed during the course if:

1) it would be to the student's advantage to do so; and

2) the original assessment task was worth 20% or less of the total course assessment; and

3) the student has completed all other assessment tasks in the course; or

ii. after confirming that the faculty and school will support such an application, recommend that the student apply to withdraw from the course without a Fail grade; or

iii. negotiate with the student to transfer the weighting percentage of the assessment task to an alternative exam(s) or assessment(s) (for example, if the assessment was weighted at 10% and an exam at 50%, the new weighting of the exam would be 60%) provided that the new weighting of the exam does not breach the Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy.

4. Replacement Examinations

a) A student may apply for a Replacement Examination in accordance with clause 7 if, as a result of their Circumstances they were, are, or will be unable to demonstrate their true level of competence in a Primary Examination.

b) If a student is granted a Replacement Examination prior to the Primary Examination they become ineligible to sit the Primary Examination. In the event the student sits the Primary Examination the grant of the Replacement Examination will be revoked and no further applications for a Replacement Examination will be considered for that examination.

c) If a student sits a Primary Examination they will not be eligible for a Replacement Examination unless:

i. their Circumstances arose during the Primary Examination; and

ii. they made an examination invigilator aware of their Circumstances before 50% of the time allowed for the examination had lapsed; and

iii. they did not complete the examination.

If the student then submits an application for a Replacement Examination which is rejected then the Primary Examination will be marked and will count towards the student's final mark.

d) A Replacement Examination will:

i. test the same areas of skill and knowledge as the Primary Examination; and

ii. be equivalent, though not identical to the Primary Examination; and

iii. take place at a time and venue nominated by the University.

e) Students must ensure that they are available to sit a Replacement Examination at the time and venue nominated by the University.

5. Additional Assessment

a) An Additional Assessment provides an additional opportunity for a student who has narrowly failed to achieve a passing grade in a course to demonstrate that they have achieved the required skills, knowledge and learning outcomes of that course by completing an additional assessment task.

b) A student will be offered an Additional Assessment if they receive a Fail grade for a course with an underlying mark within 5% of a passing grade (normally 45-49%).

c) A student who receives a Fail grade in a Last Course may apply for an Additional Assessment in accordance with clause 7 provided that they are entitled to an Additional Assessment pursuant to clause 5e.

d) Students will be given at least 3 calendar days' notice of an Additional Assessment (unless the student has applied for an Additional Assessment in a Last Course in which case the University will endeavour to give at least 3 calendar days' notice but is not required to do so)

e) A student will not be entitled to an Additional Assessment if they:

i. Received a Fail grade as a result of a breach of the Academic Honesty Policy;

ii. have not met any attendance requirements of the course;

iii. have not completed all specified mandated assessment tasks;

iv. have already sat a Replacement Examination for the course, even if the mark that they received in the Replacement Examination would make them eligible; or

v. are also eligible for a Replacement Examination or Assessment Extension, as those Modified Arrangements take precedence.

f) The nature of an Additional Assessment will be determined by the Course Coordinator. It may cover learning outcomes of the whole course, or where the student has passed some components of the total course assessment scheme but failed others, the learning outcomes tested by the failed assessment task or tasks.

g) The final assessment mark awarded to the student will be the higher mark of the original assessment and the mark following the Additional Assessment. The final assessment mark will be used to determine the final course mark.

h) The maximum mark available to a student for a course for which they have completed an Additional Assessment is the lowest passing grade available for the course or Non-Graded Pass.

i) The Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice-President (Academic) may exempt a program or course from the application of clause 5 for up to 5 years and 2 years respectively if there are sound academic reasons to do so. All exemptions will be reported to the Quality Enhancement Committee.

j) Students must ensure that they are available to sit an Additional Assessment at the time and venue nominated by the University.

6. Deferring a Modified Arrangement

a) A student may apply to defer a Modified Arrangement in accordance with clause 7 if their capacity to demonstrate their true level of competence in the Modified Arrangement was, is or will be significantly impaired as a result of Medical, Compassionate or Extenuating Circumstances.

b) The Course Coordinator will assess the application and will:

i. Allow a further extension to the Assessment Deadline or a deferment of a Replacement Examination or Additional Assessment provided the mark for the deferred assessment, additional assessment or examination will be available before the date that a Result Pending clause is automatically converted to a Fail grade; or

ii. After confirming that the faculty and school will support such an application, recommend that the student withdraw from the course without a Fail grade; or

iii. Recommend to the Assessment Review Committee that the student be awarded a final mark obtained by excluding the assessment in question and proportionally scaling up the student's marks for work completed for the whole course if:

1.) it would be to the student's advantage to do so; and

2.) the original Assessment Task was worth 20% or less of the total course assessment; and

3.) the student has completed all other Assessment Tasks in the course;or

iv. Reject the application if the student is not eligible.

c) If a student is granted a deferred Replacement Examination they become ineligible to sit the Replacement Examination or the Primary Examination.

7. Applying for a Modified Arrangement

a) To apply for a Modified Arrangement a student must complete the relevant form and submit it to the relevant Faculty within the required timeframe:

i. To apply for an Assessment Extension, a student must submit an Application for Replacement Examination or Assessment Extension form prior to the Assessment Deadline. The Course Coordinator may reduce the level of supporting documentation required by the form if the assessment task comprises 20% or less of the total course assessment scheme, provided it is to the advantage of the student, variations are applied consistently and the nature and conditions of the Assessment Extension are documented.

ii. To apply for a Replacement Examination, a student must submit an Application for Replacement Examination or Assessment Extension form at least 3 business days before the Primary Examination date unless:

1. the student's Circumstance arose during the Primary Examination in which case the student must submit the form no later than 3 business days after the Primary Examination; or

2. the student has Extenuating Circumstances in which case the form must be submitted no later than 3 business days after the Examination Timetable is released by the University or within 3 business days of the student becoming aware of the Extenuating Circumstance, whichever is latest; or

3. the student's Circumstances arose during the 3 business days before the Primary Examination Date, in which case students must submit the form at their earliest opportunity and clause 7c will apply.

iii. To apply for an Additional Assessment for a Last Course a student must submit an Application for Additional Assessment form within 3 business days of notification of their final course grade being released.

iv. To apply to Defer a Modified Arrangement, the student must submit an Application for Replacement Examination or Assessment Extension form, at least 3 business days before the Replacement Exam, the Additional Assessment Deadline or deferred Assessment Deadline.

b) The University will normally notify the student of the outcome of their application via the student's University email account within 3 business days of the University's receipt of it.

c) Students who submit an application for a Replacement Examination at least 3 business days before the date of the Primary Examination, will be notified of the outcome of the application at least 24 hours before the Primary Examination. If a student submits an application less than 3 business days before the Primary Examination and they are not notified of the outcome more than 24 hours before the Primary Examination then they may sit the Primary Examination. If their application is approved clause 4c will not apply and they will be entitled to sit the Replacement Examination.

d) Supporting documentation must be original or certified copies and must be signed by an independent person who is able to verify the Circumstances.

e) If the University believes that a student has deliberately submitted false or misleading information the application for a Modified Arrangement will be rejected and the student may be referred to the Student Misconduct Tribunal for an appropriate penalty under the Student Misconduct Rules.

f) If a student has a Medical Circumstance, the medical section of the relevant form must be completed in full and signed by a medical or health practitioner registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Registration Authority. For the purpose of this policy, a medical certificate on its own will not be accepted as evidence of a Medical Circumstance.

g) If a student has Compassionate and/or Extenuating Circumstances the relevant form must either be accompanied by sufficient written evidence from a person or authority able to independently corroborate the student's claims regarding their Circumstances or the relevant section of the form must be completed by a University Counsellor or Student Advisor who is able to independently verify the student's claims. Sufficient evidence may include, but is not limited to:

i. a death certificate;

ii. police report;

iii. court summons;

iv. written evidence from Military Officer confirming the requirement to fulfil military service commitments

v. approved elite athlete documentation;

vi. official correspondence from a religious organisation, emergency service, sporting or cultural organisation;

h) A student who wishes to appeal a decision made pursuant to the policy should follow the Student Grievance Resolution Process.

Authorities

Key	Authority Category	Authority	Delegation Holder
Academic	Assessment	Approve applications for Assessment Extensions under clause 3	Course Coordinator
Academic	Assessment	Approve exceptional modified assessment arrangements under clause 3.c	Course Coordinator in consultation with the Head of School (or delegate)
Academic	Assessment	Approve the determination of a grade under clause 3.d (averaging a student's work over whole course in specified circumstances)	Assessment Review Committee on recommendation of Course Coordinator
Academic	Assessment	Approve applications for Replacement Examinations	Designated officer/s or committee as specified by Executive Dean
Academic	Assessment	Approve applications for a Last Course Additional Assessment under clause 5	Assessment Review Committee
Academic	Assessment	Determine the nature of Additional Assessment	Course Coordinator
Academic	Assessment	Approve exemptions from the application of clause 5 for programs or courses.	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Academic	Assessment	Approve the deferral of a Modified Arrangement under clause 6	Course Coordinator
Academic	Assessment	Approve the reduction in supporting documentation required to apply for an Assessment Extension in certain circumstanced under clause 7	Course Coordinator
Academic	Assessment	Verify a student's claim who has either compassionate or extenuating circumstances	University Counsellor or Student Advisor
Academic	Assessment	Approve University-wide application form/s for Modified Arrangements	General Manager, Student Services & Administration

Please use the following URL instead of linking to individual documents:
https://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/3303