Bachelor of Teaching/Bachelor of Arts
Years 1 and 2
Course Coordinator: Dr Bill Franzsen
I have missed or will miss most of the semester.
If you are going to miss most of your classes then most likely you should apply for a Leave of Absence for the semester. All students are entitled to up to two semesters leave of absence
during their course. As soon as you know that you are going to miss most of the semester you should contact your course coordinator.
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I have missed or will miss some of the semester.
If you have missed or are going to miss more than a week of semester you should discuss your situation with your course coordinator. Sometimes you will be able to catch up,
but in other cases you may need to consider taking a Leave of Absence for the semester.
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I have missed or will miss one or two classes.
You should be able to catch up but you must see the Lecturer in Charge of each unit in which you have missed classes to see what can be done. Remember that attendence at classes is expected for every unit
and compulsory for some units. If you have missed classes in a unit where classes are compulsory you should take your medical certificate or similar when you meet the Lecturer in Charge. If you
have missed classes in several units you can simplify matters by seeing your Course Coordinator first.
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I have missed or will miss an assessment task.
You must see the Lecturer in Charge of the unit as soon as possible but certainly on or before the due date. To apply for an extension to the due date for an assessment task you have to apply on or before
the due date! Once you have missed the due date you only have 3 calendar days during which to submit the assessment task, after that you get a mark of 0. If you have missed the due date
and the 3 calendar days then you should discuss the situation with the Lecturer in Charge of the unit. In exceptional circumstances you should see your Course Coordinator about approaching the Head of
School.
There are two relevant regulations:
4.1.5 Factors affecting performance
If a student believes that personal circumstances are likely to affect performance in an assessment task in a unit the student is responsible for notifying the Lecturer in Charge and
Course Coordinator before the due date for submission of an assessment task. Alternatively, students may discuss their concerns with the appropriate Head of School, prior to the submission
date for an assessment task.
4.1.6 Extension for an assignment
A student may apply to the Lecturer in Charge for an extension to the submission date of an assignment. Requests for extension shall be made on or before the due date for submission, and must
demonstrate exceptional circumstances which warrant the granting of an extension.
Assignments submitted after the due date or extended date will incur a 10% penalty of the maximum marks available for that assignment. Assignments received more than three calendar
days after the due or extended due date will not be allocated a mark.
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I can't concentrate on my study.
If you find that you cannot devote enough time to your study you should approach a Student Counsellor, the Campus Minister or your course coordinator as soon as possible.
This is particularly true if you find yourself falling behind and/or missing the due dates for assessment tasks.
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I have missed or will miss one or more examinations.
You have up to 5 working days after the day of the examination to apply for a deferred examination. To apply for a deferred examination you must provide either a
medical certificate or a statutory declaration explaining your non-attendance. You should contact the Student Centre to obtain an application form, you should complete and return this form with your
documents to the Student Centre within 5 working days of the date of the examination. If you are applying for deferred examinations for serveral units you must return the form withing 5 working days of the earliest
examination. All applications are considered at a meeting that takes place 6 working days after the last examination for each campus. If you have any concerns see your course coordinator.
Remember that misreading the examination timetable does not entitle you to a deferred examination.
There are several relevant regulations:
5.1 Examination Timetables
The examination timetables will be posted on campus noticeboards approximately three weeks before the examination period begins. It is the responsibility of each student to ascertain
the correct information regarding dates, times and venues of examinations. Information regarding examination times will not be given over the telephone. Students who misread the examination
timetable will not be entitled to another examination.
5.2.6 Application for deferred examination
A candidate who, through illness or other cause beyond the candidate's control, is unable to attend an examination is required to lodge with the Examinations Officer, within five working
days of the day of the examination, an application to sit for a deferred examination. A medical certificate must be provided in relation to illness, certifying that the student received
medical attention on or before the scheduled time of examination. A statutory declaration of the reason for non-attendance at the examination must be provided in other cases. The
Course Coordinator will determine whether the student is to be given a deferred examination.
5.2.8 Illness during examination
If a candidate becomes ill during an examination, the Supervisor should note the time elapsed and the nature of the illness; no extra time will be allowed for the student to complete the
examination. If the candidate cannot continue with the examination, the Supervisor will note this and report the matter to Student Administration who will refer it to the Course Co-ordinator.
The Course Co-ordinator will determine whether the student is to be given a deferred examination.
5.2.9 Early departure from examination room
Except in the circumstance provided for in 5.2.8 above, candidates must not leave the examination room until 30 minutes after the writing time for an examination commenced, nor during the
final 10 minutes of an examination.
Candidates who wish to leave the examination early should raise a hand and remain seated until the Supervisor has collected their answer papers. They may then leave.
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I have missed or will miss the deferred examination as well.
You should contact your course coordinator as soon as possible and certainly within 5 working days of the date of the deferred examination.
There is one relevant regulation:
5.2.7 Failure to attend deferred examination
A candidate who, through illness or other cause beyond the candidate's control, fails to attend a deferred examination may apply for alternative assessment, following the same procedure as
used for the original application. The application should be forwarded to the Course Co-ordinator within five working days of the original deferred examination; approval will only be granted
in exceptional cases.
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I have failed a unit, how can I catch up?
You should keep in mind that the worst case is that you may need an extra semester or year to catch up failed or missed units. With luck you can avoid this
worst case. In the Bachelor of Arts there are Summer and Winter schools during which some units are offered, sadly these units are rarely of any use to a student in the BT/BA but you should
check them anyway. The quickest way to catch up would seem to be to take an extra unit in one semester, however this is not usually advisable. You should read the information contained
here. There are other options but these depend upon the subjects involved and the number of units you are missing. In any case you should see your
course coordinator to discuss your situation, the sooner you do the more options are available.
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I can't stand a subject, can I change my major/minor?
The quick answer is yes, how to go about it depends upon your situation.
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The mark for my assessment task/exam isn't fair.
If you feel that the mark you have received for an assessment is not fair then your first step must be to contact the Lecturer in Charge. If the Lecturer in Charge is uncontactable
or does not respond quickly you should see your course coordinator and apply to the Head of School for clarification of the mark. In any case you must work quickly because you only have 10
working days in which to apply.
There is one relevant regulation:
6.1.1 Clarification of result or grade
If a student wishes to obtain clarification about a result for an item of assessment or grade in a unit, the matter must be raised with the Lecturer in Charge of the unit within 10 working
days of receipt of the result or grade in question.
Where the Lecturer-in-Charge cannot be contacted, the student may submit a formal request in writing to the Head of School responsible for the unit within 10 working days of receipt of the
grade. That request must set out the basis on which the student is seeking clarification, relative to the marking schema in the Unit Outline, or make a case that published University
regulations or procedures have not been observed. Lodgement of such a request does not prejudice the student's rights under Regulation 6.4.
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My final grade in a unit isn't fair.
If you feel that the grade you have received for a unit is not fair then your first step must be to contact the Lecturer in Charge. If the Lecturer in Charge is uncontactable
or does not respond quickly you should see your course coordinator and apply to the Head of School for clarification of the grade. In any case you must work quickly because you only have 10
working days from the receipt of the grade in which to apply.
There are two relevant regulations:
6.1.1 Clarification of result or grade
If a student wishes to obtain clarification about a result for an item of assessment or grade in a unit, the matter must be raised with the Lecturer in Charge of the unit within 10 working
days of receipt of the result or grade in question.
Where the Lecturer-in-Charge cannot be contacted, the student may submit a formal request in writing to the Head of School responsible for the unit within 10 working days of receipt of the
grade. That request must set out the basis on which the student is seeking clarification, relative to the marking schema in the Unit Outline, or make a case that published University
regulations or procedures have not been observed. Lodgement of such a request does not prejudice the student's rights under Regulation 6.4.
6.4.1 Application for review
A student may ask the Head of School responsible for a unit to review the grade awarded in that unit. The request must be in writing and be received within 10 working days of advice of the
grade to the student. A review may only be requested on grounds that the published University regulations or procedures have not been observed.
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My illness/injury/disability affects my exams.
If the problem is only short-term then you may want to apply for deferred examinations. In all other cases you should contact both your
course coordinator and the Disability Officer.
There is one relevant regulation:
5.2.14 Students with special needs
Adjustments to the examination conditions for students with special needs may be approved by the Course Co-ordinator. If the special need relates to disability the Course Coordinator shall
consult with the relevant Disability Liaison Advisor in determining the adjustment to the examination conditions.
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