Policy: Late withdrawal due to special circumstances

Purpose

This policy sets out the principles for late withdrawal of enrolment due to special circumstances after census date.

Definitions

For general definitions, please refer to Policy - Glossary: Student policies and procedures

Academic misconduct: as defined in the Academic Integrity Rule 2021. 

Assessor: For the purpose of this policy and procedure, an assessor is a DSAAS staff member nominated by the Director, Student Administration, and/or the Director, Admissions and Student Governance, Student Administration and Academic Services to assess applications for late withdrawal due to special circumstances.

Class: a specific iteration of a course with a unique class number.

Complete application: an application containing relevant documentation that enables an assessment and determination of an outcome of the application.

Course requirements: for the purposes of this policy and procedure, activities students undertake during their course, such as independent private study, lectures, tutorials and other compulsory participation requirements, assessable work, including, but not limited to, assignments, tests, presentations, quizzes and examinations.

Impracticable: ‘not capable of being done’ in accordance with the Department of Education Guide to special circumstances decision-making.

Independent documentation: documentation provided by a relevant independent authority (person, organisation or institution) with which the student has or had no personal relationship and which demonstrates a professional opinion.

Medical certificate/report: a document issued by a medical or health practitioner/professional that meets AMA Guidelines on Medical Certificates.

Medical or health practitioner/professional: a professional person registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) or relevant registration body, who is authorised to practice, or equivalent in other countries.

Special circumstances: circumstances that are beyond the student’s control, do not make their full impact on the student known until on or after census date of the class, and make it impracticable for the student to complete the course requirements (Higher Education Support Act (HESA).

Successful completion: a student has successfully completed a course when they complete all the academic requirements of a course and receive a grade of: CRS, PS, P, HLP, CR, D or HD for that course listed on the academic transcript.

Threshold criteria: the conditions an application for late withdrawal due to special circumstances must meet before an application is accepted for assessment.  

Overview

This policy applies to all coursework students applying for a late withdrawal of their enrolment in a course due to special circumstances.

Scope

This policy applies to all coursework students, and the staff who administer late withdrawals due to special circumstances.

Policy Statement

1. The University accepts applications for assessment that meet the following threshold criteria:

1. At the time of submission of the late withdrawal application, the student has not successfully completed the class(es) and:

1. has failed the class, or has withdrawn from the class for which they are seeking late withdrawal due to special circumstances, and the unofficial transcript has a grade of WD, N, NCN, WN or CRN for the class(es); or
2. is withdrawn immediately from their class(es) where the student has effective enrollment in the class(es) for which they are seeking late withdrawal due to special circumstances (irrespective of the application being incomplete or complete). This is only applicable where the student submits an application on or before the last date to withdraw deadline of the applicable session; or
3. at grade release, has an interim grade for the class(es) from which they are seeking late withdrawal due to special circumstances, and the unofficial transcript has a grade of DA, PX or RP, or has a completion grade of KU; and

2. The student submitted their application within 12 months:

• of the date of withdrawal from the class, if the student withdrew from the course; or
• within 12 months from the last day of teaching in the teaching period in which the class(es) was or were to be undertaken, if the student did not withdraw from their course, and

3. Applications submitted outside the 12-month timeframe are only accepted where the University is satisfied that the applicant has supplied sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the application could not be made within the required time limits; and
4. Where the University has not accepted a previous application for late withdrawal due to special circumstances for the same class.

2. The University approves applications for late withdrawal due to special circumstances:

1. In accordance with the Higher Education Support Act 2003; and
2. Where students encounter special circumstances; and
3. Where students demonstrate that those special circumstances:

• were beyond their control; and
• did not make their full impact on the student until on or after the census date; and
• made it impracticable for the student to complete the course requirements.

3. A student’s lack of knowledge or understanding of late withdrawal due to special circumstances is not an acceptable reason for submitting an application for late withdrawal due to special circumstances outside of the 12 month time requirements set out in clause 1b.
4. Only one application can be submitted per student for each class in which that student is enrolled.
5. The Director, Student Administration, and/or the Director, Admissions and Student Governance, Student Administration and Academic Services nominate assessors to assess each application based on its merits as per requirements outlined in this policy and related procedure, and Higher Education Support Act 2003.