CEE Education Strategy Special Consideration Special Circumstances Supporting Documentation

Special Circumstances Supporting Documentation

If you are lodging an application and need to provide evidence that you have experienced Special Circumstances, you will need to provide supporting documentation.

The following situations that would not be considered Special Circumstances, include but are not limited to:

  • stress and anxiety normally associated with study;
  • adjusting to the demands of university life or homesickness;
  • personal travel or holiday plans that have made a student unable to attend classes or meet required submission timelines;
  • failure to understand or ask for clarification of key dates or procedures where a student could reasonably be expected to have understood or asked for clarification;
  • inability to obtain release from the student's regular paid employment to undertake or complete the learning activities or assessment;
  • misreading or failing to ask for clarification of the examination timetable;
  • an increase in hours or duties of employment which is at the request of the student;
  • social and leisure events and activities including sporting commitments not considered as elite athlete obligations.

Please refer to the table below of what documentation is required to support a Special Circumstances application:

Reason for the circumstance

Examples of relevant supporting documentation

Further information

Medical reasons and/or Psychological reasons

Doctor’s certificate/mental health practitioner certificate.

The University recommends that all medical certificates or reports be provided using the recommended JCU Medical Certificate. If the recommended form is not used or correctly completed, students may be asked to seek additional information from their medical professional.

Applications Based On Medical Grounds

Compassionate or emergency grounds

(bereavement, hardship, trauma, family breakdown, sudden loss of income, victim of crime)

Police report, bereavement notice, correspondence from a JCU Sexual Misconduct Officer or if no independent evidence is available, a statutory declaration setting out the circumstances that are the basis of the application.

JCU’s Counselling Service. Also see: Domestic and Family Violence (Student Support) Procedure; Bullying, Discrimination, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedures.

EmploymentA statement from your employer stating:
- your previous work hours and location; and
- your current work hours and location; and
- the reason for the changed hours and location.		 
Emergency services situations, such as SES calloutsIf no independent evidence is available, a statutory declaration setting out the circumstances that are the basis of the application. 
Issues impacting technology when submitting assessments online or sitting exams onlineEmail from the College support team.
Proof of power outage.
Proof of internet outage
Screenshot (with a timestamp) of any error messages that appear.

Examination Procedures

LearnJCU Help Guides

Unscheduled or unexpected religious observance or special cultural and religious considerationsIf no independent evidence is available, a statutory declaration setting out the circumstances that are the basis of the application. 
Jury service, certain court appearancesCourt summons 

Defence Force and National Service commitments

A statement signed by an authorised officer of the Australian Defence Force detailing the dates and times when attendance at an Australian Defence Force commitment is to take place; or

detailing full-time service (eg as part of a peacekeeping or humanitarian aid operation); or

The National Service enlistment notice (Singapore).

Defence Force, National Service and Elite Athlete Friendly University Procedure.

Elite athlete obligations

A statement signed by an authorised officer of their sporting organisation detailing training schedules and sporting commitment.

Defence Force, National Service and Elite Athlete Friendly University Procedure.

Your documentation will be submitted electronically with your application however please hold onto the originals as you may be requested to verify their authenticity by the University.

Documents must be issued by an independent third party and will not be accepted from family members.

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Special Consideration