Special Consideration, Supplementary and Special Examinations Procedure

(effective to 31 Dec 2020, from 01 Jan 2021 refer to Special Consideration Procedure)

Intent

This procedure specifies the process relating to Special Consideration, Supplementary and Special Examinations.

Principle

To provide students with the right to equity and fairness when undertaking the assessment components of their studies through Special Consideration, Supplementary and Special Examinations.

Scope

This procedure applies to all James Cook University students.

Definitions

Definition of terms used in this Procedure are as per the Policy Glossary with the following additions:

In this Procedure the following terms have the meanings set against them respectively.

‘Assessment Committee’ – a College or Division committee established to oversee assessment outcomes for a suite of courses and or subjects, for the purpose of assuring quality of assessment as per the Learning, Teaching and Assessment Policy and the Student Results Policy.

‘College’ – a learning and teaching delivery entity within an Academic Division of the university, this may also include other Divisional entities such as Learning, Teaching & Student Engagement, the JCU Pathway College and the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Centre.

‘Extenuating Circumstances’ - an unexpected event that is outside a student's capacity to prevent or overcome that demonstrably affects their capacity to complete teaching/learning and/or assessment tasks, or achieve the level of attainment typical of their previous performance in the subject or course. These could include:

• medical or psychological conditions or events
• loss or bereavement – e.g. death of an immediate family member
• family relationship breakdown
• hardship/trauma – e.g. victim of crime, sudden loss of income or employment resulting in severe disruption to domestic arrangements.
• relevant obligations to military or jury service or service to emergency services such as the SES

‘Result Release Date’ – the date in each study period on which subject results are released, as specified in the academic calendar.

‘Special Consideration’ — an adjustment or accommodation made when marking or moderating an Examination or at an Assessment Committee meeting to take into account that a student’s preparation for an Examination has been, or is being, adversely affected by Extenuating Circumstances.

‘Special Examination’ — an Examination given to a student in accordance with this procedure. Results which can be awarded after sitting a Special Examination include all results available in the subject.

‘Supplementary Assessment’ – a piece of assessment, other than an Examination, offered, in accordance with this procedure, to a student who has failed to satisfy the Assessment Committee that they should be awarded a passing result in the subject in question following the completion of all assessment. The only results for a subject which can be awarded after a student sits for a Supplementary Assessment are ‘SP’, ‘SPC’, ‘SS’, ‘N’ or ‘U’.

‘Supplementary Examination’ — an Examination offered, in accordance with this procedure, to a student who has failed to satisfy the Assessment Committee that they should be awarded a passing result in the subject in question following the completion of all assessment. The only results for a subject which can be awarded after a student sits for a Supplementary Examination are ‘SP’, ‘SPC’, ‘SS’, ‘N’ or ‘U’.

Procedures

1. Supplementary Examination or Assessment
   1. If an Assessment Committee identifies a student as being suitable for additional Examination or other assessment, then the applicable College Dean (or the equivalent position for a College if no College Dean exists for that College) may determine that the student be offered the opportunity to be re-examined in a subject by means of a Supplementary Examination or Supplementary Assessment (as applicable).
   2. If a College Dean makes a determination in accordance with section 1.1, the student will be offered the opportunity to be re-examined in the subject by means of a Supplementary Examination or Supplementary Assessment (as applicable).
   3. The College will apply an NSE (Supplementary Examination) or NSA (Supplementary Assessment) result, as applicable, for that subject in the Student Management System.
   4. Where an NSA result has been awarded for the purpose of a Supplementary Assessment the College must:
      1. notify the student of the requirements of the Supplementary Assessment no later than 5 University working days after the Result Release Date.
   5. Where an NSE result has been awarded for the purpose of a Supplementary Examination, and the College determines that the Supplementary Examination will be organised by the College, the College must:
      1. advise Student Services not to schedule a Supplementary Examination; and
      2. notify the student by email of the Examination timetable no later than 5 University working days after the Result Release Date.
   6. Where an NSE result has been awarded for the purpose of a Supplementary Examination and Student Services have not been advised by the College that the College will organise the Supplementary Examination, Student Services will:
      1. schedule the Supplementary Examination; and
      2. notify the student by email of the Examination timetable no later than 5 University working days after the Result Release Date.
   7. Students are not permitted to defer a supplementary examination.  In these instances the student must contact the College.
   8. Other types of subsequent non routine Examinations may be offered as specified in clause 3 of this procedure.
2. Special Consideration
   1. Students who consider that their preparation for an Examination, or their sitting of the Examination,  has been or is being adversely affected by Extenuating Circumstances, may apply for Special Consideration for the Examination using the prescribed online application.
   2. Applications must be submitted before or within 24 hours of completing the Examination.
   3. Applications made on medical grounds must have a medical certificate attached.
   4. Applications made on psychological grounds must have supporting documentation from a mental health practitioner or a General Practitioner attached.
   5. Medical and psychological documentation must provide sufficient information on which to make a determination regarding the application and must not be issued by a family member.
   6. Applications made on any grounds other than medical or psychological must be supported by relevant documentation and provide sufficient information on which to make a determination regarding the application.  Relevant documentation may include a statutory declaration by the student setting out the circumstances that are the basis of the application.
   7. Upon receipt of the application, the applicable Subject Coordinator may, if the student’s results in the applicable subject are:
      1. significantly below those of their other subjects; and/or
      2. significantly below that which, in the light of other evidence, they may have reasonably been expected to achieve in the subject concerned,

   recommend that Special Consideration be applied  The College Dean will consider the recommendation and will approve or deny the application through the standard certification process.

   8. The College will record the outcome of the special consideration application in the Student Management System.
   9. Student Services will communicate the outcome of an application for Special Consideration  to the student by email within 5 University working days of the results release date.
3. Special Examinations
   1. Requests for Special Examinations will be submitted by the Academic Head to the College Dean (or the equivalent position for a College if no College Dean exists for that College) with sufficient information on which to allow the College Dean to make a determination.
   2. If a College Dean (or the equivalent position for a College if no College Dean exists for that College) considers that:
      1. a student’s results in a subject are:
         • significantly below those of their other subjects; or
         • significantly below that which, in the light of other evidence, they may have reasonably been expected to achieve in the subject concerned; or
         • incomplete and are required to be complete in order to meet the requirements of the student’s study plan; and
      2. Extenuating Circumstances exist for the student,

      then the College Dean may offer the student the opportunity to be re-examined in the subject by means of a Special Examination.

   3. The College will notify Student Services prior to notifying the student to schedule a Special Examination.
   4. The College will communicate the outcome of a Special Examination request to the student by email within 5 University working days of the date of the determination by the College Dean.

Related documents, legislation or JCU Statutes

Special Consideration, Supplementary, Deferred and Special Examinations Policy

Deferred Examinations Procedure

Student Results Policy

Students with Disabilities Policy

Policy Glossary

Administration

NOTE: Printed copies of this policy are uncontrolled, and currency can only be assured at the time of printing.

Approval Details

Revision History

Approval date - the date the approval authority approved the establishment, minor or major amendment or disestablishment

Implementation Date - the date the policy was published in the Policy Library and is the date the policy takes effect