Assessment & results at VU Sydney

Start early

Mistakes often occur when you rush and there are no short cuts. Remember, you can be penalised for incorrect referencing.

Reference your sources

Consult the referencing style guides for more information on which details you may need to include in your reference list. Ask your lecturer which referencing style they would prefer you to use.

If you need more guidance on plagiarism, you can contact a Learning Support Advisor at [email protected] .

Check your work before submitting it

You can pre-submit assignments to the Originality Check Test folder in the Student Induction Space. You can check your work using Ouriginal, a plagiarism detection tool.

If you are found guilty of plagiarism, you will be subject to one or all of the following.

Referral to Unit Convener for: 

• counselling
• submission of further work
• use of the services of Learning Support Unit
• the placing of a record of the alleged infringement on the student’s file.

Referral of the matter to the Academic Integrity Register for: 

• investigation by a Senior Officer
• issuing of formal written warning
• resubmission of work for assessment or the undertaking of another form of assessment such as an oral or unseen examination
• allocation of a fail grade to part or all of the assessment
• allocation a fail grade to the unit
• suspension from the course
• official disciplinary action by the University Disciplinary Committee.

Short extensions of time (up to 5 days for assessments and assignments) must be applied at least 1 business day before the assessment due date.

Short extensions may be granted for:

• unavoidable work commitments
• family, cultural, religious or elite sporting commitments known in advance
• other unexpected circumstances outside a student’s control

Apply for a short extension

Send your application for a short extension of time for submission of assessable work with documentary evidence such as a letter from a relevant authority (e.g. employer), to your lecturer or your Unit Convener.

Special consideration is available if unexpected circumstances affect your ability to complete an assessment, or if you need an assessment extension longer than 5 days and must be applied within 3 business day of the assessment due date.

You may apply for special consideration for the following coursework:

• assignments
• examinations
• laboratory experiments
• literature reports
• portfolios
• presentations
• tests

If your circumstances will severely affect your performance for the next 3–4 weeks, you should consider withdrawing from the unit before the census date. Seek advice from your Course Coordinator to discuss the implications for your course progression.

Eligibility

Check if you are eligible according to the Adjustments to Assessment Procedure for higher education students.

Some reasons that apply for special consideration may include:

• Unwell on the day of their exam
• Something unexpected (eg: funeral)
• Hospitalisation on the day of his exam and all the following week
• Unavoidable work commitment

Supporting documentation

Medical reasons

Ask your medical practitioner or other treating professional (such as a counsellor) to complete the relevant section of the Special Consideration - Treating Professional Supporting Document or supply a medical certificate. 

If you are unable to obtain any supporting documentation from your medical practitioner within 3 days of the assessment due date, please provide a statutory declaration outlining your circumstances.

Non-medical reasons

You will need to upload external support verification, such as a:

• letter from your employer
• statutory declaration
• police statement
• funeral notice
• letter from another authority or religious leader statement.

Apply

Submit request by completing the online special consideration application form through MyVU within three business days of the assessment due date.

You will receive an email confirming successful lodgement of your form.

Applying after the deadline has passed

If you are unable to submit a special consideration application before the deadline, and there were exceptional circumstances that prevented you from lodging in time, your application may still be considered. 

You must write a letter (half to one page long) describing the exceptional circumstances that caused your application to be late and upload this letter, along with supporting documentation. 

You can contact Student Advocacy if you would like further advice as to whether your circumstances may be considered exceptional.

Processing your application

The application processing times can vary, depending on the complexity of your situation and the availability of academic staff. You will be advised of the outcome via email.

If your application is approved, you might be granted an extension of time, a special examination, an alternative assessment, removal of a late penalty or adjustment to marks, depending on your circumstances.