SUPPLEMENTARY ASSESSMENT

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL STUDENTS –

READ THIS CAREFULLY!



The Academic Board of the University has approved changes to several University policies and procedures, effective immediately. These are important to all coursework students.



SUPPLEMENTARY ASSESSMENT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE



The University has restructured its teaching curriculum to place more emphasis on early intervention for students who are at risk and to help them succeed in their studies. It is expected that students will work to improve their grades throughout the subject, not after the subject is finished. Thus supplementary assessment is no longer available. (Supplementary assessment used to be offered to students who failed a subject with a mark of 47%, 48% or 49% in a subject in which one piece of assessment was worth more than 50% of the final mark.)  Special assessment, including special examinations, is still available for students who have well substantiated cases of compelling or compassionate circumstances.



ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT MAY BE AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS WHO FAIL THEIR LAST SUBJECT



The Conceded Passes procedures (see below) now provide for additional assessment for students who fail the last subject required for their degree. The fail result may be any mark from 0% to 49%. However, for practical reasons, this provision does not apply to students who fail a subject in which assessment is predominantly workplace-based.



THERE IS STILL ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT FOR FAILED HURDLES
A student who obtains a mark of 50% or greater for a subject but fails a compulsory (hurdle) requirement for that subject will be granted additional assessment unless it is impractical to do so. It may not be possible or appropriate to award additional assessment in some circumstances: for example, where a student fails an attendance requirement or a professional placement. Full details are explained in the ‘Hurdles Procedures – Additional (Supplementary) Assessment’ which will be available by the end of March from the University’s policy website, http://www.latrobe.edu.au/policy.



NEW CONDITIONS APPLY TO CONCEDED PASSES



Conceded passes are now available to both undergraduates and postgraduate coursework students. A conceded pass is granted in a subject when a student achieves a mark of 47%, 48% or 49% in that subject and a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of at least 50% in that progression period. The WAM requirement is waived where the subject that falls within the allowable marks range (i.e. 47%, 48% or 49%) is the only subject that the student completed in that progression period.



A maximum of 15 credit points can be awarded as conceded passes for subjects at any given year level.



Important: A conceded pass will not be granted for a specific subject if:

1.       it is a core subject for the course being undertaken; or

2.       it is required for professional accreditation; or

3.       it is necessary for a student to demonstrate professional or clinical competence as part of its assessment requirements; or

4.       the student has failed a hurdle requirement.



Students awarded a conceded pass may be required to attend a session with an academic or an academic skills adviser, to help them understand what contributed to their original fail and how to improve their performance in future progression periods.



Additional assessment may be available for students who fail the last subject required for their degree. The fail result may be any mark from 0% to 49%. However, for practical reasons, this provision does not apply to students who fail a subject in which assessment is predominantly workplace-based.



All conceded passes are terminal and may not be used to satisfy prerequisites for other subjects.



The new Conceded Passes Policy and Procedures will be available by the end of March from the University policy website, http://www.latrobe.edu.au/policy.



FIRST-TIME FAIL IN A WORKPLACE-BASED SUBJECT TRIGGERS ACADEMIC PROGRESS INTERVENTION



The academic progress of students through their courses is monitored by their Faculty of enrolment, and interventions are conducted where a student is judged to be at risk of unsatisfactory progress. The interventions range from alerting students to the support services available to excluding the student from their course. (Students must have had a warning and a requirement to meet with a course adviser in a prior progression period before they can be excluded.)



A student will trigger an intervention when, in any given progression period (i.e., semester), the student:

(a)    fails for the first time any workplace-based subject as listed from time to time in Schedule A to the Academic Progress Monitoring and Intervention Procedures;

(b)   fails 50% or more of the sum of the credit points for which the student is enrolled in a given course; or

(c)    fails a subject in a course for a second or subsequent time; or

(d)   fails to meet any conditions previously imposed on the student’s enrolment by the Faculty Board of the Faculty administering the course of its authorised committee or officer; or

(e)   exceeds the maximum allowed period for attempting a course of study.



The first condition above, condition (a), is new for 2011. It affects mainly Health Sciences and Education students who are undertaking clinical subjects or teaching practica.



The Academic Progress Monitoring and Intervention Policy and Procedures are available now from http://www.latrobe.edu.au/policy, along with Schedule A (the current list of workplace-based subjects).



QUESTIONS?



If you have questions about any of these policy changes, please contact academic_policy@latrobe.edu.au.









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