Higher education special consideration

Please note: All Special Consideration (General), Special Consideration (Deferred Exam) and Discretionary Extension applications must be submitted through MySC where access permits.

Having issues accessing a Special Consideration form through MySC? Please contact Student HQ for assistance. Please complete the hard copy forms for General (pdf. 819kb), Deferred Exam (pdf, 676kb) or Discretionary Extension (pdf. 737kb) and email to specialcon@federation.edu.au

Partner provider students: Please contact your Partner location for assistance and email your application (pdf's above) directly to your partner provider for assessment.

Types of consideration

Discretionary assessment extension

Form: Higher Education Discretionary Assessment Extension

A discretionary assessment extension is an application for a short-term extension on one assessment task. If a longer extension is being sought, or extension for multiple assessment or courses, the student is required to apply for Special Consideration (General).

1. Complete the Discretionary form in MySC, attach supporting documentation and submit the completed application no later than later than two working days prior to the assessment submission date and outline the length of extension you are requesting (up to 5 University working days) and the reason for this request.

2. Student to attach any documentation that may support their discretionary assessment extension request to their application in MySC (includes, but not limited to doctors certificate, assessment drafts or evidence of progress, evidence of group-work difficulties) if applicable.

Higher education special consideration - General

Form: Higher education special consideration - General

Used for:

extension of assessment due date,
attendance requirement consideration.

Note: students can no longer apply for grade consideration as a type of special consideration

Higher education special consideration - Deferred examination

Form: Higher education special consideration - Deferred examination

A student who is unfit to attend or complete an end-of-semester examination due to acute illness or exceptional cause beyond their control may apply for deferred final assessment.

Applications for Special Consideration - Deferred Examination will only be considered on the following grounds;

Medical reasons: e.g., hospital admission, serious injury, severe asthma, severe anxiety or depression. Does not include minor illness such as a mild cold.
Compassionate grounds: e.g., death of a significant other, significant relationship breakdown.
Hardship/trauma: e.g., victim of crime, sudden loss of income or employment, severe disruptions to domestic arrangements.
Other causes: e.g., military or jury service, service to emergency services such as the Country Fire Authority.

Students who are severely/moderately unwell on the day of their scheduled examination should not enter the examination room and attempt the examination; they are encouraged to apply for deferred examination.

Circumstances within the student's control (e.g., misreading timetables, exam stress, returning home, holidays, social or family occasions, usual demands of employment, difficulties with the English language) and minor ailments will not be accepted as grounds for special consideration.

Grounds for special consideration

Applications for Special consideration - General will only be considered on the following grounds;

Medical reasons - includes hospitalisation, serious injury, severe asthma, severe anxiety or depression.
Compassionate grounds - includes death of significant other, significant relationship breakdown.
Hardship/trauma - includes victim of crime, sudden loss of income or employment, severe disruptions to domestic arrangements.
Other - includes service to emergency services such as Country Fire Authority, military or jury service.

Please note: Circumstances within the student's control (e.g. returning home, holidays, social or family occasions, usual demands of employment, difficulties with the English language) and minor ailments (e.g. headaches, colds, sleeplessness) will not be accepted as grounds for special consideration.

Please ensure you provide appropriate documentation to support your request for an extension of your assessment. You will be unable to submit your application online without documentation attached. Please refer to the Supporting documentation tab for additional information.

Supporting documentation

Can include, but is not restricted to:

A completed Health Care Professional Certification form, to be filled out by an eligible health care professional including but not limited to:
- AHPRA registered practitioners that diagnose and treat medical conditions, including but not limited to: General Practitioners (GPs); psychiatrists; psychologists.
- University or Partner Provider counselling service staff; or
- A registered counsellor (being a member of one of the APS, AASW or ACA).
Medical certificate including a specific statement regarding impacts your condition had/is having on your studies (mild, moderate or severe); death notice; police report;
Notification, including start and finish dates of defence reserve, emergency or jury service notification.

Please be aware that the falsifying or editing documents to support applications for Special Consideration has serious consequences. If you are found to have done so, you may be excluded from studying with us for 10 years.

Ongoing medical conditions or disabilities

Students with ongoing medical conditions or disabilities are encouraged to engage with the Disability and Learning Access Unit and negotiate a Learning Access Plan (LAP).

Disability is defined as:

Total or partial loss of bodily or mental functions; total or partial loss, malfunction, malformation or disfigurement of part of the body; or
A disorder or malfunction that results in the person learning differently from a person without the disorder or malfunction; or
The presence in the body of organisms capable of, or causing disease or illness; or
A disorder, illness or disease that affects thought processes, perception of reality, emotions or judgment resulting in disturbed behaviour; and includes a disability that:
Presently exists; or previously existed but no longer exists; or may exist in the future; or is imputed to a person.

How to apply - Lodging your form

Click on the relevant Special Consideration form link under the Forms Tab. You can submit all of these forms completely online by logging into My Student Centre.

Partner Provider students studying at China and Hong Kong locations only: please download the relevant form from the forms tab then submit your application to your Partner administration office.

All other partner provider students need to submit their Special Consideration (Deferred Exam) application via My Student Centre

If you are unsure about the information required to complete the form, seek assistance from a University Counsellor, Student HQ or your course coordinator.
Provide additional information is required.
Sign the completed form (if hard copy submission) and put it together with your supporting documentation, to be submitted as follows:

Submission Details

Higher Education Special Consideration - General

Applications must be lodged via My Student Centre no later than three University working days after the approved submission date of the assessment task. You will receive an email advising you of successful submission. The email will provide you with a reference number. You can click on this reference number at any point to view where your application is in the assessment process. Please ensure you keep a copy of this email in case you need to contact the university regarding your application.

Discretionary Assessment Extension

Applications must be logged via My Student Centre at least two University working days prior to the assessment submission date.

Students to also submit any documentation that may support their discretionary assessment extension request (includes, but not limited to doctors certificate, assessment drafts or evidence of progress, evidence of group-work difficulties) if applicable.

Special Consideration - Deferred Examination

Early Applications: Students who submit a completed application with supporting documentation no later than five University working days before the day of the examination for which deferred assessment is sought with receive early notification of the outcome.

Other Applications: Submit your application no later than three University working days after the date of your exam via My Student Centre with supporting documentation, no later that three working days after the date of the exam.

If you become severely unwell during the exam: If, as a student, you are unable to finish your exam due to illness or other eligible cause and you must;

Inform exam invigilator that you must leave the exam due to severe illness
Collect Special Consideration - Deferred Examination

Partner Provider students studying at China and Hong Kong locations only: please submit your application to your Partner administration office.

All other partner provider students need to submit their Special Consideration (Deferred Exam) application via My Student Centre

For Higher Education Special Consideration - Deferred Examination applications Student HQ will receipt your form and email confirmation of receipt back to you. Ensure you keep a copy of this receipt for your records. Students are advised to retain copies of all documents submitted.

Note: If you lodge your form without supporting documentation you have up to a further five working days, to get this information to your Student HQ.

Student HQ/Partner Providers must inform you of the outcome within ten University working days of your application.

Possible outcomes

HE special consideration - General

Granted - a supplementary assessment, administered by the School, will be provided.
Granted - a new submission date is to be arranged for the assessment task.
Granted - attendance requirements renegotiated.
Not granted - you must submit on the original set due date..

Note: you may cancel or withdraw your application via My Student Centre or by contacting Student HQ directly.

HE special consideration - Deferred examinations

For early applications, you will be notified of the outcome via your student email account at least 24 hours prior to your examination.

Outcomes:

Granted - attend deferred exam only.
Not granted - attend the current scheduled exam.

Other applications outcomes:

Granted - a deferred examination will be provided for the student.
Not granted - student completed a significant amount of the examination, giving the School enough evidence for the exam to be assessed as per normal.

Discretionary Extension form

Granted - new submission date provided
Not granted - you must submit on the original set due date.

Notification of outcome

You will be notified within ten University working days of your application via your University email whether your application was successful. You will need to contact your relevant academic staff to finalise the adjustments to your assessment(s) in accordance with your application.

Appeals

Students may lodge an appeal against a Special Consideration outcome with the Executive Officer within thirty (30) days of the adverse decision. Appeals must be submitted via the Online Portal to the Students Appeals Committee.
Students must ensure they include all relevant documentation to support their appeal.
The Student Advocacy service can assist students to compile their documentation when submitting an appeal.

Support service

If you are unsure and need support or help with your application, you can talk to a Counsellor at your campus.

For assistance with an appeal refer to the University Student Advocacy Office ph: 03 5327 6105 or email studentadvocacy@federation.edu.au

Privacy and confidentiality

Federation University Australia ('the University') is committed to protecting and maintaining the privacy, accuracy and security of personal information. The sharing of the information in this form must comply with the University's Information Privacy Policy.

Individuals have a right of access to, and correction of, their personal information in accordance with privacy legislation and the University's Information Privacy Policy. Please direct any enquiries in this regard to the University's Privacy Officer by telephone on (03) 5327 9504 or email: privacyofficer@federation.edu.au

Policies and Procedures

Go to the Student Access, Progression and Well-being web page to see the following policies & procedures:

View the Information Privacy Policy.