Special consideration FAQ

What is Special Consideration?
What are adverse or unforeseen circumstances?
Are there any other grounds for special consideration?
Are there situations where special consideration would not be appropriate?
What type of special consideration can I ask for?
What type of special consideration would not be granted?
How do I apply for special consideration?
What type of evidence do I need to provide to support my application?
Who approves my application for Special Consideration?
My application was declined what can I do?
Can I get advice or seek help in putting together my application for special consideration?

What is Special Consideration?

Special consideration is defined in the Assessment Rules (.pdf) as being "a process to help students minimise the impact of certain adverse
and unforeseen circumstances on their progression and performance in units of study."

Essentially, special consideration provides appropriate adjustments to students that have been disadvantaged in their assessment tasks in comparison to other students. It seeks to 'level the playing field', in circumstances that are beyond a student's control and have an actual or potential impact on a student's ability to meet an assessment deadline, or academic performance.

What are adverse or unforeseen circumstances?

Adverse or unforeseen circumstances that impact on students' performance can include

medical reasons, for instance an illness experienced by the student directly or by someone in their care;
compassionate reasons, for instance death of a close family member or family breakdown;
hardship or trauma, for instance victim of crime, sudden loss or gain of employment or severe disruption to domestic arrangements

Are there any other grounds for special consideration?

Special consideration may also cover situations where a student is unable to meet an assessment deadline or scheduled examination because of carer duties, religious obligations, court appearance, participation in a compulsory military or emergency service situation or exercise.

Are there situations where special consideration would not be appropriate?

Situations where special consideration would not normally be granted include the following:

situations or events where the consequences could have been reasonably anticipated
stress or anxiety normally associated with completing required assessment tasks and examinations
difficulties adjusting to the demands of academic work or university life
difficulties in developing the self discipline needed to study effectively
planned events such as weddings, family reunions etc.
recreational travel
demands of social, sport or clubs - except for participation in NTIS training camps or national sport training camps, national or international level sport events or involvement in a significant cultural event
routine demands of employment

What type of special consideration can I ask for?

It depends on the assessment task and the circumstances surrounding the application but may include:

an extension of time to complete an assessment task
the setting of a different assessment task that is academically equivalent
exemption from attending compulsory classes, workshops, practical sessions or tutorials
teaching staff taking account of the information contained in the application when assessing an assessment task and aggregating that information against the students previous assessment within the unit
omitting the assessment item from the calculation of the final grade
the rescheduling of School based exam or test
the granting of a special or supplementary exam
the granting of an AC (Assessment Continues) grade

What type of special consideration would not be granted?

The University will consider all requests for special consideration. However, requests that are considered to compromise academic standards (i.e. a request to waive the requirement to complete major assessment tasks) would most likely not be granted.

The Assessment Rules (.pdf) state that "It is not possible for special consideration to compensate for every consequence of misadventure or illness on attendance and participation in a unit" and "in some circumstances the application of special consideration will be limited to the remedy of withdrawal without academic penalty".

How do I apply for special consideration?

How you apply depends on the type of assessment task you are seeking special consideration for - End of semester exams (Central Examination Period) or general assessment items at all other times (assignments, essays, mid semester tests etc).

Central Examination Period

Covers exams in the fortnight exam period at the end of Semester 1, 2 and Summer and organised by Student Services.

The process for applying for special examinations, special consideration and special arrangements during the Central Examination Period is governed by the Examination Rules (.pdf) and require students' to complete and submit a form. If you are seeking special consideration due to medical reasons your medical practitioner should complete the Student Medical Certificate attached to the form (Part B). The forms should be returned to this address:

Student Services
Information Centre
Charles Darwin University
Darwin, NT 0909.

Or by Fax (08) 8946 6642

Download the appropriate form below:

Note: The Examination Rules specify time frames for applications. To ensure the best possible outcome students' should observe the timeframes allowed.

At all other times

Covers all other assessable items including, essays, assignments, practicals, class tests, Learnline quizzes, mid semester tests and exams and all VET assessment items.

At all other times the application method is determined by your academic unit (VET Team, Unit, Course, School or Faculty). Basically, the process is that students put their case, with supporting documentation, to their Lecturer in the first instance. The University’s expectation is that your Lecturer will consider your case and, on the basis of the evidence you provide, will make a decision to either grant or deny your request. Check your unit outline for guidance in the first instance. If the process is not detailed in your unit outline or you do not have a clear understanding of the process then contact your unit Lecturer - their contact details and preferred method of contact will be on the unit outline.

If your Lecturer is not available then you should direct your enquire to your Theme leader, School, relevant Faculty Academic Liaison Unit or Institute of Advanced Studies School office. Some contact details are provided below.

Contact details for Faculty ALU's

Faculty of Education Health and Science (covers Higher Education courses in Nursing, Education, Science, Engineering and IT)

email: ehsoffice@cdu.edu.au or telephone: (08) 8946 7357

Faculty of Law, Business and Arts (covers Higher Education causes in Business, Law, Indigenous Knowledge, Creative Arts and Design)

email: alu_lba@cdu.edu.au or telephone: (08) 8946 7305

Contact details for Advanced Studies School offices
Graduate School for Health Practice

email gshp@cdu.edu.au or telephone (08) 8946 7179

Menzies School of Health Research:

email info@menzies.edu.au or telephone (08) 8922 8196

What type of evidence do I need to provide to support my application?

Appropriate documentary evidence is required to verify claims for special consideration. The type of evidence you provide is determined by the adverse or unforeseen circumstances or the grounds of your application. The evidence should provide enough information of the severity or gravity of your situation to allow a reasonably informed decision to be taken. If you are unsure of the appropriateness of your supporting evidence you can discuss this with staff from Support and Equity Services.

Your evidence may include:

Medical - Certificate provided by a health professional who is registered with a professional body such as medical practitioner, psychiatrist or physiotherapist
Compassionate reasons - Supporting letter from counsellor, doctor, religious leader, funeral director or a Statutory Declaration accompanied by corroborative evidence
Hardship/trauma - Supporting letter or report from counsellor, social worker, doctor, police officer or a Statutory Declaration accompanied by corroborative evidence

In some circumstances documentary evidence can be of a personal nature that demands a high level of confidentiality. If this is the case then contact Support and Equity Services. After viewing your evidence Staff at SES may provide a letter to attach to your application saying that they have sighted your evidence and that it is consistent with your application.

The University will not approach doctors, hospitals, police, etc, to obtain documentary evidence on behalf of a student.

Who approves my application for Special Consideration?

The decision to grant or decline a request for Special Consideration is made by a Senior Academic in the course in which you are enrolled in.

My application was declined what can I do?

If you believe that your application for special consideration was unfairly considered or you are being unfairly treated you can appeal the decision by accessing the University's Student Academic Grievance, Appeals and Review Process (SAGARP). Help and guidance is available for you to do this. Further details can be found on the Student complaints and grievances page.

Can I get advice or seek help in making my application for special consideration?

If you need help or advice on the best way to make an application for special consideration; wish to discuss appropriate types of supporting evidence, or any personal issues that may interfere with your scheduled examination or assessment deadline then contact Support and Equity Services. Staff at SES are happy to guide students’ through the processes for special examinations, special consideration and special arrangements.