Assessment Rule 2015 (Cth)

THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

ASSESSMENT RULE 2015

I, Professor Ian Young AO, Vice-Chancellor of the Australian National University, make the following rule.

Dated: 11 December 2015

Professor Ian Young AO

VICE-CHANCELLOR

__________________________________________________________________

1Name, commencement and authority

(1) This is the Assessment Rule 2015.

(2) This instrument commences on 1 January 2016.

(3) This instrument is made under section 8 of the Programs and Awards Statute 2013.

1. [Note:

   Under section 50(3) of the Australian University Act 1991 a statute may empower any authority or officer of the University to make rules or orders. Section 9.5 of the Vice-Chancellorship Statute authorises the Vice-Chancellor to make rules and orders for a number of statutes, including the Programs and Awards Statute.]

2Application

This instrument applies in relation to all undergraduate and graduate coursework programs.

3Definitions

In this instrument:

assessment, in relation to a course, includes any task that is required to be performed by a student for a judgement to be made of the student's level of performance in that course.

deferred examination for a student in relation to a course, means an examination the student is permitted to take under subsection 11(1).

Delegated Authority means a person appointed under section 4.

examination, in relation to a course, includes any task that is required to be performed by a student for the assessment of the student's performance in that course.

exercise a function includes perform the function.

final assessment, for a course,means the final task for the course described in section 5 that must be performed by a student for the satisfactory completion of the course.

function includes duty and power.

further assessment means an assessment required by a Chair of Examiners for a course under section 9(3).

hurdle assessment,for a course, means an assessment task that tests competency, skills or knowledge considered to be fundamental to passing the course or is required by a discipline-specific or other accreditation authority.

special assessment, for a student in relation to a course, means an assessment the student is permitted to take under section 12(6).

special assessment arrangements, for a student in relation to an assessment for a course, are arrangements approved under section 8 for the student.

student means a person undertaking all or part of a program and who is eligible to undertake, or is undertaking, an assessment.

supplementary assessment,in relation to a course, includes, but is not limited to, assessment by a formal assessment, a practical assessment, a take-home assessment and an essay.

4Appointments

An Associate Dean for an ANU College may appoint a member of the staff of the ANU College to be a Delegated Authority for the purposes of this instrument in relation to a course offered by the ANU College.

5Final assessment

For the definition of final assessment in section 3, the final assessment for a course is to be in the form of a compulsory examination where the student is required to sit the whole of the examination on a particular day commencing at a particular time, or any other form of assessment, including, but not limited to practical examinations, take-home examinations and essays representing the final task for the course.

6Eligibility to be assessed

A student is eligible to be assessed for a course if the person is enrolled in the course and complies with the requirements of the rules and orders applicable to taking that course.

7Manner, time and place of assessment

(1) Notice of the manner, time and place of final assessments to be conducted during University assessment sessions at the end of semester (including session) or trimester:

1. (a)

   for assessments to be administered by the Registrar—must be published on the University’s timetable website by the Registrar not less than 3 weeks before the commencement of the assessment session; and

2. (b)

   for assessments to be administered by the ANU College offering the course—must be displayed by the Delegated Authority not less than 3 weeks before the commencement of the assessment session in at least one of the following ways:

   1. (i)

      on a notice board used for the purpose in the ANU College by which the course is offered;

   2. (ii)

      to students enrolled in the course in class;

   3. (iii)

      if possible, on the website for the course.

(2) A failure to comply with subsection (1) is not to be taken to affect the validity of an assessment or of anything done in relation to an assessment under this instrument.

(3) In this section, a reference to a notice board is to be read as a reference to a notice board that is commonly used for displaying notices to students, including an electronic notice board or an appropriate part of the University’s website.

8Special assessment arrangements

(1) A student with a temporary or chronic disability who has dealt with the University’s Disability Services Centre in relation to his or her disability may ask the Centre to determine special assessment arrangements for the student for an assessment, including, but not limited to, additional reading or writing time, the provision of special equipment, separate accommodation or the services of an amanuensis.

(2) Special assessment arrangements for a student referred to in subsection (1) must be approved by the Registrar.

(3) Details of special assessment arrangements are to be sent by the Registrar to the Delegated Authority who may request changes to the arrangements.

(4) The Registrar is to ensure that the Chair of Examiners for a course is informed of the arrangements.

(5) A student with a temporary or chronic disability or other condition to whom subsection (1) does not apply may ask the Delegated Authority to approve special assessment arrangements in relation to the student.

(6) The Delegated Authority may approve special assessment arrangements requested under subsection (5).

(7) The assessments referred to in subsection (2) or (5) are to be conducted in accordance with the arrangements set out in subsection (1).

9Examiners

(1) The Delegated Authority must, at the commencement of the semester (including a session) or trimester in which the course is offered, appoint a Chair of Examiners and at least 1 other examiner, for the course.

(2)The Chair of Examiners for a course must:

1. (a)

   ensure that the academic performance of each student attempting the course is adequately and fairly assessed; and

2. (b)

   ensure that no student is failed in the course unless the student's performance in assessments in the course has been reviewed by at least 2 of the examiners appointed in relation to the course; and

3. (c)

   submit to the examiners’ meeting for the course a written report setting out, for each student examined, the marks and the grade of result that the examiners recommend be awarded to that student.

(3) Before submitting recommendations under paragraph (2)(c), the Chair of Examiners may require a student to take a further assessment to ensure that the academic performance of the student in that course is adequately and fairly assessed, and any such assessment may be oral, written or practical.

(4) The Delegated Authority must ensure that meetings of examiners are held to consider reports on marks, grades of results and further assessments required by the Chair of Examiners, and to moderate results.

(5)The Chair of Examiners must, before submitting recommendations to the examiners’ meeting for a course:

1. (a)

   permit full-time members of the staff who participated in the teaching of the course to examine and comment on the recommendations; and

2. (b)

   take into account any matters put to the Chair by those members.

(6)The Chair of Examiners must make final marks and a grade of result recommended for award to each student for a course available to the Delegated Authority, for approval by the Delegated Authority.

(7)The Delegated Authority may approve, for a student for the course:

1. (a)

   the marks and the grade of result recommended or amended by the Chair of Examiners; or

2. (b)

   in exceptional circumstances, marks and a grade of result that are different from the marks and the grade of result recommended or amended by the Chair of Examiners.

(8) After the Delegated Authority has approved the results for a course for release, the Delegated Authority must send the results to the Registrar.

(9)The Registrar must cause the results in a course to be published.

(10)To avoid doubt, for the purposes of subsection (9), published includes published electronically in an appropriate part of the University’s website, including a part of the website accessible only to a student whose results are so published.

10Review of decisions

(1) If, after the final result of a student for a course has been published, the student considers that the result is inappropriate or incorrect because the established criteria of assessment or some aspect of this instrument or relevant policy or procedure has not been followed, the student may, within 20 days after the day the result is published (or any further time that the Associate Dean may allow), discuss the result with the Course Convenor for the course.

(2) If the student discusses the result with the Course Convenor, the Course Convenor must, taking the discussion with the student into account, review the result and decide whether or not to amend the result. The Course Convenor must notify the student of the decision made on the review.

(3) If, after discussing the final result with the Course Convenor and being notified of the Course Convenor’s decision on the review, the student considers that the result (as amended, if at all, by the Course Convenor) is inappropriate or incorrect because the established criteria of assessment or some aspect of this instrument or relevant policy or procedure has not been followed, the student may appeal to the Associate Dean against that result.

(4) The appeal must:

1. (a)

   be in writing; and

2. (b)

   be given to the College Student Office within 20 working days after the day the student is notified of the Course Convenor’s decision (or any further time that the Associate Dean may allow); and

3. (c)

   state clearly the reason why the student considers that the result is inappropriate or incorrect; and

4. (d)

   include any relevant supporting evidence available to the student.

(5) The Associate Dean must consider the appeal, and may conduct the inquiries, and have regard to anything, that the Associate Dean considers appropriate on any matter relating to the appeal, including, but not limited to, recommended outcomes sought from other parties.

(6) The Associate Dean may:

1. (a)

   confirm the result appealed against; or

2. (b)

   approve marks and the grade of a final result for the student (which may be different from the marks and the grade of result recommended by the Chair of Examiners).

(7) Written notice of the decision of the Associate Dean and the reasons for the decision must be sent by the Associate Dean to the student within 20 working days after the day the appeal is given to the College Student Office.

(8) The Associate Dean must also send the results to the Registrar.

(9)Subject to subsection (10), the decision of the Associate Dean is final.

(10)An appeal against the decision of the Associate Dean may be made by the student to the College Dean:

1. (a)

   on procedural grounds only; and

2. (b)

   within 20 working days after the day the student is given written notice of the Associate Dean’s decision and the reasons for the decision.

(11)The decision of the College Dean following an appeal under subsection (10) is final and must be given in writing to the applicant and the Registrar within 20 working days after the day the appeal is made to the College Dean.

(12)Except with the approval of the Delegated Authority, a student awaiting the outcome of a review of, or an appeal against a decision relating to, marks and grade of result in a course may not enrol in another course for which the subject course is a prerequisite until the student is awarded a passing result in the course.

(13) However, if the student is already enrolled, the student is entitled to remain enrolled pending the outcome of any review or appeal under this section.

(14) An Associate Dean may, in writing, appoint a member of the staff of the University (the nominee) to exercise all or any of the Associate Dean’s functions under this section.

(15)A function exercised by the nominee under the appointment is taken to have been exercised by the Associate Dean.

(16)Subsections (14) and (15) do not prevent the Associate Dean from exercising a function in relation which the nominee has been appointed.

11Deferred examinations

(1)The Delegated Authority or Registrar may permit a student who was eligible to take an examination in a course but was unable to attend the examination to take such deferred examination as the Delegated Authority or Registrar determines.

(2) A student seeking permission to take a deferred examination must lodge an application with the Registrar not later than 3 working days after the time fixed for the completion of the examination that the student failed to attend, or within such further time as the Delegated Authority or Registrar allows.

(3) An application under subsection (2) is to be accompanied by a statement in writing setting out the circumstances that prevented the student from attending the examination and by such evidence as is available to the student in support of that statement.

12Special consideration etc.

(1) A student who considers that his or her academic performance in respect of a course has been adversely affected by illness or other cause during the period of studies to which an assessment relates, may furnish a statement of the circumstances in writing to the Delegated Authority in the ANU College offering the course, together with any medical or other evidence, before the assessment is held.

Invigilated examinations

(2)If, during an examination the conduct of which is under the supervision of invigilators:

1. (a)

   a student notifies an invigilator that the student considers that the student’s performance in the examination has been adversely affected by illness or other cause in the course of the examination; or

2. (b)

   another person present at the examination notifies an invigilator that it appears that the performance of a student in the examination has been adversely affected by illness or other cause in the course of the examination; or

3. (c)

   it otherwise appears to an invigilator that the performance of a student in the examination has been adversely affected by illness or other cause in the course of the examination;

the invigilator must, as soon as possible after the completion of the examination, so inform the Delegated Authority in writing.

Other assessment tasks

(3)If a student considers that the student's performance in an assessment other than an assessment of the kind referred to in subsection (2) has been adversely affected by illness or other cause during the assessment, the student may, before the conclusion of the assessment, so notify the Delegated Authority.

(4)Upon receiving a notification under subsection (1), (2) or (3), the Delegated Authority must report accordingly to the examiners.

(5) The examiners must take the report into account in making their assessment of the performance of the student in the course.

(6)The Delegated Authority may permit a student to whom this section applies to undertake further assessment in the course.

13Eligibility for supplementary assessment

(1) A student must be offered supplementary assessment for a course if the student achieves a final result for a course of N45%-N49%.

[Note 1: This includes ungraded (CRS) courses.]

[Note 2: For subsection (1), the student must have achieved a result of N45%-N49%, not NCN.]

(2) A student must be offered a supplementary assessment for a course if the student fails the course because of a requirement that a pass in a hurdle assessment is necessary to achieve a pass in the course and the student achieves a final result for the course of not less than N45%.

[Note: For subsection (2), the student must have achieved a result of N45% or above, not NCN.]

14Offer of supplementary assessment

(1) If a student is eligible for a supplementary assessment for a course, the student's Notification of Results must show an interim result of PX for the course.

(2) If a student is notified of an interim result of PX for a course, the notification constitutes an offer by the Delegated Authority of a supplementary assessment for the course.

(3)However, subsection (2) does not prevent the Delegated Authority from offering a supplementary assessment in writing or in any other way.

(4) If a student is offered a supplementary assessment for a course (other than a course offered by the ANU Medical School), the student must accept or reject the offer by written notice given to the Delegated Authority for the course within 7 working days after the day the offer is made to the student.

(5) To avoid doubt, if a student is offered a supplementary assessment for a course offered by the ANU Medical School, it is not necessary for the student to formally accept or reject the offer.

[Note: See subsection 15(4) for when a supplementary assessment for a course offered by the ANU Medical School may be set.]

(6) A student who fails a course following supplementary assessment may be eligible to be offered supplementary assessment in another attempt at the same course.

15Supplementary assessment

(1) The Delegated Authority must determine the form a supplementary assessment is to take.

(2) The Delegated Authority must give adequate notice to the student of the form, time and place of the supplementary assessment.

(3)Notice may, but is not required to be, given to the student in writing sent to the student’s most current address notified to the Registrar.

(4)To avoid doubt, a supplementary assessment of a student for a course offered by the ANU Medical School may be set for any time not earlier than 3 working days after the day the student is notified of the student’s interim result for the course.

(5) If a student passes a supplementary assessment, the student is regarded as having passed the course concerned with a result of 50PS.

(6) Except with the approval of the Delegated Authority, a supplementary assessment must be held before the end of the first week of the semester (including session) or trimester next following that to which the assessment relates.

(7)If a student fails the supplementary assessment, the student is regarded as having failed the course concerned with a result of N plus the original mark (for a supplementary assessment mentioned in subsection 13(1)) or (for a supplementary assessment mentioned in subsection 13(2)) a result of NCN.

(8) The Registrar must cause the result in the course in relation to which a supplementary assessment is undertaken to be published.

(9) There is no limit to the supplementary assessments that a student may be offered.

(10)To avoid doubt, for the purposes of subsection (8), published includes published electronically in an appropriate part of the University’s website, (including a part of the website accessible only to a student whose results are so published) or otherwise inform the student concerned.

16Prerequisite courses

Except with the approval of the Delegated Authority, a student awaiting the result of a supplementary assessment in a course (the subject course) may not enrol in another course for which the subject course is a prerequisite until the student is awarded a result of 50PS in the subject course.

17Assessment of clinical or professional practice

(1) Clinical or professional practice undertaken by a student during a program must be assessed in the way determined, in writing, by the Delegated Authority.

(2)Without limiting subsection (1), the Delegated Authority may determine that clinical or professional practice be assessed by:

1. (a)

   written or oral examination after completion of the practice; or

1. (b)

   assessment of reports by the student’s supervisors during or following internships or other forms of professional practice.

18Nominees of Registrar

(1) The Registrar may, in writing, appoint a member of the staff of the University (the nominee) to exercise all or any of the Registrar’s functions under this instrument.

(2)A function exercised by the nominee under the appointment is taken to have been exercised by the Registrar.

(3)This section does not prevent the Registrar from exercising a function in relation which the nominee has been appointed.

19Repeal etc.

(1)The Assessment Rules 2014 (No. 3) are repealed.

(2)To remove any doubt, a reference in a rule, order or other document of the University to the Assessment Rules