Social Sciences Assignment Information

• Include a cover sheet with your name, student number and unit code.
• All assignments must be submitted in an electronic form, using double line spacing for the body of the text, unless single space is appropriate for specific sections.
• Number pages consecutively throughout the assignment.
• Edit your work carefully for punctuation, spelling, sentence and paragraph construction, and referencing. It is generally a good idea to ask another person to read over your assignment and mark those sections where it doesn’t make sense, prior to submission.
• Format for A4 paper, with margins of at least 2 cm at the top, bottom and sides.
• Avoid lengthy quotations from secondary sources. Generally your own words provide a better flow and more directly reflect the arguments underlying your assignment.

There will be no preview of assessment tasks prior to formal submission by students as this is inappropriate and unfair to other students in this unit.

You are required to comply with word limits. They are an essential part of the assessment design. They not only encourage conciseness, but they also provide a clear indicator of the detail and depth expected for the assessment. They also importantly ensure equity between students. You are not expected to achieve exactly the required length and a 10% leeway is acceptable.

As the word limit is an essential part of the assessment design, non-compliance with word limit requirements will adversely affect marking against the assessment criteria. A paper significantly under the word limit is unlikely to have addressed the assessment topic to the appropriate depth. Similarly, a paper in excess of the word limit will not have demonstrated the assessment objectives within the assessment requirements. Papers of excessive length:

• may not be read beyond the word limit; and
• may receive less detailed feedback.

For clarity, in the absence of different information in the Unit, the following are excluded from the word count:

• title pages, and information such as student name, ID number, class information and assessment details.
• bibliography or reference lists.
• Appendixes.
• footnotes used for citations only.

The following are included in the word count:

• quotations
• footnotes used for discussion/text/ further information beyond citations.
• in-text citations.

Please check your specific unit information for further clarification, including unit-specific rules.

Please ensure you are following the referencing style used by the subject area in which you are studying. These are listed at the link below. If you have any questions about referencing, please contact your unit coordinator.

Referencing styles by study area

If you should find yourself in difficulties and are unable to submit an assignment by the due date, it is important that, before that due date, you request an extension.

Please note: An extension cannot be granted by the School, through its procedures as set out below, beyond the end of the assessment and examination period for that trimester. For an extension beyond the end of the examination period, students must apply for a Special Extension of Time.

Important information about assessment extensions

Extensions can be granted for reasons including:

1. Personal health issues
2. Unexpected work or family commitments
3. Other extenuating circumstances

Extensions Up to 7-Days

An extension of up to 7 calendar days can be granted without supporting documentation (although it may be requested). Most units in the School of HASS, with the exception of honours and reading or project units, use the automated extension tool that allows you to self-register for a 7-day extension via the unit myLearn page for most assessments. In the first instance, please use this extension tool. Where the automated extension tool is not available, please use UNE’s extension application portal.

Please note the extension tool will grant 7-days from the original assessment due date, not from the date that you register for the extension.

Extensions Beyond 7-Days

An extension beyond 7 calendar days will require supporting documentation. These assessments must be applied for through UNE’s extension application portal.

Please note, that should the extension be for beyond the end of a teaching term’s assessment and examination period, a Special Extension of Time will be required, that must be applied for through the appropriate forum submitted through AskUNE.

Note: Assignments that have received an extension may be returned with a significantly reduced level of criticism and commentary. If an extension is obtained for the final assignment, it is unlikely that the work will be returned before the examination period. Assignments submitted late without an extension may receive a mark only, without commentary.

Late Assessment Policy for The School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences and The School of Psychology

Assignments received after the due date WITHOUT an extension of time having been approved will be penalised.

1. Where an assignment is up to two weeks late, a penalty will be imposed of 5% of the total marks for the assessment per day or part thereof. The penalty will accrue on both weekdays and weekends including public holidays (ie. 35% per week).
2. An assignment received more than 10 calendar days late will receive no marks.
3. Tasks that are mandatory to submit that are submitted more than 10 days late but within the relevant teaching period will be deemed to have been submitted, although receiving no marks.

Students should be aware that late assignments submitted more than one week late may be returned with a significantly reduced level of, or no, feedback.

Please note that if an extension is obtained for the final assignment, it is unlikely that the work will be returned before the examination.

All coursework assignments must be submitted before the end of the examination period for trimester units unless the student has been granted a Special Extension of Time.

Extensions and Late Penalties Policy (PDF, 1294.61 KB).

Special Assessments

UNE has a Special Assessment Policy which provides alternatives to normal assessments under specific circumstances:

1. A student who has been prevented through illness or other unavoidable and unforeseen circumstances from satisfying the normal assessment requirements for a unit or from doing so to a standard that was otherwise realistically attainable may apply for special treatment of his/her assessment under this policy; or
2. A student who has attained a final mark of 45-49% for a unit may be offered special assessment at the discretion of the unit coordinator.

Special Examination

What are Special Examinations?

If you are unable to sit your exam or if your performance in the exam was severely affected, you may apply for a Special Examination. This is subject to approval, so it is always best that you attend your examination if you possibly can.

Special Consideration

What is Special Consideration?

If your circumstances do not merit a Special Examination, you may apply for Special Consideration so that the Unit coordinator can apply some discretion when marking your paper. The Faculty will determine whether you should be awarded Special Consideration based on your application and on advice supplied by the relevant School. If you have not sat/will not sit the exam you MUST apply for a Special Exam.

Special Extension of Time (SET)

What is a SET?

A student who is enrolled in a course which is not subject to formal examination, or which the formal examination is the basis of a part of the total assessment, and who has been prevented through illness or other unavoidable circumstances from completing, by the specified date, work which the School considers essential, may seek a Special Extension of Time in which to complete the work. Special Extensions of Time apply to an assignment(s) that is unable to be submitted prior to the last day of the examination period.

Forms

Forms for applying for any of these Special Assessments towards the bottom of the list under "s".

You must comply with the University's policy on Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct. The Plagiarism page directs you to information about UNE's plagiarism policy, outlines your responsibilities in connection with academic writing, and gives advice on how to avoid plagiarism. 

Also note that students must complete the Academic Integrity Module (AIM). You will not be allowed to submit any assignments until you have completed this module.

The Academic Skills Office also offers helpful information about Referencing and Plagiarism.

You must be careful to use non-discriminatory language in assignments. You must avoid language that makes inappropriate reference to sex, disability, language, race and ethnicity. Non-discriminatory language also needs to be gender neutral; also referred to as non-gender specific or inclusive language. Non-sexist language refers to language that treats women and men equally. Some language conventions from the past are in conflict with the principles of equality of the sexes and changes are required. The following guidelines are designed to assist you to express yourself clearly without the use of sexist terms.

A fact sheet on Language usage: Non-discriminatory language (PDF, 316.95 KB) is available from the Academic Skills.

The Dixson Library offers a range of resources that can assist you to source materials for your assignments.

Go to Library services for students for a range of services available. For basic skills involved in finding and evaluating information for assignments, try eSkills.

Please refer to the wide range of resources provided by the Academic Skills Office. Particularly useful information relating to preparing and writing assignments can be found under Learning Resources.

The grading system used at UNE can be found here.