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 set for assignments, although leeway of +/- 10% is permitted. These limits encourage conciseness, and provide a good indicator of the depth to which you are expected to go. This word limit is also factored into the cost of marking assignments.

All written work must also comply with APA format as detailed in the APA Publication Manual (7th edition). Typing should be in a 12-point font size throughout, double-spaced and with at least 2.54 cm margins all round. All pages are to be numbered. The word count must be specified on the title page. The word count applies to the text of the assignment and includes all material except the title page and references.

For extensions past the due date of your assignment, the School allows students to apply for an extension via the Assessment Extension Form.

Note: this form should not be completed if the requested extension date is beyond the final day of the relevant teaching period. In this case, you may consider applying for a Special Extension of Time.

Students need to have a good reason for requesting an extension, such as sickness or unforeseen circumstances at work. Supporting documentation is required for extensions of more than 7 days. Extensions of up to 7 days may be granted without supporting documentation at the unit coordinator’s discretion, but reasons for the extension must still be given in writing. Extensions will not normally be granted for reasons of computer trouble or inability to manage study load. UNE's Assessment Guidelines states the following are acceptable and unacceptable circumstances for extension applications:

Acceptable Circumstances for Applications

Unacceptable Circumstances

The following circumstances are unacceptable:

• Other assignments due on or about the due date or other study-related commitments.
• Failure of computer, Internet, or other Information Communication Technology (ICT) unless publicly documented (ICT failure at the UNE server is treated at a global unit level by the school).
• Foreseeable work commitments or other foreseeable circumstances.

Late Assessment Policy 

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% per day or part thereof of the marks available for that assignment. The penalty will accrue on both weekdays and weekends including public holidays (ie. 35% per week).
2. An assignment received more than 10 days late will receive no marks.

At the Unit Coordinator’s discretion, exceptional circumstances may be considered if they are supported by documentary evidence.

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 start of the examination period for trimester units unless the student has been granted a Special Extension of Time.

For more information regarding Assessment requirements, please see the Assessment Guidelines.

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 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.