School of Science and Technology Late Assessment Policy

Assignment Extension Policy

1. Scope of Assignment Extension Policy

The Assignment Extension Policy applies to written assignments submitted through the assignment e-submission process and audio/video assignments. It excludes:

• Group-work assignments
• Other assignments where the unit Moodle site indicates that the extension policy cannot be applied. With such assignments, which would include quizzes, the Unit Moodle site will indicate if extensions are nevertheless available. If extensions are available, they fall outside the Assignment Extension Policy.

2. Student obligations

The School of Science and Technology regards time management as an important graduate attribute. All students have an obligation to submit their assignment on the due date.

3. Due date

The due date is the date stated on the unit Moodle site for the assignment task/s. Any changes to assignment tasks or due dates will be published on Moodle.

4. Method of submission

All assignments must be submitted via Moodle before 23:59 AEST/AEDT on the due date specified in the unit study guide. If for some technical reason this is impossible, written assignments should be emailed to the unit coordinator as evidence of the time the student sought to submit the assignment. Students will still need to later submit through the assignment e-submission process, so that the assignment can be checked by the plagiarism software, "TurnItIn".

5. Extensions

If students are unable to meet the assignment deadlines, due to UNFORESEEN circumstances, they MUST submit an application for an extension to the School's Academic Manager via AskUNE .

5.1 When to apply

Assignment extension applications should be submitted as early as possible (as soon as the student knows that they will not be able to finish the assignment in time) but at the latest by 23:59 (AEST/AEDT) of the original due date of the assignment.

Students who apply for an extension will be notified via AskUNE and will also be able to see the outcome via the "My Moodle" page for the assignment.

5.2 Valid reasons for an extension

Acceptable reasons for an extension are:

• Medical or mental health grounds
• Unforeseen work commitments, e.g. work not part of usual duties, or that is unexpected or unavoidable
• Other extenuating circumstances beyond the student's control, e.g. death in the family, victim of crime.

The following circumstances are UNACCEPTABLE grounds for extensions:

• Inability to have an assignment word processed by the due date
• Other assignments due on or about the due date
• Disk or ICT failure, unless publicly documented (ICT failure at the UNE server is treated at a global unit level by the School)
• Foreseeable work commitments.

Please note: The School will take into consideration the student's history of making applications for assignment extensions and may reject an application.  Repeated applications for assignment extensions is an indication of not being able to cope with the workload.

5.3 Length of extensions

The School has a duty of care to ensure that the student will still be able to keep up with their study, assignment and examination preparation.  Therefore the normal maximum extension period is ten (10) consecutive days.  In extraordinary circumstances, the Course Coordinator may agree to a longer extension but this will require additional evidence about the student's ability to catch up with their work.

If a student is UNABLE to meet the extended deadline, they are encouraged to withdraw from the unit, as they will simply not be able to keep up with their studies. Applications for a withdrawal are made via AskUNE.

5.4 Supporting documentation required

Students must provide a scanned copy of supporting documentation with their application for an extension.

If students do not have the documentation at the time of application, they should include a note to this effect in the application. Students should forward their documentation as soon as possible.

Please note that the School will not process student extension applications until supporting documentation is received.

Table 1

5.5 Notification of outcome of extension application

All applications are advised through AskUNE and are also visible on the "My Moodle" page for the assignment.

Students should not contact the School's Academic Manger's office unless they have not received notification from AskUNE or if there is no notification visible on the "My Moodle" page after three (3) working days from the time they applied for the extension.

Students who have not received a response within three (3) working days should contact the School office directly on (02) 6773 4209.

5.6 Contacts

Extensions are coordinated by the School Academic Manager's office. Unit coordinators are not authorised to issue extensions and students should not contact the unit coordinator about their extension application or the outcome.

6. Late Submission Penalty

Assessment tasks submitted after the due date and time without an approved extension will incur a late submission penalty. The following provisions apply:

• A deduction of 5% of the total marks for the assessment task for each calendar day or part day after the due date will be applied. The relevant Associate Dean Teaching and Learning, considering disciplinary and professional standards, may approve a lower penalty for individual units. The Unit Coordinator will advise students of the lower penalty through the Learning Management System.
• An assessment task received more than ten (10) calendar days after the due date without an approved extension will receive 0% for the task. The relevant Associate Dean Teaching and Learning, considering disciplinary and professional standards, may approve an alternative penalty for individual units.
• Where a task is mandatory to submit in order to complete a unit, a task received more than ten (10) calendar days after the due date but within the relevant teaching period will be deemed as having been submitted.
• The Unit Coordinator will inform affected students when late submission penalties are applied.

If an extension is obtained for the final assignment, it is unlikely that the work will be returned before the examination period commences for that unit. It is University Policy that an extension will not be granted once the examination period has commenced. Students must then apply for a Special Extension of Time through AskUNE and attach appropriate documentation to support their application.

7. Special Extension of Time (SET)

A Student who has been prevented by illness or other unavoidable and unforeseen circumstances from completing any compulsory assessment task beyond any approved extensions noted in this policy may apply for a special extension of time.

Applications for a Special Extension of Time must be made in the prescribed manner and lodged through AskUNE

Assignment Extension Important Points

Updated on 11 December  2019