A guide for academic staff in the School of Computer Science & Engineering, UNSW. [Note: Based on UNSW Assessment Rules approved in 2002. These are under revision in 2008, and so some of the items below may change. Note written August 2008.] [Note added September 2009: the Academic Board approved a new assessment policy in November 2008. New assessment procedures based on the new policy were, I understand, to be developed by appropriate people in the Chancellery. I have not been able to find assessment procedures on the UNSW website lately, so I am unable to update this page. This page should thus be viewed as obsolete, but the principles embodied herein should generally still be valid.]
Course Outline (including Assessment Plan) Must Be Available by the start of Week 0
The Assessment Plan Must Not Be Changed after Week 1
Classes Must Not Be Held, nor Assignments etc. Due after Week 14
Examinations/quizzes Worth 20% or More of the Final Mark Must Not Be Held in Week 14
Students Must Receive Feedback on their Progress By Mid-Session
Students Must Receive Complete Information about Assessment in the Course Outline
Final marks and Thesis Marks must be returned by the deadline each session
Who Says?
UNSW Assessment Rules § 7.4 part 5
Why Not?
The Course Outline, including the assessment plan, is a kind
of contract with the students. Students might have switched
to another course if the assessment had been different.
Is there a workaround?
Assessment may be changed with the consent of all
students. To get consent, you need to contact all students
enrolled in the course by e-mail, not just take a vote of
those attending a particular lecture.
It is OK to put assessment deadlines back, i.e.
give the class an extension, subject to the rule below
this one, but not to bring assessment deadlines forward.
What to do if you're in breach
Contact the Associate Head of School
Who Says?
UNSW Assessment Rules § 2.5
Why Not?
Week 13 is the first week of exams. They get a 3-day revision
period (sat-sun-mon), down from 6 days under the 14-week session,
so revision time is really at a premium.
It does not make a difference if there is no exam in
your course, as the students will normally be doing
other courses, too.
Is there a workaround?
No. The only grey area is if your assignment due in week 12
has to be extended, for serious reasons, to week 13.
Contact the Associate Head of School if you are thinking about
doing this.
What to do if you're in breach
Contact the Associate Head of School
Who Says?
UNSW Assessment Rules § 2.5
Why Not?
Week 12, too, is partly for revision for the final exams.
Typically students will be finishing assignments in week 12.
It does not make a difference if there is no exam in
your course, as the students will normally be doing
other courses, too.
Is there a workaround?
No, except in the case where e.g. a quiz scheduled before week
12 has to be postponed. We might be able to sort something out
then, on the grounds that the students (should have) prepared
for the quiz before week 12. We had a case like this a couple
of years ago, where a fire alarm went off during a quiz late
in session, so that the lecture theatre had to be evacuated
and the quiz abandoned.
What to do if you're in breach
Contact the Associate Head of School
Who Says?
UNSW Assessment Rules § 2.1 and
§ 8.1 Appendices A and B.
Appendix A mandates provision of individual feedback by mid-session (details below).
Appendix B mandates provision of "information on the distribution of results in
all items of assessment".
Why?
Students may withdraw without financial penalty up to the HECS
census date (31 March in session 1; 31 August in session 2),
and withdraw without academic penalty up to the end
of week 6. They need feedback on their progress so that they
can make the call on whether to withdraw without academic
penalty, as well as for the usual educational reasons.
Is there a workaround?
No. The withdrawal deadline is absolute for students (unless they
are, e.g., run over by a bus), so it is absolute
for lecturers, too (unless they are run over by a bus).
So you need to build this deadline into your assessment plan,
including time for marking and return of grades.
What to do if you're in breach
Contact the Associate Head of School.
And provide those assessment distributions for assignments, etc.
Who Says?
UNSW Assessment Rules § 2.8
What Details?
(Quoted from the URL above):
What to do if you're in breach
Contact the Associate Head of School
See also the
School of Computer Science & Engineering
Grievance Page, particularly if you are a student who has found
this page.
This page was originally written and is now sporadically mantained by
Bill Wilson.
UNSW's CRICOS Provider No. is 00098G