Student responsibilities


Your responsibilities as a Western Sydney University student

If you are a new student enrolling for the first time, you must complete the enrolment steps outlined on the Starting at Western Sydney University website.

When you first enrol at Western Sydney University, you agree to the Student Declaration as a condition of your enrolment. This outlines the rules you will adhere to while at the university and your responsibilities as a student of the University.

If the University changes any of these terms, you may be sent an email to your Western Sydney University email account.

You can read the full text of the Student Declaration online.

As a student at Western Sydney University you have agreed to:

1 - Follow the rules

Students are bound by a number of rules, by-laws and policies. You need to make sure you know and comply with the rules for students set out in Western Sydney University policies and keep up to date when policies change. Breaching these policies may lead to charges of academic, research and/or general misconduct and could seriously affect your program.

A list of the most accessed student-related policies is available on the student policies webpage.

2 - Check and use your student email account

Your Western Sydney University student email account is the official communication channel between you and the University. While you're a current Western Sydney University student, you must:

  • Check your student email account frequently (daily if possible)
  • Only use your student email account when corresponding with the University via email

More information about student email is also available online.

3 - Check the student webpages

Important news and information is posted on the Current Students webpages and in MyWestern.(opens in a new window) Check these frequently so you can get important information when you need it about, your study requirements and the University.

4 - Satisfy your study requirements

Study requirements are all the things you need to do to successfully enrol, complete your subjects and complete your program.

Enrolling
If you're a new student, you need to complete the enrolment steps, which include accepting your offer, enrolling in MyStudentRecords (MySR), getting your student ID card, registering in tutorials, working out your timetable and getting prepared to start uni.

Once you've completed your first session, you need to re-register for each teaching term after that.

Some courses have special requirements that you need to have completed in order to enrol, like a first aid certificate. If your program has any special requirements, they will be listed on the program page in the Western Sydney University Handbook. To find out how to meet your special requirements, go to the special requirements webpage.

Programs also have 'Inherent Requirements', which are the fundamental abilities, knowledge and skills you need to complete the program that all students must meet. The University is currently working on finalising the Inherent Requirements for all programs. Make sure you check the Inherent Requirements site and your program's Handbook page page to see when new programs are added.

Completing your course
Each subject you study has requirements/rules you must meet, such as:

  • subjects may have a pre or co-requisite – that is another subject you must have completed before or at the same time. Check the Handbook page for your unit to see if it has a pre or co-requisite
  • assessments tasks and due dates – all the assessment tasks you must complete including instructions, weight of the mark and due date
  • referencing rules – the accepted referencing style for that subject
  • plagiarism rules – the rules about plagiarism including expected conduct and potential consequences
  • required program equipment – any subject-specific equipment needed to complete practical and work placement elements
  • attendance expectations – expected attendance for lectures, tutorials, labs and any other classes

Subject requirements and rules will differ from subject to subject. Specific subject rules are detailed in the subject outline. It is your responsibility to read your subject outlines and meet the expectations and deadlines in order to successfully complete each subject.

Each program has program requirements/rules you must meet, such as:

  • Studying on your home campus - that is, only registering in tutorials and attending classes and exams on your home campus
  • Registering in the set pattern of subjects for your program – such as the right number and combination of subjects for majors, minors or concentrations (these are known as 'Field of Study')
  • Completing any practical or work placement components
  • Registering in the right number of subjects – 'study load rules' outline the minimum and maximum number of credit points you can register in for each teaching term
  • Completing your progam within the maximum time (in years) you can take to complete your program

General University program and subject rules can be found on the program and subject rules webpage and on the program page in the Handbook.

Paying your fees
You must pay or defer your tuition fees/Student Contribution and any other applicable fees by the relevant deadlines (this is often the census date for the relevant teaching term). If you do not pay or defer your fees you may lose access to University services or your enrolment may be cancelled. Make sure you know what your fees are by reading the information on the fees webpage.

If you don't pay your fees by their due dates, the University may take action to recover any outstanding fees. This may include disclosing your personal information to debt collection agencies.

5 - Provide true and correct information for the University's use

Any and all information you provide to the University must be true, accurate and complete. The University relies on you to provide accurate information and will not be responsible for any errors arising out of inaccurate information you supply.

If information and documentation you have supplied is found to be incorrect, you may be held accountable under the University's misconduct rules. You must notify the University of any change to your personal information, including your contact information, no later than five (5) working days after any change.

Western Sydney University collects and holds your personal information to carry out its educational, administrative and operational functions. This may include, but is not limited to, verifying admission criteria, keeping correct enrolment and student records and complying with Department of Education and Training (DET) and record keeping legislation.

The University may also disclose your personal information to persons or organisations external to the University, including other educational institutions, government departments and agencies and organisations affiliated with the University. This may include any information related to your academic record, findings of misconduct against you or your exclusion from study by the University. You can find more information about this on the Privacy webpage.

6 - Keep your personal and contact details up to date

Contact details
It is your responsibility to make sure your contact details are up to date in MySR while you are a current Western Sydney University student. This includes your address, mobile number, home phone number, emergency contact and next of kin. If you move house or get a new mobile, make sure you update MySR with your new details!

Mobile number for emergencies
The University sends urgent information and emergency messages to students by SMS. The University may also call your mobile phone in emergency situations. These may include urgent notices about your enrolment and being discontinued, last minute exam changes and emergency situations on campus. It is your responsibility to keep your mobile number up to date and entered in the correct 'Mobile Number' field in MySR.