Special Consideration - Disruption to Studies

A Disruption to Studies Event is a serious and unavoidable event that:

• was caused by health issues, hardship, trauma, bereavement or other unavoidable circumstances beyond your control
• could not have reasonably been anticipated, avoided or guarded against
• caused substantial disruption to your ability to effective study and/or complete an assessment, and:
• was at least three days in duration.

A Disruption to Studies Event may also occur if you have commenced an examination and been unable to complete your examination as a result of technical, health or other circumstances outside of your control.

A Disruption to Studies Event must be of a discernible length, for example, you were sick for a week. It does not include ongoing events which may impact your studies and are managed in accordance with other university policies, for instance, Academic Reasonable Adjustment Plan (ARAP)  developed in line with the Disability Policy.

A Disruption to Studies Event is something serious and unavoidable. It does not include situations like:

• misreading your Learning Guide or exam timetable
• failing to have the equipment and/or environment required to sit an examination in exam conditions
• not being able to present suitable identification (e.g., Student ID, Drivers License or Passport) in response to a request from a University Officer or online proctor
• short-term minor illnesses or accidents that impacts you for less than three days (see Request for Extension or Missed Compulsory Teaching Activities)
• unspecified health conditions or generalised symptoms of being unwell, tired or stressed, including stress from an assessment
• routine life and work commitments
• travel plans
• vehicle break down

A Disruption to Studies Provision recognises that you have been impacted by a Disruption to Studies Event by allowing you to complete an additional or alternate opportunity to demonstrate that you meet the relevant Subject Learning Outcomes. This may be:

• completing a different, academically equivalent assessment task,
• being exempted from an assessment item,
• having an extension granted, or
• being awarded a mark based on the average mark for all other completed assessment tasks that you have completed.

You are eligible to apply for a Disruption to Studies Provision if you have been impacted by a Disruption to Studies Event.

You can submit a Disruption to Studies notification online using the online Disruption to Studies form. All applications for Disruption to Studies must contain appropriate supporting documentation to substantiate the circumstances that are impacting on your studies. Applications without supporting documentation will not be considered. Refer to the Documentary Evidence page for information on the type of documentation you need to provide.

If you have experienced a Disruption to Studies Event, you must submit an online notification of the disruption to studies within five working days of the disruption commencing unless extenuating circumstances occurred (e.g., a student remained in hospital for more than five working days).

You may be able to submit a late application if you had extenuating circumstances that prevented you from submitting on time. If you submit a late application, you must provide documentary evidence that explains why you could not submit your application on time or it will not be considered.

Refer to the Documentary Evidence page for information on the type of documentation you need to provide.

You must provide an electronic copy of all your supporting documents. Hard copy documents will not be accepted. If your supporting documents are hard copies, you will need to scan them and attach them to the online form as electronic copies.

You can submit your supporting documents as part of the online application process. Otherwise, all supporting documentation must be submitted no later than five working days after you submit your application.

You must provide an electronic copy of all your supporting documents. Hard copy documents will not be accepted. If your supporting documents are hard copies, you will need to scan them and attach them to the online form as electronic copies.

You can submit your supporting documents as part of the online application process. Otherwise, all supporting documentation must be submitted no later than five working days after you submit your application.

All supporting documentation that is not included with your initial application must be provided within five working days of original submission. You will receive a notification to your student email address with instructions on how to submit your documentation.

For auditing purposes you must keep either the original or certified copy of all supporting documentation you attach for at least one year. The University conducts audits to validate the information students provide in their applications. You may be contacted any time within one year of submitting your application and required to produce either the original or a certified copy of all supporting documentation. Documentation that has been fraudulently altered or manipulated may constitute non-academic misconduct.

A Deferred Exams is an opportunity for students who have been impacted by serious and unavoidable circumstances to sit their final examination at a later date. To qualify for a Deferred Exam, you must not have started the examination. In the case of an on site exam, this means you have not entered the exam room. For more information about Deferred Exams, refer to the Deferred Exam website.

To qualify for a Disruption to Studies Provision for an examination, you must have commenced the examination and, as a result of circumstances outside of your control, been unable to complete the exam. This includes health and technical reasons.

You cannot be awarded a Deferred Exam as a result of a Disruption to Studies application, but you may be awarded a supplementary exam.

An Academic Reasonable Adjustment Plan (ARAP) can adjust for the effects of your disability or health condition while you are able to manage your symptoms.

If you have an ARAP you may only apply for a Disruption to Studies Provision if the symptoms of your disability or medical condition significantly increase to the extent that you are unfit to attend class, complete assessment tasks or undertake an exam and the increased impact affects your studies for at least three days and the criteria above. The existence of a chronic condition cannot be a basis to apply for Disruption to Studies Provision.

If you have an ARAP, you may apply for Disruption to Studies if:

• the issue is not related to your medical condition or disability (e.g. a death in the family/motor vehicle accident); and
• the symptoms of your disability/medical condition became worse than can be reasonably accommodated by the adjustments in your ARAP; and
• you have supporting documentation additional to your ARAP.

It is not sufficient for you to provide a copy of your ARAP as evidence for a Disruption to Studies application.

Please forward your request for Disruption to Studies to your Student Hub. Alternatively, you can email help@westernsydneyonline.edu.au or phone our Advisor line 1300 050 935.