Appeals and Reviews

If you feel a University decision has been unfair you may be able to request a Formal Review or appeal that decision. Appeals and Formal Reviews can be a complicated process – the GAOs can support you each step of the way.

You should contact us if you:

• need help and detailed advice about requesting a review of a grade for an exam, assignment or unit, including practicum units;
• have been excluded from your course and need help appealing your Academic Progression Status;
• would like someone to attend an ECU meeting with you, such as a meeting about your results, Academic Progression Status or Student Appeals Committee;
• have been accused of an Academic Breach or Academic Misconduct and need detailed advice and support; and/or
• have experienced special circumstances which have impacted your studies and need advice about how to withdraw after the financial penalty (census) or academic penalty date.

Our GAOs can meet with you and ensure that you have the right level of representation during the appeals or reviews process. They can also act as a “support person” for you with any meetings or hearings you attend if you need them to.

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Unhappy With Your Marks?

The University has avenues for students who are dissatisfied with the assessment of their academic progress to request a review against those decisions. There are two stages to requesting a review of your results:

1. Assessment, Exam or Unit Result Informal Review

This is where you meet with your lecturer to go through the work, ask any clarification or questions, and make a case for consideration of a remark of your work etc.

During busy times of the year some staff may not be available to meet with you on short notice. If your lecturer, tutor or unit co-ordinator are unable to meet with you, email the details of your request to informally review the assessment instead. There is no time limit when you should request an Informal Review, but keep in mind that there are time frames for a Formal Review and an Informal Review must take place first. If your assessor is refusing to meet with you for an Informal Review then let us know.

2. Assessment, Exam or Unit Result Formal Review  

You have the option to request a Formal Review if you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the Informal Review meeting. To do so you must explain your reason for wanting a Formal Review according to one or more valid grounds:

• The result was not determined in accordance with the method or criteria specified in the relevant Unit outline or other written advice given by the University to the Student;
• The University has not adhered to its Rules and policies;
• The result was affected by discrimination, prejudice, or bias against a Student; or
• The result contained, was based on, or was caused by, a clear error.

It is a good idea to talk to a GAO if you are unsure what these mean or how they apply. There are also invalid grounds for a Formal Review. These are:

• The approved learning outcomes and assessment task methods for the unit;
• The assessor’s judgement regarding the academic merit of any work submitted for an assessment task, exam or unit;
• The assessor’s determination of the level of performance or standard required by you to achieve particular marks, including language proficiency;
• Your personal, financial, visa or medical difficulties experienced whilst while completing an assessment task, exam or unit;
• Financial, career, visa or other personal implications of you not passing or achieving a particular grade/result in an assessment task, exam or unit;
• Grade/results received by you, or other students, in the same or other units;
• The amount of effort put into work completed by you; or
• An Outcome imposed for Academic Misconduct or Academic Breach.

There are set time frames for a Formal Review to be lodged with ECU. A Formal Review must also include the signed Informal Review form, however if your lecturer could or would not meet with you then you can still lodge a Formal Review if you provide evidence of efforts to undertake an Informal Review. Time frames for a Formal Review are as follows.

• A request for Formal Review for an individual Assessment Task or Examination must be lodged within 21 calendar days of the result becoming available.
• A request for a Formal Review for a final Unit result/grade, must be lodged within 30 calendar days of the final result becoming available.

It is possible to submit a Formal Review late to ECU, however you will need to provide sufficient evidence for why your Formal Review was submitted late. You may have other avenues to address any failing grades, so if you wish to explore those avenues talk to a Guild Advisory Officer.

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Supplementary Exam?

There is certain criteria for getting a supplementary exam or conceded pass. Just because you meet the criteria, does not guarantee you will be offered one.

There is no avenue to approach the Board of Examiners or request a supplementary exam. It is likely a better option for you to start the appeal process with an Informal Review.

It is up to the Board of Examiners discretion whether you should be offered a supplementary assessment. The Board of Examiners may offer you a supplementary assessment in accordance with Rule 4.7.1 of the University’s Admission, Enrolment and Academic Progress Rules if:

You have failed only one unit in your most recent teaching period, with a grade of n or FI and your make is 45 or more, when either

• you are in your first semester, or
• you are within the first 60 credit points of your course (ie. you have been part-time) and you have no previous fails;

Or

You failed only one unit in your most recent teaching period, with a grade of N or FI, and

• your mark was 40 or more, and
• the unit you failed is the last unit required to complete your course

Financial Help

You should contact us if you don’t have enough money to eat or pay your rent or bills. We can refer you to financial counseling services if you need help balancing your budget.

The Australian Government has put together a tips page to help you budget: https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/

Emergency Food Bank

We can arrange a referral to Foodbank for support with regular or one-off low cost food hampers. Please book an appointment to speak to a GAO about this.

Grants

The ECU Student Guild may offer grants to eligible students. Please make an appointment with a Guild Advisory Officer to talk about available options.

Assistance with ECU applications for financial assistance

ECU offers ECU Student Loans between $500 and $1500 to domestic students who meet the required criteria. Head over to MoneyMatters to learn more. We can assist you with preparing your application.

ECU’s Hardship Payment Scheme is available to international students at specific times of the year and allows students to pay their fees in two installments. We can assist you with your Hardship Payment Scheme application.

ECU also offers various Scholarships. If you would like assistance preparing your application we can help you.

Still Waiting for Centrelink?

 Many students are forced into desperate situations waiting around for their Centrelink payments. If you are applying for Youth Allowance, Austudy or Abstudy and have been waiting around, follow this advice:

1. Find Your MP
   MP’s have a direct line to a Centrelink liaison who can fast-track applications. You can find who your local MP is by searching your postcode here: https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Members
   It’s your Member of Parliament’s job to represent all the people in their area (even the ones who didn’t vote for them), if you are interested you can find out where they stand on matters here: https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/
2. Make Contact
   Ring their local office (not their Canberra office) and ask for an appointment or email through your issue.
3. Seek Support
   If you need any advice or representation with Centrelink matters, there are free and confidential services available. The Welfare Rights and Advocacy Service can provide independent advice and referrals: http://www.wraswa.org.au/services/

Welfare and Wellbeing

If you are feeling sad, lonely, stressed, confused or overwhelmed about your course or a personal issue and aren’t sure about where to go on or off campus for help, then please feel free to make an appointment with a Guild Advisory Officer who can refer you accordingly.

ECU has a team of counsellors and psychologists as part of the student counselling service.

For more information on other ECU support services visit www.ecu.edu.au/student/support/home

There are various external support services you can contact through the Emergency Relief Connect website. Lifeline, BeyondBlue, 1800Respect and MensLine also provide free, confidential services 24/7.

Get in contact with local community and sporting clubs https://www.mycommunitydirectory.com.au/Western_Australia

Anglicare’s free Friend in Need app can help you navigate difficult conversations with friends going through a tough time.

Legal

Whilst our Guild Advisory Officers can’t give you legal advice, we can refer you to appropriate legal services. Make an appointment with our GAOs to discuss your situation and how we can help.

The Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre is located at the ECU Joondalup Campus and can provide legal advice, advocacy and education. They provide limited representation on matters of family law, civil law, tenancy law and some criminal matters.

 

Legal Aid provides free (or low-cost, depending on your financial situation) legal services related to civil, criminal and family law as well as community legal education. Offices are located in Perth and Bunbury.

 

The Women’s Legal Service WA provides free legal services for WA women experiencing disadvantage or in a crisis and is located in Perth.

Who can provide a medical certificate and what does it need to have on it?

ECU will only accept medical certificates from a registered medical practitioner. Certificates will not be accepted from pharmacists or other health practitioners. Certificates will also not be accepted from online doctor services as you must have attended and been seen by the doctor in person.

To be accepted, these medical certificates must follow the Australian Medical Association Guidelines for medical certificates.

The certificate must contain:

1. name and address of doctor issuing certificate;
2. name of the patient;
3. date on which the examination took place;
4. date on which the certificate was issued; and
5. date(s) on which the patient is or was unfit for attendance.

The certificate should be legible and written so that a non-medical person is able to read and understand the certificate.

Any certificate that does not meet these requirements may be rejected.

Comprehensive OSHC Insurance with Medibank

The Australian Government requires all student visa holders to have current Overseas Student Health Cover for the duration of their student visa*. It is your responsibility to ensure that your health insurance is current at all times. Expired health cover is a violation of your student visa and exposes you to potentially high medical costs.

Whilst ECU’s preferred provider is Medibank, you may purchase OSHC from any of the government-registered providers. If you are not with Medibank, please visit your Government registered provider for further details on your coverage.

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Medibank OSHC pay benefits towards medical services provided by a doctor either in or out of a hospital, that are listed in the Australian Government Medicare Benefits Schedule. You pay only the difference between the benefit Medibank pays you and the actual fee charged by the doctor.

You are covered for certain hospital treatment and certain prescription medicines. You also need to be aware of what is not covered in the policy. If you would like to find out more about your membership, please refer to the OSHC Membership guide which tells you about your cover and what you can and cannot claim for.

Where possible before booking treatment, you should always call Medibank to ask about the benefits you can expect to receive and any out-of pocket expenses you might incur.

Further resources:

List of Direct Billing Clinics

Cover Summary (Medibank Comprehensive OSHC)

Medibank OSHC Membership Guide

Appointments with a Guild Advisory Officer can be booked online here

Unfortunately due to high demand we cannot accept walk-ins during peak periods. The easiest way to ensure you can talk to a Guild Advisory Officer is to go online and book an appointment at your nearest campus.

Out of Hours Crisis Line for ECU Students.

Phone: 1300 583 032 or Text: 0488 884 232

5pm-7am Monday to Friday. Open 24 hours on weekends and public holidays.

The ECU Guild has a limited selection of Academic Regalia to assist students attending their graduation. You can fill in the form here.