Faculty of Law

Current Students

Extensions for Assignments

Overview

A Subject co-ordinator is often asked to make difficult decisions in relation to applications for extensions of assignment and penalty for late lodgement of assignments. This policy should assist in this decision making process.

1. Reasons for policy on extensions on assignments

Subject Co-ordinators should bear in mind the following when considering extensions for assignments.

  • Many students are able to conform with assignment deadlines despite sickness, personal problems and employment concerns. It is unfair to those students who have conformed with the prescribed deadline to allow extensions to others without some proper explanation and justification.
  • An aspect of the training inherent in our various degrees is to inculcate an appreciation of the importance of meeting deadlines.
  • Despite the above comments it is necessary to have a policy on assignment extensions as on occasions students genuinely do suffer illness or have severe personal problems on or before the lodgement date for assignments. It would be harsh not to allow students some leeway in regard to lodgment of assignments if good cause is shown.

2. Onus of Proof

The onus is upon students to satisfy the criteria discussed below.

3. Special Cases

If you have a situation that requires special consideration or is not within the criteria discussed below you should refer the matter to the Head - Academic Programs and Student Support.

Ultimately the decision is within the discretion of the Subject co-ordinator but consistency between subjects assists staff and students to understand what is expected of each other.

4. Lodgement of Assignments

Assignments should be deposited in the Assignment Box at the required time, normally 5.00 pm on the specified day. At that time the Assignment Box is cleared and assignments deposited are stamped. Any assignments deposited after that time are late. General staff have on occasions been verbally abused and pressured to accept assignments after the 5.00 pm deadline. An analogy can be made with lodgement of court documents within a limitation period, you have either lodged within time or you have lodged late. Students may also be asked to lodge an electronic version of an assignment, either via email or to a website.

The Faculty of Law has always had a policy of requiring students to deposit assignments on the due date. A late lodgement penalty applies to the marks awarded. A late lodgement penalty is applied unless an application is made for an extension prior to or on the due date and is approved by the Subject co-ordinator based upon sickness or other proper reason.

5. Assignment Coversheets

Please ensure all available fields on the coversheet are completed.

Applications for Extension

1. Application timing

An application for extension should be made on or before the due date. An application for extension lodged after the due date should only be accepted if the reason for the extension made it impossible to seek an extension earlier ie serious illness or accident. Subject Co-ordinators should use their own discretion as to whether such an incident has occurred.

2. Reasons for extension

If the assignment is not lodged by the prescribed time the standard late lodgement penalty will apply unless an extension is granted for the following reasons:

  • sickness
  • some personal reason

3. Sickness

Extensions for assignments for sickness will only be granted if the student presents a medical certificate in the form discussed below. Subject Co-ordinators need not look behind a medical certificate unless the certificate reveals a reason for an extension that would not justify an extension eg a sore foot, a mild cold, etc.

However a medical certificate should not be considered valid unless it indicates:

a) the date on which the student was examined
b) the nature, severity and duration of the complaint
c) the doctor’s opinion of the effect of the condition on the student’s capacity to work.

It is difficult to indicate in a policy whether an extension should be granted if the sickness occurred, say, two weeks before the due date and was a mild or severe handicap as against a severe sickness just prior to the due date. For example, does a bout of severe sickness two weeks before the due date for a period of two days mean an extension should be granted? What if the sickness is for one day on the lodgement date? A decision on this will always be a matter of discretion for the Subject co-ordinator. The following may be a guide:

  • If sickness is in the five days leading up to the due date, an extension for some period of the sickness is appropriate.
  • Sickness only on the due date should allow a one day extension.
  • Sickness earlier than one week before the due date should normally mean no extension is granted unless it is a relatively long term and severe illness, ie for more than 10 days. In that case a short extension may be appropriate.

4. Personal Reasons

Extensions on this ground are granted only in exceptional circumstances. An extension will only be granted on this basis if sufficient evidence is given of the circumstances ie letters from employers, funeral notices, letters from doctors and other professionals etc.

Students may in rare cases not wish to divulge some reasons because they consider them to be confidential. Obviously these reasons will need to be revealed to someone. Students may choose to divulge information to a counsellor in Student Services or to the Deputy Dean. In such cases Subject Co-ordinators should refer to the Deputy Dean or Student Services who may have further information.

The type of reasons which should allow for an extension of time would be:

  • recent family deaths
  • severe emotional disturbances
  • unusual and unexpected changes in employment circumstances ie a recent change in shift.

There has been some pressure brought to bear by students in full time employment to grant extensions, ostensibly because of "busy-ness" caused by a crowded vocational schedule. This is not a sound reason to grant an extension in an assignment.

5. Optional assignments

The above provisions apply to optional assignments.

6. Late Lodgement Penalty

The standard penalty will be 10% of marks awarded to that assignment per day late (rounded off to the nearest one half mark) with no assignment to be accepted seven days after the due date. Where a student is granted an extension, the penalty of 10% per day late starts from the new due date.

Extensions should not be granted for the following reasons:

  • Computer crashes. It is the responsibility of students to ensure proper backup of assignments.
  • Clashes in assignment dates. The assignment co-ordination process should avoid most clashes. On many occasions these clashes are caused by overloading of subjects or because students are not doing subjects in the prescribed order.
  • Because a student is busy with work pressures. It is the responsibility of students to ensure that their subject load reflects the level of work commitments that they may have.
  • Failure to attach the assignment (where submitted electronically).
Policy Number: LAW004
Policy Name: Extensions for Assignments
Contact Person: IT & Administration Manager
Date of Approval: 25 May 2004
Date Last Amended: 24 October 2005
Date of Next Review: Sept 2008