NOT HAPPY WITH A RESULT? HOW DO I REQUEST A REASSESSMENT? December 11, 2009
Posted by ssaablog in Academic Advice Blog.2 comments
So, you think you did ok in the exam, and your marks throughout semester have been pretty good, but somehow your final result was a fail??? Hmm..sometimes it just doesn’t seem to add up. Maybe the exam paper has not been marked correctly? It can happen. And then sometimes you just didn’t do as well as you thought you did. It would be good to find out wouldn’t it! Well, you can – all Swinburne students are entitled to request a review of the marking of a piece of assessment - including assignments, tests and exams. There are, however, strict guidelines (in line with University Policy and Procedure*) as to how to go about requesting a reassessment. These Procedures include when you must submit a reassessment request and to whom you submit it to. And what do you submit anyway? Let’s look at these now.
* Keep in mind that University Policy and Procedure for Assessment and Appeals sometimes change and that it is also good to speak to the SSAA Academic Advisor/Advocate on your campus. For a look at the Univeristy’s Assessment and Appeals Policy and Procedure for Higher Ed visit: http://policies.swinburne.edu.au/ppdonline/showdoc.aspx?recnum=POL/2007/9
Re-assessment Procedures:
So, you are dissatisfied with an aspect of the outcome of your assessed work. Initially there is an informal resolution process. If, however, a satisfactory resolution is not achieved, then you may commence the formal process.
Informal Resolution Process:
Students who are dissatisfied with an aspect of University assessment should normally contact the member of the teaching staff most directly involved with the assessed work or the relevant Subject Convenor. If you are unsure who to contact, email your unit convener. SSAA advises that you do this via email so that you have a dated record of it.
Students have up to ten (10) working days to initiate an informal review of an assessment result from the date on which the assessed work is made available for collection.
In your email state that you are not satisfied with the mark for <THE UNIT IN QUESTION> and that you wish to arrange a time to meet to review the paper with the possibility of reassessment.
Be aware that it is in your own interest to commence this process as early as possible so as to facilitate resolution in time for subsequent re-enrolment procedures.
During the informal process the staff member may take such action deemed appropriate to resolve the matter. This may include, but shall not necessarily require:
• reviewing attendance (where required) and submission records; and/or
• checking the marks for the work; and/or
• discussing the marking criteria in detail with the student; and/or
• allowing the student to submit or resubmit a section of an assignment where the staff member is of the opinion that the student had valid grounds for misinterpreting what was required and this misinterpretation has led to a lower mark than may have been expected.
As a result of the informal review your result can only be improved or the original mark stand. In other words you cannot lose marks as a result of having your piece of assessment reviewed.
The informal resolution process must be completed within ten (10) working days from the date you contact your lecturer/tutor/unit convener. The Head of the Academic Unit (usually the Dean) may grant an extension if it seems likely that the informal resolution process will not reach a conclusion in that time. This may include situations where the relevant member of teaching staff is away.
Students who are unable to make contact with the staff member, or are reluctant to do so for any reason, should contact the Administration Manager of the Academic Unit or nominee.If you are not sure who this is then contact your faculty reception and ask.
Students who are overseas may still ask for their papers to be reviewed at an informal level. The review will be done by the convener/lecturer in your absence.
You will be notified of the outcome of the informal review by the staff member, usually at the time when you meet to look over the paper. They may/may not indicate that there could be extra marks awarded in your paper. The marks will not be changed at the informal review, you will need to then go through the formal procedure to request an official remark of your paper. Also, if you are not satisfied with the outcome of the informal resolution process you may then progress to the formal procedure.
The formal procedure for reassessment request involves writing a letter to the Head of the Academic Unit and must be submitted within five (5) working days from the date of notification of the outcome of the informal review of your paper.
SSAA recommends that you make an appointment with the Academic Advisor/ Advocate on your campus if your reassessment request comes to the formal stage. We can help you write the letter to the Head of the Academic Unit. This letter needs to include very specific information and follow a particular format. We can help.
So, the quick guide steps for reassessment are:
1. Contact your lecturer or unit convener within 10 workings days of receiving your result to let them know you wish to have the paper reviewed. Request a time to meet with them to look over the paper together. Do this by email because then you have a written record of having requested the reassessment within the time limit.
2. Meet with lecturer/marker of paper to look over paper with them (it will be a quick appointment – they usually have a lot of students to see). Take in as much of the marking as you can – maybe a section has been missed in the marking; perhaps the marks have been added up wrongly.
3. If you strongly believe that your paper has been marked/added up incorrectly then progress to the formal resolution stage.
4. Make an appointment with the SSAA Advisor/Advocate on your campus. (visit www.swinburne.ed.au/ssaa for contact details)
And remember, it can be a good learning exercise to look over your paper so even if you do not get any extra marks try tto use the exercise of seeing where you went wrong in the paper to your advantage if you later need to repeat the unit.
Good luck everyone!
From the SSAA Student Academic Advisors/Advocates : )
