Policy Number: 3.30.3
Contact Officer: Academic Registrar
Date Approved by Senate: 24/07/2008

Date last amended: 8 April 2009
Date last approved: 26/07/2007
Date for Next Review: 08/04/2011
Related Policies:1.70.8, 3.30.1, 1.60.2, 3.40.7

 

 

 

1.1        The University of Queensland has a legal and moral responsibility to provide a participatory environment for students with disabilities. As part of its commitment to achieving this end, the University has developed a Disability Action Plan (DAP); which highlights priorities in relation to the elimination of disadvantage for people with disabilities. The guiding principles on which the development of the relevant policies and procedures are, and will continue to be based are detailed in the DAP.

1.2        A fundamental principle of the DAP and other relevant policies is a commitment by the University to be proactive in providing people with disabilities the opportunity to participate fully in University life and to realise their individual goals and potential by utilising a range of strategies including the provision of reasonable adjustments where necessary (such as academic adjustments and specialised support services) while being cognisant that in developing alternative academic arrangements, academic standards must be maintained.

1.3        The procedures outlined below further the goals of the Disability Action Plan, are relevant to The Provision of Alternative Academic Arrangements for Students with a Disability, and also interpret the Assessment Rules on special arrangements for ‘reasonable adjustment’.

2.1        In order that all students are provided a comparable opportunity to demonstrate knowledge and competency for assessment purposes, where necessary, the University will make arrangements for reasonable adjustment in examinations for students with a disability.

2.2        In developing reasonable adjustments in examinations, academic standards must be maintained.

3.1.1     The University has other procedures in place to cater for students whose circumstances have prevented them sitting, or impacted upon their performance in, an examination. As set out in the Part 1A of the General Award Rules - Assessment, special examinations may be granted for medical or compassionate reasons or as the result of exceptional circumstances. In contrast, the procedures in this entry are specifically concerned with the provision of reasonable adjustment for students who would be disadvantaged by having to sit a scheduled examination under normal circumstances due to temporary or long-term disability. The procedures are not in any way intended to replace or impact upon the University's policy to grant special examinations.

3.2.1     In determining these arrangements the following procedures will be observed:

(i)  The Disability Assessment Form will be made widely available;

(ii) The Director, Student Services or nominee is responsible for the final determination of reasonable adjustment arrangements after consultation with relevant University staff, such as disability advisers, the Examinations Manager, course coordinators, and lecturers;

(iii) A determination of reasonable adjustment arrangements for an examination will be based on the following considerations:

(a)     Students requesting reasonable adjustment arrangements will be referred to Disability Advisers at Student Services or advised to submit a completed Disability Assessment Form to Student Services. It would be advisable for students with pre-existing disabilities that are likely to necessitate reasonable adjustment arrangements for examinations to have developed a Student Access Plan (Disability).

(b)     Students with a pre-existing disability should negotiate support needs with Disability Advisers early in the semester, in order to develop a plan and/or a Student Access Plan (Disability) that will address adjustments to examinations if required. Where this is not possible, the student will be required to submit a Disability Assessment Form at least four weeks before examination(s). Students with a short-term disability should submit their form as soon as practicable after the onset of the disability.

(c)     The Director, Student Services or nominee may request that students who do not register the need for reasonable adjustment arrangements for examinations in a timely fashion demonstrate that circumstances beyond their control prevented them from submitting an application earlier.

(d)     Alternative adjustment arrangements for examinations will be set after considering the following standards as a guide:

 

 

 (iv) The Director, Student Services or nominee must notify the Manager, Examinations Section and the student concerned, of the reasonable adjustment arrangements determined for students with disabilities sitting examinations;

(v) Arrangements determined by the Director, Student Services or nominee will be implemented by Examinations Section for centrally controlled examinations and school based theory examinations; Schools will implement arrangements for school-based practical examinations and will be advised of the approved arrangements by the Manager, Examinations Section;

(vi) In cases where students are dissatisfied with the arrangements determined by the Director, Student Services or nominee the Academic Registrar will be responsible for considering appeals.

 

3.3.1     With the addition of extra time and rest breaks the resultant length of an examination might extend beyond three hours. For a number of students with a disability, completing an extended examination in the one session may cause disadvantage relative to other students. Accordingly, students with a disability will not have an examination session of greater than four hours duration, inclusive of working time, extra time and approved rest breaks, except where students expressly request in writing to undertake a longer time.

3.3.2     Where it is necessary to spread an examination over two sessions, there should be an interval of at least one hour in between. In the event that more than two examination sessions of maximum duration of four hours each are required for a single examination, an alternative form of assessment should be considered.

3.3.3     If students with a disability are sitting multiple examination sessions in a single day, the length of examination time (including working time, extra time and approved rest breaks) should not exceed six hours in any one day.

3.4.1 In observing these procedures the following matters can be considered:

 

(i)         The Reasonable Adjustment Arrangement Standards are not intended to be prescriptive but to assist those responsible to achieve a measure of consistency. It must be recognised that each student's needs are individual. Not all needs will fit comfortably into a set of predefined categories.

(ii)        The Reasonable Adjustment Arrangement Standards do not suggest appropriate infrastructure, such as a word processor or Braille paper, or physical arrangements, such as a private examination room. These types of arrangements vary considerably and should be set on a case by case basis.

(iii)       It will be important for the University to be flexible in the application of the procedures. Students may not need to submit a Disability Assessment Form for each examination period. Some students with long-term disabilities may only need to submit a Form at the beginning of a degree program, or if the functional implications of their disability change. These students can expect the reasonable adjustment arrangements to be maintained for them throughout their program without review, although they will be required to notify the Manager Examinations prior to each examination, of the need for these arrangements to be implemented. Other students may need to apply before every examination period or even retrospectively in order to be granted an examination with reasonable adjustment arrangements.

 (iv)      Timely consultation will be an important element of the process. For example, in consultation with the lecturer in charge of the particular course it may be determined that an alternative arrangement, such as an extra assignment, may be more appropriate and as intellectually rigorous, as an examination. Accordingly, students must ensure the completion of the Disability Assessment Form in sufficient time (normally four weeks) to enable appropriate consultation to take place.

(v)        The Disability Assessment Form will potentially carry detailed information related to the functional implications of the student’s disability, although the University will respect a student's wishes to keep the specific nature of their disability private. If a student does not wish information given to Student  Services to be utilised for this purpose, in order that appropriate examination arrangements can be made it will be the student's responsibility to request a statement from relevant professionals attesting to the existence and seriousness of the impairment in general terms and specifically indicating the functional implications of the disability in relation to the examination process.

(vi)       The University retains the right to request further details of the impairment from the student if it is believed this would assist in making appropriate examination arrangements.