All assessment tasks must be presented in accordance with the guidelines prescribed by the faculties and unit coordinators. If your faculty has a style guide, you should obtain a copy and read it. You should also refer to specific requirements described in your unit outlines, and for information about when and how assessment tasks must be submitted, eg pay particular attention to due dates of assessment tasks and whether, for example, written tasks should be submitted electronically or in hard-copy.
Always ask your unit coordinator if you are unsure of what is expected.
Faculty of Information Technology
The faculty has set certain standards for the presentation of assignments and theses. Students should make themselves familiar with these standards and ensure that written work submitted conforms to the standards. The standard text approved by the faculty is `Thesis and assignment writing' by J Anderson and M Poole (second edition), Wiley, 1994.
Faculty of Law
Essays, exercises and other written work may be set during the semester in any of the units offered by the faculty. Assessment is set according to the criteria set out in the unit entry in the Undergraduate or Postgraduate Handbooks.
This work must be completed to the satisfaction of the lecturer concerned and will usually be taken into account when assessing a student's performance in the unit at the final examination. Students who fail to submit an adequate amount of work or whose work is unsatisfactory may not attain a pass in the unit concerned.
It is faculty policy that assignments sent by fax will not be accepted. If difficulty is experienced in submitting an assignment in person by the due date, you can send the assignment by certified mail, provided it is posted on or before the due date.
Feedback on class tests, research papers and essays
The Faculty of Law policy for feedback on class tests, research papers and essays states:
1. It is acknowledged that there are sound educational reasons for providing feedback to students in relation to class tests, research papers and essays.
2. The form of the feedback is at the discretion of the individual lecturer having regard to the nature and content of the assessment task and the demands of the particular subject area.
3. It is desirable that lecturers make known to students in advance the relevant criteria which will be applied to that assessment. That notice may be in writing.
4. Class tests/mid-year examinations
4.1 In all situations, lecturers should provide students with:
- a summary of the issues (in writing where possible and appropriate), and
- guidance as to the structure of the answer, and
- an indication of how the relevant criteria of assessment were applied.
4.2 Lecturers may distribute sample or model answers at their discretion.
5. Research papers, assignments and essays
Research papers, assignments and essays should be returned to students with a written appraisal which should include comment as to:
- the individual quality of the work including legal reasoning
- the adequacy of the research, and
- the structure and presentation of the work.
Faculty of Science
If a student is dissatisfied with a mark or grade for a particular assignment or unit (not including higher-degree by research students), the student should discuss the matter in the first instance with the tutor or unit coordinator. If students are unable to resolve the matter with the unit coordinator, the matter should be referred to the head of the relevant school.
