The University's Support for Students Policy ensures that we provide academic and non-academic support for all students enrolled in units of study and, in turn, deliver student focused education that is transformational. This policy also ensures that we meet our legislative and accreditation requirements, such as the Higher Education Standards Amendment.
The policy enables the identification of students at risk of failing units of study and provides mechanisms for offering proactive support.
This page provides teaching and professional staff with practical information and resources to enable seamless adherence to the Support for Students policy.
The Support for Students Policy requires staff to identify students that are at risk of not successfully completing units of study. It also specifies the support available from or on behalf of the University to assist students to successfully complete the units of study in which they are enrolled; and otherwise comply with content, presentation, format and availability requirements specified in the Higher Education Provider Guidelines.
Academic staff must:
In practice, the application of the policy is achieved via:
These are mandatory for all 1000 and 2000-level units, including intensives.
| Week | Pre-census indicator |
'At risk' classification |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Canvas engagement |
Not logged into Canvas by 5pm Wednesday Week 2 (or equivalent for intensive sessions) |
| 2 | Late enrolment | Student enrols between Canvas engagement trigger and LDA deadline (i.e. between 5pm Wednesday and 5pm Friday Week 2 |
| 4 | Early feedback task (undertaken in Week 3; results released in Week 4) | Unsatisfactory performance in or no attempt at early feedback task |
| Week | BAU indicator | 'At risk' classification |
|---|---|---|
| Ongoing | Results in previous semester | >50% failure |
| Ongoing | Results in previous semester |
Student on the academic progression register |
| Ongoing | Results in previous semester | <50% failure |
| Ongoing | At risk cohorts | Special entry pathways e.g. Gadigal and MySydney |
| Ongoing | Special considerations | Students who have >5 spec con applications |
| Ongoing | Financial support | Students who have received financial support |
| Ongoing | Duty of care |
Unaccompanied international students who are under 18 years of age |
We are required to communicate with students enrolled in 1000 and 2000 level units who are identified as being at risk. These communications include emails that are sent by Unit of Study Coordinators and the Education and Students Portfolio.
The Support for Students Communication plan poster represents key timings for student engagement in the current Teaching Period in accordance with the Support for Students Policy. It also provides details about who sends communications to students and when and via what platform.
Have you had an appointment with a student to provide them with support? Submit a support for student interaction record so that we can keep track of these appointments in accordance with the Support for Students Policy 2024.
Educational Innovation is offering a series of workshops designed to assist 1000 and 2000-level Unit of Study Coordinators. These sessions include:
These and other workshops can be found at Educational Innovation events.
If you have any questions about determining your availability for 1:1 consultations, the booking process, or the academic interaction form, please contact your relevant Faculty and School staff for initial support.
| Faculty | Contact | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AD&P | Waing Lai | [email protected] | Senior Education Support Officer (Team Leader) |
| Business | Anouska Rita | [email protected] | UG Student Support Officer |
| Engineering | Rebecca Goldsworthy | [email protected] | Education Design Team Manager |
| FASS | Jennifer Dowling | [email protected] | Manager, Education Innovation and Design |
| FMH | Tina Barclay | [email protected] | Senior Manager, Education Innovation, Design and Assessment |
| Law | Stafford Lumsden |
[email protected] | Educational Designer |
| Music | Tonnette Stanford |
[email protected] | Manager, Education Services & Innovation |
| Science | Arvindan Kaviraj | [email protected] | Education Design Officer |
Contact the Student Success team by email at [email protected] for additional support relating to triaging student enquiries.
The University's obligation is to provide support to help students successfully complete their units of study.
The Higher Education Support Amendment (Response to the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report) Bill 2023 amended the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA) to require that higher education providers must have, and comply with, a policy that addresses the support higher education providers will provide to their students, in order to assist them to successfully complete the units of study in which they are enrolled.
This requires higher education providers to demonstrate how they will support their students experiencing academic difficulties. This includes, but is not limited to, the provider having processes for identifying students at risk of not successfully completing their units of study and supports available to students to successfully complete their studies.
The legislation expands eligibility for places in demand-driven higher education courses to First Nations students, and removes the current requirement that students must pass 50 percent of the units they study to remain eligible for a Commonwealth-supported place.