Academic Services Policy

Assessment

Policy

All coursework degrees

This policy is underpinned by University statute 12: Assessment and Admission to Degrees, and should be interpreted with reference to this document. In addition, the University has policies on Coursework Theses, Examinations (including Alternative Examination Arrangements), Academic Misconduct, Extensions, Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage and Special Consideration that intersect with this policy.

This policy is designed to ensure that students are treated in an equitable and fair manner in relation to assessment, and to provide staff with the framework to do so.

The policy does not prescribe with respect to the design of assessment tasks. Subject Coordinators and Examination Boards are well placed to develop sound assessment practices that reflect the characteristics and particular requirements of their subject areas. This document provides a policy framework to support such discipline-specific assessment design and implementation.

There are also other reference documents and guidelines developed by the Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE) discussing best practice in assessment, such as the 'University of Melbourne Guide for Reviewing Assessment'2, which provide valuable input into this process.

  1. The purposes of assessment and grading
  2. What is assessed?
  3. Subject study level
  4. Responsibility for the conduct of assessment
  5. Explaining assessment criteria to students
  6. Marking guidelines for Examiners and assistant markers
  7. Forms of assessment
  8. Alternative assessment components
  9. Weighting of assessment components
  10. Prescribed (hurdle) requirements
  11. Group/syndicate work
  12. Assessment in intensive subjects
  13. Parameters of assessment requirements
  14. Late submission of work
  15. Standard penalties for New Generation undergraduate degrees
  16. Timing of assessment tasks
  17. Publication of assessment details
  18. Changes to assessment details
  19. Conduct of assessment
  20. Additional assessment
  21. Consideration for special circumstances
  22. Consideration for shorter assignments & tests
  23. Grading structure and policy
  24. Distribution of grades
  25. Re-scaling / Standardisation of marks
  26. Preparation of assignments
  27. Assignment submission and collection
  28. Extension of time to complete assignments
  29. Feedback to Students
  30. Return of work (assignments)
  31. Following the release of final results
  32. Review of assessment details
  33. Responsibilities of students
  34. Appeals

2 Centre for the Study of Higher Education, 2005. Please refer to this document online at http://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/pdfs/GRA.pdf for further detail.

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