Providing reasonable adjustments
Students with disability, health or mental health conditions that affect their study or participation in University life are encouraged to register with the Disability Resource Centre (DRC).
Once registered with the DRC, students are assigned a Disability Liaison Officer (DLO) who can help them access services and support appropriate to their needs. A DLO can prepare an Access Plan which lists a range of adjustments designed to minimise the educational disadvantage for the student. The Access Plan details these adjustments (e.g. breaks during seminars) for the information of Unit Chairs. There are a variety of support available to students which is worked out on an individual basis for each student.
Once an Access Plan has been endorsed by the ADTL, it is sent on to Unit Chairs, usually at the beginning of each trimester. When an Access Plan has been received by a Unit Chair, the recommendations need to be implemented by the teaching and/or support staff for the unit as appropriate. Students are also given a copy of the endorsed Access Plan and are encouraged to refer to it in discussions with teaching staff.
It is essential that as unit chair, you keep a confidential list of students who are entitled to an Access Plan to ensure all agreed adjustments are met. Note that adjustments that are related to End of Unit Assessment Tasks to Examination are automatically made by the DRC and Learning Innovations team. If students, DLOs or DUSA contact you with additional requests for adjustments, please refer them to the ADTL or BUSLAW FAPC bl-fapc@deakin.edu.au.
Students in Special Circumstances
At times you may have students enrolled in your unit that need to be provided with reasonable adjustments due to their living/employment or other circumstances. If you are unsure, please contact the ADTL or BUSLAW FAPC bl-fapc@deakin.edu.au.
If you have further questions that are not covered on this page, please contact bl-fapc@deakin.edu.au for advice.
Students in the armed forces and emergency services
While there is no specific policy relating to students in the armed forces or emergency services, Unit Chairs should be accommodating when students are impacted by events beyond their control (e.g. being mobilised unexpectedly). If such an event impacts a student’s ability to meet an assessment requirement, any adjustment that involves an extension or special consideration will need to be carried out as they would be for other students, with the students required to provide supporting documentation.
Incarcerated Students
Incarcerated students may have very limited or no access to the internet which can make it very difficult for the students to access many of standard learning resources and assessment information. You will be notified if you have an incarcerated student enrolled in you unit and further advice on your responsibilities will be provided. Generally, the following applies:
- Where appropriate, the library and other areas can provide/convert teaching materials in an alternative format
- Most prisons now have an educational officer (or equivalent) who often acts as a liaison for the student.
- Some students may have a family member act as an intermediary. This is OK provided the student has given permission to do so.
- Like students with Access Plans, we can make reasonable adjustments to assessment provided the student can still meet the learning outcomes. DRC requests for variation in assessment arrangement (i.e. AAA exams) or alternative assessment requests should be referred directly to the FAPC to manage, for purposes of auditable, fair, equitable and compatibility of assessment reasons.
- Assessments will normally be submitted via hardcopy
- Student consultation – students can phone in during normal student consultation times. The unit team should attempt to provide access to student consultation via the phone during normal consultation times or at an agreed time.
- Minimum computing requirements specified for all of our courses includes internet access*.
*Note: Students who do not have access, may not be able to complete certain units due to the nature of the ULOs and assessment. If internet access is not available and they cannot make reasonable adjustments to the assessment (and still meet the ULOs) then it is probably not practical for the student to do the unit. Providing the materials in an alternative format should be OK but this is not the job of the unit team and you will need to work with your liaison librarian.
Elite Athlete Friendly University Program
Deakin is recognised under the Elite Athlete Friendly University (EAFU) program. By participating in this program, Deakin has agreed to make special provisions for elite athletes. For Unit Chairs, this means granting assignment extensions or special exams where study clashes with sporting commitments (supporting documentation is required).
Such students would generally have documentation in place and be approved as an Elite Athlete as defined by the EAFU agreement, and would be eligible for support in managing workload, negotiating assessment deadlines and organising alternative study arrangements.
In the case of a conflicting schedule, the student would need to provide the Unit Chair with documented evidence from their sporting organisation of the conflict or issue (i.e. training load, competition, etc.) that will prevent them being able to meet a particular assessment or other unit requirement. The Unit Chair would then grant approval for extensions or for exams the student can apply for Special Consideration if they have sufficient evidence documenting the conflict according to University (Assessment (Higher Education Courses) Procedure).
For more information and for a list of the organisations that an elite athlete needs to be registered with to gain access to EAFU services, see the Australian Institute of Sport directory.
