wwwdev@monash.edu.au
Tue Apr 13 14:11:13 EST 1999
Auth: C Whip, University Webmaster's Office
Copyright © Monash University 1998 - All Rights Reserved - Caution
This section is to inform students about their rights and responsibilities
as students of the Faculty of Information Technology at Monash University, what
they can reasonably expect from the faculty and what the faculty expects of
them. It supplements material that is available in the university calendar, the
staff handbook, the student information handbook, and the statutes and
regulations under which the university operates. Students should note that this
document cannot be taken to imply any legal obligation of the faculty, the
university, the student or the staff member. It constitutes what is believed to
be reasonable advice and guidance.
Some students appear to find the university a daunting place and when they
experience difficulties are uncertain about how to resolve them. Students are
encouraged to take advantage of their rights in the interests of efficiently
using their study time.
1.1 The
basic rights of a student of the faculty are:
1.1.1 To be given a fair and objective assessment of their academic
achievement. There is no reason for a student to fear that a difference of
opinion, excessive questioning of a member of academic staff or any other
reasonable action might lead to punitive action such as the award of a lower
grade than would be otherwise deserved. The university respects the rights of
individuals and encourages free thought and speech.
1.1.2 To gain access to a tutor, lecturer, year or course leader,
or head of school, associate dean or dean within a reasonable time of
requesting it, to discuss any matter of concern. It is generally reasonable to
expect to gain access within twenty-four hours where the time required of the
staff member is a few minutes and within seventy-two hours where half an hour
or more may be required. Obviously, the service which can be provided depends
on whether many students have problems at the same time. In the case of
difficulties with assignments, better service may be provided if students
organise themselves into groups when seeking help. Staff are expected to inform
their students about the times when they expect to be available for
consultation.
1.1.3 To constructively criticise academic staff about their
delivery of lectures, organisation of materials and the content of subjects.
Academic staff generally appreciate getting feedback from their students. The
goal of the academic staff is to have all their students gain sufficient
knowledge and skills related to a subject to pass. If they are assuming that
most people in a class know things when they do not, then the sooner the
lecturer is told, the better for all concerned. Standards of knowledge and
achievement are set with a view to meeting the requirements of professional
societies and maintaining a quality of education which is widely recognised.
This has to be taken into account when deciding whether a student who does not
perform well should be granted a pass in a subject. A sensible approach in
dealing with a problem situation where the lecturer or tutor is considered at
fault, for example covering material too quickly, is to first check to see if
other students have a similar view and then talk to the member of academic
staff. If that does not solve the problem, then it is appropriate to talk to
the year coordinator, then the course coordinator, and then to the head of
school. If that does not produce an acceptable result, the problem should be
discussed with the dean. It is most unusual for the dean to become involved in
such matters. Normally the lecturers, year coordinators, course coordinators,
and heads of schools resolve problems.
1.1.4 To be able to participate in a lecture or tutorial without
the distraction of noise from other students. All students in a class have the
right to hear the lecturer or tutor without there being extraneous noise from
other students talking or behaving in a disruptive way. Academic staff try to
create a good learning environment but need the cooperation of the whole
class.
1.1.5 To be given fair consideration to compensate for illness or
personal problems. Where students have been unable to study effectively because
of problems beyond their reasonable control, faculty policy is to consider ways
to overcome the problem, for example, the granting of deferred assessment. A
letter/certificate should be provided to support an application for deferred
examination. Students who face difficulties are encouraged to confide in a
member of staff or a member of the university's medical or counselling service
as soon as possible to try to find a way to overcome them. Faculty staff and
people in other services provided by the university respect the confidential
nature of what they are told. They convey information to other staff only with
the agreement of the students, eg to support the case for deferred
assessment.
1.1.6 To have an examiner check the marking of assignments and
examination papers and report to the student within a reasonable time. Students
can expect marked assignments to be accompanied by informative comments. This
service may be requested through the faculty offices or school offices where
there is no faculty office on a campus.
1.1.7 To have an examiner discuss the assessment given to a failing
student and explain both the weaknesses and the positive qualities displayed in
the work.
1.1.8 To be provided at the start of the teaching of a subject (or
before) with details of the syllabus, the way in which assessment is to be
carried out, details of recommended reading and textbooks which are available
through the university bookshop.
1.1.9 To have access to sample examination papers for the subject,
or if the examination is likely to be radically different in style, or if it is
a new subject for which there has been no previous examination, reasonable
information about the style of the examination.
1.1.10 To have fair access to library and computing facilities in a
reasonable environment. If a student cannot find equipment which is free to use
and finds equipment being used by other students for something which is
obviously not part of assignments, a polite request should be made for its use.
Rooms with computers should not be used by students as venues for social
meetings and noisy conversations. Others should be given the chance to work
efficiently.
1.1.11 To attend a meeting of the Student Progress and Exclusions
Committee to present their case when their academic progress is considered
below standard and they are asked to explain why they should not be excluded
from their course.
1.1.12 To appeal to the university's Exclusion Appeals Committee if
the faculty's Student Progress and Exclusions Committee excludes the
student.
1.1.13 Not to be subjected to sexual harassment or any form of
discrimination.
1.1.14 To expect confidentiality in regard to their attendance and
results/progress as well as personal problems and illnesses. This includes not
providing information to parents without the student's authority.
1.2 The basic responsibilities of a student of the faculty are:
1.2.1 To behave during lectures or tutorials in a way which does
not disturb the lecturer, tutor, or other students.
1.2.2 To leave a class when asked to do so by the lecturer or
tutor.
1.2.3 To adhere to the highest ethical standards. Students are
expected to be familiar with the Australian Computer Society's code of ethics
(available from faculty offices). Students are expected not to take any action
aimed at trying to convince academic staff that they are more able or competent
than they really are. Plagiarism is unacceptable. On the other hand, working in
groups to learn and develop skills is quite acceptable.
1.2.4 To devote sufficient time to study to have a high chance of
succeeding.
1.2.5 A full-time student is expected to spend a total of
forty-eight or more hours per week studying seriously, in formal classes and
privately. The faculty is not happy to see students waste their opportunities.
Students are advised to make sure that they enrol in no more subjects than they
can reasonably cope with.
The
staff of the faculty attempt to identify students who are not coping with their
studies and then help them overcome their difficulties. Nevertheless, students
may, for many different reasons, fail examinations.
Where a student fails to meet the satisfactory progress provisions of the
faculty regulations, the faculty seeks an explanation and tries to ascertain
whether:
The faculty prefers to deal with a student's problems before they lead to a formal request to explain unsatisfactory progress to the committee.
Staff
too have rights in respect of their interaction with students, which all
students are expected to respect. They have other rights, responsibilities and
expectations as employees of the university which are not covered here.
3.1 Staff rights which students are expected to respect are:
3.1.1 To decide the way in which they teach the syllabus for a
subject (with due regard to the views of colleagues and their head of
school);
3.1.2 To have the attention of students in classes and a quiet
atmosphere in which they can be heard. It is considered reasonable practice for
a lecturer encountering an unruly class to assume that the prepared lecture was
given, and the material examinable, even though it was impossible to deliver it
fully.
3.1.3 Not to provide personal tutorial assistance to students who
fail to attend lectures and formal classes or fail to invest reasonable effort
in attempting to understand and learn.
3.1.4 To determine their level of availability to students.
3.1.5 To specify the way in which a student's learning and skills
are to be assessed.
3.1.6 To specify when assignments are due and to determine the
penalty, including non-acceptance for late submission.
3.1.7 To make assessments of students, by mutual agreement, in such
supplementary ways as they see fit, in order to satisfy themselves about the
ability of a student and provide evidence to the chief examiner in the subject
who makes the final decision about the result.
3.1.8 To have a private off-campus life. Students should not
contact staff members at their place of residence, unless invited to do so.
3.1.9 Not to be subjected to sexual harassment or any form of
discrimination.
3.2 The basic responsibilities of academic staff are:
3.2.1 To create a positive learning environment in which the
subject material can be communicated to the students.
3.2.2 To publish times when the staff member is available for
student consultation.
3.2.3 To assess practical work and assignments promptly and provide
timely feedback to students.
The
faculty and its schools endeavour to provide good service and good facilities
for their students and staff. This section indicates what students can expect
and what they are encouraged to complain about when the service is not
provided.
Some aspects of the level of service which the faculty aims to achieve are
covered in the section 'Basic student rights and responsibilities'. Here two
topics are covered: (a) computing services and access to equipment and
(b) services provided by the faculty and school offices.
The
faculty attempts to have sufficient equipment and software available to
students during working hours and after hours for them to be able to complete
assignments in a timely way.
Normally, arrangements can be made with the Computer Centre to gain access to
computing facilities from 8.30 am to 12 midnight week days and
9 am to 5 pm on weekends. On some campuses access can be gained by
using the barcode on an identification card and PIN. Generally, the faculty
does not support students working after midnight.
Unfortunately, the way in which students will use equipment is unpredictable
and consequently overload situations may happen. The fundamental rule is that
computing assignments involving the use of university equipment should be
tackled in a timely manner. Failing to do so can lead to severe competition for
computing resources.
The
faculty offices at Caulfield and Clayton provide a range of services.
At Peninsula and Gippsland these services may be accessed by approaching the
school.
The faculty office makes a commitment to all students of the faculty that their
problems and concerns will be dealt with speedily.
The prime function of the faculty office administration is to support the
teaching and research activities of the faculty. This function includes but is
not limited to selection of students, advice on course offerings, timetabling,
assisting students with subject choices and similar matters.
The faculty office ensures that a comprehensive set of administrative policies
and practices that meet the needs of students are in place. The services
provided include a coherent set of procedures in relation to, and assistance
with, course administration, student administration, student grievance
procedures, timetables, secretariat services and student recruitment.
4.2.1 Course administration The faculty office is responsible for
the administration of courses of the faculty. In this role the faculty office
provides detailed advice, support and when appropriate counselling in relation
to:
4.2.2 Student administration The faculty office provides assistance and advice to students in relation to:
4.2.3 Student grievance
procedures The faculty office is responsible for the administration of the
student grievance procedures. Advice as to their applicability is available
from the faculty manager.
4.2.4 Timetables Timetables for the courses and subjects for the
faculty are produced by the faculty offices on each campus. Timetables are
displayed on the notice boards located adjacent to the faculty office on each
campus. Timetables are usually available at the time of enrolment and
re-enrolment. The revised second-semester timetable is usually available a week
before the semester begins.
4.2.5 Secretariat services The faculty office provides the
secretariat support to the committees of the faculty, including the production
of agendas and minutes, the publication of decisions etc.
4.2.6 Student recruitment The faculty office is the principal point of contact for student recruitment and the production of handbooks and other publications.
For most of these activities the response/action from the faculty office will be immediate. However, some of these may require investigation or further advice and may take up to a week or more to be resolved or processed.
The schools of the faculty make a commitment to all students of the faculty that in relation to the items listed in this section students will have ready access to staff of the school and where applicable to the head of the school.
1 Details
on assessment procedures and particular items of assessment and the make up of
a subject's assessment including submission dates will be available at the
first lecture, class or laboratory for that subject.
2 Feedback on items submitted and the opportunity to discuss
individual pieces of assessment with the relevant lecturer of tutor will be
made available to all students when assessment items are returned. At other
times access to staff will be available usually within forty-eight hours by
appointment.
3 Students can expect to obtain supervised access to their
examination script within forty-eight hours of asking at the school office.
4 The lecturer in charge or examiner will deal promptly with
problems experienced by students in relation to the adequacy, amount and
timeliness of assessment.
1 Advice
and counselling on appropriate subject choices and sequences will be offered by
the school at appropriate stages of the year including at enrolment,
pre-enrolment and re-enrolment.
2 Subject handouts will be available both at the school's office
and at the lecture or tutorial at which they are distributed.
3 Reading lists will be available for a subject within the first
week of teaching of the subject.
4 Cancellations of subjects offered will be notified promptly.
Honours, masters and PhD students will be provided with appropriate support including accommodation, desk, relevant hardware etc., in addition to the school's responsibilities as detailed in the information handbook for PhD and EdD candidates.
1 Each
school will provide details to all its students on such matters as access to
laboratories and other teaching accommodation.
2 Each school will provide details to all its students on safety
precautions and requirements for the use of equipment, laboratories, other
teaching accommodation and field trips where appropriate.
The faculty board has agreed that the principles guiding attribution of points to a subject are:
wwwdev@monash.edu.au
Tue Apr 13 14:11:13 EST 1999