Special Consideration TL;DR

Applications and Disputes

If you need to apply for Special Consideration, or have applied and it hasn’t been granted, then this guide is for you. It’s designed to navigate you through the process of disputing that decision through all the available steps. You have to follow these steps in order.

Read on to help determine what these steps are, how to determine what your next step might be, and how to best approach it. There’s also more detail on our full advice page if you need it.

There's a decision tree of the below info if you're more of a visual person, or you can also use the quiz to help you determine where you are in the process.

Note: This only applies to Special Consideration – if you are attempting to Register for Ongoing Support then the process of escalating a dispute is similar, but the approach is a bit different.

• You need to apply within 4 working days of the assessment in question.
• If you are applying late, your application also needs to outline and evidence how it was not practicable or possible to lodge an application any earlier. Read more about how to best frame late applications here.
• Applications go to Student Equity and Disability Support (SEDS) and are assessed to see if you are eligible for special consideration or not.
  • If your application is deemed eligible then it is sent to the Faculty responsible for the subject to decide what the outcome (or adjustment) should be.
  • If your application is deemed ineligible then it doesn’t go to the Faculty at all.
• You may be notified of the eligibility assessment from SEDS, and the outcome from the Faculty, in separate emails. The emails will all come from SEDS.

• You have 5 working days to seek a review, so you must act quickly. If you cannot seek a review in this time then you should clearly explain why, and evidence this where you can.
• If you wish to dispute a special consideration decision then you need to first seek a review through the special consideration portal.
  • Reviews challenging the eligibility decision are assessed by a senior member of SEDS staff.
  • Reviews challenging the outcome (or adjustment) offered to you by the Faculty (that is, whether they gave you an extension, a special exam, or a late withdrawal) are referred to the relevant Faculty for further consideration.
• Before seeking a review you need to read the emails you have received carefully so you can address the reasons directly in your review. E.g. if they have said that they can’t verify that you could not lodge an application within 4 days of the task, then you need to focus on this late issue in your review.
• Provide missing facts or dates, additional supporting documentation, or explain how you believe the first decision was factually wrong.
• You should be notified of the review decision via email from the SEDS team, regardless of the decision being reviewed.
• Read more on how to approach Special Consideration Reviews.

• If your application and review have been unsuccessful then your next step depends on the kind of decision you are disputing.
  • If you are disputing the eligibility assessment, then your next step is to lodge a formal grievance – go to Step 3.
  • If you have been deemed eligible, but are unhappy with the outcome or adjustment offered to you by the Faculty, then you can skip the grievance step and go to Step 4.

• You have 12 months to lodge a grievance.
• Grievances are submitted online to the Academic Registrar.
• Use our template and follow the advice on Special Consideration Grievances.

• You have 20 working days to lodge an appeal.
• You can only lodge an appeal if you have had a formal grievance dismissed OR you are disputing a Faculty adjustment (and have already sought a review).
• Appeals are submitted online to the Academic Secretary.
• Use our template and follow our advice on Special Consideration Appeals.