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Student Guide
2008
INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on studying for an undergraduate degree in the Faculty of Business and Law. This guide
has been designed to ‘make a difference’ to your experience at the University of Newcastle and aims to
assist you to successfully complete your studies. It comprises sections on the structure of the Faculty, an
A-Z ‘How To’ section and a ‘What Does it Mean Section?’ The guide has been constructed from a
student’s viewpoint, with links to forms, policies and procedures that you may need to access at some
stage of your studies. Any feedback about the contents of this guide may be sent to cityhub@newcastle.edu.au
I wish you all the best in your future studies!
Nerida Lithgow
Assistant Academic Registrar (Business and Law)
INDEX
1. Faculty Structure
2. A-Z How to:
- Academic transcripts
- Adverse Circumstances
- Appeal against a final result
- Assignments- collecting
- Assignments- submitting
- Change of address
- Complaints
- Credit
- Cross institutional study
- Enrol in a course after the first 2 weeks of term
- Enrolment- check
- Exchange
- Extensions of time for assessment items
- Grade Point Average (GPA)
- Reschedule a class test
- Reschedule a formal exam
- Special Consideration
- Student Hubs
- Timetable clash
- Transfer programs
- Tutorial time changes
- University Medals
- Varying your enrolment
3. What does it mean?
- Academic honesty
- Approved courses
- Blackboard
- Course outlines
- Review of progress
FACULTY STRUCTURE
The Faculty is lead by the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stephen Nicholas. The Faculty of Business
and Law offers its academic programs through three schools:
•
School of Business and Management – Head of School: Prof Gordon Boyce; Deputy Head of
School: Dr Margaret Griffiths
•
School of Economics, Politics and Tourism – Head of School: Professor Stephen Nicholas;
Deputy Head of School: Dr Jim Jose
•
School of Law – Head of School: Prof Ted Wright; Deputy Head of School: Dr John Anderson
The Newcastle Graduate School of Business – Director: Prof John Burgess—provides postgraduate
coursework courses in business.
The Faculty is supported by administration staff in the PVC’s Unit, the Schools and the Student Hubs.
A-Z HOW TO:
Request your Academic Transcript- Students currently enrolled will not necessarily need an official
academic transcript. Your academic record and results are available to view or print at any time at:
https://connect.newcastle.edu.au/enrol/index.cfm. Graduates are presented with one copy of their
academic transcript at their graduation ceremony along with their testamur (degree certificate). All
applications for additional academic transcripts must be in writing, preferably using the Request for
Academic Transcript application form and can be mailed, faxed or submitted in person at any Student
Hub.
Notify the University of Adverse Circumstances- see Special Consideration
Appeal against a final result- For further information on a final result in a course or to query your result
you should contact the lecturer/tutor or the course coordinator. Students who wish to question a final
result should, upon request, have access to any or all of the following:
ƒ a copy of the course outline;
ƒ the course description as approved by the Faculty;
ƒ the criteria for the assessment of major assessment items of the course;
ƒ weightings for the individual components of the course; and,
ƒ weightings/marks for the individual components of the examination (if appropriate)
If the lecturer or course coordinator is unavailable, or if the matter has not been resolved by discussion
with the lecturer or course coordinator, you may lodge an appeal against the Final Result, using the
Application to Appeal against A Final Result Form accompanied by a supporting statement and
submitted to any Student Hub. Please note that you must demonstrate a valid case for that review
based only upon the criteria listed on the form.
Collect your assignments- Follow your Course Coordinator’s instructions for assignment collection. If
advised to collect from a Student Hub you will need to show your student ID card to Hubs staff. You will
not be permitted to collect an assignment on behalf of another student without their student ID card and
a letter of authorisation.
Submit your assignments- A coversheet must be attached to the front. There is a coversheet for
Individual Assessment Items and a coversheet for Group Assessment Items. You should review the
notes on Academic Honesty in the ‘What does it mean?’ section and ensure that you have completed
the Academic Honesty Module as you will be asked to verify this on the coversheet. Follow your
Course Coordinator’s instructions for submission. If you are advised to submit in a Student Hub, stamp
your coversheet with the bundy clock and submit into the assignment box.
Notify the University of a change of address- Student can change their address online in myHub
Make a complaint- The University believes that complaints should be resolved quickly and at the local
level if possible. Students can approach a Complaints Officer to make an informal complaint, or the
University Complaints Manager directly if they wish to make a formal complaint. The Faculty’s
complaints officers are Ms Nerida Lithgow (the Faculty’s Assistant Academic Registrar), Dr John
Anderson (Deputy Head of the School of Law), Dr Margaret Griffiths (Deputy Head of the School of
Business & Management) and Dr Jim Jose (Deputy Head of the School of Economics, Politics and
Tourism). The University Complaints Manager is Ms Kim Foster. Students are also welcome to contact
the Dean of Students by E-mail: resolutionprecinct@newcastle.edu.au, Phone: 4921 5806 or
Fax: 4921 7151.
Apply for credit from previous studies- Print, complete and submit the Application for Credit form. Make
sure that your application is complete as incomplete applications can result in processing delays. You
will be advised of the outcome via letter from a Student Hub. Please allow at least 2 weeks for your
application to be processed.
Apply to study cross-institutionally- Most students are eligible to apply to study cross-institutionally.
This means undertaking some courses at another institution to count towards your University of
Newcastle program. To make sure that the courses you are studying elsewhere will count towards your
University of Newcastle program you must gain approval before undertaking studies. To apply to study
cross-institutionally you should submit the Application Form and supporting documentation to any
Student Hub.
Enrol in a course after the first two weeks of trimester/semester- Print, complete and submit the
Application to Add a Course After the First 2 Weeks form. You will be advised of the outcome via email
to your studentmail account from a Student Hub.
Check your enrolment- You can (and should!) check your enrolment anytime at myHub.
Go on an overseas exchange- University of Newcastle students who wish to go on overseas exchange
should complete the Outgoing Student Exchange Application Form. Enquiries can be directed to Phone:
49217899 Fax: 49601766
Email: study-abroad@newcastle.edu.au
Web: http://www.international.newcastle.edu.au/ausexchange/exchangeinfo.html
Apply for an Extension of time for assessment items- The University recognises that during your
program of study, illness or other serious circumstances beyond your control may affect your preparation
for or performance in an assessment item. If the assessment item is major (that is, if it is worth 20% or
more of the total marks for the course or if it is compulsory to pass in order to pass the course) you must
submit the online application form at http://studinfo1.newcastle.edu.au/ and your supporting
documentation to any Student Hub no later than the due date of the assessment item. You will be
informed of the outcome via email from the online system. If the assessment item is minor (that is, if it
worth less than 20% of the total marks required for the course) students must apply in writing –
preferably by email - to the Course Coordinator. No application form is necessary to apply for an
extension of time for minor assessment items.
Calculate your Grade Point Average- Using the grades reported on your academic transcript, a value is
assigned to each grade within the relevant institution’s grading system. The University of Newcastle
uses a 7 point scale, where HD=7, D=6, C=5, P=4 and FF=0. Grades of ‘Withdrawal Without Fail (WW)’
are not included in the calculation.
Note that the grading systems vary between institutions and, within the same institution, over different
time periods. The value for the grade achieved for each course is multiplied by the number of credit
points (units) for that course. These weighted grade values are totalled and then divided by the total
number of credit points as in the example below:
Student A
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
Grade
Credit
Pass
Distinction
High Distinction
Value
5
4
6
7
Credit Points
10
10
10
10
(5x10) + (4x10) + (6x10) + (7x10) = 50 + 40 + 60 + 70 = 220 = GPA of 5.5
10 + 10 + 10 + 10
40
40
Request a Leave of Absence- New students are not generally permitted to take leave of absence in
their first year unless there are special circumstances. You may postpone your enrolment until semester
2, however if you do not study at all in your first year your place will lapse and your enrolment cancelled.
To regain a place you will need to reapply for admission via UAC and compete with other applicants.
Continuing students are entitled to 12 months leave of absence. If you have not yet enrolled for the
year you can elect to take Leave of Absence by logging into myHub and selecting the Leave of Absence
option in myEnrolments. If you have enrolled for the year and wish to apply for Leave of Absence you
will need to return to myHub and select the Leave of Absence option.
Apply to reschedule a class test- See Special Consideration
Apply to reschedule a formal exam- If illness or other serious circumstances beyond your control
affects your preparation for or performance in an end of term/year examination you should apply to
reschedule your exam. You must submit the online application form at http://studinfo1.newcastle.edu.au/
and your supporting documentation to any Student Hub no later than 10 days prior to the start of the
Exam period. You will be informed of the outcome via email from the online system. If circumstances
arise within the ten working days cut off that prevent a student from attending or attempting an
examination, an application must be submitted under Special Consideration.
Apply for Special Consideration- Students may apply for consideration of the impact of special
circumstances on their performance. If the assessment item is major (that is, if it is worth 20% or more
of the total marks for the course or if it is compulsory to pass in order to pass the course) you must
submit the online application form at http://studinfo1.newcastle.edu.au/ and your supporting
documentation to any Student Hub no later than 3 working days after the date of submission for the
assessment task or examination. Students must retain a copy of their application. You will be informed of
the outcome via email from the online system.
Find a Student Hub- Your friendly Faculty Student Services staff reside in the Student Hubs. We
encourage students to visit any of the hubs, however for very specific program advice you can see your
Program Officers as outlined below:
Shortland Hub- Level 3, Shortland Union Building, Callaghan Campus (program advice for students
from the Faculty of Business & Law at Callaghan)
Hunter Hub- Ground Floor, Student Services Building, Callaghan Campus
City Hub & Information Common- Ground Floor, University House, Cnr King and Auckland Sts, City
Precinct
Ourimbah Hub- Ground Floor, Administration Building, Ourimbah Campus (program advice for
students from the Faculty of Business & Law at Ourimbah)
The Student Hubs are open Mon-Fri 8:30am-6pm during term time (Shortland, Ourimbah and Hunter)
and Mon- Fri 9am-6pm during term time (City Hub & Information Common). The City Hub & Information
Common also has extended hours when Hubs Staff are not available.
Resolve a timetable clash- If the clash involves an elective or courses at different levels (e.g. a 2000
level course and a 3000 level course) the only way to resolve the clash is by choosing a different elective
or approved course for your program. If the clash involves compulsory courses for your program you
should contact a Student Hub so that they can alert the relevant Schools.
Transfer to another program- to transfer to most programs, either at the University of Newcastle or
another institution in NSW or ACT, you need to apply through the Universities Admission Centre (UAC).
UAC Guides are available from newsagencies or you can visit their website at http://www.uac.edu.au.
There are limited exceptions to this rule. For example, if you are a combined Law degree student who
wishes to transfer to another combined Law degree you must use the Internal Transfer Application Form.
Other students who must use this form include students in a combined degree wishing to transfer to
another combined degree where one of the named programs remains the same and students wishing to
transfer campuses but remain in the same program. It should also be used by students wishing to
transfer from a combined degree to a single degree within their existing combination.
Change a tutorial time- You will need to contact your Course Coordinator. The easiest way is via email.
If you are not sure who your Course Coordinator is check your Course Outline or Blackboard.
Be eligible for a University Medal- The University Medal may be awarded to undergraduate students
who show highly distinguished merit in their program. The University Medal Committee takes into
account the whole academic record of the student in the program. As the award of a Medal indicates
outstanding academic performance, significantly above the minimum requirements for Honours Class 1,
it is expected that only in exceptional circumstances will there be more than one Medal for a particular
specialisation.
Vary your enrolment- After enrolling you may find you are unhappy with your program or with some of
the courses you have chosen. If so, speak to your Program Officer or your Program Convenor to see
what possibilities are open to you. Your choices may be limited by the rules of your program which set
down the compulsory courses you must take and the order in which you must take them. Nonetheless, it
may be possible to withdraw from courses, to add courses, or to transfer to another program of study. If
you know which courses you wish to add or withdraw you can vary your enrolment online at myHub.
Please be aware that there are dates by which courses must be added or withdrawn. For further
information about these please see
http://www.newcastle.edu.au/study/enrolment/changingenrolment.html Proper procedures apply to
transfer from one program to another, to withdraw from courses, or to add new courses. You must follow
these procedures or you may find that you have an academic record with failures listed for courses you
have not attempted.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Academic Honesty- The Faculty of Business and Law is committed to ensuring academic integrity
among its staff and students. Academic integrity is based on values of honesty, respect, fairness, trust
and responsibility. These values are fundamental to our teaching and learning in the Faculty. Academic
misconduct, including plagiarism, copying another student’s work and cheating in exams, is contrary to
the values of academic integrity and is not tolerated in the Faculty of Business and Law. If you are
studying a course in the Faculty of Business and Law you should automatically have access to a
Blackboard site entitled Academic Honesty Module. If you do not have this access please email
Anne.Sullivan@newcastle.edu.au. This module will provide you with a self-paced online quiz to assist
you to understand the principles and processes of academic integrity. All students enrolled in a course in
the Faculty of Business and Law must complete the online Academic Honesty Module prior to submitting
assignments. You must tick the box on the Assignment Cover Sheet to indicate that you have done so.
You can revisit the Module throughout your course, as necessary, to remind yourself of the
requirements.
Approved Courses- Every program has a list of Approved Courses. You can find out what these are by
looking at the undergraduate handbook on the web. You can search for your program using the Program
Finder. It is against the Rules Governing Undergraduate Academic Awards to enrol in courses that are
not approved for your program.
Blackboard- Blackboard is the online learning environment used for the delivery of online courses and
for all courses which have an online component. You will be using Blackboard a lot so we recommend
you take a bit of time to learn how to use it efficiently. The best place to start is the Blackboard Support
Page for Students. If you do not see the courses that you are enrolled in on Blackboard you should
check that you are enrolled correctly
Course Outline- Every course has a Course Outline and you should be provided this by the end of the
second week of term. It is also placed on the Blackboard site for your course. The Faculty of Business
Law uses a standard Course Outline template for all of its courses to encourage quality and consistency.
Review of Progress- According to the University’s Code of Ethical Academic Conduct it is every
student’s responsibility to maintain steady academic progress. The University’s rules require the Faculty
to review the academic performance of students whose results place them at risk of not maintaining a
satisfactory rate of progress. The University’s Procedure for Review of Progress, which define what is
meant by a satisfactory rate of progress, are available on the web at:
http://www.newcastle.edu.au/policylibrary/000647.html. If found to be at risk of failing to maintain
academic progress over two consecutive terms of study you will be asked to “Show Cause” as to why
you should not be suspended or excluded from the program. You will also be asked to show what action
you have taken to improve your results.
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
If you still have questions that have not been answered in this guide you should:
1) Check the University’s Frequently Asked Questions page
2) Email EnquiryCentre@newcastle.edu.au
3) Phone (02) 49215000 or (02) 43484030