STUDENT RIGHTS
student
Rights
IN 2017
2016 was a fantastic year for student rights. Our advocacy and welfare programs continued to expand and reach even more students than previous years.
Our QG wingman represented 139 creative industry students in what was a record HECS refund for overcharged fees, as well as saw to over 1,300 advocacy cases including student misconduct, special considerations and reviewing of grades across all faculties.
2016 saw advancements in QG welfare programs including increasing funding to our foodbank services, providing exam support stalls to supply free stationery, and increasing engagement with our free law services in conjunction with McInnes Wilson Lawyers. We know that our Student Rghts portfolio has a solid foundation for 2017 and I have no doubt that we will continue to make progress and expand, delivering for all students.
Why are misconduct meetings occurring?
We are proud that as the Student Rights portfolio continues to expand, we are seeing increasing numbers of students who are accessing our free wingman service, whereby students are represented by an experienced Guild officer during university proceedings. Since 2011, student advocacy cases have been continually increasing. However, these cases are becoming increasingly concerning at the same time. It has become almost impossible to ignore the fact that students are penalising their grades because they simply don’ t know how to apply for an extension, provide medical certificates or access QUT counselling services.
What can you do to avoid misconduct?
It is too often that students are being summoned to appear in front of a misconduct committee. These can be for any number of things such as plagiarism, bringing prohibited materials into exams, the list goes on.
One week before the meeting, members of the committee review case material as preparation for the meeting. Sometimes the student shows up to defend themselves, other times with a letter. These cases become eerily similar after a while as students are often found to be uninformed about QUT’ s academic policies, the process itself, and the QUT services they could have taken to get an extension or learn about QUT assessment policy.
Unfortunately, students often find themselves facing charges of plagiarism because they genuinely could not complete the assignment independently within the timeframe given due to stress, anxiety, medical conditions or even legal issues. These few tips are simple yet effective, coming to university at first can be scary, knowing where to go for help before misconduct accusation is the key.
Medical Certificate: Be proactive. We see many students submitting forged medical
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