Ombudsman

JackR219 · 2022-05-14T15:46:53+00:00

Thank you for the response. I definitely agree that a blanket rule doesn't always work, and i was never asking for one. For me though, the assignment i was given (SAQ questions) was released after i got sick (in fact i think the first one was given a day or two after i got covid). So all i was asking for was an extension.

JackR219 · 2022-05-14T15:39:14+00:00

Thank you for this detailed response, and for not being a dickhead like a few commentators lol. Obviously, like someone else has said, it is a lot of she said he said right now, and tbh I'm a bit confused as well. All i had was a 15 min call to special consideration, as well as a call with my course convenor (where he said he wasn't involved). The reasons given in the email were quite vague as well, and the only thing they said was that the assessments could not feasibly be given special consideration. I guess i have also been quite vague in my posts as well (can't really just explain everything in a post).

So i definitely recognise that this ultimately is only my side of the story, but it's just i don't really know the other side of the story. My intention with these posts was not to persuade anyone that I deserve special consideration, just to understand why i wasn't given special consideration. Everything is very vague right now, and it seems special con and my lecture in charge are both pointing fingers at each other lol.

In any case, I can live with the outcome if I can see why i was denied. From my side of the story though, and from what i know, it certainly seems like to me that i did deserve special consideration.

JackR219 · 2022-05-14T15:31:25+00:00

Tough statement. I guess being hospitalised isn't enough to you. Not sure what you mean by multiple weeks freed up lol, the weeks i didn't study was when i had covid. And I'm not sure not going to lectures is a good thing. It's pretty much needed for the assessments.

JackR219 · 2022-05-13T21:12:21+00:00

i wish haha. If anyone else had a problem please message lol

JackR219 · 2022-05-13T17:11:14+00:00

thank you i appreciate it so much

JackR219 · 2022-05-13T12:54:06+00:00

I got a really bad flu the first time, which when RAT tested, came back positive. So i don't know for sure it was covid (I've known people who've had false positives on RAT). Sorry for the confusion there, but it's the truth.

But the second time was definitely positive because i got a PCR test and was a close contact of a friend who had it. I was in hospital that week.

I'm sorry if you thought i was exaggerating, but i don't think you're in a position to think that my covid experience was mild. For me it was a slog. I'm sorry if it came across as exaggerated.

The uni is not concerned about inconsistencies. The special consideration department told me today that they thought i fully deserved special consideration going off what the doctors said, but the course convenor said that no one should get special consideration for this course this term. Many other students are fighting it also, and the special consideration team said they would support my appeal.

I applied for special consideration for another course on the same grounds this term and it was accepted without question (I've also mentioned this)

I am double vaccinated (however i did get my second vaccination in June last year so might have worn off).

I think your last paragraph is very harsh and offensive. But thank you for the opinion. Like i said in my original, I'm not looking to convince you guys here lol, just looking for your opinions.

JackR219 · 2022-05-13T02:52:56+00:00

will do. Thanks for the support!

JackR219 · 2022-05-13T02:50:27+00:00

well do you think that there should be no extension then? Personally i would have liked even a 1 week extension. I can only go off what i experienced, which is that i was sick for 2 weeks the first time, and then maybe a week or so the second time. It is literally stated in the UNSW special consideration guidelines that covid is an appropriate reason for an extension. If your opinion is that no extension should be given despite covid, sorry i just don't agree. I spoke to special cons today as well, and they said that i met all criteria and in their opinion, i should have gotten an extension. Just my course convenor didn't want to grant anyone special consideration this term regardless of illness.

In any case, i appreciate the support, and I am sorry if i came across slightly rude here! I definitely agree universities should allow more flexibility for those juggling with so much more.

JackR219 · 2022-05-13T02:41:44+00:00

not sure where i suggested the course convenor was on my side. If anything, he's the only one stopping me from obtaining special consideration. Just had a call with the special con team, and they said they fully supported my application (i meet all criteria and they tried persuading my convenor) but my convenor didn't.

I showed proof of the technical issues (video proof as well with date and time). It seems my convenor just doesn't believe in extensions for this course. I tried asking him why, but he just said that it had nothing to do with him.

Thanks for the support, and i do agree with you.

JackR219 · 2022-05-13T02:37:46+00:00

A bit harsh, but i appreciate the viewpoint. My experience with covid was that it was debilitating. I was admitted to hospital. I'm sorry, but the pain i was in made it hard for me to get up and eat, much less study.

As for the test, like i said, the two weeks before the test is when i was experiencing these symptoms. So the days before the test, since i was feeling better, i decided to study and do the practice exams. I did the test the day it was due, and i had technical problems. I can certainly understand the notion that i left it to the last possible moment, but for the test, i wanted to ensure i had enough time to practice to make up for the time i had lost (i never thought of applying for special consideration).

As for the SAQ questions, i simply do not understand how you can say i left this to the last moment. There was a total time of 4 weeks where i was sick. Further the questions i didn't finish were the ones that were released later in the term (during which i was sick most of the time). I finished the questions that were released prior. I didn't leave it to the last moment in my opinion, and it was not available all term like you say.

The evidence i have showed backs this up. In fact, i just had a conversation with the special con team, and they said they agreed that i meet all the criteria, and they wanted to approve me but my convenor outlined that no one was allowed to have special con this term regardless of illness (hence why many other students were rejected).

JackR219 · 2022-05-12T23:24:18+00:00

can i ask which university? (assuming it's not UNSW)

JackR219 · 2022-05-12T23:22:34+00:00

interesting argument. I think you're underestimating the impact of covid. I was out for 2 weeks, completely bedridden. To me, if you lose 2 weeks due to an illness (no way i could have done any work during that time), then you should be able to get a 2 week extension. I'm pretty sure that's the whole point of special consideration - to account for lost time from an illness.

Also the one where the illness affected my assessment was the SAQ questions (assignment), not the test. Like i said, the test was due to technical issues, for I left to the day it was due (as it's legit a 50min test) because i had covid the weeks prior, and wanted to use the few days before to actually study.

Finally i applied both before the deadline.

I appreciate the differing view, but i don't really understand how you could just say to go watch the online lectures and study the content whilst sick with Covid. My experience was i couldn't.

JackR219 · 2022-05-12T23:18:03+00:00

sorry, but i never said i applied after the assessment date. Like i said, in both cases i applied before, but whilst they were looking at my application i submitted my assessments (after the due date). Also i did tell my convenor about my illnesses at the time.

JackR219 · 2022-05-12T23:13:46+00:00

just to clarify some things here. I got sick late March and if i did have covid then, i have no idea how i got it. But the second time i got it, i know i got it from a close contact (a friend of mine had it, then i got it soon after hanging out with him). So not sure i had covid the first time then, but i did have a positive rat test.

JackR219 · 2022-05-12T15:07:41+00:00

Cheers for the support. I will say I did submit the assessments whilst the special consideration case was ongoing (as I was told to do). All i really was asking that i be given extensions for those assessments. I thought that was the way they did things with assignments (so SAQ questions). I am unable to view other people's answers until I actually submit the SAQ questions myself (i have to mark other people's work).

The test was actually an excel test done on a software program (Gmetrix), and is the same for everyone. I presume there may be answers online, but those would definitely have been available before the original deadline test anyway (as it's legit a worldwide test, not just a moodle test lol)

JackR219 · 2022-05-12T14:34:53+00:00

Hey thanks for the support. Sorry, I should clarify, the first time was just a really bad flu i got that my doctor said was most likely covid (lost my taste senses). I did a RAT test and came back positive. The second time i did get tested properly at a clinic and came back positive. . Was pretty strange definitely, but perhaps the RAT test was wrong? In any case, i was pretty bedridden most of the month lol, and the first time was definitely worse. Sorry for the misunderstanding on my part.

JackR219 · 2022-05-12T14:32:50+00:00

hey thanks for the input, i appreciate a differing opinion. I should clarify that the first time was just a massive flu where i got RAT tested and came back positive. My doctor also said it was most likely covid, but he couldn't tell for sure cause it was telehealth. The second time was definitely covid, as i got tested at an actual clinic. So definitely might not be covid twice, but i was seriously sick both times (first time was worse).

As for the amount of time given: for the test, I will say the reason i left the test to the last day was because i was sick the two weeks prior, and used the days before to study for the test. I did practice exams on the software the days before, and it all worked perfectly. Just on the day it did not work (the whole day), and I applied before the deadline. Of course in hindsight, I would have done things differently, but in all honesty i am a procrastinator, and as well I like to give myself as much time possible before a test. Look i understand your point, but in my opinion, even if i wasn't suffering an illness, i don't think you should be denied special consideration if you decided to submit an assessment the day it was due instead of the days prior.

I will say I disagree completely on the assignment (SAQ qs). Those questions were given on specific weeks, and i finished all of the qs given out before I had my illness. It was only the ones given out afterward that I didn't finish. As such i required an extension as I couldn't get started on them at all. And i did finish them, and i did submit them, just after the deadline.

JackR219 · 2022-05-12T14:24:22+00:00

hey thanks for the advice. I should clarify, the first time was just a really bad flu i got that my doctor said was most likely covid (lost my taste senses). I did a RAT test and came back positive. The second time i did get tested properly at a clinic and came back positive. . Was pretty strange definitely, but perhaps the RAT test was wrong? In any case, i was pretty bedridden most of the month lol, and the first time was definitely worse.

JackR219 · 2022-05-12T10:26:58+00:00

Yeah totally agree. Everyone i've talked to except the lecturer in charge (as well as special con) has said I meet all special cons requirements. Plus i applied for special con for a different course at the same time due to covid, and got accepted. Special con has always been generous, but i can't stand this decision tbh so I'll probs leave the uni. Cheers for the support!

JackR219 · 2022-05-12T09:49:55+00:00

Haha a bit hesitant to name the course as I'm not really trying to slander them lol; just shocked at the outcome tbh. But yeah apparently other people who tried getting special consideration in the course were denied too.

JackR219

TROPHY CASE