A GUIDE TO STUDYING IN THE SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contacts
Essays (general)
Marking criteria for essays/extensions
Late Penalty
Plagiarism
Exams
ISIS
Frequently Asked Questions
Appeals Procedure
Support Services
The School of Humanities is the largest and most varied School in the Arts faculty and brings together a number of the core disciplines of 'the humanities': Art History, Philosophy, English, Film Studies, New Media Arts, Drama and Gender, Sexuality and Culture.
It encourages interdisciplinary work, with strong collaboration across areas such as Drama and English and Art History and Film Studies. Students are thus able to work intensively within a single field but are also supported if they choose to move across traditional boundaries.
CONTACTS
Email: schoolofhumanities@anu.edu.au
Telephone: (02) 6125 3708
Fax: (02) 6125 4490
Postal Address: School of Humanities
Australian National University
Canberra ACT 0200
STUDY IN THE SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES
LECTURES
Lectures for most courses are recorded and would appear on Web CT for a specific course. However, these recordings are not a substitute for turning up at lectures unless you have good reason not to attend.
TUTORIAL PROGRAM
Tutorials are meant to be interesting, stimulating, challenging and fun. They are forums where you can test out your ideas, develop your understanding, debate issues, and discuss any matters of concern about the readings, the lectures and the course in general.
It may be a requirement of a course that you undertake to attend a specified number of tutorials. Often it is the case that if you miss two or more tutorials without explanation you will be expected to provide an adequate explanation as to the unsatisfactory level of tutorial attendance within the course.
If you cannot attend your tutorial, please make arrangements to attend another one that week. If this is impossible, please inform your tutor. If you feel that you have difficulty participating in tutorials, for whatever reason, please discuss this with your tutor.
Ultimately, the issue of satisfactory tutorial participation and attendance is left to the discretion of the course co-ordinator.
ESSAYS
GENERAL POINTS
Essays should be typed, using one-and-a-half or double spacing, and on one side of the paper only. Leave a generous margin for comments. You must fill out an Essay Cover Sheet including your name, student number, course name, course coordinator and tutor’s name and essay question and securely attach this to your essay. Essay cover sheets may be found outside the School of Humanities Office.
Do not submit the only copy of your work. Always keep another copy, preferably both a paper copy and a back-up copy on disk or computer.
Essays should be deposited in the Essay Chute located outside the School of Humanities Office (on the top floor of the A. D. Hope Building, near the Chifley Library). In exceptional circumstances, essays may be submitted by email but you must discuss this in advance with your lecturer/course co-ordinator.
Finally, the Academic Skills and Learning Centre's site
https://academicskills.anu.edu.au/resource.php?level=&college=&skill=referencing_acknowledging&type=&keywords=&action=search
provides invaluable instructions for students on how to write good essays.
MARKING CRITERIA FOR ESSAYS
In their useful book, Essay writing for students, Clanchy and Ballard outline four criteria for a university essay. They state that an essay should:
• Be the result of wide and critical reading.
• Be clearly focused on the set topic and deal fully with its central concerns;
• Present a reasoned, structured and coherent argument;
• Be competently presented (with appropriate style and referencing);
These four criteria will be used to assess your essays. (Some course convenors will be distributing information of more detailed assessment criteria) :
• A mark between 50 and 59 constitutes a PASS. This grade is usually attributed to an essay that demonstrates a satisfactory understanding of the main ideas.
• A mark between 60 and 69 constitutes a CREDIT. This grade is usually attributed to an essay that demonstrates a good understanding of the main ideas. There may be some critical/independent material, but it may be very undeveloped. If it were a little more developed, the essay might be marked at distinction level. If not, or if there are faults or jumbles of comprehension, the mark would remain at credit level.
• A mark between 70 and 79 constitutes a DISTINCTION. This grade is usually attributed to an essay that demonstrates both a good to very good understanding of the main ideas, and has some interesting/independent and critical response to make to those ideas. This critical/reflective response is often limited/ a little underdeveloped or unsustained. This is often what distinguishes this level from an HD.
• A mark between 80 and above constitutes a HIGH DISTINCTION. This grade is usually attributed to an essay that demonstrates a very good to excellent understanding of the main ideas, and includes some level of independent and critical response which is well sustained and developed. Sometimes, work marked at this level is good because it shows the ability to be self-reflective - there is critical assessment of one’s own ideas, or a measured, musing level of argument.
Other key factors considered include organisation of ideas, essay structure and clarity of expression. It is essential that you proof read your work, and remember to check spelling, syntax and grammar.
EXTENSIONS
Please contact your lecturer/course coordinator if you wish to be granted an extension of time in which to submit an essay. You must have your lecturer/course coordinator sign an Extension Request Form (these may be picked up outside the School of Humanities Office) and attach this form to your essay. Extensions will be granted in documented cases of illness or in cases of genuine personal trauma. Applications for extensions must be made BEFORE the due date.
LATE PENALTY
Work submitted after the due date WITHOUT AN EXTENSION will incur a late penalty of 2% per day, excluding weekends.
PLAGIARISM:
The Code of Practice for Student Academic Integrity can be found at the following address:
http://policies.anu.edu.au/policies/code_of_practice_for_student_academic_integrity/policy
ALL STUDENTS WITHIN THE SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES ARE REQUIRED TO FAMILIARISE THEMSELVES WITH this "Code of Academic Honesty".
The College of Arts and Social Sciences procedures in relation to that policy are located at
http://policies.anu.edu.au/procedures/code_of_practice_for_student_academic_integrity/procedure
Again all students should familiarise themselves with the Faculty’s mechanisms for dealing with plagiarism.
Finally, the Academic Skills and Learning Centre's site
https://academicskills.anu.edu.au/resource.php?level=&college=&skill=referencing_acknowledging&type=&keywords=&action=search
provides invaluable instructions for students on how to avoid plagiarism.
EXAMS
Students are expected to be available for examination and further examination during the designated examination period in accordance with the Examination Rules at http://www.anu.edu.au/cabs/rules/ExamsRules.pdf
Unless physically unable to do so a student must attend and attempt all scheduled examinations. In the case of illness prior to or on the day of the examination, the student should attend the examination and then request Special Consideration (with supporting documents).
The Faculty of Arts has been concerned that the requests in respect of formal examinations are not being followed leading to confusion, inequity and unnecessary additional work for staff.
The Faculty & Schools must abide by the Examinations (The Faculties) Rules published in the ANU Undergraduate Rules. All students should familiarise themselves with these rules.
Special Examinations
- The Faculty and School of Humanities considers special examinations permitted under Rule 9(1) are primarily to cover serious medical conditions
and unavoidable circumstances which prevent a student attending the examination. Unavoidable circumstances are those which:
(a) could not have reasonably been anticipated, avoided or guarded against by the student, and
(b) were beyond the student's control
Circumstances, routinely encountered by students, which will not normally be acceptable as grounds
for special examinations are:
(a) routine demands of employment
(b) routine family problems such as domestic tension with or between parents, spouses, and other people closely
involved with the student;
(c) difficulties adjusting to university life, and the demands of academic work;
(d) stress or anxiety associated with examinations or any aspect of academic work;
(e) routine need for financial support;
(f) demands of sports, clubs, and social or extra-curricular activities;
(g) family or personal travel arrangements;
(h) examinations scheduled consecutively or close to one another
However the following circumstances are acceptable on provision of supporting documents:
(a) a member of the armed forces involved in compulsory exercises;
(b) a person in full-time employment required to be overseas by his or her employer;
(c) a person representing ACT or Australia at a national or international sporting or cultural event;
(d) a person on jury duty;
(e) religious obligations which are not covered by special examination arrangements;
(f) relevent educational purpose (eg. commencement of northern hemisphere course).
Appropriate documentation must be submitted with the request. Requests falling within this category must
be submitted prior to the examination date.
- Special examinations for medical reasons are designed to cover serious medical conditions and emergencies,
eg. serious illness or injury requiring hospital admission and a special examination must be requested within 72 hours
of the scheduled examination as set out in Rule 5(1) and 5(2).
- Students are reminded that if possible they should attend the examination and follow the procedures laid out in
Rule 6(1), 6(2), 6(3), 6(4), 6(5) and 6(6) in respect of notification and special consideration.
- Students must provide appropriate evidence of any medical condition being cited as the reason for non-attendance.
In the case of illness or accident students must attend a doctor or medical clinic on the day of the examination, unless
there are special and documented circumstances, and provide a medical certificate or police report.
- Students should not assume that non-attendance at the examination and an application will lead to a special
examination being given. The Faculty will judge the severity based on the medical report. Students are encouraged to
attend the examination as scheduled and apply for Special Consideration.
- A special examination cannot be held until the Faculty approves the student's request.
- Misreading, misunderstanding or failure to read an examination timetable will not be considered as grounds for justifying
the granting of a special examination, unless the Dean is satisfied that the timetable is in some way at fault.
- Lecturers may not offer or approve a special examination without Faculty Office consent.
Special Consideration
Rule 6 provides for a student to request special consideration where a student considers their academic performance may have been affected by circumstances during preparation for the examination or during the period of taking the examination.
For circumstances during preparation the student must submit the request with appropriate evidence before the examination is held to the lecturer/course coordinator. If during the examination a candidate is ill or where there is a disruption or any other condition that affects the examination process this should be reported to the invigilator. The invigilator will then provide a report that will be sent to the examining School.
Special Examination Arrangements
Students may request a range of special examination arrangements for disability and/or injury. Such arrangements include being able to sit the examination in another location and arrangements in respect of language difficulties.
Requests for Special Examination Arrangements must be made to the Examinations Office no less than 2 weeks before the scheduled date of the exam. This will allow time for a decision to be made by the Faculty plus the Examinations Office will arrange invigilators and rooms and officially notify students.
Special Examination Arrangements for NESB students
The Faculty of Arts will approve an extension of time as a special arrangement where:
- the student comes from a non-English language background and;
- the student is in their first 2 semesters of study in Australia, and;
- the student during the last 12 months attended or is attending a program designed to improve their English
language skills.
Appropriate evidence must be provided. On application up to 1/3 extra time may be permitted. To apply, students must request the form from the Arts Faculty Office.
Religious obligations fall within the category of special arrangements. Students should discuss this with the Examination section.
ISIS
ISIS (Interactive Student Information Services) is a Web-based access system that allows you to access certain personal and academic information held on the University's Student System. The System is generally available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Accessible information includes:
• Address details (email address, mailing address, permanent home address, temporary address, etc.).
• Examination Results (after each formal examination period your results will be made available to you through ISIS by going to Academic History on the student menu).
• Enrolment details (you can do this by selecting Enrolment on the student menu and then choosing View for the semester that you wish to look at).
• Student Financial Details (account summary and HECS information).
• Advisor Comments (comments made by academic advisors such as Sub-deans).
It is ESSENTIAL that you regularly up-date your contact details (including email address) on ISIS.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What do I do if I can’t make or I miss the lecture?
Ensure you get any lecture handouts from the lecturer. Lecturers usually leave copies of handouts in the labelled drawers just outside the School of Humanities Office. Listen to the lecture recordings on Web CT if they have been recorded.
What do I do if I can’t make or I miss the tutorial?
Ask the tutor if you can attend another class.
Where do I hand in my essay?
In the Essay Chute outside the School of Humanities Office. DO NOT PUT ESSAYS IN THE HAND OUT DRAWERS. ESSAYS PUT IN THESE DRAWERS WILL NOT BE PROCESSED FOR MARKING.
Which referencing system do I use?
Use any referencing system, as long as it is an academic one. And use it consistently.
See this ASLC’s referencing guide at : https://academicskills.anu.edu.au/resource.php
How do I present quotations?
Quotations in verse or prose should appear in the text, in single or double inverted commas, if they do not exceed two or three lines, 'like this' or “like this”. If they are longer, they should be set apart from the main text without inverted commas, and single spaced. Deletions from quotations should be indicated by three spaced stops (…), and additions by you should be enclosed in square brackets [thus].
What works should I include in the bibliography?
Include every work you have cited in the essay and all other works which you have read which have been used to prepare and write the essay.
How do you cite readings from the reading bricks?
Cite the actual article or chapter, giving all the relevant details (author, year, title, place of publication, etc.). Do not cite the reading brick in which it is photocopied.
APPEALS POLICY
The Rules and the Policy Statement are accessible, respectively, at
http://arts.anu.edu.au/student_information/current/rules/appeal.asp
Information about the Library: http://anulib.anu.edu.au/lib_home.html
INFORMATION ON SUPPORT SERVICES AT ANU:
ACADEMIC SKILLS AND LEARNING CENTRE
The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers ANU students free and confidential help with their academic work.
The Centre is located on the lower ground floor of the Pauline Griffin Building (building no. 11) and is open during term and vacations on an appointment basis.
THE COUNSELLNG CENTRE
Location
First Floor, Building [18]
North Road
ANU Campus
(Next to the Sports and Recreation Association and the Purple Pickle Cafe. We are upstairs above the doctors and near the dojo and the squash courts)
See Campus map.
Opening hours
9:00am - 4:45pm weekdays, closed 1:00pm - 2:00pm for lunch
Closed on public holidays
Contact us
Postal address:
The University Counselling Centre
Building 18, North Road
The Australian National University
Acton, ACT, 0200
Australia
Telephone: (+61) 02 - 6125 2442
Fax: (+61) 02 - 6125 2242
Email: Counselling.Centre@anu.edu.au
