 When you are unwell and experiencing symptoms to such an extent that your ability to study is substantially compromised, you may find you need to make some decisions about university and your likelihood of academic success in the short term. When you are really unwell you may find that you need to spend lots more time managing your symptoms, exploring medication options or other treatments such as hospitalisation, intensive counselling or day clinics. This does not mean that you will never be able to study again or that your symptoms will always require such high maintenance. Take some time to consider strategies that will assist you to increase periods of wellness. It can be really hard to admit that things have become too much to handle. Remember your health is more important than passing your subjects.
Leave of Absence
When things are getting completely overwhelming, one option is to take leave of absence. This means that you take time out from your course but usually keep your place with the option of returning at a later date. This period of leave is often limited to one year but it may be possible to negotiate shorter periods of leave with your faculty, eg one month. Be reasonable with your request as it may not be possible to catch up with a months worth of missed classes, especially prac sessions. This is why leave of absence is usually given in one year or semester lots.
People take leave of absence for a variety of reasons:
• acute illness and / or hospitalisation
• time away from study to organise and establish appropriate medical treatment and medication therapy
• when you are so far behind that trying to catch up would make your situation even worse
Go to the Student Administration website for information about applying for leave of absence.
If you receive Austudy, Youth Allowance or other payments, you must notify Centerlink of any changes to your enrolment.
Remember that one of the major criteria in becoming eligible for Centrelink benefits is your study load. Before making any final decisions you should speak to either the Housing and Financial Aid Officer at Student Services or the Guild Education Officer (Welfare). They will be able to look at what payment you are receiving and let you know the impact of any proposed changes. Perhaps you will be able to convert to another payment such as Youth Allowance or Newstart, with a sickness provision and in more serious situations a Disability Pension. This needs to be looked at so that you do not lose your source of income.
If you take leave of absence or reduce your workload after the HECS census date, you will have to pay HECS unless you qualify for a remission of your HECS debt.
Note: Remission of your HECS debt may be granted where there are circumstances beyond your control, such as a documented mental health condition, that forces you to withdraw from subjects or take leave of absence.
If you are paying fees then contact your faculty office to discuss how leave of absence will affect your fees.
Perhaps this all sounds a bit confronting and it may be tempting to put it in the ‘too hard’ basket. Don’t be put off if you think leave of absence is what you need. The Guild Education Officers and the Housing and Finance Officers are there to help you with it. Contact them for advice on what changes to your enrollment mean for your Centrelink payments, HECS fees etc.
“Having time off was really useful. I worked out my medication, saw my psychiatrist once a week
and gradually regained my confidence. I then felt ready to go back to uni.”
When you are ready to return from leave remember to make an appointment with Uni Access so they can discuss what you may need for the future and so you can hear first hand about the services they provide at UWA. Check out the Learning Skills Advisors and remember that the UWA Counselling Service and Medical Centre are available for you too.
Withdrawing from a Subject
Reducing your workload is a great idea, especially when you are returning from leave of absence. It allows you time to deal with things and effectively reduces the stress that is so much part of managing a full academic load.
If you wish to withdrawal from one or more units, you will need to progress your request through your Student Faculty Advisor or Faculty Admin Officer. They will need some supporting medical documentation to look at, when they consider your application. The forms you will need to fill out and some other information about withdrawing from units is at the Student Administration website.
If you withdraw from a unit after the withdrawal date, you may record a 'Fail' on your academic record. Again, in extenuating circumstances, the faculty may look at your situation and grant you ‘Withdraw with out academic penalty’. The code for this action will appear on your academic record. The date set by the university as the last date to withdraw from units varies. Relevant dates can be found on the website.
If you withdraw from a subject after the HECS census date, (31st March for first semester and 31st August for second semester) you may still be liable for the HECS fee. This can be waived where the circumstances are beyond your control, such as a documented mental health condition, that forces you to withdraw from subjects. If you are paying fees, then contact your faculty office to discuss how part time study will affect your fees. Again, you need to remember that if you are on a Centrelink benefit there may be an impact on your eligibility depending on your load. You should make an appointment to see the Student Services Housing and Financial Aid Officer or Guild Education Officer (Welfare) to discuss your benefit. This will allow you to make an informed decision and to ensure that you let Centrelink know within the required reporting period.
The UWA Guild Education Officers, Counselling Service or the Medical Centre can help with filling out the forms.
Get in touch with Uni Access so they can let you know about the services they provide to help you manage your remaining units.
Studying Part Time
If past experience tells you that a full time load results in heaps of stress, worsening of your mental health condition, or even a deterioration in your general wellbeing, then part time study may be for you. People study part time for many different reasons and looking after your mental health may only be one of them. People who study part time for these reasons find they achieve better results and enjoy university, even though it may take them a bit longer to finish.
You can reduce your full time load to part time by going through the ‘withdrawing from units’ steps outlined above. Or simply enroll in fewer units when you enroll for your next semester. Contact your faculty to discuss if part time study is available for the course you are doing. Don’t forget that where your decision to study part time is a result of ill health or a disability you may be eligible, or continue to be eligible, for a Centrelink benefit. So make a time to see the Guild Education Officer (Welfare) or Student Services Housing and Financial Aid Officers for further information and support.
Time Limits for Course Completion or ‘Student Learning Entitlement’
Recent changes to higher education by the Federal Government mean that there are now limits on how long universities can give a student to complete their course. These changes impact on part time students as well as those withdrawing from units and taking leave of absence. Contact your Faculty to find out if the time limits will have an effect on your part time study plans.
Student Administration can also answer questions you have regarding time limits or ‘SLE’ for course completion.
The main Student Administration home page.
Student Learning Entitlement webpage.
Go to the federal government website - ‘Going to Uni’ to find out more.
Extensions
Sometimes you may find it hard to complete work by a due date, particularly if you have been experiencing symptoms or been struggling with medication. You may have been spending a lot of time in counselling or trying to find other supports you need. You may have been in hospital for a period of time. Your mental health condition means that you have struggled to attend lectures and tutes, your concentration is poor and your ability to read and integrate what you are studying is limited. Sometimes you find you are simply unable to complete pieces by the due date.
At UWA you can obtain an extension by approaching your Student Faculty Advisor or Faculty Administration Officer. People in these roles are responsible for helping students who find they are getting behind in their work, thinking of changing units or any other issue that affects their study. If you prefer, you can approach your lecturer, tutor or unit coordinator. You can phone them up, make an appointment to see them, or send an email. Take these steps as soon as you realise you are not going to make the deadline. Leaving this until the day before doesn’t look so good!
When you discuss your request for an extension the faculty will typically want to know:
• Why you want the extension. Remember that you need not disclose the exact nature of your condition if you don’t want to. The symptoms that have made it impossible for you to meet the deadline are sufficient. If you have already disclosed to your Student Faculty Advisor then it is best to direct the request through them.
• If you have any evidence to support your request. A medical certificate is good but if your condition is ongoing then you do not want to be going back to the doctor for every extension you may need. If you are registered with Uni Access they can advocate on your behalf. The UWA Counselling Service or Medical Centre can support you in the same way.
• How much time you need. Keep in mind the longer the extension the longer you have to procrastinate and stress over it. Aim for a realistic length of time. Overly long extensions mean that you will have to think about work that has already been taught while still trying to assimilate new or current teaching. Extensions that carry on too long may mean that you have no real mid semester or end of semester break due to unfinished work hanging over your head.
If you feel you need some help, contact the Uni Access Officers. They can help you to negotiate with your Faculty and provide support and assistance over the course of your studies.
Special Consideration for Tests or Examinations
Special consideration exists to ensure that you are not disadvantaged by circumstances beyond your control. To qualify for special consideration at UWA, you must be able to demonstrate that your preparation for the assessment was significantly compromised by circumstances beyond your control. In this instance, circumstances can include a deterioration of your mental health condition, change in medication that affects your study habits, personal circumstances like family or marriage breakdown, death of a family member or close friend, accident or emergency etc.
Written documentation that describes the negative impact this circumstance has had on your preparation for the assessment is required. If your application for special consideration is accepted the Faculty staff will apply special consideration in the marking, in the allocation of a final mark, or in the offer of supplementary examination. Sometimes this can make the difference between a pass or fail.
An application for special consideration must be made with in 3 working days of the exam or test. Applying for Special Consideration for Examinations at UWA involves the following steps:
• Complete the application form. The part requiring written statement from your treating medical practitioner or counsellor/clinical psychologist must be completed. Application forms are available from the UWA Counselling Service, Medical Centre, Student Administration, UWA Student Guild or on the web, scroll down until you get to ‘Special Consideration’.
• Present the form to your Student Faculty Advisor or Faculty Administration Officer within 3 working days of the examination. You can make an appointment and take it in yourself, send it in or fax it in. If you cannot attend in person, a phone call or email to accompany the form may help.
• The faculty will then decide on whether to grant your application and will contact you to let you know their decision.
Click here to find out more about Special Consideration for Examinations. If you find that you need to apply for special consideration every semester then contact the Uni Access Officer as there may well be other things that can be put in place for you that are more effective than special consideration.
Alternative Examinations
At UWA, alternative examinations are available to students with disabilities or medical conditions who are registered with Uni Access. Alternative examinations seek to redress the impact the condition has on the student’s performance by putting in place arrangements that allow the student to demonstrate their knowledge in a way that suits them best. For example, a student with a vision impairment may require the following arrangements so they can demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the subject. The exam paper is enlarged, a computer is provided to type answers and extra time is allowed.
If you feel your mental health condition may hamper your performance then you may apply for Alternative Examinations. Some of the arrangements that may be suitable in this instance include:
• extra time that can be used as working or non working time
• individual exam room (sitting by yourself with only a supervisor)
• alternative exam room (sitting with other students who are also sitting an alternative examination. At UWA this means a max of about 25 other students)
• use of a computer
Applying for Alternative Examinations at UWA involves the following:
• Registration with Uni Access. As part of registering with Uni Access students must provide supporting documents that outline their condition and the way this condition affects their ability to study and to perform in examinations.
• The Uni Access Officer will then discuss with you the most appropriate arrangements and explain the practicalities of how it all works.
• Informing your faculty of the application and the various arrangements that make up your alternative examination.
• Informing the Exams Office of the application and the various arrangements that you need.
• The Exams Office contact you to let you know where and when your exam will be.
All documents relating to alternative examinations must be submitted to the Exams Office 3 weeks before the onset of the exam period. Applications lodged after this time may not be processed. At UWA, students need to apply for alternative examinations only once, the first time. The arrangements agreed upon follow the student for their time at uni. Of course, if your condition changes or you do not need alternative exams anymore just contact Uni Access to sort this out.
Click here to find out more about Alternative Examinations.
| 
