Advocacy and programs

Advocacy

There may be times during the course of your studies at UWS when you have difficulty with assessments, academics and results. Welfare Officers can provide support and advice in areas dealing with misconduct, Review of Grades and Special Consideration

Misconduct (academic and non-academic)

Have you been accused of misconduct? There may be a time during your studies when you are accused of academic or non academic misconduct. If this happens, it is important to seek help with this process. If you are accused of misconduct, Welfare Officers can assist you by:
  • providing information about your appeal or grievance options
  • informing you about relevant policies or process
  • reviewing your appeal or grievance documents before you submit them
  • preparing you for meetings
  • attend misconduct hearings with you

A common example of student misconduct is plagiarism. The University of Western Sydney has a strong stance against plagiarism. The University defines plagiarism as “submitting or presenting work in a unit as if it were the student's own work done expressly for that particular unit when, in fact, it was not”.

If you are accused of plagiarism, or any other misconduct, make an appointment to see the welfare officer on your campus immediately.

For more information refer to the Student Academic Misconduct Policy (opens in a new window).

Review of Grade

You may be eligible to apply for a review of your final grade. For information on the circumstances under which you can apply for Review of Grade please refer to the Review of Grade policy.

Special Consideration

Applying for Special Consideration? Unexpected events can happen which may impact on your studies. For example:

  • you fell ill on the day of an exam
  • a family member passed away
  • you were involved in a car accident
  • there was a family breakdown

You may be eligible to apply for Special Consideration. If you would like more information on Special Consideration, or would like assistance in applying for it, please contact the welfare officer on your campus.

For details on the type of Special Consideration available and the types of circumstances where you can apply for Special Consideration go to the policy. 

Elite Athlete Friendly University program 

What is the EAFU program?

The Elite Athlete Friendly University (EAFU) program is an initiative of the Australian Sports Commission that allows Australia’s elite athletes to achieve academic excellence while also pursuing a sporting career. The value of combining both sport and higher education to achieve greater life success is well recognised across the university and sporting sectors.


What does that mean at UWS?

The University of Western Sydney is part of the EAFU program and has developed the Elite Athlete Support and Assistance Program (EASAP) to provide practical support for elite athletes studying at UWS.

The aim of EASAP is to assist elite athlete students in balancing their sporting commitments and their studies. The Student Welfare Service is responsible for the implementation and delivery of EASAP on behalf of UWS.


Who can I talk to about EAFU and EASAP?

The University has an EAFU contact person, who can provide:

  • support in negotiating flexibility to meet academic requirements
  • advocacy within the University environment
  • support in negotiating and/or implementing cross-institutional study or credit transfer arrangements

If you are a student athlete who needs assistance or would like to know more about either the EAFU or EASAP, please contact Carmel Votano, Student Welfare Officer on c.votano@uws.edu.au.

Check out the scholarships webpage for information about sporting scholarships, or contact Simon James on 9772 6337 or email simon.james@uws.edu.au.

Find out about the UWS Sports Scholarship.

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