Failed a unit--appeals process? (1 Viewer)

[lala2]

Hey, I don't believe it myself but I failed and by a long shot:

PCOL 3605 Pharmacology 3 (Pharmacy) 71.0 Credit
PHAR 3609 Medicinal Chemistry 3A Result not yet available
PHAR 3613 Pharmacy Practice 3A 40.0 Fail
PHAR 3630 Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacogenetics Result not yet available

I heard you can appeal to have them pass you through but as 40 is a major fail I'm not sure what I can do. I don't want to have to stay a semester back, what should I do? And this is compounded by the fact that I'm now a casual working for the pharmacy I did my externship at so how should I face up to them when they are sure to ask how I did? And how do you break this nicely to the parentals? It's a big shock to me too--I can't even cry because I'm just frozen by this. Please help--I knew it was my worst subject but I didn't think I would fail. P.S. the exam review schedule is not up yet but I don't want to have to wait long, and by when are the results finalised? Any help at all is appreciated!

 

[jayadore]

Not sure, but you could probably always just take summer school for that class? that why you don't need to stay a semester back.

And parentals, lie lie lie. When (if attending) asked about summer school, tell them you're just overloading to get out faster. And grab the transcript out of the mail before they do?

(Can't believe you failed either by the way! )

 

[lala2]

No, I can't take summer school as it's a pharmacy unit Has anyone had success appealing? I think I failed because I failed one of the non-failable components, but I'm not actually sure which of the components I would've failed.

 

[edd91]

No, I can't take summer school as it's a pharmacy unit Has anyone had success appealing? I think I failed because I failed one of the non-failable components, but I'm not actually sure which of the components I would've failed.

lala2, in any case the next appropriate step you should take is to make a meeting with the assessor/head of unit. At this meeting you can arrange to see your exam paper.

You may find that they missed a question in marking in which case you should be able to resolve the issue on the spot. If they didn't miss a question you should take a look at why you failed, perhaps your knowledge just isn't up to scratch?

In any case, if you feel the teachers have erred in their marking or judgement you can find the student appeals policy on the academic board site or talk to the SRC, but the first step is to talk to the teachers

 

[lala2]

Thanks edd91, I did rock up to uni today and asked the undergraduate officer (administrative) about what to do, we knew each other from before so I don't know whether that was a good or a bad thing :s but anyway she explained my options to me and for future reference (though I hope to God no other pharmacy student will ever have to resort to this):

Step 1: Wait for exam review, projected to be 2nd week of semester. The UOS coordinator isn't back anyway till next week so I can't ask. Of course with the possibility of appealing as with any exam review. I'm definitely onto it.
Step 2: Should things not be resolved, apply for non standard enrolment. They waiver the prereq as long as you don't fail any other subject before the next year so in this case I would repeat pharm prac 3A together with fourth year units next year, i.e. I would be overloading and taking FIVE subjects semester 1 next year assuming I pass every subject this semester and next.

I had the distinct impression she was encouraging the nonstandard enrolment option, and she said as long as you didn't fail any first or second year subjects and will have done fairly well by the time mid-Feb comes around next year (when they consider the enrolments of all other students which is after they've enrolled all the first year students) then there's a good chance they may let me (but obviously she didn't say it like that, it was just the impression I got)

I also contacted three students who had failed, they gave me their full support and encouraged me to talk to the dean for undergraduate students as she's best able to help (and incidentally is the one that processes non standard enrolment applications). The one student who did apply for non standard enrolment got it, she said as long as you didn't fail any subjects beforehand you should be good. I'm waiting for her reply as to what kind of marks she was getting before her failure so hopefully it'll be alright!

So now all I have to do is check the faculty website 10x a day. *sigh* and I really hope I pass my last subject, I dreamt I did (and where I dreamt I failed the subject I did fail) and would med chem please stop giving everyone including me a heart attack by writing incomplete!

/end rant

 

[edd91]

lala2 I too have failed a unit and so have many people so you're not alone by any means. If you have any questions about the appeals process (at which I'm pretty well versed) please ask

Thanks edd91, I did rock up to uni today and asked the undergraduate officer (administrative) about what to do, we knew each other from before so I don't know whether that was a good or a bad thing :s but anyway she explained my options to me and for future reference (though I hope to God no other pharmacy student will ever have to resort to this):

Step 1: Wait for exam review, projected to be 2nd week of semester. The UOS coordinator isn't back anyway till next week so I can't ask. Of course with the possibility of appealing as with any exam review. I'm definitely onto it.
Step 2: Should things not be resolved, apply for non standard enrolment. They waiver the prereq as long as you don't fail any other subject before the next year so in this case I would repeat pharm prac 3A together with fourth year units next year, i.e. I would be overloading and taking FIVE subjects semester 1 next year assuming I pass every subject this semester and next.

I had the distinct impression she was encouraging the nonstandard enrolment option, and she said as long as you didn't fail any first or second year subjects and will have done fairly well by the time mid-Feb comes around next year (when they consider the enrolments of all other students which is after they've enrolled all the first year students) then there's a good chance they may let me (but obviously she didn't say it like that, it was just the impression I got)

I also contacted three students who had failed, they gave me their full support and encouraged me to talk to the dean for undergraduate students as she's best able to help (and incidentally is the one that processes non standard enrolment applications). The one student who did apply for non standard enrolment got it, she said as long as you didn't fail any subjects beforehand you should be good. I'm waiting for her reply as to what kind of marks she was getting before her failure so hopefully it'll be alright!

So now all I have to do is check the faculty website 10x a day. *sigh* and I really hope I pass my last subject, I dreamt I did (and where I dreamt I failed the subject I did fail) and would med chem please stop giving everyone including me a heart attack by writing incomplete!

/end rant

 

[edd91]

I take it you are not doing the HSC in 2010?

Wow you deserve a scholarship for this amazing piece of mathematical deduction

 

[Bobness]

Wow you deserve a scholarship for this amazing piece of mathematical deduction

HAHAHAHA i think she was only trying to be helpful.

To lala2, hope it goes well for you

 

[jb_nc]

Consult the SRC (sorry I have some people on ignore so I'm not sure if this has been said), they will help you.

Otherwise do what edd91 said.

 

[lala2]

Thanks guys for your advice, and for future reference, one of the two people who got nonstandard enrolment had a WAM of 64-65 prior to his fail, and if you discount my fail and the next lowest mark (59 compared to 63) I have a WAM of 70.32. And if you discount only the fail, I have a WAM of 69.64.

The undergraduate officer also said that she's not sure, but most likely they only consider your WAM and not your history of performance in similar subjects, so hopefully it's ok (you see, I failed pharm prac 3A, and the 59 was in pharm prac 2!) But what am I doing? I should focus my energies on getting to that exam review!

Also re: the parentals, I have decided not to tell them until the appeal fails and/or my non standard enrolment app fails, which means I could potentially be waiting until next Feb. If I can graduate as normal then why go through the additional stress of being yelled at? So now just more sitting tight until I know when the exam review session is