20 24 Equitable Access Guide
Table of Contents Dean’s Welcome
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Equitable Access Officer’s Welcome
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Equitable Learning Services
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Applying for ELS
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What Adjustments are Available?
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Special Consideration
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When shouldn’t you apply for Special Consideration
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Applying for Special Consideration
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UNSW Psychology & Wellness
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Psychology & Wellness Appointments
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Financial Hardship
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Legal Help
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Arc@UNSW Wellness
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UNSW Student Support Service
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Other Support Services
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Dean’s Welcome It is a pleasure to offer a few words in support of the 2024 Equitable Access Guide – a great initiative of the UNSW Law Society that goes from strength to strength. The Faculty appreciates the terrific work done by the Society and I especially acknowledge Isabella Larkin, this years’ Equitable Access Officer, for bringing you this compendium of up to date and helpful information. Most students will experience challenges of one sort or another during their time with the Faculty of Law & Justice. For many of these, the University provides practical assistance and will also support you to seek some adjustment or consideration from your teachers. Some students will know at the very outset of their degree that they will require adjustments to ensure educational equity; for others, this may arise later as their circumstances change, whether on a temporary or ongoing basis. This Guide will help you navigate the UNSW landscape – who can help and how – so that you can get the assistance you need swiftly. If I had one word of advice, it would be to please reach out early should you ever feel you are going to require some extra support.
Professor Andrew Lynch Dean of Law & Justice
Wishing you a rewarding year of study, Professor Andrew Lynch Dean of Law & Justice
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Equitable Access Officer's Welcome Hi there, and welcome to UNSW!
Congratulations on beginning your law school journey, and for all the hard work you have put in to get to this point. As the Equitable Access Officer of the UNSW Law Society for 2024, I am proud and excited to introduce you to this year’s edition of the Equitable Access Guide. This free, online booklet is designed to guide you through some ‘behindthe-scenes’ aspects of law school, providing some advice for the tougher times. Contained in this guide is a rundown on many of UNSW support services, including the Equitable Learning Service, Special Considerations, and UNSW Psychology and Wellbeing.
Whether you are already aware of and managing personal disadvantage, may have personal circumstances interfere with your study in the future, or are just curious as to what supports exist, this guide is for you! Law School can present a unique challenge for many students, being surrounded by high achievers and deep thinkers, though I hope it will be an ultimately enjoyable one. If you live with a disability or other chronic physical or mental illness, or have other caring responsibilities, these challenges can be especially heightened. Yet, UNSW Law has a long and proud tradition as a diverse and welcoming school, and I hope you will also find your place within this thriving community. Most importantly, as you read this guide, remember that these support systems are here to be used! Whether you are going through a particularly challenging time or just need a bit of advice, there is absolutely no shame in seeking support. Good luck for the year ahead, and I hope there are many new memories made! Isabella Larkin 2024 Equitable Access Officer
Isabella Larkin 2024 Equitable Access Officer 2
Equitable Learning Services What is Equitable Learning Services? The Equitable Learning Services is a free, confidential service that provides support to students to ensure your personal circumstances do not adversely affect your studies. The ELS supports students living with physical or mental health conditions, neurodiversity or carer responsibilities. The primary way the ELS supports students is through Equitable Learning Plans, which are customised educational strategies designed to meet each students’ individual need. The goal of ELPs is generally to ensure that students can perform on the same level as their peers.
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Applying for
ELS Applying for Equitable Adjustments through ELS is a reasonably simple process – as stressful as it may seem! My number one piece of advice is to start this process early, as your lecturers and tutors will need to be aware before adjustments can be implemented.
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Complete the Registration Form Navigate to this form: https://unswaccess.symplicity.com/public_accommodation/ to get set up with the Equitable Learning Services. To do this, you will need some supporting documentation. If you have recently completed your HSC and applied to UAC’s Equitable Access Scheme, or have used Disability Provisions in high school, documentation used to support those claims should suffice.
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Correspond with ELS Once you’ve completed the above form, you will receive an email from els@unsw.edu.au. Now, you can book an appointment with an Equitable Learning Facilitator.
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Meet with ELS During your meeting with the Facilitator, your educational adjustments will be determined depending on the impact of your circumstances. An Equitable Access Plan will then be generated to help with your support needs.
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Distribute your ELP Your Equitable Access Plan will be created and sent to you via the ELS online portal. At this point, you will need to send this plan to your course convenors and classroom lecturers and tutors. While this can sound very daunting, ELS provides a generic email formula you can send out – feel free to just use this! Without your plan being forwarded to the academic staff, your educational adjustments cannot be implemented.
Renew your ELP At the start of each term, ELS will email you letting you know your Plan will need renewal. Just follow their instructions and you will be good to go!
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What Adjustments are Available? There are a range of adjustments available to students dependent on their needs and circumstances. Options include extra time for exams, a one-week extension for assignments, note-taking services and other assistive technology. Your adjustments are also not concrete for the duration of your degree; if you need more support than you initially have, reach out to your Facilitator!
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Special Consideration What is Special Consideration? Special Consideration is a process that assesses the impact of unexpected, short-term events on your ability to complete an assessment task. It is more concerned with the acute, dealing with symptoms while ELS is more long term. But this doesn’t mean both can’t be used. For instance, if you have a short term situation unrelated to your normal circumstances, or need extra time on top of what your ELP provides, you can apply for Special Consideration.
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When shouldn’t you apply for
Special Consideration
Special Consideration is NOT available for: Failure to understand the assessment or submission Heavy academic workload Avoidable work commitments Community events or concerts There is a list of all possible situations that may or may not be covered at https://www.student.unsw.edu.au /special/consideration/guide https://www.student.unsw.edu.au /special-consideration The Special Consideration team are always happy to help if you need further clarity. 8
Applying for
Special Consideration When to apply
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To be eligible for Special Consideration, you must apply before the start of your exam or assessment due date. If you are prevented from doing this, you must apply within three days of that due date. Alternatively, if you become unwell in the middle of an exam, stop working immediately and notify a staff member.
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Gather your Documentation Before you submit your application, you need to have documentation that supports your submission. Three things have to be included in the documentation: circumstances of your situation, the time frame, and the severity. If the information you have provided isn’t enough, Special Consideration will let you know. Evidence may include a medical certificate (you can use the form provided by UNSW), a police report, a letter from an employer or community leader (or UNSW staff), or any number of other types of documentation. There should be a connection between the style of document and the circumstances claimed!
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3 Submit Apply for special consideration online using your UNSW account; https://specialconsiderati on.unsw.edu.au. Follow the prompts as they occur!
4 Assessment and Results Your application will be assessed by the Student Case Reviews team, usually within 3-5 business days. This may be longer if submission was around midterms or end of term exams. If there is a delay – just keep working at your assignment and submit when you can. If it’s an exam, there may be more complications, but just make sure you keep your lecturers informed. The result may be a supplementary exam or alternate assessment, or an extended deadline. If you are unhappy with this result, you can request an appeal.
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UNSW Psychology & Wellness Law school, university and life can all be generally stressful at times. The University is taking steps to minimise this for students by offering referral and counselling services. This is done through Mental Health Connect – a free service which allows you to discuss your circumstances with an advisor who can provide further advice. This may include a referral to external services, or to UNSW’s Psychologists. To book an Appointment, go to: https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/mhc. If you are unsure where to start or just need a bit of support, this is the perfect place to begin.
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Psychology & Wellness Appointments Your advisor through Mental Health Connect may recommend an appointment with the in-university Psychological Service. These can be booked by reaching out to +61 9385 5418. Just like with Mental Health Connect, you will be paired with a registered professional, and the information you share will be confidential. Appointments will generally go from 30-50 minutes in person or via telehealth, and don’t have to deal with a diagnosed mental illness. Instead, the counsellor may be able to discuss motivational support and stress coping mechanisms. If you have a valid Medicare card, you will be able to receive your first three sessions free of charge. After three sessions, you may have to attend your GP and receive a Mental Health Care Plan to continue accessing the service at no costs. If this will be prohibitive to you in any way, be sure to discuss this, as UNSW Psychology and Wellness will never ‘cut you off’.
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Financial Hardship UNSW students experiencing financial hardship may be eligible for a Student Support Grant, though you will need to provide bank records in support of your application. This will be organised with the help of a Student Support Advisor, so reach out to them first! Grants can be provided for essential living costs, medical expenses, rental bonds or other utility bills. See here: https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/grants for more information. UNSW students may also be able to receive a student loan, which is separate to tuition fees. This is an amount of $1,500 that undergraduate, postgraduate, domestic or international students can receive, and must be paid back to the university within 24 months. It is legally binding, and has some restrictions, but a good option for if you need a little bit more support, interest free.
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Legal Help There are times that your support needs may extend beyond interpersonal help, however. Arc and UNSW Law also provide legal services to those in need. Arc Legal offers a range of written, online advice on things like tenancy and renting laws, Centrelink payments, visa and tax issues, as well as help if you have been the victim of a crime. If this online advice doesn’t solve your troubles or you’d like to have a conversation, they also have online appointments that you can book into. Head to this website: https://www.arc.unsw.edu.au/help/legal-information to take a look at all the areas they can advise in, as well as first steps to take if you have a legal concern. UNSW also has a Community Legal Centre on campus called the Kingsford Legal Centre. As you get further into your degree, you’ll even get the opportunity to work there! However, they are also there to offer free legal advice or guidance to those living, working or studying (that’s you!) in the Randwick City Local Government Area, as well as parts of the Bayside Council area. The staff there are able to help with discrimination law, sexual harassment or other violence, Centrelink issues, consumer matters or other tenancy or neighbourhood related issues. For a full list of their specialities and to book (which is essential), head here: https://www.klc.unsw.edu.au/freelegal-help.
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Arc@UNSW: Wellness
If you need some more in-depth support, Arc, the UNSW Student Union, offers a range of services. If you’re unsure where to start, explore this link: https://www.arc.unsw.edu.au/wellness/support.. Feel free to navigate around to find a service that can help you the best, or contact Arc or UNSW directly – the Mental Health Connect Service is a good option. Call 9385 5418 or text 0485 826 595. Arc Wellness also provides a handy guide to when to think about getting some extra support. Symptoms include altered sleep patterns, constant anxiety or unease, a lack of energy, motivation or concentration, mood swings and relationship changes. If this resonates with you, you can do one (or all) or the following: Visit your local GP Book an appointment through UNSW Mental Health Connect Book a free Online Therapy appointment through a service like ReachOut, Mindspot or SANE See more at: https://www.arc.unsw.edu.au/wellness/mental-wellbeing/hobbies
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UNSW Student Support Service UNSW also provides support through the Student Support Team, a group of Advisors that can provide personalised advice about university life, academics, wellbeing, or finances. You can book a 45 minute face to face or online appointment with an advisor, of your choosing. All are experts and have been with the Student Support Team for a number of years, and can direct your concerns to other services if needed. To learn more or to book, head to: https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/advisors. Importantly, the Student Support Advisors can help with financial advice too, which is always helpful for university students! They can support you in creating a budget (that you’ll actually stick to!) or in applying for financial support.
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Other Support Services
Even with the best support in place, things can go wrong, or you can feel like you’re in trouble. In the event of an emergency, both physical or psychological, call 000, or attend your nearest emergency department immediately. If you’re on campus, the nearest hospital is Prince of Wales, in Randwick. Additionally, you can reach out to the following organisations if in crisis: Lifeline: 13 11 14 - 24/7 crisis support Mental Health Line: 1800 011 511 - Professional help, advise and referrals to local services Kid’s Helpline (for up to 25 yo!): 1800 551 800 - Support for young adults through professional, free counselling over the phone or internet 1800 Respect: 1800 737 732 - Support for those who have, or are currently experiencing, domestic violence Carer Gateway: 1800 422 737 - Specialised support for people in a carer role that can refer you to a supportive organisation
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Content Writer Isabella Larkin (Equitable Access Officer)
Publication Design Victoria Hong Zara Hoque (Publication Design Directors)