Student Advocacy provides advice, support, representation and assistance to Victoria University students on a wide range of topics and issues.
Our Student Advocates are also available to consult with Victoria University staff regarding complex student issue and University policy relevant to student matters.
It is important that students read the VU Student Charter Policy, which outlines the rights and responsibilities of all Victoria University students.
Our Student Advocates are guided by VU's Independent Advocacy Service Charter, a protocol of Student Life and Wellbeing, which outlines our commitment to providing confidential and independent support to students in accordance with SSAF guidelines.
When advising a student* of Victoria University, student advocates will:
* a student enrolled at Victoria University includes all students of Victoria University and VU Polytechnic.
Please read the following information for details about how advocacy can help you with these common student concerns.
‘Academic misconduct’ refers to any behaviour in breach of VU’s academic integrity standards.
To learn about what academic integrity is, and why it is so important, we recommend reading the information published in the VU Library Guide.
You can also complete the five interactive academic integrity modules available on VU Collaborate – log in is required.
Go to the new Academic Integrity HQ to self-enrol. Even if you have completed one or more modules in 2022, you need to self-enrol in the new HQ to complete the remaining modules. Click on the ‘Content’ tab and within the table of contents, select a module under ‘Academic Integrity Course Overview’. Read the FAQs in the space for further information.
Further details are also available in the Academic Integrity Guidelines and the Academic Integrity Policy. A complete definition of ‘academic misconduct’ can be found under Regulation 8 of the Student Misconduct Regulations 2019.
If your teacher believes you may have engaged in academic misconduct, they will ask a senior officer to investigate the matter.
The senior officer will invite you to attend an investigation meeting.
You will also receive a written notification to your VU student email account that includes:
We recommend contacting Advocacy for guidance and advice before your investigation meeting. Depending on our availability, an Advocate may be able to accompany you to the investigation meeting.
Email advocacy@vu.edu.au
When the investigation is complete, the senior officer will make a decision about whether the misconduct allegation is disproven or substantiated.
If the allegation is substantiated, the senior officer may impose one or more of the following sanctions:
In most circumstances, the senior officer will investigate the alleged misconduct themselves.
However, if the allegation is considered to be serious, the senior officer may refer the matter to a Student Misconduct Panel for investigation. More restrictive sanctions, such as a suspension or course exclusion, can only be imposed by a Student Misconduct Panel.
Examples of general misconduct include:
The complete definition of ‘general student misconduct’ can be found under Regulation 6 of the Student Misconduct Regulations 2019.
The senior officer will invite you to attend an investigation meeting.
You will also receive a written notification to your VU student email account that includes:
We recommend contacting Advocacy for guidance and advice before your investigation meeting. Depending on our availability, an Advocate may be able to accompany you to the investigation meeting.
Email advocacy@vu.edu.au
When the investigation is complete, the senior officer will make a decision about whether the misconduct allegation is disproven or substantiated.
If the allegation is substantiated, the senior officer may impose one or more of the following sanctions:
In most circumstances, the senior officer will investigate the alleged misconduct themselves.
However, if the allegation is considered to be serious, the senior officer may refer the matter to a Student Misconduct Panel for investigation. More restrictive sanctions, such as a suspension or course exclusion, can only be imposed by a Student Misconduct Panel.
Your academic progress is regularly reviewed by the University.
If you are identified as making unsatisfactory progress, you will be sent an official notification in writing via your VU email address.
This notification will provide specific instructions relevant to your Academic Progress Level. It is important that you follow these instructions carefully.
If you receive a Level 1 or Level 2 academic progress notification, you should book an appointment with a Student Advisor to create an Academic Action Plan.
Advocacy provides support and assistance to students with Level 3 notifications.
You must book a Show Cause hearing immediately if you receive a Level 3 Progress notification. If you have not booked a Show Cause hearing within 5 calendar days, you will be excluded from your course.
Advocacy can help you prepare for your Show Cause hearing. Please email your booking confirmation and an Advocate will be in contact with you shortly to provide support and guidance with the process.
Email: advocacy@vu.edu.au
We highly recommend reading:
If you are experiencing circumstances impacting your performance in an assessment, you can request an assessment adjustment, such as an extension of time or an alternative form of assessment.
For short-term or unexpected circumstances, apply for one of the following:
For ongoing circumstances relating to a disability or health condition:
If you require an assessment adjustment but you are unable to provide evidence of your circumstances, please book an Advocacy phone appointment to discuss your options.
An advocate can assist you if you have already applied for Special Consideration and you are unsatisfied with the outcome or you have not yet received an outcome.
Please email with your Special Consideration application reference number:
Email advocacy@vu.edu.au
If you need assistance understanding your assessment feedback, we recommend reaching out to our Learning Advisors.
You can book a session with a Learning Advisor by logging in to the Learning Hub (select Drop-Ins and choose from the topics listed).
If you disagree with an assessment result, you might be able to request a review of your result. Please note the outcome of your result review request is final and is not an appealable decision.
To request a review of an assessment result, you must be able to demonstrate one of the following:
Your Course Chair, or another appropriate staff member, will make relevant enquiries into the matter, which may include discussing the result and the feedback with the student or the assessor.
You will need to:
Advocacy can provide you with advice and guidance on the Review of Individual Assessment Outcomes Procedure (HE).
Please email a summary of your concerns and any relevant assessment details.
Email: advocacy@vu.edu.au
Advocacy can provide you with advice and guidance on the Student Complaints Process.
To understand the steps involved in making a formal complaint, please read through the details of the Student Complaint Process.
You can also read the Student Complaints Policy and the Student Complaints Procedure for further information.
To lodge your complaint, you will need to:
To seek advice from Advocacy, please email a draft of your complaint statement and an advocate will contact you to provide feedback and guidance.
Email: advocacy@vu.edu.au
You may want to refer to the following VU policies for more information to assist you in preparing your complaint statement:
All VU policies and procedures can be found in the VU Policy Library.
If exceptional circumstances beyond your control have affected your academic progress within the past 12 months, you can apply for a remission of the academic results and debt of any units failed within this period.
You will need to provide evidence of your exceptional circumstances, and you must explain how these circumstances prevented you from successfully completing the unit/s of study.
We understand that explaining your exceptional circumstances can be very challenging and talking about your experiences can negatively impact your mental health and wellbeing.
Advocacy can offer advice and guidance on the remission of debt application process, but we do recommend seeking additional support from our team of qualified counsellors during this process.
We recommended beginning the application process by drafting a written statement to explain your exceptional circumstances.
You can send a draft of your personal statement to request feedback and further advice from an advocate.
Email advocacy@vu.edu.au
During your studies, you might receive an outcome or a decision that you are unhappy with or believe to be incorrect.
You may be able to appeal the decision or request a review, depending on what kind of decision it is.
All reviewable outcomes have different decision-makers and deadlines.
All appealable decisions have an appeal deadline of 20 University business days.
If you are seeking to appeal a decision, we recommend reading the information about Student Appeals before contacting Student Advocacy.
Email: advocacy@vu.edu.au.
Send an email with details of the issue you require assistance with. Please use your VU student email account.
Call Student Wellbeing to request a phone appointment with a Student Advocate.
Email Student Advocacy: advocacy@vu.edu.au
Phone Student Wellbeing: +61 3 9919 5400
