Academic progress and early intervention
Academic progress and early intervention
All UTS students are subject to academic progress requirements. If you do not meet these requirements you can be excluded from your course.
Being excluded has serious consequences for international students on student visas and may affect future study in Australia, as UTS is obliged by law to report all excluded students to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) (opens an external site).
It is therefore extremely important that you are familiar with the academic progress requirements for your course. These are determined by Student and Related Rules and in many postgraduate courses by individual rules set by the Faculties.
Academic support services
UTS provides a variety of services to help students succeed academically. These are designed to fulfil a variety of needs. Some are discipline-specific, while others are general programs designed to improve your academic skills or academic English. There are formal workshops and informal peer-learning networks.
More information on these services can be found on the UTS current student website. If you are unsure which program may be of most use to you then you can consult your Student Centre.
Students at risk
The University also has a formal process for identifying students at risk following the release of results at the end of each semester. If you are identified under this process you will be notified and placed in academic support programs designed to help you improve your academic performance. This formal process has two levels. They are:
- early intervention and
- academic caution.
Early Intervention is a process for international students who because of poor results are identified as being at risk of failing to make satisfactory academic progress and who failed 50% or more of their enrolled units in the previous half year. If you are placed on Early Intervention following the release of results for a semester, you will receive a letter from UTS sent by email to your UTS email account advising you to undertake certain activities to help improve your academic performance, such as:
- Academic counselling and group workshops
- Academic English workshops
- Personal counselling
It is your responsibility to address your academic performance and this will be recorded on the UTS database. Failure to undertake the recommended activities may have the following consequences:
- You may not be granted an extension to your student visa to complete your course.
- If your academic performance worsens, then your chances of successfully appealing against exclusion may be reduced.
Academic Caution is a set of compulsory requirements placed on students who have failed more than 50% of their enrolled credit points over the previous half year.
If you are placed on Academic Caution following the release of results for a semester, you will receive a letter from UTS sent by email to your UTS email account advising you to undertake certain activities to help improve your academic performance. These include:
- Academic counselling and group workshops
- Academic English workshops
- Personal counselling
Students are required to attend workshops and to consult with an academic advisor in their Faculty. Failure to follow these requirements can lead to exclusion. If you are placed on Academic Caution it is therefore extremely important that you undertake the activities outlined in your notification letter and this will be recorded on the UTS database.
The Student Services Unit provide important information about workshops available for students on Academic Caution that could be useful to you.
Reducing study load under academic caution or early intervention
If you are struggling academically you can apply to reduce your study load for a semester. This will enable you to concentrate on a smaller number of subjects so that you can improve your academic performance. A condition of application is that you undertake other measures to improve your performance. These may include:
- study skills seminars and workshops
- participating in peer learning networks
- enrolling in academic English classes.
How to apply for reduced study load
If you decide to apply for permission to reduce your study load, you will need to submit the completed form to your Student Centre by the first day of classes. The Student Centre will process your application and advise you by email of the outcome. This information is then recorded on the UTS database by UTS International staff.
If you have any queries about this process, you can contact UTS International Student Services.
Further Information
These requirements are placed on you by:
- Visa Condition 8202, which is attached to all student visas; and
- The ESOS Framework (opens an external site), a set of laws which governs how the University manages your enrolment and which determine many of your rights and responsibilities as an international student.
