The University of Sydney has begun a review of five day simple extensions.
In a post to social media, the USyd Student Representatives Council (SRC) claimed that USyd “will try again to cut simple extensions from 5 days to 3 days.”
A Usyd spokesperson said, “there are no reforms planned to simple extensions or our special consideration system at this stage.”
Currently, USyd students are entitled to a five calendar day simple extension on most assignments, pending approval from a unit of study coordinator.
According to the USyd spokesperson, the shift to five day simple extensions represented a “trial change.”
“As part of the evaluation of the trial, we are currently assessing the change to understand its impact on our students and staff,” the spokesperson said.
Simple extensions were previously limited to two days, with the five day system coming into effect in Semester Two 2022. This would be the second review of five day simple extensions conducted by the University, following an attempt to institute three day simple extensions in April 2023.
According to the SRC’s social media post, “the university introduced 5 day simple extensions after significant campaigning by the SRC and SUPRA.”
The SRC defended the current five day system, stating that “simple extensions give students the much needed time to complete their assignments when faced with personal crises, without having to go through the lengthy and arduous special considerations process.”
According to USyd’s website, the special considerations process applies to students who ”can’t complete an exam” or “need an extension for a longer period” pending “specific eligibility and document requirements.”
The SRC and the Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association (SUPRA) have released a survey to find out what students “think about the University changing the simple extension from 5 days to 3 days.”
People inside the SRC with knowledge of the review told Honi that rumors of the changes have been raised in multiple committees with a formal submission to the Academic Board expected in August.
Representatives from SUPRA were contacted for comment but did not respond in time for publication.
