Frequently Asked Questions

O-Week is the week before your trimester commences and is designed to help new students adjust to student life and provide essential information about academic programs, facilities, and support services. During O-Week students typically engage in a variety of activities such as campus tours, information sessions, workshops, and social gatherings. Online students will have virtual workshops and e-meetups with peers, lecturers and staff.

Based on a full-time study load for International Students, you will study 4 classes per week (2 full days of study a week). The number of classes may vary if you are required to repeat any course requirements, or you make variations to your study load. Part-time study load is 2 classes per week.

The maximum class size for our courses is limited to 30 persons. This intentional limitation is designed to ensure a more personalised and interactive learning experience for each student. By maintaining smaller class sizes, our lecturers can provide individualised attention, foster better student engagement, and create a conducive environment for collaborative learning. This enhances the overall quality of education and facilitates meaningful interactions between students and lecturers.

Scheduled classes such as lectures, tutorials, seminars and workshops are an essential part of the program delivery at Whitecliffe.​ Student attendance is monitored and recorded. All students are responsible for their own attendance.​

If you are unable to attend your scheduled class or you are running late / need to leave early, you must have the courtesy to let your lecturer know via email.​

Any continued absences or subsequent partial absences will be tallied towards total absences and will incur academic penalties.​

​International students are required to attend at least 80% of the classes for each unit.​

​Students who fail to attend more than four classes out of the total twelve classes for the trimester may face the following consequences: ​

• Academic penalties, ​

• A fail grade, or ​

• Withheld grades until specific requirements are met. ​

The severity of these outcomes will be determined based on the extent of the student’s absences and their academic record, including any prior breaches of academic integrity, misconduct, or unexplained absences from current or previous trimesters

A student is making satisfactory academic progress at the unit level (prior to Census Date) when they have:

• Logged into the Learning Management System (LMS) and viewed their enrolled unit pages for that study period

• Been recorded as attending classes

A student is making satisfactory academic progress at the unit level (post Census Date) when they are:

• Maintaining high level of attendance and engagement as per the Attendance & Participation Policy

• Achieving a Pass Grade or above

A student is making satisfactory academic progress at the course level when they have:

• Passed 50% or more of their attempted units of study for that trimester

• Passed any core units being attempted for the second time

• Maintained high level of attendance and engagement for that trimester as per the Attendance & Participation Policy

A student is considered at risk of failing to make satisfactory academic progress at the course level when they have:

• Failed 50% or more of their attempted units of study for that study period

• Failed a core unit being attempted for the first time

• Not maintained a high level of attendance and engagement for that trimester as per the Attendance & Participation Policy

• Exhibits academic or pastoral care concerns affecting their studies and/or personal welfare

All students are required to have a laptop with an updated operating system and WIFI capabilities. Each student will be allocated a Google Student email which provides access to online Google Docs, Sheets and Slides and Drive storage.

Whitecliffe has an online library, providing students and lecturers with access to textbooks, journals, magazines, databases, reference materials and multimedia resources free of charge.

Our Student Support Team can assist you as an advocate, mediator, or support person with any issues you may encounter during your studies.

Our dedicated Student Support Advisor is is available for judgement-free, confidential conversations and to connect students with expert resources if required. They can help with presentation anxiety, time management and other stresses students face as well as providing support for students experiencing mental health problems or crises.

PeopleSense Student Assistance Program (SAP) is a free, professional and confidential counselling service for all Whitecliffe students to discuss any personal issues that may be impacting their general well-being. Students have access to 3 sessions per annum.

Whitecliffe has a dedicated Academic Support Advisor to support you throughout your studies and can help with topics such as managing your workload, academic referencing, personal support and academic mentoring. In addition, you have access to the Student Portal with self-learning material to enhance your academic skills including presentation skills, blog writing, reflective writing, and many other useful tools.

Good academic practice means that you show personal integrity and a respect for academic scholarship. We know that it can be difficult to know the rules, so we are on hand to support you in developing good academic practice.

As a student we expect you to learn and display Academic Integrity in your assessments by using academically appropriate language, style, grammar, formatting, and avoiding plagiarism through correct referencing. We are here to support you with developing the knowledge and skills to maintain academic standards.

We use the APA7 Referencing​ System. During your studies with us, you will have access to a range of resources to help you develop your skills in referencing.

Plagiarism and cheating can be intentional or unintentional attempts to deceive the marker or examiner. These can be seen as a breach of the Student Code of Conduct. When completing your assessment tasks, you must use a referencing system to acknowledge your sources. We have a range of resources and workshops to help you get ahead with your referencing and to understand academic integrity.

The following principles apply:

1. Students and prospective students can access the Complaints and Appeals Policy and Procedure regardless of the campus where they study or their mode of study.

2. All complaints and appeals must be made in a timely manner, will be dealt with promptly and will progress through the information and formal stages according to this policy.

3. All parties to a complaint or appeal have the right to be represented by a third person (such as a family member, friend, counsellor, or another professional support person) if they so desire.

4. The parties to a complaint or appeal will not be victimised or discriminated against during any stage of the process as set out in this policy.

5. All complaints and appeals will be treated with confidentiality. Access to information in relation to the complaint or appeal will be provided only to staff on a ‘need-to-know’ basis.

6. All matters arising from the complaint and/or appeal proceedings shall be accurately documented and recorded. Records shall be maintained for a minimum period of five years and treated as confidential in accordance with the Institute’s Privacy Policy.

7. All parties to a complaint or appeal proceeding will be allowed supervised access to all records of the complaint or appeal on written request to the Office of the Registrar.

8. The cost of the Four Stages of the process will be free of charge. The cost of external appeal (Stage 4) will be borne by the Appellant but reimbursed by the Institute if found in the Appellant’s favour.

9. Complaint proceedings may not be run concurrently. Where a grievous complaint is lodged to delay another proceeding, it will be dismissed on the grounds that it is frivolous and lacking substance.