What is Notice of Show Cause?

A Show Cause is a notice issued to students who are not currently meeting the course progression requirement for your course. You may receive a Show Cause from the University if you:

• Received poor or unsatisfactory results for three successive teaching periods (Section 10 of the Course Progression Rule); or
• Displayed unethical or unprofessional conduct, as determined by the Course Coordinator for your degree (Clause 21 of the General Rules).
• Have been identified by your Course Coordinator as not meeting progression requirements.
• Are nearing the limits of the time permitted to complete your course.

If you receive a Show Cause it means that you may be at risk of being removed from study or subject to study load restrictions based on not meeting the overall course progression requirements for your degree

What to include in your show cause response?

If you have received a Show Cause, you will be required to provide a written case (‘showing cause’) as to why you should be permitted to continue in your degree. Although it is not mandatory for students to provide a written case, it allows you the chance to explain any unique circumstances which may have impacted your studies and will be considered by your Unit Coordinator. If you don’t respond then your Unit Coordinator will make their decision without your input.

In your response to the Show Cause, your written case should include 4 key elements!

1. Situation.

• What went wrong?
• Were the circumstances academic or personal?
• Were you injured or ill?
• Was there a family crisis or difficulty?
• Were there other work and life impacts?
• Were you affected by flood, fire, or Covid-19?
• Were there any other unexpected or exceptional circumstances?

2. Impact.

• How did the situation affect your study?
• When was the full impact known?
• Did you seek advice, assistance or professional help?

3. What has changed?

• Is the situation resolved?
• What have you put in place to make the situation more manageable?
• What will you do / what have you done to improve your situation?
• Are you undergoing treatment?
• Have you sought assistance from the Academic Skills Office?

4. What are your future plans?

• Will you reduce your study load?
• Plan your time?
• Reduced work hours?
• Resolve conflicts?
• How will you approach study differently?
• Do you have any short-term and longer-term plans?

Deadlines are important.

If you do not provide a written case within the advised response period, you will be excluded from your course – this is not what you want! You can contact one of our Advocates at Advocacy & Welfare and we can help you through each step of the process – we’re here to help!

What happens if I miss the deadline?

If you miss the deadline to provide a response, you will be automatically excluded from your course for 12 months. You can appeal this decision within 20 working days. Our Advocate can assist you with this appeal, so please contact them as soon as you receive this notice!

For further information or advice regarding Show Cause.

Please get in touch with one of the Student Advocates at UNELife and we can help you through the process! You can reach out to us here.

Know that our Advocates are working hard to help each student and may be experiencing a high quantity of requests during this time, so please be patient as it can take up to 48 hours for them to reply.

Remember: Deadlines are important – If you do not provide a written case within the advised response period, you will be excluded from your course.

You are never alone at UNE.

The team at Advocacy and Welfare offers confidential support to students! Contact us here!

Student Success also has confidential counseling for students, you can find them here.