STUDENT POLICIES

THE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM

There is an informal and a formal system of assessment provided to students to help them make satisfactory progress through the courses and comply with all conditions of their student contract.

The informal system consists of individual and group tutorials with members of the teaching staff in all subjects during the course of the year, the evaluation of student work by full-time and visiting teachers and de-briefing sessions on NIDA play productions.

The formal system consists of three detailed reviews of each student’s progress conducted by the Heads of Courses: one at the end of Term 1, the second at the end of Term 2, and the third, the End-of-Year Assessment, at the end of Term 3.

ASSESSMENT PRINCIPLES

Progress within a course is determined by the demonstration of talent and evidence of a professional and disciplined attitude to the work.
The assessment of students is based on the following criteria:

intellectual, imaginative and expressive progress
the acquisition of technical and craft skills
the development of professional behaviour and attitudes, including attendance, punctuality, discipline, group co-operation and application to the work
development of a sound basis for future growth within the profession.

In arriving at a student’s End-of-Year Assessment, the most important criterion is his or her potential to benefit from a further year of study.

Detailed information on the assessment process is provided to students in the NIDA Student Handbook

HOW CAN A STUDENT DEFER STUDIES AT NIDA?

Due to the highly competitive nature of NIDA’s admissions process, you must enrol for the year for which you have been offered a place. You cannot defer acceptance of a place, if you want to enrol in a subsequent year, you will need to apply again the following year and go through the audition/interview process again. There is no guarantee that you will be offered a place next time.

A first year student who discontinues a course of study during the year and wishes to return the following year, must re-apply for admission to NIDA in the normal manner. There is no guarantee of re-admission.

Application for leave of absence by continuing students must be made in writing with reasons to the Head of Course for consideration and recommendation to the Director. Approval for a leave of absence would only be granted under exceptional circumstances.

In order to succeed in an application for deferment, a student must be attaining a high leave of achievement and clearly demonstrate that there are exceptional circumstances which support the request.

GROUNDS FOR THE SUSPENSION OR CANCELLATION OF A STUDENT'S ENROLMENT

In addition to cancellation of enrolment for non-payment of tuition fees, a student’s enrolment at NIDA can be suspended or cancelled on the grounds of misconduct.

Misconduct is defined as:

Conduct on the part of a student which is prejudicial to the good order and government of NIDA, or which impairs the reasonable freedom of other persons to pursue their courses of instruction or professional activities at NIDA or to participate in the life of NIDA
Any deliberate damage to property, equipment or the assets of NIDA
Failure to abide by all the rules and regulations of NIDA as laid down in the official publications of NIDA. (This includes security, health and safety compliance and infringements such as parking in the laneway).

Where the Director of NIDA considers there is sufficient reason to believe that disciplinary action should be taken due to misconduct, the Director may impose such penalties as:

Placing a student on probation for a period not exceeding one month, during which time the student’s performance, application and attitude will remain under review by the Director
Suspending a student for a period terminating at the end of the current academic year
Excluding a student from NIDA.

NIDA STUDENT POLICIES

Students enrolled at NIDA are expected to be familiar with the following policy documents: