STUDENT EXPERIENCE
HERE TO SUPPORT YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY
At the College of Law, our goal is to support you throughout your studies and beyond. Whether you’re looking for practical advice, academic help, or assistance with personal challenges, we offer services designed to meet your needs.
We’re committed to making sure you have the resources to succeed so you can go where’s next in your learning journey and career.
OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU
As your partner in lifelong legal education, we will commit to:
- Provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision about joining the College
- Be fair, efficient, and respectful in all our dealings with you, and take action if things don’t go as planned
- Provide individual support throughout your courses
- Do our best to help you learn and succeed by offering accessible and inclusive support
- Offer feedback to help you improve and grow
- Listen to your feedback to continually improve the learning experience
- Communicate promptly with you about any changes to your program
SUPPORT FOR STUDENT POLICY
The College is committed to providing a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment.
A range of support is available to help students participate in their studies and achieve their academic and personal goals.
Support may include:
- academic assistance, tutoring and lecturer consultations;
- special consideration and reasonable adjustments;
- counselling and wellbeing support;
- career guidance and mentoring;
- bursaries and other financial support;
- culturally appropriate support and referrals;
- extensions, customised timetables, catch-up activities, transfers or deferment; and
- referrals to relevant external services.
Students can seek assistance at enrolment or at any time during their studies by contacting the following:
- PLT students, email support@collaw.edu.au
- Postgraduate Programs students, email postgrad@collaw.edu.au
- Technical support, email itsupport@collaw.edu.au
- Library/research support, email library@collaw.edu.au
The Student Liaison Officer is a member of College staff whose role is to provide guidance and information to students regarding complaints or disputes.
To contact the Student Liaison Officer, please email support@collaw.edu.au.
STUDENT COMPLAINTS
The College is committed to handling student complaints fairly, promptly, professionally and confidentially. Complaints are managed using a person-centred and trauma-informed approach, and students are protected from reprisal or victimisation.
Prospective, current and former students can raise concerns about academic or non-academic aspects of their experience with the College. Minor concerns may be resolved informally through discussion or clarification.
A formal complaint should include details of the concern, any relevant supporting evidence and the action sought.
Students can make a complaint by emailing complaints@collaw.edu.au or by other preferred means such as by calling 1300 856 111 or a College state office, or in person at a College office or with a member of College staff.
Complaints may be made anonymously or confidentially, although this may limit the College’s ability to investigate or provide an outcome. There is no fee for making a complaint, and students may bring a support person to any meeting.
The Student Liaison Officer can explain the process, provide support and assist with referrals to relevant services. Students also retain the right to make an external complaint, including to the National Student Ombudsman.
Academic conduct matters and requests to review subject grades are managed under separate policies and Assessment Rules.
For more information, please read the Student Complaints Policy at: https://www.collaw.edu.au/policies-forms/
You can complain externally to the National Student Ombudsman.
The Student Liaison Officer is a member of College staff whose role is to provide guidance and information to students regarding complaints or disputes.
To contact the Student Liaison Officer, please email support@collaw.edu.au.
STUDENT APPEALS
Should you wish to appeal a decision of a member of staff or a committee at the College of Law, you can submit an appeal via email to:
- support@collaw.edu.au for PLT students
- postgrad@collaw.edu.au for Postgraduate Programs students
Common appeal pathways are as follows:
- Decision of the Director of Customer and Student Engagement in relation to a fee refund → Review Officer
- Executive Director refusal to attend an in person class remotely → Chief Academic Officer
- Final grade → (14 days to appeal) → Executive Director (7 days to appeal) → Assessment Review Committee
For specific information about your appeal rights, time limits to appeal, grounds for appeal and what to include in your application to appeal a decision, students can contact the Student Liaison Officer by emailing support@collaw.edu.au.
ACADEMIC CONDUCT INVESTIGATIONS
Academic conduct investigations are focused on fairness, educational outcomes and maintaining academic integrity.
An academic conduct investigation is the College’s formal process for considering a concern about a student’s academic conduct. It may relate to suspected plagiarism, cheating, collusion, unauthorised use of artificial intelligence or other conduct that may breach accepted standards of academic integrity.
An investigation doesn’t mean that a finding has already been made. Its purpose is to gather and consider the relevant information and to give a student an opportunity to respond.
For full information about academic conduct expectations, the investigation process and possible outcomes, please read the Academic Conduct Policy at: https://www.collaw.edu.au/policies-forms/.
If you are involved in an academic conduct matter, here is what you can expect:
- Notification
You will receive a written notice outlining the concern.
- Opportunity to respond
You will be given an opportunity to attend a meeting to provide your version of events. If you have questions relating to the scheduling of your academic conduct meeting, please let your lecturer know.
- Coursework
You can continue to submit coursework on Canvas, however no feedback will be given pending determination of the matter.
You are unable to sit any other types of assessments (such as oral assessments) before the matter is determined.
- How can I prepare for an interview
Honesty is the best policy. In your interview, do discuss your particular circumstances and what may have been happening in your life at the time the issue giving rise to the academic conduct matter arose.
- Decision making
An appropriate College officer will review the matter fairly and make a decision based on the evidence and the Academic Conduct Policy.
They may refer the matter to the Senior Academic Officer for further review. If this is the case, you will be invited to a further meeting with the Senior Academic Officer.
- Outcome
You will be informed in writing of the outcome and any consequences or actions. Possible outcomes are set out in the Academic Conduct Policy and include, for example, a caution, a finding of Unsatisfactory Academic Conduct, a finding of Academic Misconduct, a requirement to re-do tasks/activities and/or re-take one or more subjects.
Regardless of the outcome, an academic conduct investigation is recorded on your Academic Conduct Report. This document may be required by an admitting authority if you are seeking admission to legal practice and the academic conduct investigation may be disclosable to the admitting authority by you.
- Timing
It can take a fair amount of time for an academic conduct investigation to conclude. As this can cause added stress, if you need support, please contact the Student Liaison Officer or your Program Director.
- Appeals
Information about appeal rights and procedures is contained in the Assessment Rules which can be found at: https://www.collaw.edu.au/policies-forms/
The College can provide students with access to one free, external and confidential counselling session. Should you wish to speak to a counsellor, please contact the Student Liaison Officer or your Executive Director for referral.
A range of resources from the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency are also available at: Student academic misconduct resources | Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency.
You can submit a request to the speak to the Student Liaison Officer by email to support@collaw.edu.au.
STUDYING IN AUSTRALIA ON A STUDENT VISA
The College’s Weekly Attendance offering of the PLT Program is a CRICOS registered course. The Weekly Attendance Course is offered at the College of Law’s Sydney Campus located at 570 George Street, Sydney, Australia.
The Sydney Campus is open to students on Mondays to Fridays from 9am to 5pm. Facilities available to students at the Sydney Campus include:
- Kitchenette equipped with microwave, refrigerator, dishwasher and hot and cold drinking water, coffee machine and tea making facilities
- Accessible toilets
- Classroom hearing loop
- Lifts and ramps to access classrooms
- Multifaith room
- First aid rooms
- Parents room equipped with microwave and refrigerator
The Sydney Campus is centrally located above the Town Hall Train Station. It is also walking distance to the light rail system in George Street and buses, in particular at the Queen Victoria Building.
The College of Law does not offer dedicated student accommodation and students must arrange their own accommodation privately. For information about accommodation options, please see https://www.study.nsw.gov.au/current-students/living-in-nsw/accommodation
For information about indicative costs of living in Sydney while you study, please see https://www.studyaustralia.gov.au/en/life-in-australia/living-and-education-costs
The College of Law complies with the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education Training to Overseas Students which sets out the obligations of Higher Education Providers offering CRICOS registered courses and the rights of students studying on a Student Visa.
QUALITY INDICATORS OF LEARNING AND TEACHING (QILT) SURVEY
The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) surveys are a national suite of higher education surveys funded by the Australian Government Department of Education and administered independently by the Social Research Centre.
QILT collects feedback from students, graduates and employers at different stages of the higher education journey. The surveys include:
- Student Experience Survey, which asks current students about their learning experience;
- Graduate Outcomes Survey, completed by recent graduates; and
- Graduate Outcomes Survey—Longitudinal, completed approximately three years after graduation.
The College uses QILT results to understand what is working well and identify opportunities to improve areas such as teaching, skills development, learning resources, student support and engagement.
If you are selected to participate, the Social Research Centre will contact you directly, usually by email and sometimes by SMS or telephone.
Participation is voluntary. Survey invitations will provide information about closing dates and any available prize draws.
Your responses are confidential. Personal contact information is removed from final survey data, and publicly available findings are reported in aggregate.
For more information about QILT, please go to qilt.edu.au
ACADEMIC HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT
We understand that studying law can be demanding, and we’re here to help when you need it.
Whether you’re looking for guidance on coursework, preparing for assessments, or navigating challenges, our staff is ready to support you. If you ever feel stuck, we’ll work with you to get back on track and make sure you’re getting the most out of your studies.
Need to talk to someone? You can reach out to your course lecturer, Program Director, or Customer and Student Engagement Advisor anytime.
PRIORITISING YOUR WELLBEING
Your wellbeing matters to us. If you have concerns about your mental health or overall wellbeing, whether before or during your studies, we’re here to help.
Our Customer and Student Engagement team and Program Directors are ready to listen and offer tailored support to fit your situation.
If life gets in the way of your studies, we’ll work with you to help you adjust where needed, ensuring you have the support to keep going.
LEARNING WITHOUT BARRIERS
We believe legal education should be accessible to everyone, and we’re committed to creating an environment where you can succeed, no matter your circumstances.
We make sure students, including those with disabilities or other specific needs, have the support and resources to fully engage in their learning.
I had a really great experience, I had really great mentors who really helped me and gave me a lot of confidence to say yep I’ve picked the right career.
Stella Richards, PLT Graduate
THERE FOR YOUR 'WHERE'S NEXT?'
Our Careers Services team is here to support you in moving forward in your legal career.
If you’re a current Practical Legal Training or Masters student, or a recent graduate, you can book 30-minute one-on-one online appointments with our National Career Strategists for personalised career advice and support.
You’ll also find practical career resources to help with job searching, applications and interview preparation, along with career webinars featuring advice and insights from across the legal profession.
SUPPORT FOR INDIGENOUS STUDENTS
We’re proud to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at the College of Law.
Our team is committed to offering personalised academic and career support, helping you navigate your studies and develop your legal career. We also provide scholarships and bursaries to help cover course fees, ensuring you can focus on your goals and complete your Practical Legal Training.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND SCHOLARSHIPS
We know that financing your education can be challenging, and we’re here to make it more manageable. If you’re facing financial difficulties, you may qualify for our bursaries or the Kay Smith Scholarship.
We’ll help you explore all your options so you can focus on what’s most important—building your future in law.
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