How to submit an academic appeal

If you are considering lodging an academic appeal, read the Academic Appeal Procedures Guide for Students thoroughly. This outlines the academic appeals process, what information you need to provide, and how your appeal will be managed.

Check if there are any regulations, policies, codes or guidelines relating to your circumstances that might support your appeal.

Before requesting an academic appeal, students may seek a review of the decision by the original decision maker. Please contact the original decision maker directly should this be possible/appropriate.

Where the original decision maker was not the Dean, you must request that the relevant Dean review the decision before you can appeal the decision.

Please contact the Dean directly via email and state the reason that you are requesting a review of the decision. It is important to provide as much information as you can as to the reason that you are requesting a review to enable the Dean to make an informed decision.

Applications for leave to appeal must be submitted in writing to the Grievance and Academic Processes Advisor within 10 working days of being notified of the decision.

In order to be granted leave to appeal, you must show that:

• There may have been a breach of process in relation to the decision; and/or
• You have new evidence or information that was not available to you at the time of the decision; and/or
• The decision was manifestly unjust.

Your application must set out:

• Details of the original decision and the review/s of the decision;
• The academic disadvantage that the decision has caused you;
• The reason for the appeal;
• How the situation satisfies one of the three requirements listed above; and
• Any written evidence that supports your position.

Where leave to appeal is required, the Academic Appeals Committee will meet and consider your application. If the committee declines to grant leave, then there is no further appeal available within the University.

When leave to appeal is granted, the University will convene the Academic Appeals Committee to consider your appeal. You will be invited to this hearing, and are able to bring a student advocate or support person. The original decision maker will also be invited to attend the hearing.

The Academic Appeals Committee is selected from a pool of senior academic staff. The Academic Appeal Committee will consist of;

• A Chair;
• Two Senior Members of Academic Staff;
• A UCSA Student Representative (Generally the Vice-President Academic).

You will usually receive formal notification of the outcome of your appeal within 20 working days of the hearing.  The notification will explain the reasons for the decision.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the decision of the Academic Appeals Committee, then you can seek leave to appeal to the University Appeals Committee. In order for leave to appeal to be granted, you must show:

• That there may have been a breach of process in relation to the first appeal; or
• That there is new evidence or information that was not available to you at the time of the first appeal.

You must submit your appeal within 10 working days of being notified of the decision of the Academic Appeals Committee.

The decision of the University Appeals Committee is final and there are no further rights of appeal within the University.

If you believe that the University’s appeal process has been conducted incorrectly or that the outcome is unreasonable in relation to the evidence, then you may have the right to raise the matter for external and independent review.

Please see the Academic Appeals Procedures Guide for Students for more information regarding the options for seeking an external review.