Appeal to the Dean

This is the first level at which the following are submitted:

(a) appeals against the award of a progress status;

(b) appeals against the result of a request for special consideration;

(c) appeals against the application of scaling or other adjustment systems; and

(d) appeals against non-adherence to the Assessment Mechanism Statement.

Submission of Appeal Form

23.(1) A student who is not satisfied with—

(a) the outcome of an appeal against academic assessment to a head of school; or

(b) the process ² used by the board of examiners to determine the award of a progress status; or

(c) the result of an application for special consideration in relation to an individual student;

(d) the application of scaling or other adjustment systems ³; or

(e) the non-adherence to the Assessment Mechanism Statement for the unit;

and who wishes to pursue the appeal on the grounds that the process was unfair in their case, must submit an appeal form to the dean.

² A student should inform themselves of this process via the recommended informal action as outlined above.

³ A student should inform themselves of this process via the recommended informal action as outlined above.

Which Dean?

24.(1) Students appeal to the dean of the faculty responsible for the course in which they are enrolled.

(2) In the case of a student enrolled in a combined course for two degrees—

(a)(i) where the appeal is against academic assessment, the application of scaling or other adjustment systems or non-adherence to the Assessment Mechanism Statement for the unit, the appeal must be made to the dean of the faculty responsible for the degree course of which the disputed unit is a part;

(ii) where a unit may be considered part of both courses, both deans must consult and agree on which dean is to handle the appeal;

(b) in the case of an appeal against the award of a progress status, or against the result of an application for special consideration, the appeal must be made to the dean responsible for the the degree course which comprises the greater part of the student’s enrolment in the current academic year.

Time Limit

25. The form must be lodged—

(a) within twelve University working days of the date of notification of the outcome of the appeal lodged in accordance with Regulation 20; or

(b) within twenty* University working days of—

(i) the outcome of a request for special consideration; or

(ii) the release of the formal results in the case of an appeal under Regulation 22(a), (c) and/or (d).

(Note: notification of progress status is available at the same time as the formal results are released but is on a separate page in StudentConnect).

* Students are strongly encouraged to lodge their appeal at the earliest possible date—preferably within twelve University working days of the release of the formal results—in order to enhance the possibility of the appeals process being finalised prior to the start of the next semester.

Responsibility of the Dean in an Appeal against Academic Assessment

26.(1) The dean must consider whether the student’s appeal has been fairly dealt with at the school level.

(2) If the dean is not satisfied that the appeal has been fairly dealt with they will require the head of school concerned to make immediate arrangements for review, to report on the outcome, and to make a recommendation, within a specified period.

(3) If a dean requires, in terms of sub-Regulation (2), that a piece of work be reviewed and/or referred to an/other assessor(s) within or outside the University, the dean must also require that the head of school provide the other assessor(s) with a copy of the piece of work from which the student's name has been deleted, but which indicates the mark awarded and preserves any comments made by the original assessor.

(4) When complying with the provisions of sub-Regulation (3) the dean or head of school must also—

(a) where possible, provide to the other assessor(s) copies of the same piece of work completed by two or more other students from which the students' names have been deleted, but which indicate the marks awarded and preserve any comments made by the original assessor and, where possible, are sufficiently close to, but differentiated from, the appellant's mark as to provide a reasonable point of comparison;

(b) ensure that the appellant's work is identified as such;

(c) request the other assessor(s) to—

(i) rank the pieces of work in order of relative merit;

(ii) indicate whether the mark awarded to the appellant's work was reasonable;

(d) ensure that the other assessor(s) are aware of the expected standard of work and criteria against which this should be judged;

(e) provide an explanation from the original marker as to why the mark was awarded; and

(f) provide a copy of the Appeal Form lodged by the student setting out the grounds on which the appeal is made.

(5) It is the responsibility of the head of school to try to ensure that any external assessors used by the school have no connection with any of its staff or students, beyond professional acquaintance within the academic community, and to request the assessors, in submitting their assessment, to sign a statement confirming that position.

(6) If it is not possible for the head of school to find an external assessor who does not have a connection with any of the staff or students of the school, beyond professional acquaintance within the academic community, the head must document the reasons for not being able to do so.

(7) If, following receipt of the report and recommendation of the head of school, the dean is satisfied that the recommended assessment of the head of school has been fairly arrived at, they will confirm or amend the assessment, and confirm or amend any related progress status as appropriate, within the limits of authority conferred on them by the board of examiners.

(8) If, following receipt of the report and recommendation of the head of school, the dean is not satisfied that the recommended assessment of the head of school has been fairly arrived at, they must refer the student's appeal form to the faculty appeals committee for consideration.

(9) The dean will provide each student who has appealed under sub-Regulation (1) with written advice of the outcome, including a brief explanation of the reasons for the outcome.

Responsibility of the Dean in an Appeal against Progress Status

27. (1) The dean will seek a report from the sub-dean, or sub-deans in the case of a student undertaking a combined course, on the process used by the board of examiners to determine the award of the progress status.

(2) If, following receipt of the report of under (1), the dean is satisfied that the recommended progress status has been fairly arrived at, they will confirm the progress status, within the limits of authority conferred on them by the board of examiners.

(3) If, following receipt of the report of the sub-dean(s), the dean is not satisfied that the recommended progress status has been fairly arrived at, they must refer the student's appeal form to the Board of Examiners for consideration.

(4) The dean will provide each student who has appealed with written advice of the outcome including a brief explanation of the reasons for the outcome.

Responsibility of the Dean in an Appeal against the Result of Special Consideration Application

28.(1) The dean will seek—

(a) in the case of special consideration for a unit, a report from the sub-dean and/or head of school on the process used in determining the level of special consideration applied in that unit; or

(b) in the case of special consideration for the award of a progress status, a report on the process used to determine the level of special consideration to be applied in the award of the progress status.

(2) If, following receipt of the report, the dean is satisfied that the final mark for a unit or progress status has been fairly arrived at, they will confirm the mark or progress status, within the limits of authority conferred on them by the board of examiners.

(3) If, following receipt of the report, the dean is not satisfied that the recommended final mark or progress status has been fairly arrived at, they must refer the student's appeal form to the board of examiners for consideration.

(4) The dean will provide each student who has appealed with written advice of the outcome, including a brief explanation of the reasons for the outcome.

Responsibility of the Dean in an Appeal against the Application of Scaling or Other Adjustment Systems

29.(1) The dean will seek a report from the sub-dean and/or head of school on the process used in the application of the scaling or other adjustment systems.

(2) If, following receipt of the report under (1), the dean is satisfied that the final mark has been fairly arrived at, they will confirm the mark, within the limits of authority conferred on them by the board of examiners.

(3) If, following receipt of the report, the dean is not satisfied that the recommended final mark or progress status has been fairly arrived at, they must refer the student's appeal form to the board of examiners for consideration.

(4) The dean will provide each student who has appealed, with written advice of the outcome, including a brief explanation of the reasons for the outcome.

Responsibility of the Dean in an Appeal against Non-adherence to the Assessment Mechanism Statement for the Unit

30.(1) The dean will seek a report from the sub-dean and/or head of school on the assessment process used and that laid down in the Assessment Mechanism Statement for the unit/course.

(2) If, following receipt of the report under (1), the dean is satisfied that the final mark has been fairly arrived at, they will confirm the mark, within the limits of authority conferred on them by the board of examiners.

(3) If, following receipt of the report, the dean is not satisfied that the recommended final mark or progress status has been fairly arrived at, they must refer the student's appeal form to the board of examiners for consideration.

(4) The dean will provide each student who has appealed, with written advice of the outcome, including a brief explanation of the reasons for the outcome.