Appeals
During your studies, you will be subject to many academic decisions, some of which you may wish to challenge:
- the mark given for a piece of assessed work or an exam
- whether you are allowed into an Honours programme
- the class of degree you are awarded
- whether you are allowed to continue with your studies (Termination of Studies)
Quick links:
Appealing an academic mark or grade
Asking about low marks
Grounds for appeal
Possible outcomes of a successful appeal
Chasing up an appeal
Appealing for entry to honours
Appealing against degree classification
Appealing against termination of studies
Appeal vs Complaint
Appeals that have not been upheld
Q: I want to appeal an academic mark or grade, how do I do this?
A: Please see the relevant section of Appeals, complaints and discipline. This document will outline the accepted grounds and process involved in making an appeal. You may also want to seek further advice from Iain Cupples, Student Advocate. Also, bear in mind that if a piece of work is remarked, it may go down as well as up.
Q: My mark seems really low and I’m not sure why? What should I do?
A: For a piece of continuous assessment, check any feedback given by the person marking the work. If you are still unsure, you should first speak to the person who marked the work and ask where you went wrong, and what you can do to improve your marks in future. You might also want to ask if the work has been second-marked.
For an exam, contact the School Office as soon as possible after receiving your mark to ask if someone can look over your script with you and give you some feedback.
If you are still unhappy with your mark, you should follow the relevant appeal procedures.
Q: I’ve read the grounds for appeal but I’m not sure what they mean.
A: It’s probably best to explain your situation to someone to get a clearer answer. The grounds stated in Student academic appeals and academic complaints are:
i. procedural irregularity
This applies when you have evidence that policy and procedure have not been followed.
ii. bias or prejudice
This applies when you have evidence that you or your work is being handled differently to others due to non-academic reasons.
iii. exceptional personal circumstances not previously notified for good reason (in which case an explanation for earlier non-disclosure is required)
This applies where something has happened to you which has affected your studies and you did not feel able to tell anyone at the time.
iv. harassment or bullying (affecting academic performance) by a member of staff involved in the granting of marks, grades or classifications
This applies when you have evidence that you are being harassed or bullied by staff. If you were being harassed or bullied by another student, this would be covered by iii. above.
Q: What will happen if my appeal is successful?
A: If you have appealed an academic mark or grade, there are a number of possible outcomes if your appeal is upheld. You should discuss the possible outcomes with the school when you submit your appeal.
If work is second-marked as part of your appeal, the mark may either stay the same, be awarded a higher mark, or be judged to be a lower mark than the original.
The school may agree to offer an alternative assessment, or to change the weighting of assessed elements.
The school cannot alter a mark based on your studies being affected by personal circumstances. However, there are other way in which schools can account for personal circumstances and you should discuss these with the school.
Q: I haven't heard the results of my appeal, who should I contact?
A: You should contact the person you submitted the appeal to. If you have not received a reply to your email, try phoning the relevant office. Appeals can take some time to consider since reports may have to be gathered from many staff within the University.
Q: I didn't get into Honours, what should I do?
A: If you haven’t met the published requirements for entry to Honours, and have appropriate grounds, you may appeal the Honours entry decision. The appeal procedure can be found in Appeals, complaints and discipline, Honours entry for students who did not get the required grade is entirely at the discretion of the School and you should contact the School as soon as possible. You should explain why you failed to meet the requirements, and how you would prevent similar problems in the future.
You will not be permitted to repeat modules in order to attain higher marks, but you may wish to change your Honours subject. If you do wish to discuss changing your degree structure, or for advice on not getting entry to Honours, contact the Pro Dean (Advising). Please note that the Pro Dean is not a route of appeal.
Q: Can I appeal my degree classification?
A: You can appeal if you have not yet graduated and you have grounds for appeal. The procedure is the same for appealing an academic mark and can be found in Appeals, complaints and discipline. Please note that your graduation will be delayed pending the outcome of the appeal. If you have already graduated, then you have accepted your classification and it cannot be appealed.
Q: My studies have been terminated and I want to appeal.
A: Please see information on Termination of Studies.
Q: I’m not happy about my mark, but I don’t have any grounds for appeal. Is there anything I can do?
A: This sounds like a complaint. It might be that you weren’t happy with the way something was done, but since it was the correct procedure you would not have grounds for appeal. It’s important to speak to someone about this. Take a look at the Complaints page and the Appeals, complaints and discipline.
Q: My appeal wasn’t upheld. What now?
A: Check Appeals, complaints and discipline. There is usually a higher level to which a further appeal can be made. You may have a new piece of evidence, or feel that the original appeal was not handled correctly. Whilst you are entitled to make a further appeal, you should take advice from the Students’ Association on how likely your appeal is to be successful, and ensuring the appeal is as strong as possible.