Appeals
During your studies, you will be subject to many academic decisions, some of which you may consider that you have grounds to challenge:
- the mark given for a piece of assessed work or an exam
- whether you are allowed to progress to an Honours programme or to the dissertation stage of a taught Postgraduate degree
- 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
Timescales for appealing
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 the University's policy on Student academic appeals and academic complaints. This document outlines the permissible grounds for appeal and the process involved. You may also wish to seek further independent advice from Iain Cupples, Student Advocate in preparing your appeal. Also, bear in mind that if a piece of work is remarked following an appeal, its grade 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 mark, 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 following the completion of the above, and can clearly demonstrate that permissible grounds exist for the matter to be considered further, you should follow the relevant appeal procedures given in the University's policy on Student academic appeals and academic complaints.
Q: I want to submit an appeal. How long do I have to do so?
A: If you want to submit an academic appeal you have to act quickly. If you intend to submit an appeal to the Head of School or to the Dean of the Faculty, you should normally do so within 5 working days of the results being issued. If making a further Senate appeal, you must fill in an Intention to Submit an Appeal form within 10 working days of being told about the decision you wish to appeal. If you make a late submission your appeal may not be considered and may be turned down automatically.
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 four permissible grounds, outlined in the University's policy on Student academic appeals and academic complaints are:
i. defective or irregular procedure that may have materially affected the decision
This applies when you can clearly demonstrate that the University's policies and procedures have not been followed and that the failure to follow policy or procedure has had a detrimental effect on your results.
ii. bias or prejudice by the person or body making the decision
This applies when you can clearly demonstrate that you or your work is being handled differently to others due to non-academic reasons such as discrimination on the grounds of gender, race or disability.
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 that has affected your studies and you did not feel able to tell anyone at the time. You must be able to explain clearly in your appeal submission why you were unable to notify your School or the examiners when you were experiencing these issues.
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 can clearly demonstrate that you are being harassed or bullied by University staff. If you were being harassed or bullied by another student, this may be covered by iii. above. The University's policy on Non-Academic Misconduct should also be consulted if you wish to complain about the conduct of another student.
You should be aware that the grounds for appeal against an academic misconduct offence ruled on by a School or University Board of Adjudication are more restricted than those given above, specifically in that exceptional personal circumstances or lack of intent cannot be used as the basis for a subsequent appeal. See the University's policy on Student academic appeals and academic complaints for more.
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 your School or adviser before 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 to change the weighting of assessed elements or to allow for the resit of an examination.
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 on the instruction of the relevant Dean and you should discuss these with the School before making an appeal.
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 in order for your case to be properly assessed.
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 can clearly demonstrate that permissible grounds exist for the matter to be considered further, you may appeal the Honours entry decision. The appeal procedure can be found in the Policy on Student academic appeals and academic complaints. 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 to discuss your case. You should explain why you failed to meet the requirements for automatic Honours entrey, 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 programme, 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 but they can provide advice on the options now available to you.
Q: Can I appeal my final degree classification?
A: Degrees are classified by means of an arithmetical formula and there is no discretionary zone that may result in a selective adjustment to your final degree classification. If you have not yet graduated (in person or in absentia) and believe that you have permissible grounds (see above) for appealing the grade of a module or modules that contribute to your final degree classification, you should initially contact the Deans' Office as per the procedure outlined in the Policy on Student academic appeals and academic complaints. You must provide an explanation for not notifying the University earlier of the circumstances you believe have affected the results that have contributed to your final degree classification. 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: There is nothing that can be done in these circumstances to change the mark, but if you feel that the level of academic provision or service that you have received from the University has fallen short of what might resonably be expected, you may be able to submit an academic complaint. For a complaint to have grounds to proceed, you must show that a potential or actual material disadvantage to you or others has resulted from the issue/s raised in your complaint. It's important to speak to someone about this. Take a look at the Complaints page and the relevant section of the Policy on Student academic appeals and academic complaints.
Q: My appeal wasn’t upheld. What now?
A: If you remain unhappy after a review of your appeal by your School or the Dean of the relevant faculty, and can clearly demonstrate that permissible grounds exist to have the matter considered further, you may submit an appeal to the University Senate (the highest academic authority with the University). Check the relevant section of the Policy on Student academic appeals and academic complaints for the appropriate process. Whilst you are entitled to make a further appeal, you should take advice from an independent adviser in the Students’ Association on how to formulate your appeal and to ensure that you provide all the documentation required for the consideration of your case by Senate.
If you consider that you have legitimate grounds for dissatisfaction after the completion of the Senate appeals process (which is the last step in the University's internal procedures), you may have an avenue of external review via the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.