Information about

Academic Appeals

Independent Advice, Support and Representation

What is the Appeals Procedure?

The University has an academic Appeals procedure which students can use, if they

have grounds, to appeal a University academic decision. This Information booklet

aims to explain how you might go about making an appeal and how the process

works.

What can I appeal and when can I do it?

An Academic Appeal can only be submitted once you have received formal

notification of results (This will be sent to you after your marks have gone

through Subject or Exam Boards, and are usually given back to you either on

returned assignment coversheets, official University letters or your transcript). Even

though you might already have been told informally that you have failed or that a

decision has been made about your assessment that you’re not happy with, you will

still have to wait until you have formally been told about that decision – although you

can still contact the Students’ Union at this time and we can help you prepare your

Appeal.

Once you have been formally been given your results then you must submit your

appeal to the University within ten working days.

In theory, students cannot usually use the procedure to appeal against a pass mark,

only a confirmed fail. However if you feel that there were circumstances that

affected you at a particular point of passed assessment, then you could still choose to

submit an appeal – it might be wise to contact the Students’ Union Student Advisor if

you are think this is something you might like to explore .

Grounds for appeal

The procedure states that students must have relevant “grounds” for Appeal

and they may wish to include a sentence or two explaining why they did not make

this information known to the Progression or Exam Board earlier. Alternatively, they

may want to submit the appeal as a way of confirming whether or not the Board had

all the information to hand.

Students should try to avoid making an appeal sound like a complaint as complaints

cannot be resolved under this procedure. Sometimes, there is an element of

complaint, especially if it relates to procedures not being carried out as they should.

In these cases, the student does again need to say why they have not been able to

raise this under the relevant procedures. It usually happens in relation to placements,

especially those at the end of an academic year when a complaint could not be

resolved by the time an appeal has to be lodged!

Even if the appeal is in the students’ favour, a fail mark cannot usually be ‘overturned’

and made into a ‘pass’. They can usually only endorse a ‘first attempt assessment’ and

often can only allow a reassessment opportunity.

If a student has already been offered a reassessment opportunity s/he may not wish

to pursue an academic appeal as the outcome is potentially going to be the same.

However, if the student feels they have been wronged or disadvantaged in some way,

the appeal could be used to request an alternative, such as a first attempt submission

rather than a reassessment. This can be useful as it means the mark won’t be capped

at the pass mark and could mean the difference in degree classification at a later

stage’

There are three grounds ‘allowing’ students to make an academic appeal:

ii) where there has been or could have been material administrative error or

procedural irregularity which has affected the students’ results

This could be:

• A student not being informed of an assessment deadline

• placement assessments not being carried out in line with regulations – e.g.

absolutely no indication of cause for concern or failure of placement until very last

observation / assessment

It is essential that students attach evidence to support this ground – e.g.

photocopy page from University booklets/programme booklets etc.

iii) where significant new evidence concerning extenuating or mitigating

circumstances which for good reason had not been available to the Boards of

Examiners … (for example a medical condition which had not been diagnosed at the

time of the Board) has been produced

This can relate to circumstances outside of the students’ control which they feel

affected their ability to perform in any assessment.

Students should bear in mind that there is often some time between submitting /

taking part in an assessment and the Exam or Progression Board and there could be

questions as to why information was not presented earlier.

The Academic Office has a formal process in place – “Claim for consideration of

extenuating circumstances” – which lets students make concerns known within 5

working days of the end of the module that the assessment is part of.

As with an academic appeal, they should include evidence where possible and as

much detail as they feel able – even in difficult and personal circumstances. We also

suggest they inform their PAT and even the module leader or equivalent. These staff

may then be in a position to support the student at the relevant Board, making

reference to the information which the Chair may then be able to take this into

consideration when confirming marks and approving reassessment opportunities.

Sometimes a student may not have realised that an event or incident had a negative

affect on them at the time. They should explain this as fully as possible in their appeal

if using the extenuating circumstances ground. Examples of this may be a death in the

family (this may require a death certificate) or personal circumstances.

iv) where unfair treatment or discrimination is alleged as part of the assessment

process which for good reason had not been considered previously under the

University Complaints Procedure

This is often quite difficult to put through an appeal as again, it states that

there must be good reason why it has not been put through the appropriate

procedures at the time. Some students are reluctant to make a complaint under

these procedures as they believe that the situation will get worse. If a student uses

this aspect as the grounds for their appeal, they should explain why they did not

initiate a formal complaint at an earlier stage.

Writing a Statement / Letter

There is no set way to present an appeal but the following should be taken into

consideration:

• it needs to be written in a formal tone

• We usually advise students to write the main body of their appeal in a letter but

students must attach the ‘Formal Notification of Academic Appeal’ form, provided

by the Academic Office or which you can obtain from the students Union.

• Evidence must be attached wherever possible to support the reasons for appeal.

• The Appeal must be submitted within 10 working days of date of notification

of results.

Although the Students’ Union can provide advice and guidance, the student needs to

look at the circumstances and try and identify relevant evidence. The Students’

Union can prompt the student using the information above – in some cases students

do not make the connection between what they see as the situation and

regulations/extenuating circumstances.

Hints & Tips for students making an appeal

• Start with a note of the situation then look to see if it ‘matches’ with any of

the grounds.

• Try to incorporate vocabulary from the relevant grounds. For example: “I wish

to make an academic appeal on the grounds that I believe I have mitigating

circumstances which affected my ability to perform”

• Set out a full and factual account of the circumstances in question. Be logical

and concise but include everything of relevance – if any doubts about whether to

include it or not – put it in as long as it is supportive. The Dean can determine

whether it meets requirements – it helps to assume that the reader knows nothing

about the student or the programme of study.

• Make reference to and attach evidence wherever possible. Take each point in

turn and think about anything that can be attached or refer to that supports it.

• Re: ‘remedy’ i.e. what would the student like to see happen if the appeal is

successful. This can be quite tricky. The Chair of the Appeals Panel cannot normally

overturn a fail and can often only offer further assessment opportunities to

demonstrate that a student does have the ability. Outcomes must be realistic –

such as a first attempt assessment, a reassessment or further time in a placement

Formal Notification of Academic Appeal Form

This must be sent with any written information you provide to: Secretary of the

Appeals Panel, Registry, The University of Cumbria, Lancaster, LA1 3JD within 10

working days of the date of results notification.

Completing the form:

There are five sections plus personal details, which must be filled in.

1. The decision of the Assessment Board against which I wish to appeal is:

Insert here the module or individual piece(s) of work you are concerned with. You

should copy details like module number and assessment title directly from results

notice.

2. I wish to appeal on the following grounds:

Insert here words from the most relevant ground e.g.

1.3.1 (ii) material error or procedural irregularity

3. I wish to seek the following remedy:

E.g. that the above exam/assessment/placement is endorsed as a deferral and that I

am able to undertake this as a first attempt.

The remedy is often the most difficult part – what can the student ask for!?

It has to be realistic and it needs to relate to the failed piece(s) – the above box is an

example of a much-used remedy! Students need to remember that a fail can’t be

overturned – at best a first attempt assessment, often a reassessment are the

outcomes of a successful appeal.

4. Detailed factual statement of the circumstances in support of my

appeal (continue on a separate sheet if necessary)

Insert here “Please see attached statement of circumstances” if you have indeed

written a separate statement.

Most students do need more space than given on the form and choose to attach the

complete statement as a separate word-processed document.

5. List of documentation attached in support of an appeal (e.g. letters,

medical notes, cover sheets etc)

This is quite straightforward – make a list of every document you are sending with

this form. Some students number each document for clarity.

*The make sure you remember to sign the Notification Form

What happens next?

The Dean of Faculty considers the information provided, checking that there are

valid grounds and that there is relevant evidence to support the case. The Dean may

feel that there are grounds and sufficient evidence to allow the appeal to go in the

students’ favour. The outcome the student requested may be applied, but this will

have to comply with regulations.

If the Dean doesn’t believe there are grounds, it is passed to a second Dean to look

at with fresh eyes. These Deans could both reject the appeal. It is also possible that

the Dean believes that there are grounds, but there isn’t enough evidence to fully

investigate and decide on an appropriate outcome. In this case, an Appeals Panel can

be called and the student would be invited along.

Contacting the Advice Service

If you would like any further information, would like to arrange

an appointment or want to speak to a Students’ Union

Advice Service staff member then contact:

Students’ Union Student Advisors:

email: suadvice@cumbria.ac.uk

Trish Lee: 01524 526567

Chloe Merna: 01228 616272

You can also drop in to your local Students’ Union Office on each

main Campus to speak to arrange to speak the Student Advisor

in person, on the telephone or to arrange a suitable appointment.

If you’d prefer it you can arrange an online chat with the

Student Advisor using the virtual receptionist at:

www.thestudentsunion.org.uk/advice

email: suadvice@cumbria.ac.uk to arrange an appointment or

why not visit the Advice Service section of the Students’ Union

website to see what other information and advice we can offer?

If you would like this document in an

alternative format please contact Trish Lee

On Tel:01524 526576 or

e-mail:suadvice@cumbria.ac.uk