This page provides information to research students about appeals against a decision based on the Academic Regulations for Research Courses of Study.
It is important you read information on this page before submitting your appeal.
Decision of the Progression Review Panel
Throughout your registration, you will undertake formal reviews to monitor your progression and help you to reach submission of your thesis. In these reviews, your supervisors will assess your progress and either recommend that you continue on your degree or that changes to your registration are required. Changes to your registration may include a decision that you can no longer continue on the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree and have to transfer to a Master of Philosophy (Mphil).
The panel may also make recommendations outside of your reviews with regards to requests you make regarding your registration.
Decision of the Examination Panel
Every research student is examined by two or more examiners, at least one of whom is external to the university, who will have expert knowledge in the area of your research. Examination may include an oral examination (or viva) depending on your degree level. The examiners review your thesis fairly and with due consideration to the strengths and weaknesses of your submitted work.
Decision of the Divisional Academic Misconduct Committee or Chair
All students and research candiates are required to act with honesty and integrity in fulfilling requirements in relation to assessment of their academic progress. Where there are suspected cases of academic misconduct, these will be dealt with in accordance with the procedures set out in Annex 10 of the University’s Credit Framework. Please have a look at the guidance for appeals against the decision of an Academic Misconduct Committee.
You have to submit an early resolution request (a process to resolve any issues or concerns informally with your Division before entering the formal appeals process) within 7-calendar days of receiving your decision from your progression review or examination panel.
You will receive an outcome from your Division within 14 calendar days.
If you are unhappy with the Division’s response, you will need to submit a formal appeal within 7 calendar days of receiving the outcome from your Division.
OR
If you do not submit an early resolution request, you can submit a formal appeal within 28-calendar days of receiving your progression or examination decision. You will have to provide a valid reason to explain why you didn’t submit an early resolution request.
You can submit an appeal against the decision in relation to your progression and/or examination if you have experienced one of the following grounds and have evidence to demonstrate this.
Under what circumstances would I make an appeal on the grounds of Administrative, Clerical or Procedural Error?
Examples of administrative, clerical or procedural error include:
This list is not exhaustive.
Please note that you will have to provide evidence of the error that occurred.
Under what circumstances would I make an appeal on the grounds of Illness or Other Extenuating Circumstances?
Where you can provide evidence of illness or other extenuating circumstances that have had a negative impact on your academic performance, but you were unable before to provide this evidence to your Division by submitting an Extenuating Circumstances request in the normal timeframe. You will have to provide reasons why you were not able to apply for mitigation before.
Examples of illness or other extenuating circumstances include:
This list is not exhaustive.
Completing academic work too late and missing deadlines because of computer or transport difficulties, losing work not backed up digitally, normal employment commitment or failing to read an email with deadlines or other instructions correctly are not normally considered as extenuating circumstances.
Under what circumstances would I make an appeal on the grounds of Bias?
You can appeal on these grounds if you believe there is evidence of bias or a reasonable perception of bias in how the academic panel reached the decision related to your progression or examination.
This means, that the Progression Review Panel or the Examiners were not impartial when making their decision.
This includes examples of any systematic error in the evaluation of your academic performance that is unrelated to your actual ability or achievement.
Please note that you have to provide evidence of bias when appeal under these grounds.
You are not permitted to appeal against either:
Academic judgement is defined as an opinion that can only be given by an academic expert, for example:
This list is not exhaustive.
Concerns with supervisory arrangements should be raised at the earliest opportunity through the Student Complaints procedure.
Decisions you may appeal against include:
A review of your request to upgrade your degree is based on judgements on your capabilities and the viability of your project for an award at a higher level. This review must be completed at least six months prior to the end of your current period of registration. The decision will be based on a portfolio which includes a summary of the work carried out, a planned schedule of work, a substantial piece of written work, and your progress report forms.
You may be given the opportunity to reapply in future if you can provide a certain amount of work by a set date.
Your degree may be transferred to the lower award if your supervisors deem that your work does not meet the expected standards for your degree level.
This also includes a recommendation at the Submission Review that your registration should be transferred to a degree level lower than that which you originally registered, and you have previously had your degree level upgraded, if your thesis has not developed as expected when the decision to upgrade your degree was made.
This may also include a recommendation that you withdraw due to unsatisfactory progess.
Your supervisors will raise concerns about your progress as soon as they arise and discuss these at the soonest formal review. If concerns are raised you will normally be issued a first warning letter outlining expected improvements to be made by a set deadline, and a mid-year review will be scheduled to assess your progress. If you do not meet these expectations within the timeframe a second warning letter should be provided giving another chance to improve. If the requirements listed in the second warning are still not met, the recommendation will be made to terminate your registration.
This decision is based on Section 12 of the Academic Regulations for Research Courses of Study: Termination of Registration
Intermissions may be requested during the minimum period of registration or continuation period where you have extenuating circumstances that affect your ability to work on your research or thesis.
You may apply where appropriate to change your degree level, course subject or attendance mode.
This may be requested where you require an extended period of full supervision while conducting research, of no more than 12 months. Please note if you are a PhD student this extension reduces your eligible continuation period by the same duration.
This applies when you are outside of the minimum/maximum period of registration.
The minimum period for submission is no sooner than 3 months prior to the end of your minimum period of registration. The maximum period to submit a thesis is 5.5 years for full time students and 8.5 years for part time students.
Decisions you may appeal against include:
This decision means that you have passed the examination process, but some minor corrections are required to allow you to submit a final copy. These corrections are marked by the internal examiner only.
Major revisions are more substantial than minor corrections but once completed your thesis will pass the examination. Students are permitted one opportunity to complete major revisions but may be recommended to complete further minor corrections where necessary.
If you are asked to resubmit your thesis there are considerable revisions to be made. When you resubmit the thesis, it will be considered by the examiners as if for the first time.
This may be suggested if the examiners have not been able to agree upon an outcome, or they wish to ask more questions about the thesis. You will be given ample time and guidance to prepare for this.
The examiners may find that your thesis does not meet the standards of your current degree level. You may be required to complete corrections to meet the standard of the lower award before this can be given.
In exceptional cases it may be recommended that your thesis does not meet the standard for the current or lower degree levels.
