Student Academic Appeals

Male and female student walking on Canterbury campus lawns overlooking Cathedral

Student Academic Appeals

These pages are designed to guide students through the process of academic appeals that is set out in the Academic Appeals Policy. 


    

What is an academic appeal?

An academic appeal is a challenge to, or request, for reconsideration of a decision by an academic body regarding student progress, assessment and/or awards.

Appeal process at Kent consists of three steps:

  • Early Resolution
  • Formal Appeal
  • Appeal Review

Not all appeals will go through all of the steps listed above. Some appeals might be completed earlier in the process.

Appeals in relation to marking boycott

If you are considering submitting an appeal in relation to the marking boycott, this will normally be treated as academic judgment as students are not permitted to appeal against marks. Appeals against academic judgement would normally be dismissed as they would not meet the technical conditions, as set out in section 13 in the Academic Appeals Policy.

Where affected, the marking has been undertaken by an appropriately qualified individual with sufficient expertise and experience to make academic judgements on the merits of the work they are assessing. Moderation processes have been undertaken in the usual way. 

See information about mitigation of industrial action.

Deadlines for submitting your appeal

  • Early resolution – within 7–calendar days after you receive your formal results or a formal decision.
  • Formal appealwithin 7-calendar days after you receive the outcome of your early resolution.
    OR
    If you did not attempt early resolution, within 28–calendar days after you receive your formal results or a formal decision. You will have to provide a valid reason why you did not seek early resolution.
  • Appeal review – within 7–calendar days after you receive your formal appeal outcome.

If you are seeking to graduate, be permitted to resit failed modules, be permitted to continue with your studies, but not currently allowed, we strongly advise that you submit your appeal as soon as possible.

What happens if my appeal is late?

In some exceptional circumstances, we may be able to accept a late appeal, but you should not rely on this and make sure that you attempt to submit your appeal within the deadlines outlined above. 

However, if you are submitting your appeal beyond the deadlines outlined above, you will have to provide a good reason why your appeal is late on the appeal form. The Case Manager of your appeal will consider your statement and decide whether to accept or dismiss your appeal.

A few examples of what may be considered good reasons for late appeals:

  • If you have an Inclusive Learning Plan (ILP) that recommends adjustments in order to accommodate difficulties around meeting deadlines. and/or
  • You experienced extenuating circumstances that prevented you from submitting your appeal on time (please note that you will have to include evidence of the circumstances when submitting your appeal). and/or
  • the outcome of your early resolution was delayed.

This list is not exhaustive.

Appeal process step-by-step

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Formal results or formal decision

  • Received your formal results on KentVision?
  • Received a formal letter with the decision of an academic body?
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Early Resolution

  • This is an informal process used to raise your concerns and/or seek clarification from your Division.
  • You must submit your early resolution request within 7-calendar days of your results being published or receiving a formal decision from another academic body.
  • Your Division will reply to you within 14-calendar days.
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Formal Appeal

This is the first step of the formal appeals process.

You can submit a formal appeal if you are dissatisfied with the response to your early resolution request.

You must submit your formal appeal within 7-calendar days after you receive the outcome of your early resolution.

If you did not submit an early resolution request, you must submit your formal appeal within 28-calendar days of your results being published or receiving a formal decision from an academic body.

We strongly encourage you to submit your appeal before the deadline.

We will send you the formal appeal outcome within 28-calendar days.

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Appeal Review

  • This is the second and final step of the formal appeal process.
  • You can submit an appeal review request if your formal appeal was either dismissed or partially upheld.
  • You must submit your appeal review request within 7-calendar days of receiving your formal appeal outcome.
  • Appeal reviews are considered by an Academic Chair of an Appeal Review Panel. 
  • We will send you the outcome within 28-calendar days.
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Appeal Review Panel Hearing

  • The Academic Chair of the Appeal Review Panel may decide to convene a hearing to consider your case.
  • The decision to convene a hearing is an academic judgement of the Chair and not something you can request.
  • If the Chair decides to convene a hearing, we will contact you and invite you to attend.
  • We will send you the outcome within 7-calendar days of the hearing.
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End of the Internal Appeal Process at Kent

  • Once you reach the end of the internal appeals process and there is no further route available for you to pursue your case, we will issue you a Completion of Procedures Letter. 
  • This letter will allow you to take your case to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA). It is an independent body set up to review student complaints about higher education providers in England and Wales.