Academic Review Appraisals
Purpose |
If the Dean decides that there is no prima facie case to support your request for an academic review, you may request an academic review appraisal. This procedure can only be initiated by a student who has completed the Academic Review Process. |
Grounds |
You must demonstrate that your request falls under one of the grounds allowed for an academic review detailed in University Regulation 17. This University Regulation covers academic reviews and review appraisals and sets out the process that will be followed in each case. You should note that dissatisfaction with a mark or set of marks, or any other aspect of the properly exercised academic judgement of the examiners, is not valid grounds for an academic review or review appraisal. |
Process |
You must write to the Academic Registrar within 14 days of receiving notification of the decision that your request for an academic review has been rejected. |
Your request should include copies of the original request for an academic review (which you sent to the Chair of the Board of Studies) and must be submitted to the Academic Registrar within the 14 day deadline, including any supporting documentation. You should submit a written statement explaining the reasons why you consider the decision that the original request did not establish a prima facie case to be flawed. If you wish to supply any new or additional information at this stage, that had not been previously disclosed during the Academic Review Process, you should explain clearly both its relevance to your case and the reasons why it was impossible to disclose the information at an earlier stage. |
You will be sent an acknowledgement that a request for a review appraisal has been received. It will then be considered by the Academic Registrar, who will decide, from the information provided by the student, and by the student’s Faculty or School, whether a prima facie case has been established and whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that the original decision of the Board of Examiners may have been flawed. You will be notified in writing of the Academic Registrar's decision. The Academic Registrar may reject your request or may direct the Chair of the Board of Studies to convene a Review Sub-Committee to hear your case. |
If a Review Sub-Committee is to be convened you will be contacted directly by the Faculty or School to arrange a date for the hearing. You will have the right to attend, and to be accompanied by a friend or a member of the Students' Union Advice & Representation Centre. The Review Sub-Committee is independent of the Board of Examiners that made the original decision. Its role is to explore the facts of the case, giving all parties the opportunity to be heard. More information about the composition and operation of this Sub-Committee can be found in Paragraph 17.8 of the University Regulations. The decision of the Review Sub-Committee may be to uphold the original decision, or recommend a revised decision to the Board of Studies . If you wish to challenge the decision of the Review Sub-Committee you may do so through the review appeal process. A decision by the Academic Registrar not to convene a Review Sub-Committee is final and may only be disputed through the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA), an independent body set up to review student complaints, which is external to the University. The written notification of the Academic Registrar's decision not to convene a Review Sub-Committee will formally confirm that the University’s internal procedures have been completed and will contain contact information for the OIA. A link to the OIA homepage is available in the Additional Information section of this page. |
| Flowchart showing the Academic Review Appraisal process | OIA Leaflets |
Timescale |
Your request for an academic review appraisal must be submitted in full within 14 days of notification of a decision by the Chair of the Board of Studies that there was no prima facie case for an academic review. |
Review appraisals should normally be completed within four weeks of receipt of the request. However, if the request is received outside of a University semester then the review will normally be completed within eight weeks of receipt of the request. The dates of University semesters may be consulted by viewing the Academic Year Charts. |
Advice |
| If you are not sure whether to submit a request for an academic review appraisal you are strongly advised to discuss your case with the Students' Union Advice and Representation Centre, which provides guidance and offers support to students throughout the Academic Review Process. |
How to submit a request for an academic review appraisal |
Please send your request and supporting documentation to: Academic Registrar |
| E-mail the Academic Registrar |
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