appealing anacademic result

how to appeal a mark or academic decision

a degree resulta confirmed exam marka confirmed coursework,dissertation or research project markrequired withdrawal from a coursea verdict of plagiarism and/orcollusiona penalty applied in respect ofplagiarism and/or collusiona refusal to permit the latesubmission of coursework forassessmentrejection of an application for adelayed first sit

The academic appeals procedure canbe used by any student to challenge:

work which has been double marked;oran exam.

This is not part of the formal appealsprocedure. You can apply for remarkingby contacting your Learning andTeaching Service Hub (LTS) within 10days of the mark appearing on e:Visionusing form LTS005 avaialble athttps://portal.uea.ac.uk/learning-and-teaching/students/coursework/marking-fairly The work will be independentlyremarked by a second marker.  Theoriginal and second marks are sent tothe School Director (Learning &Teaching) who makes the final decision.Please be aware marks can be adjustedup or down. You should normally knowthe outcome within 10 working days ofyour request. You cannot ask for a remark of:

appeal grounds

In general, if your concern is aboutyour academic results you should usethe academic appeals procedure.  Forother academic concerns you shoulduse the academic complaintsprocedure. For complaints about non-academic matters, which includescatering, accommodation and theStudent Support Service, you shoulduse the non-academic complaintsprocedure. If you are unhappy about an exam

mark or double-marked coursework,you need to consider making a Stage 1academic appeal. A Stage 1 academicappeal may be made if one of thefollowing reasons (“grounds”) applies:

single marked work

If a piece of coursework has beenmarked by a single person and you areunhappy with the mark, you can ask forit to be remarked.

correct procedure was not followedwhich undermined the validity of a resultprejudice and/or bias affected theacademic resultsignificant changes were made to acourse which were not properlycommunicatedthe teaching, supervision or researchtraining was insufficientextenuating circumstances (ECs) werenot fully and properly considerednatural justice dictates that the appeal beupheldthe learning support provided wasunsatisfactory or inappropriateyour performance was affected by ECsnot previously considered (only when latesubmission is approved by the AcademicDirector of Taught Programmes

informal stage

evidence

You need to provide evidence tosupport your appeal. It must bespecific and objective.  It will normallyconsist of the information you put onthe form and, where the circumstancesdemand, independent third–partyevidence. For example, if medicalcircumstances are involved you willneed to provide a medical certificate. Ifyour supporting evidence is not inEnglish, you will need to supply aprofessional translation as well.

You will normally have 10 working daysfrom the notification of results tosubmit an appeal. If you are unsure ofthe deadline it is advisable to start theprocess of appealing as soon as youreceive the mark you wish to appeal

time limits for appeals

Before beginning an appeal you shouldtry to resolve the matter informally ifyou can - for example, by talking to hemarker, LTS Hub, the specific CourseDirector (if it relates to a mark orteaching) or the Plagiarism Officer (if itrelates to a penalty applied forplagiarism/collusion). The LTS Hub may suspend a Stage 1Academic Appeal while it checkswhether you have tried to resolve thematter informally yourself, or while anattempt at informal resolution is made.To start an appeal you need tocomplete an academic appeals form;there are different forms for a Stage 1and Stage 2 appeal. These are available from the UEAwebsite.https://portal.uea.ac.uk/learning-and-teaching/students/formsIf you are uncertain which form to use,check with us.

stages of appeal

an informal stage

Stage 1, in which a Faculty Academicand Complaints Panel (FACP)considers the appeal;

Stage 2, if there has been aprocedural irregularity in theconsideration of a Stage 1 appeal, orif you are appealing a decision thatyou have plagiarised or colluded.

The academic appeals procedurecomprises three stages:

Postgraduate research students needto use different forms – these can befound at:https://portal.uea.ac.uk/postgraduate-research/appeals-complaints

stage 2 appeals

not all the evidence has beenweighed in the consideration of anappeal; or

factual data has beenmisinterpreted.

A Stage 2 appeal may be made if therehas been a ’procedural irregularity’ atStage 1. This includes cases where:

stage 1 appeal You should receive anacknowledgment letter informing youof when your appeal will be consideredby the FACP within 5 working days ofsubmitting it. The FACP meetingshould be within 20 days from the dateyou submitted your appeal. You willusually be informed of the outcome ofyour appeal within 10 working days ofthe FACP meeting, or you will be toldthat more time is needed to consideryour appeal. A FACP will uphold an appeal if itconsiders that you have shown thatone of the grounds of appeal applies. Ifyour appeal is accepted the letter willalso say what action will be taken - forexample, an Exam Board may be askedto review a decision they have made ora concession may be proposed. If your appeal is rejected you shouldreceive a full and clear explanation ofthe decision. If you are not happy withthe decision you may be able to makea Stage 2 appeal if there has been aprocedural irregularity at Stage 1. Insome cases, you may be able to make acomplaint to the Office of IndependentAdjudicators if you do not meet thegrounds for a Stage 2 appeal

If the appeal concerns a module or anacademic issue relating to a school thatyou are not registered in you shouldstill submit the appeal to the LTS Hubfor your own school. The Head of School will be made awareof the content of the appeal when it isreceived and will consider if it can beinformally resolved. If it cannot theFACP will then consider the appeal. Each faculty has its own FACP (there isone for taught student appeals and onefor research student appeals). TheFACP is made up of a chairperson, 3members of staff from the faculty, onemember from a panel in another facultyand a secretary.

you clearly mark the email/envelope containing your appeal with yourname and student number,specifying that it is a Stage 1 appeal; mark the email/envelope as"confidential" ; andyou keep a copy of everything yousend to the Hub.

The appeal form asks what yourconcerns relate to and what outcomeyou are appealing. For help with writingyour appeal: see our web page and ourguide "providing supporting evidence"You can also ask for one of our adviceworkers to review your draft. Contactadvicecentre@uea.ac.uk to requestthis. Once completed, you should submityour appeal form along withsupporting evidence to your LTS Hub. We suggest you email your appeal toyour Hub, but you can hand in a hardcopy if that is not possible. In eithercase, we advise that:

If all of the internal university procedureshave been completed, and you are notsatisified, the Office of the IndependentAdjudicator for Higher Education (OIA)may be able to consider your case.Scheme application forms are availablefrom: http://www.oiahe.org.uk/.

office of theindependent adjudicator

to understand whether you canappeal a decisionto decide what ground(s) of appealto useby advising what to put on yourappeal for and what evidence youneed to gatherby giving you feedback on yourdraft appeal before you submit it

we can help you :

how advice(su) canhelp

The time limit for making a Stage 2appeal is within 15 working days of thedate you were notified of the outcomeof a Stage 1 appeal. Before deciding whether to make astage 2 appeal, you can ask in writingfor copies of all the evidenceconsidered in reaching a decision onyour stage 1 appeal. The 15-day timelimit for making a stage 2 appeal doesnot start to run until you have receivedthis evidence. Details of where to submit your appealcan be found on the Stage 2 form. Therelevant Director of University Serviceswill consider whether you haveevidence of procedural irregularity andeither accept or reject your appeal. Youwill be advised of the outcome of yourappeal within 20 working days. If theappeal is upheld the case shall bereferred to the next FACP forconsideration and shall be treated asthough it is a Stage 1 appeal. If rejectedthis decision will be reviewed by one ofthe Academic Directors and, ifconfirmed, there is no further right toappeal within the University

Come and see advice(su) if you haveany questions about any stage of the the academic appeals procedure

www.uea.su/studywell

free, confidential,impartial advice

mon - fri10.00 - 16.00

01603 593463

advicecentre@uea.ac.ukuea.su/wellatuea

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