What is an Academic Appeal?
An Academic Appeal is the only way you can ask the University to look again at an academic decision they have made about your performance and progress as a student, and possibly change it. Examples of academic decisions are:
- Your mark for an assignment
- Your grade for a dissertation or project
- Your exam result
- Your degree award
- Whether you can progress to the next level of your studies or not
Can I make an Academic Appeal because I’m disappointed with my results?
That depends. If you are disappointed with your results because something specific happened which meant you didn’t do as well as expected, then yes you can consider making an appeal.
If you struggled with the coursework and exams because you found the course difficult, then no, in general, you cannot appeal for this reason.
If you disagree with a decision because you believe your work deserved more marks, then no, you cannot appeal for this reason.
In other words, you need to have approved grounds for making an academic appeal.
Can you tell me more about approved Grounds for making an academic appeal?
Yes, you can only make an academic appeal on one (or more) of the following grounds:
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There is evidence to suggest that approved regulations and procedures have not been followed, or have not been followed with due care
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There is evidence to suggest that there has been a material lack of clarity on the part of the University which has affected performance.
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There is evidence to suggest that bias has been shown in the way that the relevant academic decisions have been made.
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Your performance was affected by mitigating circumstances that could not be reported at the time for valid reasons and that mitigating circumstances have not been taken into account in making the relevant academic decision (if you choose this option you must be able to show good reason why such circumstances could not have been made known at the appropriate time under the Mitigating Circumstances Policy
These approved reasons (grounds) for an appeal are all listed in the stage one academic appeal form, and you will be required to select the one/s which apply to you.
Can’t I just explain my situation to my tutor or Programme Director and ask them to help me?
Yes, you can, and it is required that you speak to your personal tutor, tutor, or Programme Director or other academic staff to update them on your situation and ask their advice. This is a way to try and resolve your situation informally, without going through the Academic Appeal process. A senior member of staff may be able to approve your appeal informally, but it is much more likely that you will need to go through the formal process and have your appeal considered by your school Appeal Board.
Where can I find the stage one academic appeal form?
You can find the form here, listed under “Key Information” at the bottom of the page. It is a PDF form which you can save to your documents before filling it in. On the same page there is lots of useful additional information about making an academic appeal.
Why is there a stage one academic appeal form and a stage two academic appeal form?
There are - potentially - two stages to the appeal process. You start by making your stage one academic appeal. When you receive the outcome to this, if you believe the decision is unfair or wrong, then you can decide to make a stage two academic appeal.
This means submitting the same appeal and evidence as for your stage one appeal but adding in an explanation of why you believe the stage one decision is wrong. At stage two, the University will check that the process to consider your stage one appeal was correctly followed or not.
What sort of outcome can I hope for when I make an academic appeal?
In the stage one academic appeal form you will see there is a box where you must explain exactly what you are requesting and hoping for. Examples might be – a chance to resubmit work, a reassessment opportunity so that you can then progress, or a repeat year opportunity.
I was very unwell in August during the reassessments. I failed my reassessment. Now I cannot continue to dissertation. Can I make an academic appeal?
Yes - you can - as you have grounds of Mitigating Circumstances (being unwell). However, you need to consider the following two requirements
- You must provide medical evidence that you were unwell. Without evidence, the appeal will be rejected.
- You must include an explanation why you did not submit a Mitigating Circumstances application at the time you were unwell. If you do not have a good reason for this, your appeal may be rejected.
I just didn’t know about the Mitigating Circumstances process. Can I explain this in my appeal?
This reason is not accepted by the University. All students are expected to know about and follow the Mitigating Circumstances process.
Acceptable reasons for not submitting a Mitigating Circumstances application at the time might be for example that you were in hospital at the time, or too unwell to cope with paperwork or did not have the technical capacity/wi-fi access to the online application form.
How much do I need to write in my Academic Appeal?
The box called Case Details is where you give all necessary information about why you are making an Academic Appeal. In general, you should write approximately 500 words. You should be as factual and precise as possible. You can break the information into bullet points if easier. You can consider writing a time-line of events. You should assume the board which will consider your Academic Appeal knows nothing about you as a student so you should give all information you believe is useful and relevant.
Here is an example of text which will not make any difference to an appeal decision – the appeal board can only consider facts and evidence. If you want to include more emotional information, keep it brief:
"I have always dreamed of being a student and am heartbroken that I have failed this exam. I cannot sleep or eat. My family are deeply disappointed and have invested everything in my education, making great sacrifices, so I am pleading with you to please allow me another chance, as my whole future is at stake."
Below is an example of text which is helpful to the Appeal Board decision as it gives them useful information:
Three days prior to my exam on 5th August I became unwell, suffering a high temperature and headache and unable to study. My condition worsened the next day, and I contacted my GP surgery who advised rest and paracetamol and to phone back if worse. By 4th August I was still in bed and unable to attend the exam on the 5th. I therefore contacted the surgery again and requested an appointment. On the 6th August I saw a doctor and I attach a letter to this appeal which confirms my situation
I believe my tutor does not like me and gave me low marks for this reason. Can I appeal based on bias?
Your tutor may or may not like you, but this does not show bias. If someone is biased against you this means that they are acting in a way which singles you out from other students. This may be intentional behavior (they know they are doing this) or it may be unconscious behavior (they do not know they are doing this).
It is a serious allegation to make about someone and so if you make an Academic Appeal on the grounds someone is biased against you, it is important that you can show evidence that they are behaving differently towards you than to other students. For example, something the person has written to you which reveals bias, or something they have said in the hearing of others who can witness it.
We understand it can be a difficult experience to believe someone is biased against you, and if you want to talk to us about this in confidence you are welcome – advice.hub@hw.ac.uk
There are lots of boxes to choose from in the stage one Academic Appeal form – is there anyone who can help check I’ve got it right, and given all the required information?
Yes, the Advice Hub is always happy to look at a draft appeal and give you any feedback and help with it advice.hub@hw.ac.uk
Is there a deadline for my Academic Appeal to be submitted?
Yes. Generally, you should submit your appeal within 10 working days (two weeks) of receiving the result or decision you wish to be reviewed. However, sometimes it takes a little longer to get all information and evidence together – for example a doctor’s letter, or feedback from your tutor or Programme Director. If later than 10 working days, it is important to explain exactly what caused the delay and if there is a good reason, your academic appeal will still be considered.
Where do I send my stage one Academic Appeal?
Just follow the instructions on the last page of the stage one academic appeal form and send it (together with your evidence) to appeals@hw.ac.uk
You should receive an immediate automated response acknowledging receipt of your email.
How long will it take for me to get an outcome to my stage one Academic Appeal?
The guidelines allow for 30 working days (6 weeks). However, this can be longer if the team who process academic appeals are receiving a high volume of appeals. They will send your stage one appeal and evidence to your school for consideration.
What if I am making an Academic Appeal about my degree classification and my Graduation is scheduled to happen in four weeks and I may not have the appeal outcome by then?
Unfortunately, if you want your academic appeal to be considered, you will need to delay your graduation. You cannot make an academic appeal and graduate at the same time. When you graduate, you are accepting the degree classification offered by the University and can no longer ask for the decision.
What do I need to do to give my Academic Appeal the best chance of being upheld (succeeding)?
Our advice is:
- Be factual and specific
- Be very clear about times and dates when describing what has happened in your case.
- Provide strong evidence for everything you explain.
- Do not ask for the impossible – there is a limit to the exceptions and adjustments the University can make.
Click here for the University’s information on the appeals procedure.
If you would like to talk to us in confidence about your academic appeal, get in touch with us advice.hub@hw.ac.uk.