Appeal to Appeals Committee
What does this mean?
Appealing to the Student Appeals Committee is always a second step - you need to follow the relevant initial process (Review of Grades, Special Consideration etc.) first.
If you have had a previous appeal dismissed or another decision made against you (for example, an unsuccessful Special Consideration application or Credit transfer application) you may be able to appeal to the Student Appeals Committee. According to the Regulation, this is really called "an application for a review of a decision", but "Appeal" works just as well.
What do I need to do?
You need to submit your appeal within 30 calendar days of the decision you're appealing against (the date on the letter/email you received). There are several steps to follow, below - just click on each heading to expand the information. Student Advocacy can help you at any step in the process so please get in touch. Prefer it all on 1 pdf? Click here.
This should be explained in the outcome letter you received. Not sure? Please send the letter to us and we can advise the appropriate appeal channel.
Your appeal must be based on one or more of the following grounds:
- that there was relevant evidence which—
(i) was not taken into account by the decision-maker; and
(ii) was not known by the applicant before the decision and could not reasonably have been known; - that the decision was manifestly wrong;
- that a procedural irregularity occurred which may have affected the decision;
- that the penalty imposed was manifestly excessive;
- that there was a deemed refusal
Some of these terms are not easily understandable, so we have developed a guide to them.
You can use our appeal letter template to help you structure your appeal. You should write about how your situation meets the grounds you've chosen, and refer to any evidence you're attaching. You'll also need to provide evidence of each point you make, if possible - this could include emails, medical certificates, screenshots etc.
Of course, you can do this at any point in the process, but we'd love to review a draft appeal and give you feedback before you submit it if you'd find that useful. Please use our appointment form to make an appointment.
Your appeal needs to include
- Statement explaining the grounds for your appeal (on the form or using the statement letter template)
- Copies of evidence supporting your appeal
- Copy of the university decision you are appealing against, e.g. an outcome letter issued by your Institute
Submit everything via the Student Reporting and Appeals Form.
How can Student Advocacy help?
We're here to support you throughout this process. Some things we can help with include:
- Understanding appeals processes and timelines
- Understanding the possible grounds to appeal, and whether your case might meet them
- Drafting appeal submissions and advising on what evidence you could include
- Attending meetings with you
After you submit your appeal
After you submit your appeal the Appeals Committee will write to you to acknowledge that they have received your appeal and provide you with your appeal number. Generally you won't need to do anything further, and the Committee will get back in touch with you when they have an update to provide. Sometimes, they may ask you to attend a meeting to discuss this and help them to make a decision - if this happens, you have the right to a support person to attend with you - please ask us about this.
Please carefully read any communication from the Student Appeals Committee in case your action is required to ensure your appeal can be progressed.