Registration review panels

Requirement for a registration review panel

15.1. A registration review panel forms part of the unsatisfactory progress procedure.

15.2. A PGR student whose progress remains below the required standard after they have ended the continued concern stage must be considered by a registration review panel.

15.3. The registration review panel will make a recommendation to the Dean based on the results of its investigation except where the PGR student in their final year of study, as defined in the period of study section. For students in their final year of study, the panel’s recommendation is directly to the student and is advisory.

15.4. The Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (PGR) is responsible for registration review panels. If the Associate Pro Vice (PGR) has a conflict of interest (for example, they are a supervisor of the student under consideration), another senior member of academic staff must be nominated to perform the role.

Membership of the panel

15.5. The Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (PGR) must chair the panel and must appoint two other senior academic staff as members. The panel must fulfil the following criteria:

15.5.1. They have had no previous involvement in the PGR student’s progress, including the enhanced academic support or the unsatisfactory progress procedure.

15.5.2. They are independent of the PGR student and the supervisors.

15.5.3. Normally, at least one of the panel members is from the same school as the PGR student.

15.6. A delegate of the Head of Faculty Education and Student Success is responsible for the administration of the panel, with the delegate normally attending the panel’s meetings and the hearing.

15.7. Legal Services provides a clerk for the panel to make a formal record of the proceedings and to provide advice on procedural matters.

Information for the panel

15.8. The School PGR Director is responsible for ensure that the school provides the following information to the PGR student and to the panel at least 14 days before the hearing.

15.8.1. A covering paper setting out basic information on the case, such as the PGR student’s name, their school, the supervisors’ names, start date, final submission deadline, the project title, and details on any suspensions.

15.8.2. All documents relating to the application and admission of the PGR student, including any contracts or agreements with any funder or sponsor.

15.8.3. All meeting notes and letters associated with the PGR student’s progress.

15.8.4. Annual progress monitoring reports.

15.8.5. A summary from the school on the main points of the case, including the significant areas of concern, actions taken in response to the PGR student’s progress, and evidence of any exceptional circumstance or external causes.

15.9. Once the PGR student has received the information from the school, they must be invited by the panel to respond in writing and to provide any supporting documents at least seven days before the hearing. The panel must still proceed to the hearing if the student does not provide a written response.

15.10. The panel can invite the main supervisor to provide a brief statement in writing.

15.11. The delegate of the Head of Faculty Education and Student Success is responsible for circulating the PGR student’s response and the statement from the main supervisor to the panel and the school.

The hearing

15.12. The panel will hold a hearing at which the PGR student and representatives from the school, normally including the main supervisor, are entitled to attend.

15.13. The hearing must not be held during a period where the PGR student is on medical leave, short-term exceptional leave or on suspension.

15.14. If following all reasonable attempts at making contact the student does not respond to the invite to attend the hearing and/or does not engage with the panel, the panel must still proceed with its investigation and make a recommendation based on the available evidence. The lack of engagement from the student, including a record of the contact attempts, must be documented in the panel’s report.

15.15. The PGR student can be accompanied to the hearing by an adviser, friend, or representative. The adviser, friend, or representative can confer with the student, but they cannot ask or answer questions on behalf of the student during the hearing.

15.16. The hearing and other meetings of the panel are not routinely recorded, but this can be agreed at the discretion of the chair of the panel.

15.17. The panel must consider:

15.17.1. Whether the PGR student can attain the required academic standard within the maximum period of study specified in regulation.

15.17.2. How much of the PGR student’s completed work is at a satisfactory standard. This is particularly relevant if the panel is considering whether to make a recommendation to change the student’s registration to another degree.

15.17.3. Whether there are any relevant exceptional circumstances or external causes.

15.18. The order of the hearing must be defined by the panel but will usually be conducted as follows:

15.18.1. Representatives from the school present their submissions.

15.18.2. The PGR student presents their response.

15.18.3. The panel asks any questions of the school representatives and the student.

15.18.4. The school representatives and the student ask any questions to each other.

15.18.5. The school representatives and the student are offered an opportunity to sum up or make any closing remarks, with the student being given the last word.

The panel's recommendation

15.19. Following the hearing, the panel will decide on a recommendation. The decision of the panel will be that of the majority of its members.

15.20. For a PGR student in their final year of study, as defined in the period of study section, the panel’s recommendation is advisory to the student. For PGR students who are not in their final year of study, the panel’s recommendation is to the Dean.

15.21. The panel can make any of the following recommendations:

15.21.1. The PGR student’s registration is terminated.

15.21.2. The PGR student’s registration is changed to an alternative degree.

15.21.3. The PGR student’s registration is unchanged, but the student is required to return to the continued concern stage for a further period.

15.21.4. The PGR student’s registration is unchanged, and the unsatisfactory progress procedure ends with the student returning to normal study.

15.21.5. For recommendations where the PGR student will remain registered for a degree, the panel can also recommend an extension to the period of study if it finds that an exceptional reason, such as disability, has been or will be a contributing factor to the student’s progress.

15.22. The panel can also make other recommendations on any matter it considers relevant.

Panel recommendations for students not in their final year of study

15.23. For PGR students who are not in their final year of study, the panel must submit a report, including its recommendation/s, to the Dean and the Faculty Academic Director (PGR) or delegate within two weeks of the hearing.

15.24. The Dean must decide on the outcome based on the panel’s report and recommendation/s within one week of receiving the report. If the panel has recommended an extension, the Dean must decide on whether to apply the extension.

15.25. The Dean must write to the PGR student, the supervisors, and the School PGR Director to inform them of the decision. The panel’s report must be included in the letter.

15.26. The School PGR Director must ensure that the school files the decision letter and the panel’s report in the student’s file.

15.27. A PGR student can appeal against the decision of the Dean in relation to a recommendation from a registration review panel. See the PGR student outcome appeals section.

Panel recommendations for students in their final year of study

15.28. For PGR students who are in their final year of study, the panel must provide a report and recommendation/s directly to the student within two weeks of the hearing, copying in the Faculty Academic Director (PGR) or delegate, the School PGR Director and the main supervisor.

15.29. The panel must provide the following information to the PGR student alongside their report and recommendation/s.

15.29.1. An explanation that the recommendation/s is advisory and that the student can decide to return to normal study and be examined for the degree they are registered on irrespective of the recommendation/s.

15.29.2. An explanation of the implications of the PGR student’s decision. If a student carries on after the panel has recommended termination or a change to an alternative degree, the student may find the examination particularly difficult. The student must be directed to discuss the implications with their supervisors and/or the School PGR Director.

15.29.3. A four-week deadline must be set for the student to confirm their decision to the Faculty Academic Director (PGR) or delegate. If the student does not respond by the deadline, the non-engagement process should be triggered, and the student must be contacted to find out the reason for the lack of a response.

15.30. The School PGR Director must ensure that the school saves the panel’s report in the student’s file.

15.31. If a PGR student decides to continue with their current registration and to be examined at that level, the Faculty Academic Director (PGR) or delegate must ensure that there is appropriate support in place for the student in the period up to the examination and, if necessary, beyond.

15.32 If the panel has recommended an extension, and the student decides to continue with their current registration or to transfer to another degree, the Faculty Academic Director (PGR) or delegate must arrange for the extension to be applied.