PGR student outcome appeals

Guidance related to these regulations 

Make an academic appeal

Student outcome appeals procedure

Scope of these regulations

8.1 A Postgraduate Research (PGR) student can request a consideration of a decision made by any of the of the following:

8.1.1 The Research Degrees Examination Board.  

8.1.2  A Dean in relation to a recommendation from a registration review panel.

8.1.3  A progression board.

8.2 If, during the consideration of an appeal, at any stage, either:

8.2.1  a material irregularity in the original decision is identified; or

8.2.2  any ground in the appeal is upheld

it will be referred to the relevant body that made the original decision for consideration.

8.3  These Regulations and the associated Student Outcome Appeals Procedure (“Appeals Procedure”) apply to all registered PGR students, including those who have received a final award or a decision that they are required to withdraw. PGR students who wish to appeal a decision related a taught component are covered by the appeal regulations for taught students.

8.4  The definition of a ‘day’ in this section refers to a calendar day in which the University is generally open and so includes weekends but does not include public holidays in England or University closure days as marked on the University’s website, unless otherwise stated.

8.5  A material irregularity refers to a substantial error, omission, or deviation from regulation or procedure that affects a decision in a way that the outcome would have been different had the irregularity not occurred.

Stages of consideration for an appeal 

Early Resolution 

8.6  PGR students should first raise any concerns within 14 days. The timeframe starts the day after a student has received notification of their results. 

8.7  This initial stage is intended to resolve straightforward concerns promptly by providing students with an opportunity to raise concerns with an appropriate member of staff and receive a prompt response, either at the time of contact or within 48 hours.

Formal Stage

8.8  If a PGR student remains dissatisfied following Early Resolution or has provided reasons for not seeking to resolve their concerns at the initial stage, they can request for a decision to be considered under this stage by submitting an appeal form.  The student is responsible for providing all the evidence and information that they wish to be considered at the time of submission of the appeal.  Further guidance on appropriate evidence requirements can be found in the Appeal Procedure. 

8.9  Appeals should be submitted as soon as possible after Early Resolution and within 21 days.  The timeframe starts the day after a student has received notification of their results.

8.10  An appeal will only be considered at the Formal Stage once the Early Resolution stage has concluded, or where reasons for not engaging with Early Resolution have been accepted.   

8.11 An appeal will only be permitted on one or more of the following grounds:

8.11.1 There has been a material irregularity in the decision-making process sufficient to require the decision to be reconsidered.

8.11.2  A student’s performance in the oral examination has been affected by illness or other factors which the student was unable, for good reason, to disclose to their examiners.

8.11.3 A penalty for academic misconduct was disproportionate or not permitted under the Regulations.

8.12  Students are informed of the outcome and the reasons for the decision within 14 days of receipt of the completed appeal form and all relevant evidence being submitted.

Review Stage 

8.13  If a PGR student is dissatisfied with the outcome of the Formal Stage, they may request a review of the process, provided they have valid grounds.

8.14  An appeal will only be permitted to progress to the Review Stage once the Formal Stage has concluded and where a student can demonstrate that one or more of the following grounds apply: 

8.14.1   New supporting evidence is available that could make a difference to the appeal outcome and which the student was unable, for good reason, to disclose at the time of the Formal Stage.

8.14.2   There has been a material irregularity in the Formal Stage sufficient to require the decision to be reconsidered.  

8.15  An appeal will only be allowed to progress to the Review Stage once the Formal Stage has concluded. A student will not be permitted to progress to the Review Stage if:

8.15.1   All academic outcomes requested have been granted.

8.15.2   Those requested but not granted are not permissible under the regulations.

8.15.3   Those requested but not granted would not alter the student's academic outcome or award.

8.16  Requests for a review should be made within 7 days of the Formal Stage decision.  The student has responsibility for providing all the evidence and information that they wish to be considered at the time of submission of the appeal.  Further guidance on appropriate evidence requirements can be found in the Appeal Procedure.

8.17  Matters previously raised in the appeal will not be reconsidered or reinvestigated, and no new grounds may be introduced at this stage.

8.18  A student will be informed of the outcome and the reasons for the decision within 35 days of receipt of the completed appeal form.

Notification of completion of appeal procedure

8.19  At the end of the appeal process, if the appeal is not upheld, the student will be issued with a Completion of Procedures letter.

8.20  If an appeal is upheld (fully or partially), a Completion of Procedures letter is not issued automatically.  Students can request a letter within one month of the outcome if required. 

Submission of appeals outside of published time limit  

8.21  In exceptional circumstances, the University may permit a student to: 

8.21.1  make a Formal Appeal without having accessed Early Resolution, or

8.21.2  consider a request to submit an appeal at either the Formal or Review Stage outside of published time limits. 

Students must provide a clear explanation for being unable to meet the deadline or access Early Resolution and include relevant supporting evidence.

8.22  If an appeal is not submitted within the permitted time limit, and no new deadline has been agreed, the appeal will be closed and no further consideration will be given.

Data Protection and Confidentiality

8.23  All information will be processed in accordance with the Student Fair Processing Notice and requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. 

8.24  Appeals will be handled with an appropriate level of confidentiality, with information shared only with those who need it for the purpose of investigating or responding to the appeal and the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA).

8.25  The outcomes and recommendations from appeals may be shared across the University, in an anonymised and aggregated format, for institutional learning and reporting purposes. 

Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA)

8.26  The OIA provides an independent scheme for the review of student complaints. The OIA will only consider cases when the University’s internal procedures have been exhausted. It will not intervene in matters which turn purely on academic judgment. 

8.27  Following receipt of the Completion of Procedures letter the student is entitled to submit a complaint to the OIA (oiahe.org.uk).