Undergraduate appeals procedure regulations

1. There shall be a Committee of the Senatus entitled the "Undergraduate Appeals Committee" which shall be empowered to receive and determine appeals, as defined in these Regulations, by undergraduate degree candidates.

2. The members of the Committee shall be: a Deputy Principal or a Vice-Principal or equivalent ex officio as Convener, one representative of each School Board, and the Students' Assessor on the Senatus ex officio.

3. The term of office of members of the Committee, other than the Convener and the Students' Assessor shall, subject to special arrangements to ensure that all members do not demit office at the same time, be three years.

4. Any three members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum. Exceptionally the Committee shall have powers to co-opt up to two members in order to obtain a quorum.

5. A member of the Committee who is a member of the Board of Examiners for an undergraduate degree candidate shall not be a party to the decision of the Committee on an appeal by such a candidate.

6 (1) The Committee shall determine

(i) appeals by candidates on failing to pass assessments;

(ii) appeals by candidates concerning the grade or grades awarded for assessments including final Honours Degree Classifications.

(2) In the first instance the student shall seek to resolve the appeal with the Dean of School. Only if such resolution is unsuccessful shall referral be made to the Secretary of the University as required in Regulation 7(1) below.

(3) Such appeals shall not be considered unless they are based upon allegations of

(a) extenuating circumstances affecting the candidate's performance and of which the examiners were unaware when their decision was taken, or

(b) procedural irregularities (including administrative error) in the conduct of a written or oral examination of such a nature as to give rise to reasonable doubt whether the examiners would have reached the same conclusion had they not occurred, or

(c) prejudice or bias on the part of one or more of the examiners.

7 (1) Every appeal shall be in writing and shall be lodged with the Secretary of the University within four weeks of the date on which the candidate received intimation of the decision against which the appeal is directed.

(2) The letter of appeal must state all the grounds on which the student considers that the decision should be changed, the remedy which the student seeks and whether the student wishes to make oral representation at a hearing.

8 (1) The Secretary, in consultation with the Convener of the Committee, shall determine whether the grounds of appeal come within the provisions of Regulation 6(3). Extenuating circumstances under Regulation 6(3)(a) shall not include a candidate's illness at the time of the examination unless a medical certificate has been submitted to the head of the department either before the examination or within seven days thereafter.

(2) If the grounds of appeal do not satisfy the provisions of Regulation 6(3), the Secretary shall inform the candidate accordingly.

(3) If a prima facie case is established the Secretary shall cause written notification to be sent to the candidate by recorded delivery or registered post, intimating:

(i) the date on which the Committee will meet to consider the appeal which shall not be less than fourteen days from the date of despatch of the intimation, and

(ii) the candidate's right, if giving oral evidence, to be accompanied or represented by a lawyer or friend.

9. The Committee shall be empowered to obtain all such information or opinions it may consider desirable which shall include an account of the student's progress and of the procedures already carried out in the matter. This shall include the grounds on which the decision appealed against was reached and should make clear the evidence that was available.

10 (1) After consideration of all the submissions made to it, the Committee may:

(i) reject the appeal;

(ii) notwithstanding that the point raised in the appeal might be decided in favour of the student, dismiss the appeal if they consider that the student has suffered no material prejudice;

(iii) uphold the appeal and order whatever remedy it deems fair in the circumstances.

(2) The Committee's decision shall be reported to the Senatus and may include any recommendations related to the matter which has given rise to the appeal.

11. In the event that any issue involving disability, race or other equal opportunities issue arises, any Committee or University officer has a discretion to adjourn proceedings to seek a report from any University or external adviser and/or to consider such a report or any related submission by any person, and to consider the promotion of good race relations and racial harmony. This may be at any stage, but is at the sole discretion of the Committee or member(s) of staff involved.

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Senate Committee Contact - once an outcome has been given by the School

StudentAppeals@dundee.ac.uk