Academic appeals

A student can submit an Academic Appeal in relation to the ground(s) identified in the Student Academic Appeals Procedures as follows:

• There is new evidence of Exceptional Circumstances, which, for good reason, was not previously available to the Board of Examiners
  

  A claim for late Exceptional Circumstances under this procedure refers to issues being raised after the Board of Examiners have made a decision (and not raised via an Exceptional Circumstances form). It requires evidence that demonstrates why the student was unable to submit a request at the appropriate time, through the relevant route, as well as the evidence of the impact of the circumstance itself.

• Administrative or procedural irregularity/error
  

  There is evidence that the University did not act in accordance with the relevant Academic Regulations and/or Board of Examiners Procedures.

• Prejudice or bias (or a reasonable perception of bias) which can be proven
  

  There is evidence of prejudice or bias in the assessment process. The reasons should be clearly set out by the student.

An appeal will be considered against the grounds and criteria of this procedure. An appeal that does not meet the requirements shall be deemed invalid.

Examples of when an appeal may not be upheld: 

• A student appealing the decision made on the quality of the assessed work (including professional practice) or the criteria applied to mark the work
• A student is not happy with the results or thinks they deserved a higher mark
• A student challenging the academic judgment of internal or external examiners. Coursework and examinations cannot be remarked, except in cases where procedural irregularities have been identified or established
• A student appealing a marginal fail for an assessment or a module to attain a pass
• A student is not available during the reassessment period and does not meet the grounds of Exceptional Circumstances.

The Student Academic Appeals Procedure should be read before making an appeal.

A student may only submit an appeal against a decision made by the relevant Board of Examiners within ten working days from the official publication of the result(s). 

To make an academic appeal on campus students registered and studying at Canterbury Christ Church University must submit a Stage 1 - Formal Academic Appeal Form.

To make an academic appeal collaborative partner students registered at Canterbury Christ Church University must submit a Stage 1- Formal Academic Appeal Form.

Evidence for an appeal

All the information and evidence that a student wishes to rely on for consideration of their appeal should be provided when submitting the Stage 1- Formal Appeal. Appeal outcomes will be considered on the information provided by the student at the time of submitting the appeal.

Examples of independent evidence may include but is not limited to the following:

• Medical/health certificate which confirms illness for a defined period
• Photocopy of a death certificate
• Letter of support/explanation from a Student Support Service at the University, for example, Student Wellbeing
• Official letter or documentation from a third party (e.g. Police, Local Authority, General Practitioner (GP), Professional Counsellor).

Examples of evidence which are unlikely to be accepted if unsupported by independent objective evidence:

• A statement from a family member or friend
• Evidence of a medical condition that a health professional did not examine or diagnose
• Photographic evidence of injuries or incidents.

The submitted form will be assessed by a member of the Early Resolution & Case Handling Team who will consider:

• The contents of the appeal and the evidence that has been provided
• The decision made by the Board of Examiners and the reasons for this.

Following this consideration, the Student Case Handling Officer will determine within 20 working days from the submission date whether:

• The Academic Appeal is upheld or partially upheld. The Case Handler will notify relevant Faculty and Professional Service areas that the student will be provided with an appropriate academic outcome, in accordance with the Academic Regulations.
• The original decision is withdrawn and a new decision will be determined.
• The Academic Appeal is not upheld. The student will receive reasons for the outcome and confirmation that the original decision of the Board of Examiners stands.

If a student is dissatisfied with the outcome of their Formal Appeal, they can submit a request for a review within 10 working days of the Stage 1 outcome.

On Campus Students can submit a Stage 2 - Final Review via the unique link provided in their Stage 1 outcome letter. If you have any queries, please contact the Early Resolution and Case Handling Team at casehandling@canterbury.ac.uk.

Collaborative Partner Students must submit a Stage 2 - Academic Appeal Final Review Form.

All requests for a review must demonstrate one or the following: 

• There is evidence that the procedure was not followed at the Formal Appeal stage
• The Formal Appeal outcome did not take into consideration all the circumstances
• There is new material evidence that, for valid reasons, was not provided when the Formal Appeal form was submitted that could have affected the outcome of the Appeal

A Stage 2: Final Review is undertaken by the Head of Early Resolution & Case Handling (or nominee) who will communicate the final decision in writing, with reasons, usually within 20 working days from receiving the request for a review.

The decision taken by the Reviewer at Stage 2 completes the University’s internal Academic Appeals Procedure. After completing the University's internal procedure, a student has the right to submit a complaint to the Office of Independent Adjudicator (OIA) should they remain dissatisfied. The OIA will normally only review a case after a student has completed the Student Academic Appeals Procedure. Find more information about the OIA on their website.