Appeal Against Final Result Procedure

Document Number000261
Date Approved8 August 2007
Date Last Amended5 December 2011


This procedure has been superseded by Section 20. Review of Final Result in a Course of the Course Management and Assessment Procedure Manual [000996] from 1 January 2013.        

 

1.      Context

This procedure supports the implementation of the Rules Governing the Administration of Assessment Items (000113). It should be read in conjunction with that Rule.

2.      Definitions

In the context of this document:

course coordinator means the academic staff member responsible for the management of a particular course;

final result means the cumulative mark for all the assessment items in a course approved by the Head of School responsible for the course;

head of school means the Head of a School with responsibility for a particular course;

major assessment item means any assessment item, including the final examination, worth 20% or more of the final result; or an assessment item that is a compulsory course component (ie a compulsory assessment item that must be satisfactorily completed in order for a student to receive a pass mark or better in that course) for a course;

in writing means either the form provided by the University or a paper based, email, fax or other electronic form of delivery which is capable of being converted to hardcopy;

I Grade means Incomplete and indicates that the result in the course is yet to be finalised;

pro vice-chancellor means the Pro Vice-Chancellor of a Faculty;

S Grade means Special Circumstances and indicates that a student has sought consideration in accordance with the Adverse Circumstances Affecting Assessment Items Procedure and the outcome has yet to be determined.

3.      Procedure

3.1.     Amending a Final Result

3.1.1.       A student who wishes to question a final result shall, upon request to the Faculty/School, have access to any or all of the following:

  1. a copy of the course outline;
  2. the course description as approved by the Faculty;
  3. the criteria for the assessment of major assessment items of the course;
  4. weightings for the individual components of the course; and
  5. weightings/marks for the individual components of the examination (if appropriate).

3.1.2.       Students wishing to obtain further information on a final result in a course or to query that result should, initially, contact the lecturer/tutor or the Course Coordinator.

3.1.3.       If an error is found under the following criteria, an Amendment to Result Form may be forwarded for approval to the Head of School (HOS) (where the appeal is lodged within six months of the result) or the Pro Vice-Chancellor (PVC) (where the appeal is lodged later than six months of the result being posted), and thence to the Examinations Coordinator:

  1. all required parts of the assessment were not included in the final  determination of the result; or
  2. all marks contributing to the final result have not been correctly weighted and their total accurately obtained; or
  3. any other administrative error.

3.2.     Appealing Against A Final Result

3.2.1.       If the lecturer or Course Coordinator is unavailable, or if the matter has not been resolved by discussion with the lecturer or Course Coordinator, the student may appeal against the Final Result, using the Application to Appeal against A Final Result Form accompanied by a supporting statement.

3.2.2.       Where a student has passed the course but is appealing the final result, he/she is required to pay a fee of $50 AUD to the University.

3.2.3.       In cases of hardship the Academic Registrar may waive the fee.

3.2.4.       If the appeal results in a change of final result that is favourable to the student, the student will be entitled to a refund.

3.2.5.       Where a student is appealing against a Fail grade, no fee is charged.

3.2.6.      When making an appeal for a review of a final result, the student must demonstrate a valid case for that review based only upon the following criteria:

  1. the mark for one or more major assessment item(s) (including the final examination) does not reflect the quality of the work submitted; or 
  2. all required parts of the assessment were not included in the final determination of the result; or 
  3. all marks contributing to the final result have not been correctly weighted and their total accurately obtained; or 
  4. the types of major assessment items are inconsistent with information published in the  course information provided on the University’s website; or 
  5. the type and/or weighting of major assessment items differ from information in the Course Outline; or 
  6. the content of a major assessment item does not reflect the content of the course; or 
  7. adverse circumstances as defined in Clause 5.5.1 of the Adverse Circumstances Affecting Assessment Items Policy *(refer Clause 3.2.7 following).

3.2.7.*     Adverse Circumstances may be used as a basis for an appeal against a final result only where extreme circumstances (such as extended hospitalisation) have prevented the student from applying for adverse circumstances at the time of the assessment task.

Note: where no case is made, the appeal will not be considered.

3.3.     Application Process

3.3.1.       The completed application in writing, using the Application to Appeal against a Final Result Form:  accompanied by a supporting statement should be submitted to the Examinations Office by hard copy, fax or email  within seven (7) days of the release of official final results on the web.

3.3.2.       Office staff will check to ensure the application has all the required information, and forward the application to the relevant Assistant Academic Registrar (AAR) of the Faculty responsible for the course.

3.3.3.       Where the appeal is not accompanied by a supporting statement or relevant documents, it will not be considered.

3.3.4.       The AAR will forward the application to the Faculty Progress and Appeals Committee or - where a meeting is not scheduled within the fourteen (14) calendar day processing period - to the Chair of the Faculty Progress and Appeals Committee.

3.3.5.       Depending upon the ground(s) for the appeal, the Faculty Progress and Appeals Committee or the Chair shall either:

  1. initiate enquiries with the lecturer/course coordinator who will:
    1. check that all required parts of the assessment were included in the final determination of the result; and/or
    2. check that all marks contributing to the final grade have been correctly weighted and their total accurately obtained; and/or
  2. initiate a re-mark of the queried major assessment item(s) to be carried out by someone other than the original marker. The Course Coordinator shall nominate a list of possible markers and the Chair shall select a person from that list. The marker shall be provided with the criteria for the assessment of the course and a clean copy of the assessment item. This would not apply where the major assessment item had, originally, two or more markers; and/or
  3. initiate the appointment of a member of the Faculty (not the Course Coordinator) to examine and report on:
    1. whether the type of major assessment items are inconsistent with those included on the CourseInfo webpage (populated by the Course Tracking System [CTS]);
    2. whether the type and/or weighting of the major assessment items differ from information in the Course Outline;
    3. whether the content of the major assessment item reflects the content of the course;
    4. the effect, if any, of any of the discrepancies listed above on the student’s final result; and/or       
  4. if a valid case has not been demonstrated, either request further information from the student or recommend to the Faculty Progress and Appeals Committee that no action be taken.

3.3.6.       Where the Chair undertakes the investigations, the Chair shall provide the Faculty Progress and Appeals Committee with recommendations and the outcomes of any investigation for the Committee’s consideration.

3.4.     Outcomes

           The Faculty Progress and Appeals Committee shall determine the outcome of the application as follows:

(a)    Revision of the Final Result – in this event, the outcome shall be forwarded to the Assistant Academic Registrar for action. The student should, where possible, receive notification from the Examinations Office within twenty one (21) days of the notice of final result being posted on the web ie fourteen (14) days after the close of the application period;

or   

(b)    No Change to the Final Result – in this event, the outcome will be forwarded to the AAR for action, viz notification to the Examinations Office that the result is to remain. The student should, where possible receive notification from the Examinations Office within twenty one (21) days of the notice of final result being posted on the web (ie fourteen (14) days after the close of the application period);

or   

(c)    Referral to the Pro Vice-Chancellor (PVC) - If the Faculty Progress and Appeals Committee determines that there has been a significant error in the assessment processes, advice will be forwarded to the Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty who shall then determine what remedial action (such as moderation) may be taken and advise the Examinations Office. Where a moderation is initiated, all students who may be affected will be informed that the process is being undertaken and warned that their marks may be varied upwards or downwards;

or

(d)   Granting of an alternate/supplementary assessment item when extenuating circumstances have prevented earlier consideration under the provisions of the Adverse Circumstances Affecting Assessment Items Policy and its supporting Procedure.

3.5.     Late Appeal Against A Final Result

3.5.1.       Once I grades and S grades have been converted to a Final Result, a student may only appeal against the final result if he/she:

  1. has been given a fail result; and
  2. can demonstrate that the recording of the fail result, or the automatic conversion from an I grade or an S grade to a fail grade, was invalid or unwarranted.

3.5.2.       The application will be in writing.

3.5.3.       If the appeal is lodged within six months of the final result being posted, it will be considered by the Head of School responsible for the course on advice from the current Course Coordinator of the nominated course. If the course no longer exists the Head of School shall consider the application. In both cases the Head of School will determine the outcome of the appeal.

3.5.4.       If the appeal is lodged between 6 months( plus one day )and two years of the final result being posted, the appeal will be considered by the Pro Vice-Chancellor responsible for the course. The Pro Vice-Chancellor will determine the outcome of the appeal.

3.5.5.       If the appeal is lodged later than two years after the final result has been posted, it will be considered by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) who will determine the outcome of the appeal.

3.5.6.       The student shall supply:

  1. evidence that the student legitimately withdrew from or was incorrectly enrolled in the course in question; or
  2. evidence required under the provisions of the Adverse Circumstances Affecting Assessment Items Policy and its supporting Procedure.

3.6.     Failure in a Course by a Potential Graduate

3.6.1.       A student may apply to the Faculty Progress and Appeals Committee for a review of a result on the grounds that the failed course  prevents them from graduating. The student’s appeal must meet ALL the following criteria to be considered:

  1. the course that has been failed is a ten unit course;
  2. the student has not previously failed this course;
  3. the student has undertaken the course in the last two (2) terms of study (subject to iv. below) and all other program requirements have been satisfied;
  4. if the course is undertaken in the penultimate term of study, the course was only offered in that term of the program and it (or a suitable substitute) was not available in the final term;
  5. the final result achieved for the course is not less than 40% of the total marks for the course;
  6. the student has not already undertaken supplementary assessment (other than on the basis of adverse circumstances affecting an assessment item) in the course; and
  7. the student has submitted all required assessment items throughout the relevant term on time (subject to any applications under the Adverse Circumstances Affecting Assessment Items Policy and its supporting Procedure).

3.6.2.       The Committee shall determine the legitimacy of the appeal and, if it is upheld, determine, in consultation with the Course Coordinator, the nature, timing and content of a supplementary assessment item.

3.6.3.       A student may not gain more than 50% of the final result (a minimum pass) in the course as a result of the marks given for the supplementary assessment item.

3.6.4.       The marks awarded in the supplementary assessment item may result in a Fail grade being changed to a Pass grade.

3.6.5.       If the student does not reach a Pass grade on the basis of the marks given for the supplementary assessment item, the Fail grade will remain and the student will not be eligible for graduation.

3.7.     Reporting

An annual report on all variations under these provisions, why the variations were made and the consequent  final results will be provided by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (PVC) to the Academic Senate at its first meeting each year.

3.8.     Retention of Assessment Items

In accordance with the NSW State Records Act 1998, General Retention and Disposal Authority - University Records - the University of Newcastle will not retain examination scripts beyond 6 months after the end of the examination period.  Similarly, assessment items not collected by students can be destroyed 6 months after the end of the term.

4.      Essential Supporting Document

Rules Governing the Administration of Assessment Items 000113

5.      Related Documents

Adverse Circumstances Affecting Assessment Items Policy 000939

Adverse Circumstances Affecting Assessment Items Procedure 000940 

Approval AuthorityAcademic Senate
Date Approved8 August 2007
Date Last Amended5 December 2011
Date for Review8 August 2010
Policy SponsorDeputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)
Policy OwnerAcademic Registrar
Policy ContactManager, Examinations and Timetabling
Amendment History

Note added that this procedure has been superseded from 1 January 2013, The Secretariat, 15 May 2013.

Minor amendment - Change of Policy Sponsor to Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) to reflect structural changes from 1 January 2013, The Secretariat, 9 May 2013.

Minor amendment to update terminology from Special to Adverse Circumstances in line with the Adverse Circumstances Affecting Assessment Items Policy 000939 and Adverse Circumstances Affecting Assessment Items Procedure 000940, Governance and Policy 4 July 2012.

Replacement of term "essential criteria" with "compulsory course component" in clause 2. Approved under delegated authority by the President of Academic Senate 5 December 2011.

Update Clause 3.3.1 from Examinations and Graduations to Examinations Office. Governance and Policy 22 November 2011.

Minor amendments made by Governance and Policy to provide clarity. These changes do not change the intent of clauses within procedure, 29 October 2010

Insertion of clause 3.8 approved by President of Academic Senate under delegated authority 22 September 2010.

Amendment to clause 3.2.6 & addition of 3.2.7 (special circumstances) approved by Academic Senate (AS09:020) 29 April 2009

Amendment to Clause 3.2.6 (vii) and Clause 3.4.1 (d), Academic Senate, 20 February 2008

Revision approved Academic Senate 8 August 2007