Academic Appeals and Student Complaints
Academic appeals and student complaints The university’s procedures follow a...
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Last updated: 4 September 2025
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1.1 For the purpose of this procedure, and in line with the revised UK Quality Code for Higher Education, an academic appeal is defined as: ‘a request for a review of a decision of an academic body around a mark, outcome or decision. Students may appeal an outcome on the basis of evidence or procedure, but not on the basis of disagreement with academic judgement.’
1.2 An academic appeal relates to the mark or grade a student is given for an assessment, or a decision about their progression or award, which is confirmed by a Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel. Appeals against provisional grades cannot be accepted. All grades are provisional until they are approved by a Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel.
1.3 A student shall have the right to appeal once against a single decision of a Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel, subject to satisfying the grounds noted in section 4 of this procedure.
1.4 Further guidance for students wishing to submit an academic appeal can be found on the Academic Appeals and Student Complaints webpage.
2.1. The procedure is based on the principles of fairness and transparency and is in keeping with the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) for Higher Education’s Good Practice Framework for Handling Complaints and Academic Appeals.
2.2. Students should be assured that they will not suffer any disadvantage or recrimination as a result of making an appeal in good faith.
2.3 It is expected that students, and those acting on their behalf, act reasonably and fairly toward staff and treat University processes and procedures with respect. Whilst it is recognised that people may act out of character in times of trouble or distress, behaviour which is deemed to be unacceptable, verbal or written, will not be tolerated and may result in a student’s access to a procedure, service or member of staff being limited or withdrawn. The Student Code of Conduct sets out how the University will approach unacceptable behaviour.
2.4 The outcome of an academic appeal will usually only include practical remedies such as the opportunity to retake an assessment. In rare cases financial redress may be deemed appropriate. If the outcome of an appeal results in a financial remedy being offered, and the student has outstanding debt(s), the University reserves the right to apply that amount towards the debt.
3.1 All information obtained within the process of the appeal will be held in accordance with Data Protection legislation and the Student Privacy Notice.
3.2 Students must note that their information will be kept confidential, except where the disclosure is necessary to progress the appeal or implement a decision on the appeal, or where it is required by law or in the public interest.
3.3 In submitting an appeal the student understands that their appeal will be shared with the staff member responsible for conducting the investigation into the matters raised, and that the content of their appeal may need to be disclosed to relevant staff in order for the appeal to be investigated and/or resolution sought. If there are elements of a student’s appeal which are particularly sensitive and they have concerns about their confidentiality, they are welcome to raise this with the Governance and Legal Team via email to [email protected], who will discuss if / how disclosure can be minimised.
3.4 Students should avoid disclosing unnecessary personal information (e.g. medical conditions etc.) in their appeal unless they feel that it is relevant to the issues raised. Students must also avoid disclosing personal data of another person/s in their complaint unless they have been given permission by them to do so.
4.1 A student may only request an appeal on one or both of the following grounds:
a) that, at the time of the assessment, there existed circumstances which adversely affected the student’s performance and which the student was unable to communicate to the Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel before it reached its decision. In making such a case, the student shall provide valid documentary evidence where appropriate. Retrospective medical certification will not be accepted as valid;
b) that there has been an administrative error or procedural irregularity during the conduct of the relevant assessment of such a significant nature as to have materially affected the approved grade or mark awarded.
4.2 This procedure may only be used where a student is seeking to have a Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel decision reviewed. Disagreement with the academic judgement of a Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel in assessing the merits of an individual piece of work or in reaching any assessment decision based on the marks, grades or other information relating to a student’s performance is not a valid ground for appeal. Students do not have the right to request that an assessment is re-marked.
4.3 If a student is dissatisfied with teaching, supervision, academic advice or other service provision during their programme of study, they may submit a complaint under the University’s Student Complaints Procedure. Students must raise such concerns as and when they occur, as these cannot be considered later as grounds for an academic appeal. If you submit an appeal which is considered would be more appropriately dealt with as a complaint, the University may decide to follow the complaints procedure instead of, or as well as, the appeals procedure, depending on the nature of the issues raised. Students will be advised accordingly if this is the case.
4.4 Where there is significant overlap between procedures, the University may decide to consider matters together, if the student agrees to this. For example, if an appeal includes matters that could also be dealt with under other procedures, such as the Student Complaints Procedure, a joint investigation may be carried out. In such cases, the student will be informed where responsibility for the overall investigation lies and who will issue the final decision.
5.1 The procedure may be used by anyone who is, or was recently, an enrolled student at the University as long as a formal academic appeal is submitted within the required timeframe i.e. within 20 working days of the Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel meeting where the mark was confirmed.
5.2 The University expects that students who wish to appeal should be responsible for submitting an academic appeal themselves. An academic appeal from a third party, for example, from a parent or spouse will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances, at the discretion of the Head of Governance and Legal, where it is deemed reasonable for the student to not be able to submit the appeal themselves. The student must provide valid reasons for this request and complete a third-party consent form (available upon request from [email protected]).
5.3 Students may be accompanied by, supported or advised at any stage of the procedure by another member of the University community, (which is a person who is a currently enrolled student of the University, or a member of staff of the University, or a member of staff or elected officer of the University of Gloucestershire Students’ Union). If a student is under 18 years of age they must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or other responsible adult.
6.1 If a student is studying at a collaborative partnership organisation on a programme leading to a University of Gloucestershire award, they have the right to make an academic appeal to the University after completing the partner institutions own internal procedures.
6.2 If a programme is assessed by an external organisation, for example by a professional, statutory or regulatory body, these procedures may be subject to reasonable variation to conform with the regulations of that body.
7.1 If a student believes they have valid grounds for appeal, there are three stages they should follow:
8.1 The University will endeavour to process academic appeals as quickly as possible, and to complete the processing of a formal appeal and any associated review within 90 calendar days. Within that 90 calendar day timeframe, students must meet any University deadlines for the submission of documentation and attending meetings. There may occasionally be circumstances when the timeframe needs to be extended for different stages of the procedure for good reason, particularly if the appeal is complex, extensive, or was submitted at a time when key staff are away from the University. If this is the case, the student will be notified and regularly informed of progress.
9.1 Before considering whether there are grounds for a formal appeal, it is important that the student firstly discusses the matter with the appropriate staff from the relevant School e.g. the Module Tutor, or Academic Course Leader etc, to see if any informal resolution can be achieved. The student may also wish to seek independent advice from the Student’s Union.
9.2 If, after discussing the matter with the School, a student wishes to progress a formal appeal they must submit this within 20 working days of the Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel meeting where the mark was confirmed. This period includes the time needed for the appeal to be raised informally with the School.
9.3 The University defines a ‘working day’ as Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays and other days when the University is closed.
10.1 If, after attempting to resolve the matter informally with the School, a student wishes to proceed with a formal appeal, an Academic Appeals Form must be completed by the student and submitted to the Governance and Legal team by email (sent to: [email protected]) within 20 working days of the Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel meeting where the mark was confirmed. Any appeals submitted outside of this timeframe will only be considered if there is good reason for the delay which is supported by evidence.
10.2 The Academic Appeals Form must be fully completed with the following key details:
10.3 On the Academic Appeals Form, the student must clearly detail the issue and the grounds for appeal and provide appropriate supporting evidence. This may include copies of relevant email correspondence to and from staff concerning the issue, death certificates, medical certification of health conditions affecting the student (if it is relevant to the issues raised) etc. Students must avoid disclosing personal data of another person/s in their appeal unless they have been given permission by them to do so. If there are concerns about the authenticity of evidence the Governance and Legal team may need to take steps to verify the evidence. If it is found that the evidence is not genuine the matter may be referred for investigation under the relevant University procedure. Students should clearly outline on the form how they have attempted to resolve the matter informally at School level, and what remedy they are seeking to their formal appeal.
10.4 It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they raise all relevant issues and that they provide all the necessary information and supporting documentation at the point of submission.
10.5 Students should expect to receive an acknowledgement to their formal appeal via email within 3 working days of receipt. If you have not received an acknowledgement within 5 working days, please contact [email protected] to check that your appeal has been received.
10.6 Should the Governance and Legal team identify that the appeal submitted is not eligible, or more information is required, the student will be notified at the earliest opportunity. An appeal may be deemed not eligible if: it does not meet the permitted grounds of appeal; it is questioning academic judgement; it was submitted outside of the timeframe for appeal (and without valid reason and evidence); or if the student has supplied insufficient evidence to support the grounds for appeal.
10.6 If deemed potentially eligible, notification of the formal appeal will be communicated to the relevant senior leader within the School. Although the student should have attempted to resolve the matter informally, the senior leader will be asked if the appeal can be resolved before progressing formally. If the matter cannot be resolved informally, a written response to the issues raised in the appeal will be requested on behalf of the relevant School as well as any other relevant information for consideration. The School’s response will be sent to the student so that if they choose, they can make a further written submission based on the School’s response, before the Academic Appeals Group considers the case.
11.1 An Academic Appeals Group consisting of the Chief Operating Officer (or nominee) ,the Head of Governance and Legal (or nominee), and an elected Officer of the Students’ Union will meet at the earliest opportunity to discuss the formal appeal. No members of the Academic Appeals Group will have a connection with the student or be part of the School involved in the appeal or had any prior involvement in the case (with the exception of the Governance and Legal team advising the student on the academic appeals process).
11.2 The Academic Appeals Group will reach a decision with the following possible outcomes:
11.3 The Head of Governance and Legal or nominee will inform the student of the outcome of the Academic Appeals Group via letter sent by email normally within 5 working days of the meeting. The decision of the Academic Appeals Group will be communicated to the Chair of the Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel at the same time as the student is informed.
11.4 If an appeal is rejected as invalid by the Academic Appeals Group and a student is dissatisfied with the outcome, they may submit a request for review, providing they meet the grounds for this. The limited grounds for requesting a review are as follows:
11.5 If a student wishes to request a review of the decision by the Academic Appeals Group, they must submit a request to the Head of Governance and Legal by email to [email protected] within 10 working days from the date of the decision of the Group. The student should specify the grounds on which they are requesting a review, why they disagree with the appeal outcome, and the remedy they are seeking. The Head of Governance and Legal will delegate the review to an appropriate person; neither will have been involved at any previous stage.
11.6 The purpose of the review is to consider whether correct procedures were followed and whether the outcome was reasonable. At the review stage, the University would not normally consider the issues again or investigate the matter further. The reviewer will base the decision on the documentation considered by the Academic Appeals Group along with the student’s written case for the review. New grounds of appeal or new evidence will not normally be considered at the review stage, unless there is new relevant material evidence which the student was unable to provide earlier in the process for valid reasons.
11.7 The reviewer will communicate their decision to the student via letter sent by email as soon as possible and normally within 10 working days. The decision of the reviewer will be final as far as the University’s internal procedures are concerned. The student will receive a Completion of Procedures letter. If the student remains dissatisfied, they may apply for a review by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA), if their case is eligible under its Rules.
12.1 The Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel will be advised by the Academic Appeals Group that it considers there are grounds for the appeal to be upheld, and it will recommend reconsideration of the original decision and the Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel will be required to reconsider its decision.
12.2 If the Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel declines to modify its decision the Vice-Chancellor (or nominee) may arrange on behalf of Academic Board for specific action to be taken to amend the decision of the Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel and make alternative arrangements for the assessment of the student.
13.1 Where the Academic Appeals Group issues advice that an appeal could be considered further by an Academic Appeals Review Panel, the student must notify the Governance and Legal team whether they wish to proceed with this in writing within 10 working days from the date of the Group’s decision, by email to [email protected].
13.2 No further documentation will be required from the student unless they feel that there is documentary evidence which would assist the Academic Appeals Review Panel. It is not normally possible to introduce new grounds for appeal at this stage, unless it relates to evidence that could not have been provided sooner e.g. a medical specialist’s report that was received after the student submitted their appeal.
13.3 When a student decides to proceed with an appeal, the case will be considered by an Academic Appeals Review Panel which shall be a sub-committee of the Academic Board.
14.1 An Academic Appeals Review Panel shall comprise:
A quorum will be three voting members including the Chair.
14.2 No members of the Academic Appeals Review Panel will have a connection with, or will have previously advised, the student or be part of the School involved in the appeal (with the exception of the Governance and Legal team advising the student on the academic appeals process).
14.3 The Governance and Legal team will arrange for the hearing of the appeal at the earliest opportunity and provide adequate notice to all parties. Documentation presented to the Academic Appeals Review Panel relating to the appeal will also be provided to the student and the Chair of the relevant Board of Examiners or their representative. Any additional communications or documentation received after the deadline set by the Governance and Legal team will not be accepted for consideration by the Panel, except at the sole discretion of the Chair of the Panel.
14.4 The student will be invited to attend the hearing, as will the Chair of the relevant Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel or their representative, and/or other appropriate members of academic staff. The student may be accompanied by a member of the University community, (which is a person who is a currently enrolled student of the University, or a member of staff of the University, or a member of staff or elected officer of the University of Gloucestershire Students’ Union). The student must make their own arrangements for this, and confirm the name and status of the person accompanying them in writing to the Governance and Legal team at [email protected] no less than 4 working days before the hearing and keep them informed of any changes. Students under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
14.5 In the event that the hearing date cannot be found within the desired timeframe or has to be delayed, all parties will be kept informed as to the reasons for this.
14.6 On the basis that reasonable steps have been taken to find a mutually suitable date for the hearing, the University will not normally rearrange the date of a hearing due to the absence of the student.
15.1 In the interest of natural justice, both the appellant and the Chair of the relevant Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel or their representative(s) will normally be invited to be present at the hearing at the same time so that both parties will hear all of the evidence presented to the Panel and have the opportunity to comment on it.
15.2 The student can opt not to attend at the same time as the other parties and should confirm this preference in writing to [email protected] when they receive notification of the Academic Appeals Review Panel date.
15.3 The University will normally expect that if the student is happy for all parties to be present, staff members will also agree to be present. However, the University recognises that this may not be reasonable in all cases and a member of staff as well as the student may request to be heard separately by the panel if they have particular grounds for making the request. The appropriateness of an invitation for both parties to be present at the same time is a matter on which the Chair may exercise discretion depending on the nature of the case.
15.4 The Academic Appeals Review Panel will normally take place via Microsoft Teams unless the student wishes for it to be held in person, and it is possible for the University to accommodate the request.
15.5 The Chair will provide the Panel of the Academic Appeals Review Panel with an initial briefing before the student and appropriate members of staff from the relevant School join the meeting.
15.6 The student will be invited to present a case and to answer any questions of clarification. The Chair of the Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel or their representative(s) will be invited to make an initial statement on behalf of the School responding to the appeal and will also be asked questions of clarification. If the student is accompanied by a member of the University community, they may speak on behalf of or otherwise represent the interests of the student but may not give evidence except on matters of which they have direct knowledge.
15.7 The Panel may call any other members of staff or students it considers might assist it in reaching a decision. Any such persons shall be notified in advance of the meeting.
15.8 The student and members of academic staff from the relevant School will be asked to withdraw from the meeting for the Panel to consider the evidence and reach a decision.
15.9 The possible outcomes of the hearing are:
15.10 There may be occasions on which the Panel cannot make its decision without re-convening at a subsequent date and time. In such cases, the student and the members of staff from the relevant Schools will be notified. Considerations of the Panel will be confidential and, where necessary, its decision will be reached by ballot. The Chair will have a casting vote in the event of a tie.
15.11 The student will be informed of the result of the outcome via letter sent by email from the Head of Governance and Legal (or nominee) and normally within 5 working days of the meeting. If this timescale is to be extended for any reason, the student will be advised.
15.12 The decision of an Academic Appeals Review Panel will be communicated to the Chair of the Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel at the same time as the student is informed.
15.13 In the event of a successful appeal the Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel will be advised by the Academic Appeals Review Panel that it considers there are prima facie grounds for reconsideration of the original decision and the Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel will be required to reconsider its decision.
15.14 If the Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel declines to modify its decision the Vice-Chancellor (or nominee) may arrange on behalf of Academic Board for specific action to be taken to amend the decision of the Board of Examiners/Award and Progression Panel and make alternative arrangements for the assessment of the student.
16.1 If a student has completed the University’s internal Academic Appeals and they are still dissatisfied with the outcome, they may be able to refer their appeal to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) providing that it is eligible under the OIA’s Rules.
16.2 Where a student has exhausted the University’s internal appeals procedure, they will be issued a Completion of Procedures letter by the University. If a student wishes to submit their appeal to the OIA for review, they must do this within 12 months of the receipt of their Completion of Procedures letter; the letter will confirm the deadline by which the student may refer their appeal to the OIA. Further information regarding the OIA is available at: www.oiahe.org.uk.
17.1 The University will record academic appeals in sufficient, proportionate detail for analysis and management reporting to allow the causes of appeals to be identified, addressed and, where appropriate, for training opportunities and improvements to be introduced.
17.2 On an annual basis, an anonymised report on the number and nature of formal academic appeals considered and outcomes will be presented to the Academic Board and to University Council. This process will ensure appropriate monitoring of all appeals and related outcomes and is intended to facilitate learning from appeals.
17.3 The University will keep and dispose of records relating to appeals in accordance with its Data Protection Policy and its Records Retention Schedule.
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