Appealing Against a Final Result

Can I appeal my final grade?

How do I apply?

What does making a case mean?

What outcomes can I expect?

What does it cost?

Can I appeal my final grade?

The University allows students to appeal a final result for a course provided the grounds for appeal meet approved criteria. Full details of the process can be found in the Appeal Against a Final Result Procedure.

How do I apply?

Step 1: Contact your lecturer or Course Co-ordinator in person or by email
Following the official release of results* if you feel the grade is not correct, you should first contact your lecturer or course coordinator to discuss your result. Your lecturer or course coordinator will check that:

1. all your assessment items have been included in the final mark; and
2. all your assessment items have been correctly weighted and added to arrive at the final mark.
   If an error is found at this time the lecturer or course coordinator will take steps to have it corrected. Your lecturer or course coordinator will also be able to explain to you the reasons for your mark, that is, where in the course assessment(s) you have not met the standard required.

*Normally the Fully Graded Date but may be another date if your result was processed late.

Step 2: Submit an appeal application within 7 days
If your issues have not been resolved by discussion with your lecturer or course coordinator you may submit an Appeal Against a Final Result application provided your grounds for appeal meet those approved in the Procedure. You should submit a separate appeal application for each course for which you wish to appeal.

Each appeal application and supporting documentation must be lodged within 7 days of the official release of results for the course, normally the Fully Graded Date.

Please note: Results in Blackboard are not official.

Please note: If you have been unable to contact the lecturer or course coordinator, you must still lodge the application within 7 days of receipt of your official result. You must also provide confirmation that you have attempted to consult the lecturer or course coordinator but have been unable to resolve the issue. You can do this by including emails or details of your attempts to speak with the lecturer or course coordinator and their response to your questions where applicable in, or with, your statement.

Step 3: What to include with your application form
Your application must include the completed application form together with a written statement andsupporting documentary evidence that clearly demonstrates the basis for your appeal and that the appeal fits within at least one of the approved criteria as listed on the application form. You may appeal on the basis of more than one approved criterion but you must provide details of your case under each criterion. Your written statement must set out why you are applying under the criteria you have indicated and how your circumstances meet the criteria.

Please Note: Failure to submit a supporting statement will result in your application being automatically rejected.

What does making a case mean?

Appeals against final results must make or demonstrate a case under the approved criteria set out in the Appeal Against Final Result Procedure. Click on each of the criteria below to see some examples of making a case:

i) The mark for one or more major assessment item(s) (including the final examination) does not reflect the quality of the work submitted.

ii) All required parts of the assessment were not included in the final determination of the result.

iii) All marks contributing to the final result have not been correctly weighted and their total accurately obtained.

iv) The type of major assessment items are inconsistent with information in the handbook entry

v) The type and/or weighting of major assessment items differ from information in the Course Outline

vi) The content of a major assessment item does not reflect the content of the course.

vii) Special circumstances as defined in Clause 3.1 of the Special Circumstances Affecting Assessment Items Procedure. Special 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 special consideration at the time of the assessment task.

viii) Failure in a course by a potential graduate. (You must be in your final term of study to apply under this criteria) and you must meet each of the following criteria:

Examples of insufficient grounds for appeal:
Statements such as the following do not make or demonstrate a case under any of the criteria:

I am a good student who has attended all lectures and tutorials and I believe I should have passed;

I only need another 2 marks to pass the course, please consider;

I got 62 in my progressive assessment but my academic record shows 0 (zero) and an FF.

This will be because the course has an essential criterion which you have not satisfied and is not a basis for appeal unless this information was not included in either the program handbook or course outline.

My grandmother died during the semester and it really affected me.
You will need to provide some details regarding the dates of illness/death of your relative and how this affected your studies. As well you would need to provide some supporting documentation such as a funeral notice/ order of service or death certificate. If the family name of your relative is not the same as yours you will also need to provide some evidence that this person is a close relative and why you didn't apply for Special Circumstances at that time.

What outcomes can I expect?

Once you lodge your application, your academic transcript is attached and the course coordinator is asked to verify the correctness of marks and to make any other comments on your academic performance that they feel are relevant and should be considered. The Faculty Progress and Appeals Committee then considers your application including the case you have made in your statement, your academic record and any information provided by the course coordinator. The Committee will determine to either reject or uphold the appeal.

Reject

Your application will be rejected if the Committee determines that you have not demonstrated a valid or substantial case through your supporting statement and documents. This means no further action will be taken by the university in response to your application. This advice will be put in writing and emailed to your UoN student email account.

Uphold

Your application will be upheld if the Committee determines that you have a valid case as demonstrated in your supporting statement and documents. The upholding of an appeal does not mean that you will pass the course unless there has been an error in the inclusion, addition or weighting of the original mark. Unless there has been an obvious error the Committee's determination will mean that:

1. your assessment may be remarked;
2. you may be offered an additional opportunity to pass the course by completing a supplementary assessment item; or
3. you may be offered an additional opportunity to pass the course by sitting a supplementary exam. In some cases the Committee may recommend a withdrawal without penalty (WW) where the circumstances warrant this.

   A remark of an assessment item does not guarantee that you will receive any additional marks. It may be found that the mark originally awarded is fair and therefore the grade will not be changed, or that the final mark will be less than the mark originally awarded.
   Provision of a supplementary assessment item or exam does not mean that you will pass the course. You must still demonstrate in the additional assessment that you have reached a satisfactory standard in your understanding of the course content. If you do not satisfactorily complete the additional assessment the final mark may remain the same or be less than the mark originally awarded. Where an error has been made the error will be corrected and the mark changed accordingly.
   If you are applying as a potential graduate and you are offered a supplementary assessment item the maximum grade that can be awarded is 50.

What does it cost?

If you appeal a pass grade or better you are required to pay the $50 fee which may be refunded if the grade changes in your favour.

If you appeal a fail grade you are NOT required to pay a fee.