Section 7: Academic Appeals Procedure

Published for 2025-26

1. Introduction

2. Grounds for Academic Appeal

3. Stage 1 Appeal

4. Stage 2 Appeal Review

5. Proceedings for an Appeals Panel and/or an Appeal Review Panel Hearing

6. Disclosure and Confidentiality

7. Forms and Guidance

1. Introduction

1.1 The Academic Appeals Procedure is a formal process in which students can request a review of a decision made by a Board of Examiners or an equivalent academic body (for Postgraduate Research Students) responsible for making decisions about student assessment, progression or award. A review of a decision may include the results of examinations including confirmation of PhD status from MPhil to PhD, marks, viva outcome, award, or degree classification.

1.2 This procedure applies to all registered students at UCL taking a programme of study leading to a formal award or credit-bearing module. Recent graduates may also submit an appeal within 10 working days of the date of the official notification of the decision.

1.3 Students on programmes delivered with an external partnership institution should use the procedures referred to in their programme-specific terms and conditions, where these apply to the programme, or refer to the additional terms of the Memorandum of Agreement of the partnership.

1.4 An appeal raised by a third party on behalf of a student, will only be considered in exceptional circumstances at Casework’s discretion. Written authorisation and valid reasons for the third party acting as the student’s representative must be provided by the student. UCL’s consent to such arrangements may be withdrawn at any time if the behaviour of a third party is not appropriate. A third party supporting, advising, or representing the student should not delay the process.

1.5 Students and their representatives are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful and courteous manner. See Annex 6.7.1 for further information.

1.6 Appeals from groups of students can be considered under this Procedure. Group Appeals should be submitted on a single Appeal Form signed by all appellants, with one individual nominated to act as the point of contact for the process. We will communicate with the nominated student, who will be responsible for keeping the group informed about the progress of the Appeal. The Casework Team will decide on a case-by-case basis whether a group or individual outcome letters will be issued.

1.7 Where an appeal or request for review has been submitted, the original decision of the relevant Board of Examiners or an equivalent academic body shall stand until an issued outcome letter makes recommendations to amend this and it is confirmed for implementation by the relevant Exam Board or equivalent academic body.

1.8 A student considering submitting an appeal may seek advice from the Students’ Union UCL Advice Service. The Casework Team can provide procedural advice but cannot advise on the substance of an appeal.

1.9 The Casework Team cannot initiate this Procedure until a completed Stage 1 or Stage 2 Appeal Form, with all evidence that the student wants to be considered, has been received. Forms that are incomplete, incomprehensible, missing information, or contain unclear statements may be returned for completion or clarification. This must be completed within a reasonable timeframe as communicated to the student. Failure to provide this within the timeframe may lead to the appeal being closed. Evidence that is submitted at a later point cannot usually be considered unless the student can demonstrate why they were unable to provide this earlier.

1.10 Where documentation includes data relating to third parties, the Casework Team reserves the right to redact or remove such material before proceeding, so far as is practicable without undermining the substance of the appeal.

1.11 Notice of an intention to appeal within the Procedural timeframe shall not be deemed to constitute submission of an appeal and will not be accepted as such. The timescales outlined in this Procedure shall only begin once a completed Stage 1 or Stage 2 Appeal Form, with all evidence that the student wants to be considered, has been received.

A Stage 1 Appeal can normally be expected to be completed within 30 working days consisting of 10 working days for eligibility review and 20 working days for consideration of the appeal. A Stage 2 Appeal Review can normally be expected to be completed within 30 working days consisting of 10 working days for eligibility review and 20 working days for consideration of the review.

1.12 These timelines are only indicative. There may be circumstances where, for good reason, UCL needs to extend this timeframe or put the appeal on hold. If this occurs the student will be informed of the extended timeframe.

1.13 UCL will make reasonable adjustments to this process to prevent any student from being at a substantial disadvantage as a result of a disability. Those requiring reasonable adjustments are expected to inform the Casework Team of this at the earliest opportunity so that reasonable adjustments can be discussed and implemented.

1.14 When a student has received a Completion of Procedures (COP) letter confirming that the internal procedures of UCL have been concluded, they have the right to submit their complaint for review to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) if they remain dissatisfied. A student choosing to do this must do so no later than twelve months from the date of the Completion of Procedures letter, using the OIA’s Scheme Application form. The procedures and the form are available from the OIA’s website or from the Students’ Union UCL Advice Service (who will also be able to provide advice and assistance).

1.15 The Casework team are responsible for the day-to-day operation of this Procedure and can be contacted at casework@ucl.ac.uk.

2. Grounds for Academic Appeal

2.1 An appeal can be submitted on one or more of the following grounds:

i. there were circumstances that significantly affected the student’s academic performance, where for compelling reasons, the relevant Extenuating Circumstances Panel was not made aware of the circumstances through the Short-term Illness and other Extenuating Circumstances Procedure;
ii. there occurred a procedural irregularity in the assessment process where this could not be resolved informally or through the Material Irregularity Procedure;
iii. there is substantive evidence that one or more of the examiners can be shown to have been biased or prejudiced against the student in one or more specific assessments.

2.2 Medical and other circumstances that should have been reported to UCL at the time of their occurrence will not normally be considered. If a student submits an appeal on the grounds that the relevant Extenuating Circumstances Panel was not made aware of circumstances through the Short-term Illness and other Extenuating Circumstances Procedure, there must be compelling reasons with independent supporting evidence, explaining why the student was unable to previously disclose the information through the appropriate Procedure. There is a strong expectation that the circumstances would have been considered through the Short-term Illness and Extenuating Circumstances Procedure prior to the meeting of a Board of Examiners or equivalent academic body.

Matters that cannot be addressed under this Procedure

2.3 The following matters cannot be considered under this Procedure:

i. appeals against Informal Results which have not been ratified by a Board of Examiners;
ii. appeals against Results considered at Interim Board of Examiners meetings;
iii. appeals that are more appropriately considered under a different procedure;
iv. appeals from third parties without written consent from the registered student;
v. disagreement with academic judgement, the examiners’ assessment of the performance of a student in an assessment, or against academic decisions properly arrived at in accordance with approved Procedures. In this context, disparities in a student’s performance between assessments (or between examinations and a student’s expectations) are not necessarily evidence of procedural irregularity or bias in the assessment process;
vi. appeals which are not substantiated by evidence where there is no valid reason for this;
vii. vexatious or frivolous appeals;
viii. appeals relating to academic outcomes that have already been contested via the Academic Appeals Procedure;
ix. appeals that are submitted after 10 working days of the date of the official notification of a Board of Examiners decision or outcome of an equivalent academic body and where there is no good reason which can be evidenced as to why they could not submit this in time.

2.4 Appeals involving alleged deficiency in teaching/supervision and/or unsatisfactory delivery/administration of a programme of study. Students dissatisfied with this aspect of UCL’s delivery are expected to raise the issue at the time.

The Procedure

3. Stage 1 Appeal

Student Submission and Eligiblity

3.1 Before deciding whether to submit a Stage 1 Appeal, students are encouraged to seek clarification of an assessment or a Board of Examiners decision following the publication of results from their Department or Faculty.

3.2 An appeal must be submitted within 10 working days of the date of the official notification of a Board of Examiners decision or outcome of an equivalent academic body.

3.3 An appeal must be submitted via the Stage 1 Appeal Form completing all relevant sections. Students should indicate the date of the official notification of the decision and the ground(s) on which they are appealing. A clear and succinct explanation as to how the student meets the appeal grounds should be provided. The appeal should encompass all matters within the scope of this procedure that the student would like to be considered. New aspects of an appeal cannot be introduced later in the procedure.

3.4 The Casework Team will acknowledge receipt and conduct an eligibility review of the appeal against the ground(s) in Section 2 and the criteria set out above.

3.5 The Casework Team will conduct the initial eligibility review, normally within 10 working days of the appeal being submitted. If it is determined that the appeal is subject to any of the exclusion criteria listed in Section 2.3, or does not fall within the grounds for appeal, the Casework Team will notify the student giving the reasons for that decision. Appeals that are Ineligible will not be taken forward and the student will be issued with a Completion of Procedures (COP) Letter.

Consideration of Appeal

3.6 The Casework Team will forward the Stage 1 Appeal Form and any supporting documentation to the relevant Faculty for consideration by an Appeal Assessor. There may be circumstances where, at the Casework Team’s discretion, a case is retained and considered by an Appeal Assessor within the Casework Team.

3.7 The paper-based appeal will be considered on the basis of the student’s written statement and supporting evidence. Relevant information from staff, other students, or external agencies may be sought to inform the outcome if deemed necessary.

Appeal Outcome

3.8 Following the investigation, the Stage 1 Academic Appeal may be upheld, partially upheld, or not upheld. This decision will normally be issued within 20 working days of the student having been informed that the case is eligible to be considered.

3.9 If any aspect of the Academic Appeal has been found upheld in full or in parts, then the outcome letter will make recommendations for what UCL will do to put things right. This decision may not be in line with the desired outcome as requested by the student. Recommendations by the Appeal Assessor are subject to confirmation from the relevant Exam Board or equivalent academic body before implementation.

3.10 Where an appeal is not upheld, then the outcome letter will explain how that decision has been reached.

3.11 If an appeal outcome leads to a necessary revision in a student’s certificate or transcript, the student must return any originals before updated versions can be issued.

3.12 Students who are dissatisfied with the outcome reached at Stage 1 may request a review of the decision under Stage 2.

3.13 A Stage 1 outcome that has been issued will stand until conclusion of the Stage 2 Appeal Review.

4. Stage 2 Appeal Review

4.1 Stage 2 Appeal Review is a paper-based review of the decision made at Stage 1. The issues raised will not normally be considered afresh or further investigated, and no new issues can be introduced to the Appeal at this point. The Appeal Assessor will only consider whether the grounds for Review have been met.

4.2 A student may request a review of the Stage 1 Appeal decision on the following grounds:

i. that there is an administrative or procedural error in the handling of the appeal at Stage 1;
ii. there is new and relevant evidence to support the appeal which for good reason was not available and could not reasonably have been provided at the time the appeal was submitted;
iii. based on the evidence the outcome was not fair or reasonable in the circumstances of the case.

Student Submission and Eligiblity

4.3 A request for a review can only be submitted following the completion of the Stage 1 Appeal. A request for a review will not be considered if Stage 1 of the procedure has not been completed.

4.4 A request for a review must be submitted within 10 working days of the date of the notification of the Stage 1 decision via the Stage 2 Review Form and outline the ground(s) on which they are requesting a review. A clear and succinct explanation as to how the student meets the appeal review grounds must be provided. An appeal review received beyond this timeframe will be deemed out of time and will not be taken forward for consideration where there is no good reason which can be evidenced as to why they could submit this in time.

4.5 Students must submit any relevant documentation and independent evidence where relevant at this stage when submitting an appeal review. No new elements of the appeal can be introduced, however new evidence to support the original appeal can be provided if it meets the criterion as set out in appeals ground 4.2 ii.

4.6 The Casework Team will conduct an eligibility review of the request, normally within 10 working days of the request for review being submitted. If it is determined that the request review does not fall within the grounds for review as per 4.2 and/or does not meet the on-time criterion of 10 working days as per 4.4, the Casework Team will notify the student that the review request will not be taken forward. This means that a case will not progress to considerations at Stage 2 and a Completion of Procedures Letter will be issued.

Consideration of Appeal Review

4.7 The Casework Team will allocate the Stage 2 Appeal Review for consideration by an Appeal Assessor within the Casework Team.

4.8 The paper-based review will be considered on the basis of the student’s written statement and supporting evidence. Relevant information from staff, other students, or external agencies may be sought to inform the outcome if deemed necessary.

Appeal Review Outcome

4.9 Following the investigation, the Stage 2 Appeal Review may be upheld, partially upheld or not upheld. This decision will normally be issued within 20 working days of the student having been informed that the case is eligible for review.

4.10 If any aspect of the Stage 2 Appeal Review has been found upheld in full or in parts, then the outcome letter will make recommendations for what UCL will do to put things right. This decision may not be in line with the desired outcome as requested by the student. Recommendations by the Appeal Assessor are subject to confirmation from the relevant Exam Board or equivalent academic body before implementation.

4.11 Where a review request is not upheld, then the outcome letter will explain how that decision has been reached.

4.12 If an appeal outcome leads to a necessary revision in a student’s certificate or transcript, the student must return any originals before updated versions can be issued.

4.13 The outcome of the Stage 2 Review will conclude UCL’s consideration of the appeal and will be confirmed in the form of a Completion of Procedures letter.

5. Proceedings for an Appeals Panel and/or an Appeal Review Panel Hearing

5.1 In cases where an in-person hearing is considered necessary, the process relating to the proceedings of a hearing can be found in Annex 6.7.1.

6. Disclosure and Confidentiality

6.1 UCL will process all information in accordance with its Student Privacy Notice and the principles of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Appeals will be handled with an appropriate level of confidentiality.

6.2 The outcomes and recommendations from appeals may be shared across the University for institutional learning and reporting purposes. However, personal information will be removed and handled in accordance with the Student Privacy Notice.