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Student Conduct and Appeals Office

Academic Appeals

Advice on the appeals process, as well as support preparing an appeal is available from KCLSU Advice. You can find forms for all stages of appeals in the respective sections below.

Undergraduate and Postgraduate (Taught) students may appeal against decisions made by their Faculty Assessment Board (FAB) on matters such as module results, progression and reassessment decisions, as provided by the T44 Academic Appeals (taught programmes) Regulation.

The process involves two stages:

  1. Appeals concerning decisions of the FAB (‘Stage One’); and
  2. Appeals to the Head of Student Conduct & Appeals (‘Stage Two’)
Stage One Appeals

Stage One Appeals must be submitted on this webform within 15 working days of the publication of results of the relevant module(s), sent to Student Conduct & Appeals (SCA). Appeals received after this deadline will only be accepted at the discretion of SCA.

A FAB may review a decision on one or both of the following grounds: 

(a) Where there is evidence that the assessment/s may have been adversely affected by mitigating circumstances which you were unable, or for valid reasons unwilling, to make known before the original decision was reached;

(b) Where there is clear evidence that assessment/s may have been adversely affected by a significant administrative error on the part of the College or in the conduct of the assessment.

Academic Judgement

Appeals which are based upon a challenge to the academic judgment of the examiners will not be considered.

Mitigating Circumstances

You are expected to inform the university of any mitigating circumstances by submitting a Mitigating Circumstances Form ('MCF') as soon as possible either before an assessment, or within 7 days of it.  By presenting yourself for an assessment, you are deemed to have declared yourself to be in a position to undertake the assessment.

Therefore, any appeals which involve the retrospective disclosure of mitigating circumstances would need to demonstrate why an earlier disclosure was not made. 

Evidence

Appeals should normally be accompanied by independent, third party evidence of the mitigating circumstances or administrative errors upon which the appeal is based. It is your responsibility to submit all evidence by the deadline for your appeal, and to have certified translations undertaken, where appropriate.

Filtering

SCA may refuse to forward (filter) an appeal where:

(a) The appeal is not made on the correct form, or the form is incomplete;

(b) The appeal has been submitted late;

(c) If appealing on ground 7.17a, there is no independent third party evidence of the mitigating circumstances; or the evidence provided is not a certified translation;

(d) The appeal contains no evidence that either of the grounds for review has been met;

(e) The appeal is frivolous or vexatious; and/or

(f) where the appeal does not fall within the scope of this regulation and should be considered under an alternative regulation.

If your appeal is filtered you will have the opportunity to contest the decision and, if successful, your appeal will be forwarded to the FAB.


Upon receipt of an appeal, the FAB will determine whether the criteria for an appeal has been met. Where they have, the FAB will decide whether to modify or confirm its original decision. They will normally meet and communicate their decision, sent by SCA, within 30 working days of the publication of results of the assessment(s) to which the appeal relates.

Stage Two Appeals

Following the completion of a Stage One Appeal, you may submit a Stage Two Appeal if you are dissatisfied with the previous outcome. Stage Two Appeals must be submitted on the form to SCA within 10 working days of the date of the Stage One Appeal outcome letter. Appeals received after this deadline will only be accepted at the discretion of SCA.

Grounds of Appeal

In accordance with the T44 Regulation, a Stage One decision may be reviewed if at least one of the following grounds are met:

(a) that there is new evidence that could not have been, or for good reason was not, made available at the time of the Stage One submission and that sufficient evidence remains that the appeal warrants further consideration;

(b) that evidence can be produced of significant procedural error on the part of the College in considering the appeal, and that sufficient evidence remains that the appeal warrants further consideration;

(c) giving due consideration to the evidence previously provided, the decision of the FAB was unreasonable

 

Outcome of Appeal

The Head of Student Conduct & Appeals (or nominee) will determine whether the criteria for an appeal have been met. Where they have, an Appeal Committee will be convened; otherwise, the appeal will be dismissed. This decision will normally be communicated within 30 working days of receipt of the Stage Two Appeal.

 

Appeal Committee

Where an Appeal Committee is convened, you will normally receive at least 10 working days' notice of the hearing, and will be invited to present your case to the Panel. The Chair of the FAB (or nominee) will also be invited to give evidence. The Committee will determine whether there is sufficient reason to challenge the decision of the FAB; where it concludes such reason is present, it can set aside the original decision and replace it with one of its own, or refer the case back to the FAB, with commentary, for re-consideration. The decision of the Committee will be normally communicated to you and the Chair of the FAB within 5 working days of the decision.

Further guidance about Committee procedures can be found here.

 

Office of the Independent Adjudicator

When all internal procedures are complete, students may request an independent review of their case by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education, if they remain dissatisfied with the College’s final outcome.

 

CHAPTER 7: ACADEMIC SUPPORT AND APPEALS regulation
 
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