Progression Appeals
The College may remove students from their programme of study for failure to make sufficient academic progress. Such removal may be temporary, e.g. for one semester, or permanent, i.e. the student’s registration will be terminated. The B4 Academic Progress Regulations set out the procedures in this area.
Appeal
A student may appeal against the decision to terminate their studies. An appeal must be submitted on a Progression Appeal Form to the Student Conduct & Appeals Office within 14 days of the written notification of removal.
In accordance with the B4 Regulations, the Principal will allow an appeal to be heard, if s/he is satisfied that one or both of the following grounds are met: -
(a) That new information is to hand which could not have been made available for consideration by the Faculty at or before the time the decision to remove was taken, and sufficient evidence remains that the appeal warrants further consideration;
(b) That there is evidence of significant administrative or procedural error, including error made from non-compliance with Regulation 1.4 and 1.5, above made at or before the time the decision to remove was taken, and sufficient evidence remains that the appeal warrants further consideration.
The Principal also has the discretion to take into account grounds other than those stated above, including grounds of compassion, in deciding whether to allow an appeal to be heard.
The Principal 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 42 days of receipt of the appeal.
Where an Appeal Committee is convened, the student shall receive notice of the hearing, and will be invited to present their case to the Panel. The Committee will determine whether there is sufficient reason to challenge the original decision to withdraw; 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 relevant Faculty, with commentary, for re-consideration. The decision of the Committee will normally be communicated to the student and relevant staff within 7 days of the decision.
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 ('OIA'), if they remain dissatisfied with the College's final outcome.