Follow this guide when you’ve received your final results and degree classification (usually in November). This is a summary of the steps explained in Regulation 17; we recommend using this guide to understand the basics and following these links to Regulation 17 and the University Academic Appeals guidance for the finer details.
There are two stages to the academic appeal process. In Stage 1, you submit your case and receive an outcome. You will only proceed to Stage 2 if you’re unsatisfied with the outcome of Stage 1.
You can ask us for advice at any time by emailing suadvice@bath.ac.uk.
You have 14 days (including weekends) after your results are published to submit an appeal for one or more of the following decisions:
- 1. Your ability to progress on to a next stage of study
- 2. Your suitability to remain on a programme
- 3. The mark, grade or final degree classification you've been awarded.
There is no benefit to submitting your appeal as quickly as possible; take the 14 days to get feedback on your statement and to check you've included all the evidence needed. It is much easier to write a good appeal at this stage compared to submitting a second-stage appeal later on.
You must have evidence for one or more of the following reasons for appealing:
- 1. The Board of Examiners were unaware of circumstances which affected your performance, and you could not disclose these to your Director of Studies earlier, for example because you were too unwell or were distracted by the circumstances.
- 2. There were irregularities in the procedure of the exams or assessments which are likely to have affected the decision of the Board of Examiners.
- 3. The examiner’s decision was influenced by prejudice, bias or inadequate assessment.
If you can’t evidence one of these situations (for example, because you’re just dissatisfied with your marks) it’s very unlikely your appeal will be considered. An SU Advisor can give you impartial advice on which circumstance/s are appropriate for your situation and the types of evidence you should provide.
Usually, we work with PGTs who are looking to increase their final classification. An SU Advisor can give you impartial advice on your options for requesting different outcomes and the likelihood of being successful.
You need to follow this link to
download a template AA1 Form. You can ask an SU Advisor for impartial feedback on the final draft of your form when you’re almost ready to submit it. An Advisor can review your statement and recommend if you need to provide further evidence.
Submit your AA1 form to the Chair of the Board of Studies by the 14 day deadline. Follow this link to
find the details of the Chair for your department (under ‘Where to submit your appeal’).
Within 35 days (including weekends), the Chair of the Board of Studies and the Head of Department (or equivalent staff) will decide:
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Decision
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Next steps
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The evidence presented does not support the grounds of appeal (may be referred to as no prima facie* case for appeal)
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No further action will be taken. An SU Advisor can offer impartial advice on whether you may have a case to request this decision is reviewed. Go to 'Stage 2 Academic Appeal' further down this page.
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The evidence supports the grounds for appeal (may be referred to as a prima facie case for appeal)
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Either:
1) Executive Action will be taken without a Hearing to resolve your appeal. The Chair of the Board of Studies will write to you explaining the proposed actions to be taken. If you are invited to a meeting to discuss and decide the final outcomes, you can ask an SU Advisor to attend with you.
or
2) An Appeal Hearing will be arranged to consider your case. Go to Step 7.
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*Prima facie means based on first impression.
The Chair of the Appeal Sub-Committee will invite you to a hearing with around 7 days notice (including weekends). The Chair should send you any written evidence and papers relating to your case that you may wish to respond to. You can share this evidence in confidence with an SU Advisor and work together to prepare your responses.
You need to make two important decisions:
- Is there any additional information you want to provide as a written statement to the Appeal Hearing panel? If you want to provide a statement, you need to submit this to the Chair 3 days before the Appeal Hearing. An SU Advisor can help you structure your written submission and provide impartial advice on the content.
- Do you want to attend alone or be joined or represented by a friend or SU Advisor? Students typically choose to have a friend or SU Advisor join them if this helps them feel more confident. SU Advisors don’t usually speak on your behalf, but can read out your statement, help you to ask for clarification about a point made or to ask for a break during the hearing. They can also meet you immediately before and after the Hearing to offer advice and answer your questions. If you want someone to join or represent you at the Hearing, you must confirm their contact details with the Chair at least 3 days before the meeting. You need to ask an SU Advisor as soon as possible to check they are available. Once an SU Advisor has confirmed they can join you, they will usually arrange 30minute meeting to help you prepare.
The purpose of the Appeal Hearing is to decide if there is enough
prima facie evidence to support a case for an academic appeal and if so, what action can be taken.
Prima facie means ‘based on first impression’.
Appeal Hearings usually take place online, although you can request for this to be in person. The length of the meeting varies between cases and you will usually be asked to leave while the Panel confirm their decision. When students ask for an SU Advisor to join them, they usually meet the Advisor for 15minutes before and after the Panel for a debrief.
The Panel is usually made of five members of staff who all have equal voting rights and haven’t been involved in earlier stages of the investigation (with the exception of the Chair).
What happens during the Hearing?
The Chair of the Panel usually starts by explaining what will happen in the meeting and how you will receive the outcome. You will be invited to present a written or oral statement before the Panel members ask you questions. You can also ask questions or for a short break during the Board. If you have an SU Advisor with you, you can meet them during a break if you want to discuss something in confidence. The Board may invite witnesses to give evidence during the meeting (e.g. academic staff from your Department) and you should have the opportunity to respond to this evidence. You (and your SU Advisor) can be present throughout the hearing and give a closing statement before leaving while until the Panel meet in private to make their decision.
Using all the evidence available, the Panel will decide if the evidence supports your academic appeal.
The Chair of the Appeal Sub-Committee will usually inform you of the outcome
shortly after the Hearing and confirm this in writing within 5 days (excluding weekends). The Appeal Hearing report will summarise all the evidence used in the investigation to reach the final decision and list recommendations for further actions. You can ask an SU Advisor what the outcomes mean for your
situation and for impartial advice on what you might achieve by asking for the
decision to be reviewed in the second stage of an academic appeal (proceed to Stage 2 below).
If you want the outcome of the first stage to be reviewed, you need to follow different steps depending on the decisions made in Stage 1. These are known as Stage 2A or Stage 2B. The process you need to follow depends on whether executive action or an appeal hearing took place.
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When no prima facie case was established for your appeal in Stage 1.
You need to follow this link to download a template of the AA2A form and send this to Director of Academic Registry within 14 days (including weekends) of receiving the decision of your Stage 1 appeal.
Your request must be based on the decision in Stage 1 that a case was not established for your appeal. You can only request a review on the following grounds:
- The same grounds given in your original academic appeal
- Evidence explaining your dissatisfaction with the process or outcome decided by the Chair of the Board of Studies in Stage 1.
You must include:
- Copies of all the material submitted to the Chair of the Board of Studies in your original academic appeal
- Any additional evidence which you could not reasonably have been expected to share as part of your original appeal
- A statement and evidence explaining why you are dissatisfied with the process or outcome.
An SU Advisor can give impartial advice on whether you may have a case for a second stage appeal and what to include in your AA2A form.
Within 28 days (including weekends) of receiving your request, the Director of Academic Registry will decide:
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Decision
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Next steps
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The appeal should be reviewed
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Either an Appeal Hearing should take place or the Chair of the Board of Studies should take executive action. See Step 7 in Stage 1 of the Academic Appeal Process.
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The appeal should not be reviewed
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No further action should be taken.
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The Director of Academic Registry will write to you to inform you of the outcome.
An SU Advisor can offer independent advice on the implications of the outcomes and your options, including taking your appeal to the OIA if you are dissatisfied with the final decision.
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When a prima facie case was established for your appeal in Stage 1.
You need to follow this link to download a template of the AA2B form and send this to the Secretary to Senate within 14 days (including weekends) of receiving the decision of your Stage 1 appeal.
Your request must be based on the decision reached in the Appeal Hearing or executive action. You can only request a review on the following grounds:
- The same grounds given in your original academic appeal
- Evidence explaining your dissatisfaction with the process or outcome decided by the Chair of the Board of Studies in Stage 1.
You must include:
- A clear statement of the grounds for your appeal
- A brief description of any new evidence, covering all matters you wish to raise.
You may describe any new evidence. An SU Advisor can give impartial advice on whether you may have a case for a second stage appeal and what to include in your AA2B form.
Within 28 days (including weekends) of receiving your request, the Secretary to Senate will decide:
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Decision
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Next steps
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The appeal should be reviewed
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A Student Academic Appeals Committee will be arranged (see Step 3 below).
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The appeal should not be reviewed
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No further action should be taken. An SU Advisor can offer independent advice on the process for taking your appeal to the OIA if you want the decision to be reviewed by an external body.
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A Hearing will usually take place within 30 days (including weekends) of the Secretary to Senate’s decision. You should be invited with at least 7 days notice (including weekends).
You need to decide:
- 1. Do you want to attend alone or be joined or represented by a friend or SU Advisor? Students typically choose to have a friend or SU Advisor join them if this helps them feel more confident. SU Advisors don’t usually speak on your behalf, but may help you to explain your grounds for appeal, to help you to ask for clarification about a point made or to ask for a break during the hearing. They can also meet you immediately before and after the hearing to offer advice and answer your questions. If you want someone to join or represent you at the hearing, you must confirm their contact details with the Chair at least 3 days before the meeting. You need to ask an SU Advisor as soon as possible to check they are available. Once an SU Advisor has confirmed they can join you, they will usually arrange 30minute meeting to help you prepare to explain your grounds for appeal.
- 2. Do you want to include witnesses to support your case? An SU Advisor can give impartial advice on who you may wish to include and what evidence they may provide in support of your case. Witnesses will usually be invited to the hearing to answer questions posed by you and by members of the Committee. If you submit medical evidence as part of your case, you may be required to undergo a medical examination by a medical practitioner.
The purpose of the Hearing is to decide whether to uphold your appeal and if so, what action can be taken. Committee hearings usually take place online, although you can request for this to be in person. The length of the hearing varies between cases but is usually concluded within one working day. When students ask for an SU Advisor to join them, they usually meet the Advisor for 15minutes before and after the hearing for a debrief.
What happens during the Hearing?
The Chair of the Committee usually starts by explaining what will happen in the meeting and how you will receive the outcome. You will be invited to start by explaining your grounds for an appeal before the Committee members ask you questions. You can also ask questions or for a short break during the hearing. If you have an SU Advisor with you, you can meet them during a break if you want to discuss something in confidence. The Chair will decide when to invite witnesses to give evidence (e.g. academic staff from your Department) and you (and your SU Advisor) may be asked to leave the hearing at certain points.
Using all the evidence available, the Committee will decide if the evidence upholds your academic appeal. If the Committee feel further evidence is needed, they may decide to postpone the hearing to allow time for further witnesses to be called. This delay should not usually be for more than 30 days.
The Chair of Committee will usually inform you of the outcome shortly after the Hearing and confirm this in writing within 14 days (excluding weekends). The Hearing report will summarise all the evidence used in the investigation to reach the final decision and list recommendations for further actions. You can ask an SU Advisor what the outcomes mean for your situation and for impartial advice on what you might achieve if you want the decision to be reviewed by an external body (the OIA).
Last updated December 2022
