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► Appeal

If you feel your performance in an examination or assignment has been affected by factors beyond your control, then the Academic Appeals Policy and Academic Appeals Process may apply to you.

What is an Appeal?

There are three stages involved in the current policy: Notification of Exceptional Circumstances (please note: before 1st January 2011 this was known as Special Situations), Request for Reconsideration, and Appeal.

An Appeal should be submitted to the Registrar within 20 working days of the last communication from the University, i.e. letter.

How to submit an Appeal:

There are two grounds for Appeal. They are:

• The University materially failed to follow its procedures at an earlier stage within the application of these Academic Appeals Procedures.
• The student now has relevant new information which could not have been made available previously for consideration by the NECP, Board of Examiners or Reconsideration Panel.

You will need to substantiate the ground of appeal that you choose by providing evidence. You cannot challenge academic judgement as described on page 4 of the Academic Appeals Policy document under section 3.1.

You will need to fill in an Application for Appeal form and choose the grounds that apply; this form is located in Appendix 4 of the Academic Appeals Process (this is available from Student Advice, your School, or it can be printed off the NTU website here). You will need to summarise the key points of your appeal in section 3. Please also provide a supporting statement and original evidence on separate sheets. You may also state the outcome that you want to achieve. It is also helpful to attach all paperwork from previous stages.

If you cannot get hold of the evidence by the Academic Appeal submission deadline, then mention this in your statement. State what the evidence is and when it will be available. When you get it, make sure you submit it as soon as possible and keep copies.

The Student Advice Centre can give further guidance on your form and acceptable evidence.

Your Appeal should be submitted to The Registrar, Nottingham Trent University, Burton Street, Nottingham, NG1 4BU. Hand deliver (and get a receipt) or send by registered post. This will help you prove that it was submitted by the deadline.

You will find the Registry on the first floor of the Dryden Centre, Dryden Street, off Shakespeare Street at the City Site.

If at any point you are not clear what action you should be taking, get advice from the Student Advice Centre.

What happens next?

The Registrar (or nominee) will look at your Appeal and make a decision as to whether it is accepted or rejected. This decision should be communicated to you within 25 working days of receipt.

The Registrar may request further information, and if this happens, the timescale for a decision will be extended.

If the Registrar considers the Appeal is within the permitted grounds, they may convene an Appeal Hearing within 30 working days. Alternatively, they may refer back to the school for further consideration.

You await the outcome of your Appeal...

If you are unhappy with the outcome of the Appeal, then you can file a complaint with the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA).

Other useful information to consider when using the Academic Appeals Policy

Where discrimination has been stated, the ‘Protocol Where Unfair Discrimination is Alleged’ (Appendix 8) will apply. Timescales will be extended in these circumstances.

If you believe you are being discriminated against, please contact Student Advice for information and support.

University response times may be extended due to University vacations. If you are concerned about the length of time being taken, then contact a Student Adviser.

Contact the Student Advice Centre

The Student Advice Centre can give feedback and support at all stages of the process. Email us on sac@su.ntu.ac.uk or ring us on 0115 848 6200. More details of our locations and opening times are here.