Related links
Academic appeals
- Academic appeals
- Informal resolution with original decision-maker
- Applications for review to the Faculty/School or Academic Panel
- Appeal to the Student Appeals Body (SAB)
Applications for review to the Faculty/School or Academic Panel
If your concerns can’t be resolved through informal resolution with the original decision-maker, the next stage is to submit an application for review to the relevant faculty or administrative unit. An application for review needs to be submitted within 20 working days of receiving an outcome from your request for informal resolution, the original academic decision or the most recent decision made about the original decision.
Procedures for applications for review to the faculty/school or Academic Panel are outlined in sections 3.1 and 3.2 of the Academic Appeals Rule.
Please note if you have been awarded your degree you are no longer eligible to submit an application for review to the faculty/school or Academic Panel. All applications for review must be lodged prior to your degree being conferred. If you have lodged an application for review and you are scheduled to graduate, you will need to withdraw from the graduation or conferral process until such time that your matter is finalised. Once your application for review is finalised, please contact the graduations team to proceed with your conferral.
Prepare your appeal for review
You need to submit your application for review in writing and include any relevant supporting documents.
Generally, your application for review should include:
- a statement or letter outlining the details of the academic decision
- details of the outcome of the request for informal resolution, such as correspondence from your unit of study coordinator explaining the outcome and reasons for their decision
- the relevant assessment task if you are seeking review of a mark or grade
- any additional supporting documents.
You should only include information that is relevant to the academic decision or to the process of making that decision.
Submit your application for review
If your application for review is not related to special consideration, special arrangements, credit, reduced volume of learning or mobility, you will need to submit an application for review to your faculty or school, by logging in and completing the online Application for Review of an Academic Decision Form. If your review is regarding a multidisciplinary unit that is not in your faculty or school, please submit a review to the faculty or school that teaches the unit.
Follow the steps in the form and ensure that you upload a letter setting out the basis for your application for review, details and a copy of your request for informal resolution and any other relevant supporting documents with your application.
You will need to have an active UniKey to access the online application for review form. If you no longer have an active UniKey, contact your faculty or school to request that they lodge an application for review for you.
If you have any concerns with lodging your application for review, contact the faculty, school or department responsible for making the academic decision. In exceptional circumstances you may be able to submit a late application for review. You will need to contact the faculty, school or department directly and request an extension.
If your application for review is related to special consideration or special arrangements, you will need to submit your application for review, in writing, to the Academic Panel. This needs to be submitted within 20 working days of receiving the outcome of your informal resolution request.
You can submit your application for review online through the Special considerations and special arrangements portal.
If your application for review is related to credit or reduced volume of learning, you will need to submit your application for review in writing, to the Academic Panel. Your application for review by the Academic Panel needs to be submitted within 20 working days of receiving the outcome of your informal resolution request.
You can submit your application for review through the Credit appeals form.
If you are disputing a decision associated with either the termination of your candidature or the examination of your thesis, an application for review to the faculty is not required. In these cases, you may submit an appeal to the Student Appeals Body (SAB).
If your application for review is related to conditional credit approval (academic approval) or mobility credit, you will need to submit your application for review.
Your application for review by the Academic Panel needs to be submitted within 20 working days of receiving the outcome of your informal resolution request.
Late appeals for review
In exceptional circumstances you may be able to submit an application for review after the 20 working day time period. Late applications for review need approval from the Academic Panel or the Dean (or their delegate) of your faculty, as relevant. You need to explain why your application for review was not lodged by the deadline and provide supporting evidence for your reason.
Exclusions
If you were required to show good cause because you did not meet academic progression requirements, the faculty may have decided to exclude you either if you did not lodge a response, or if the faculty did not consider that you have reasonable prospects of meeting progression requirements in the following semester. The faculty decision would include their reasons.
If you’re excluded from your course or do not agree with the conditions of your re-enrolment, you can dispute the decision.
An application for review relating to exclusion should contain the following information:
- Similar details and evidence about the issues impacting your study and your proposed solutions to resolve those issues, as per a typical stage 3 response.
- If you did not originally respond to the show good cause: an explanation as to why you did not respond by the due date
- If you had responded, but the faculty did not accept your submission: a rebuttal of why you disagree with the faculty’s reasons for excluding you, which may require you providing additional detail and/or evidence.
How to submit
Your Stage 3 exclusion decision notification will give you a deadline to submit your application for review.
Upload your letter and documents in Sydney Student (go to ‘My studies’, then ‘Assessments’).
If you have any concerns with lodging your application for review, contact the Student Representative Council (SRC) or Sydney University PostGraduate Representative Association (SUPRA), who have representatives that may assist in preparing your application for review.
Faculty or school appeals contacts
If you have any concerns with lodging your application for review, contact the faculty or school responsible for making the original decision using the contact details below.
| Faculty/school | Contact details |
|---|---|
| Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning | adp.education-support@sydney.edu.au |
| Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences | fass.appeals@sydney.edu.au fass.progression@sydney.edu.au |
| The University of Sydney Business School | business.academicappeals@sydney.edu.au |
| Faculty of Engineering | engineering.progression@sydney.edu.au |
| Sydney Law School | law.appeals@sydney.edu.au |
| Faculty of Medicine and Health | fmh.appeals@sydney.edu.au |
| Sydney Conservatorium of Music | con.education@sydney.edu.au |
| Faculty of Science | science.appeals@sydney.edu.au science.academicadvice@sydney.edu.au |
Last updated: 05 November 2024
