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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)
Informal resolution with original decision-maker
The first stage of the process is to attempt to resolve the matter informally with the original decision-maker. This may be your tutor, lecturer, unit of study coordinator, program director or any other staff member who made the decision. You have 15 working days from when the academic decision was made to discuss your concerns with the relevant staff member.
The procedures for informal resolution are outlined in sections 2.1 and 2.2 of the Academic Appeals Rule. Except for decisions about academic dishonesty and exclusion, this stage is compulsory for all undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students.
Resolving the matter
This first step in the process gives you an opportunity to discuss the academic decision and gain a better understanding of why the decision was made. Discussing your concern with the original decision-maker is often the quickest and easiest way to resolve your issue.
To start the informal resolution process, you need to raise your concern with the relevant tutor, lecturer, unit of study coordinator, program director or administrative unit, that is responsible for the decision. The person or unit you need to contact will vary depending on the situation and the type of academic decision. Often the decision maker will be someone in your school or discipline.
- If you want to dispute a mark or grade, you should contact your teacher or unit of study coordinator. Check the additional faculty and school information below.
- If you have applied for special consideration or special arrangements and want to dispute the outcome, you can make an informal resolution request online.
- If you applied for credit and want to discuss the credit decision, you can make an informal resolution request online.
- If you want to dispute a decision about conditional credit or mobility credit, you can make an informal resolution request online.
In some situations, your concern may not be resolved through the informal resolution process. If this is the case, you may continue to the next stage in the process by submitting an application for review to the Faculty/School or Academic Panel.
If you have submitted an application for special consideration or special arrangements and would like to dispute the outcome, you should first familiarise yourself with the kinds of special consideration and arrangements that can be granted under University policy. If you still want to dispute the outcome, you can find out more about how to submit an informal resolution request online.
If you have submitted an application for credit or reduced volume of learning and would like to dispute the outcome, you should first familiarise yourself with the credit offer email and the reasons given for this decision. If you have any questions about the outcome of your application, submit an enquiry online and we will be able to provide you with more information on the reasons for the decision. If you still want to dispute the outcome of your credit decision, you can submit an informal resolution request online.
This informal resolution process is only for decisions on credit for prior learning. If you want to dispute credit related to an assessment item, you will need to contact the relevant teacher or unit of study coordinator responsible for the decision directly to start the informal resolution process.
If you have submitted an application for exchange, non-exchange, cross-institutional study or to update your grades after a mobility experience and would like to dispute the decision, you should first familiarise yourself with the email outcome and the reasons given for this decision. If you have any questions about the outcome of your original request, submit an enquiry online and we will be able to provide you with more information on the reasons for your outcome.
Your informal resolution request needs to be submitted within 15 working days of receiving your original outcome. In exceptional circumstances you may be able to make a late informal resolution request. You will need to explain why your informal resolution request was not lodged by the deadline and provide supporting evidence for your reason.
The informal resolution process is for decisions relating to:
- academic approvals, including equivalency outcomes
- the grades or credit points received for your overseas study.
If you would like to dispute the outcome of the original decision, you can submit a request for informal resolution online.
You need to raise your concern with your teacher or unit of study coordinator within 15 working days of being advised of the academic decision or your result being posted by the University.
If you are contesting an academic decision regarding academic integrity breaches, you should first discuss your concerns with the Educational Integrity Coordinator by email within 15 working days of being advised of the academic decision fass.academichonesty@sydney.edu.au
Concerns about marks or grades
If you believe you have genuine grounds to contest an academic decision about a mark or grade, you can submit a request for informal resolution. If your informal resolution request is related to an exam mark, we recommend you familiarise yourself with the exam script before submitting a request for informal resolution. Often queries can be resolved without making a request for informal resolution.
Once you submit an online informal resolution request form, you will receive an email confirming submission of your informal resolution request.
Your informal resolution request will be directed to the relevant academic staff member for consideration. Once they have reviewed your request for informal resolution an outcome will be emailed to your University student email account. You should allow at least 10 working days for this process.
After receiving the outcome and familiarising yourself with the reasons provided, if you still have genuine reasons to contest the decision, you may:
- contact the academic staff member within five working days and make an appointment to discuss the issue. This is optional and choosing not to request a meeting does not prevent you from making an application for review to the Faculty.
- attend the meeting to discuss your concerns. If you attend a meeting, the academic staff member will record the outcome and email a copy to you.
If you have any questions, email business.informalappeals@sydney.edu.au and include the unit of study code (for example BUSS1000), your name and student ID in the subject line of the email.
Concerns about academic dishonesty or plagiarism decisions
For decisions relating to academic dishonesty including plagiarism, you need to make an application for review to the Faculty.
Sydney Nursing School
Concerns about assessment marks
If you are concerned about the mark you have been given for an assessment item, you first need to speak to the marker or your unit of study coordinator. If you would like to proceed to have the assessment item re-marked, you need to complete an Application for re-marking (pdf, 122KB) signed by your unit of study coordinator.
You also need to include the following supporting documents.
- The original, marked assessment item.
- A clean copy of the assessment item to be remarked, should a remark be approved.
- The marking rubric for the assessment item.
- A letter justifying the reasons why you believe a remark should be undertaken.
You can submit your application for re-marking, with supporting documents to nursing.educationsupport@sydney.edu.au
If we re-mark your assessment item, your mark may be changed, and could be higher or lower than your original mark. If your concerns are not resolved at this point, you may submit an application for review to the Faculty/School.
Concerns about grades or exam marks
If you are contesting a grade or exam mark, you first need to speak to your unit of study coordinator. If your concerns are not resolved at this point, you may submit an application for review to the Faculty/School.
Last updated: 15 July 2024
