Appeals Committee
REGULATIONS:
Article 1
1.1 The Appeals Committee of the University is established to hear appeals from:
(a) students in respect of academic integrity and student conduct; and
(b) from staff members in respect of academic integrity.
1.2 The appeals procedure is designed to ensure transparency and fairness. The several stages of an appeal are designed to ensure that different parties hear an appeal, where necessary.
Article 2
2.1 Appeals are to be used if a student or staff member wishes to appeal a decision from the Academic Integrity Committee or the Student Conduct Committee:
(a) Decisions of examiners/teachers/academic staff concerning assessment and grading;
(b) Decisions concerning student attendance and absence (e.g. at examinations or classes);
(c) Decisions of the Academic Integrity Committee, including breaches of academic integrity that affect the student or staff member, and which are within the responsibility of the Appeals Committee of the University and where these have been addressed by the Academic Integrity Committee and for which penalties have been awarded.
(d) Appeals are used if a student wishes to appeal a decision of the Student Conduct Committee, including, but not limited to, allegations of breaches of University regulations concerning non-academic, conduct matters or other offences set out in the University documents concerning student conduct and which are within the responsibility of the Student Conduct Committee.
Article 3
3.1 If a student or staff member wishes to appeal a decision on one or more of the matters set out in Article 1 or Article 2 above, the appeal must establish one or more of the following grounds:
(a) There were procedural irregularities in the conduct of the matter in respect of decisions concerning attendance and absence or by the relevant University committee, such that there was reasonable doubt that the same decision would have been reached if the procedural irregularities had not been made.
(b) There were relevant circumstances affecting the student or staff member performance which were not known to the student/staff member and/or the University in time for them to be considered by the person or body concerned before the decision was made
(c) There was a serious possibility or evidence of bias or prejudice or of any other form of irregular assessment on the part of one or more examiners or relevant parties in the University.
(d) Other kinds of decision-relevant to the issue was manifestly wrong, incorrect or unfair.
(e) The penalty imposed was excessive, inappropriate or not available in the circumstances.
Article 4
4.1 With regard to students’ appeals against grades, students have the right to file a grade review appeal request about a specific grade. Students can only appeal to the University if they have previously appealed directly to the respective Teacher, within 5 days of the publication of the grade. Should the student feel that the direct appeal to the Teacher did not resolve the issue fairly or acceptably, s/he has the right to file an appeal to the Chair of the Appeals Committee within two weeks of the publication of the grade. A fee of MOP500 is charged for these requests, refundable if the appeal is positive.
4.2 Appeals by students against decisions concerning attendance may only be made once the letter has been sent by the Academic Affairs Office to the student informing the student of the decision concerning attendance.
4.3 With regard to appeals against decisions from the Academic Integrity Committee, appellants are informed of the grounds for an appeal and informed of the need to make explicit under which of the grounds in Article 2 above, the appeal is being brought forward.
Article 5
5.1 The procedures for the appeals are set out in the document Terms of Reference and Procedures for the Appeals Committee; these must be followed with regard to appeals.
Article 6
6.1 The automatic right of appeal by members of the University is granted in the Regulations for the Academic Integrity Committee and the Student Conduct Committee.
Author: Executive Council
Approval date: 13 December 2018
Operational commencement date: 13 December 2018
Version number: Appeals Committee – Regulations 001
Full document on the Terms and Regulations of Appeals Committee is available here (download PDF).
References:
Academic Integrity Committee Regulations (download PDF)
Academic Integrity Committee Terms of References and Procedures (download PDF)
Student Conduct Committee Regulations (download PDF)
Student Conduct Committee Terms of References and Procedures (download PDF)
