• Section 1 - Purpose
• Scope
• Section 2 - Policy
• Section 3 - Procedure
• Responsibilities and Required Actions
• Unit Convenor / the College Teacher
• Student
• Head of Department / Student Services Manager, MUIC
• Executive Dean / Director, Macquarie University International College and English Language Centre
• Registrar or Nominee
• Academic Appeals Panel
• Section 4 - Guidelines
• Section 5 - Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This Procedure outlines the roles and responsibilities associated with an appeal by a student against the grade they have been awarded for a coursework unit of study.

Scope

(2) This Procedure applies to any student enrolled in a Macquarie University or Macquarie University International College (the College) coursework unit.

Section 2 - Policy

(3) Refer to the Grade Appeal Policy.

Section 3 - Procedure

Responsibilities and Required Actions

(4) This Procedure requires actions by the following:

1. Registrar, or nominee;
2. Executive Dean / Director, Macquarie University International College and English Language Centre;
3. Faculty Associate Director Governance and Administration, MUIC;
4. Academic Appeals Panel;
5. Head of Department;
6. Student Services Manager, MUIC;
7. Student Administration Team, MUIC;
8. Student; and
9. Unit Convenor / the College Teacher.

Unit Convenor / the College Teacher

(5) Ensure feedback on academic performance is provided to students throughout the session by all staff involved in the teaching of the unit.

Student

Request Feedback

(6) Receive and reflect on all feedback received during the session, including that provided generally to all students in the unit and that provided individually.

(7) Note that it is not possible to appeal the result for an individual assessment task completed during the teaching of the unit. An appeal is only possible once the final grade has been released.

(8) Request feedback from the Unit Convenor / the College Teacher on your overall performance in the unit.

Perceived Problem

(9) Where there appears a discrepancy between the grade received for a unit of study and that expected, and where this discrepancy can be demonstrated with sufficient documentary evidence, consider submitting a grade appeal.

Submit Appeal

(10) Where appropriate, use the AskMQ - Grade Appeal Form, and within 20 working days from the published result date for the particular unit of study, submit a grade appeal. Ensure all necessary supporting evidence is provided. Note that applications not supported by sufficient evidence are invalid and will not be considered eligible for consideration.

(11) Late applications will not be considered unless supported by valid reasons for the delay.

Perceived Procedural Irregularity

(12) After receiving notification on the outcome of a grade appeal, and where there appears an irregularity in the conduct of that appeal, in accordance with the Academic Appeals Policy submit a written appeal to the Registrar via the University’s online system (AskMQ - Academic Appeals Form). The appeal must include details of the perceived procedural irregularity.

Faculty / the Student Services Manager, MUIC and the Student Administration Team, MUIC

(13) Oversee the process for all appeals.

(14) Ensure all appeals are conducted in a timely and efficient manner.

(15) Arrange for the University’s online grade appeal and student systems to be updated appropriately.

(16) Notify the student of the outcome of their appeal.

Review Validity

(17) Undertake an initial review of all appeals to determine if there is sufficient evidence, and that the evidence supports the selected grounds, for the appeal to be considered valid.

(18) Where the evidence submitted does not provide sufficient grounds for the appeal to be considered valid, advise the student that the appeal is invalid and will not considered.

(19) Where the evidence provided is sufficient arrange for the appeal to be processed.

Process Appeals

(20) Establish an administrative system within the faculty to process appeals based on the grounds:

1. of a clerical error; or
2. that the Unit Guide was not in accordance with the Assessment Policy Schedule 6: Unit Guide Requirements and / or the Unit Guide Procedure.

(21) Where no grounds for the appeal can be found, advise the student that the appeal is dismissed.

(22) Where there are grounds for the appeal, submit a recommendation on the outcome of the appeal to the Head of Department / Deputy Director, MUIC.

Head of Department / Student Services Manager, MUIC

(23) For all appeals ensure the approved process has been undertaken.

Determine Reviewers

(24) On receipt of a grade appeal based on one or more of the following grounds, assign a staff member to undertake a review:

1. due regard was not paid to an illness or misadventure that had been found to be eligible for special consideration;
2. the student had been disadvantaged in some way due to the conduct of an assessment task; and / or
3. the student had been disadvantaged by variation of the assessment requirements or feedback provisions laid out in the Unit Guide.

Receive Recommendation

(25) Receive a recommendation on the outcome of each valid grade appeal.

(26) Review and then forward the recommendation to the Executive Dean / Director, Macquarie University International College and English Language Centre.

(27) Receive from the Executive Dean / Director, Macquarie University International College and English Language Centre the determination as to whether the appeal is to be upheld or dismissed.

(28) Where the determination involves a change to the student’s grade, arrange for the grade to be amended.

(29) Notify the Faculty / the College Associate Director Governance and Administration of the outcome and actions to be undertaken.

Executive Dean / Director, Macquarie University International College and English Language Centre

Quality Assurance

(30) Ensure no grade appeal will be reviewed by a person who was involved in the assessment process or determination of the final grade for the unit in which the grade appeal has been received.

Determine Outcome

(31) Receive and consider the recommendations related to all valid grade appeals.

(32) Determine if there are grounds for an appeal to be upheld, and if so, whether there is to be an amendment to the grade.

(33) Notify the Head of Department / Student Services Manager, MUIC accordingly.

Report

(34) Provide a report (see Grade Appeal Faculty Summary Report Pro-Forma) to the Senate Learning and Teaching Committee (SLTC) by 1 April each year indicating:

1. the issues that arose in the operation of the grade appeal process for units offered by the Faculty / the College in the previous calendar year; and
2. the strategies being implemented to address these issues.

Registrar or Nominee

Late Appeals

(35) Receive and consider grade appeals submitted after the due date. Review, and where there are valid reasons for the delay in submission, arrange for the appeal to be considered by the relevant Faculty / the College.

Academic Appeals Panel

(36) Receive and consider appeals against the outcome of a grade appeal referred to it by the Registrar, in accordance with the Academic Appeals Policy. It should be noted that such appeals are limited to procedural grounds only.

Section 4 - Guidelines

(37) Nil.

Section 5 - Definitions

(38) Commonly defined terms are located in the University Glossary. Definitions specific to this Procedure are contained in the accompanying Grade Appeal Policy.