If you have submitted a Section Two Assessment Appeal under grounds b), c), e) or F)ii, you may be asked to an Assessment Appeals Committee Hearing.
Before the hearing, the Committee will receive papers, including your appeal statement and evidence; copies of any relevant regulations and a written report from the Chair of the Board of Examiners as well as any other relevant information or statements. You will also receive a full copy of these papers in advance of the hearing.
You are allowed to be accompanied to the hearing. A Guild Adviser can attend with you for advice and support. You are also allowed to call witnesses in support of your case but this is not a requirement.
The hearing itself is quite a formal procedure so you should make sure that you dress smart and ensure you are comfortable. You should arrive 15 minutes before your hearing is due to start.
Members of the Committee
Chair of the Committee
Two members of academic staff
Guild Student Officer
Also in attendance
- Secretary to the Committee: Ensures that the hearing follows the correct procedure
- Note-taker: Records minutes of the meeting
The Chair of the Board of Examiners will also be invited to attend the hearing to present their findings.
The Hearing
At the start of the hearing the Chair will introduce everybody present and explain their roles. They will ask you to confirm who you are and to confirm who is accompanying you to the meeting (i.e. a Guild Adviser)
You will then be given an opportunity to speak to the Committee on your case. You should use this opportunity to clearly explain your grounds for appeal and any evidence you have to support them.
If you have a witness in support of your case, they will then get the opportunity to speak to the Committee.
After this, the Chair of the Board of Examiners will have the opportunity to explain their findings and they will also have the opportunity to call a witness to speak in support of their decision (again, this is not a necessity).
You will then have the opportunity to make a final closing statement to the Committee.
Members of the Board can ask questions throughout the process.
After this you and the Chair of the Board of Examiners will be asked the leave the room while the Committee consider the evidence and come to a decision.
If possible, the Committee will inform you of their decision at the end of the hearing. In any case, you will receive written confirmation of their decision within ten working days of the hearing. The possible outcomes of the hearing are that either:
- The appeal is dismissed or
- The appeal is upheld
If your appeal is upheld, the Committee will recommend that the Board of Examiners reconsider their decision. However, the Board of Examiners may not agree to this, in which case you have the right to request a further review through Stage Two of Section Two of the Assessment Appeals procedure.
If you appeal is dismissed you may request of review of this decision but only the grounds that you received an unfair hearing as a result of procedural irregularity within 10 working days of receiving the outcome letter. If you think you may have grounds a Guild Adviser can support you through the review process.