Dean of Students
Information Sheet
Submissions to the Academic Appeals Committee
January/February 2008
1. General Information
In January/February 2008 the Academic Appeals Committee will consider appeals from students in the following categories:
- students who have been deemed to have taken too long to complete their degree [Bachelor Degree Rule 13(1)];
- students who fail to meet the minimum rate of progress requirements [Bachelor Degree Rule 13(2)];
- students who fail a compulsory unit in Accounting, Chiropractic, Law or Practice Teaching unit twice [Bachelor Degree Rule 14]; and
- students not permitted to enrol in a unit for a third time [Bachelor Degree Rule 16].
If you are in the first three categories you will receive notice of this with your 2007 end of year examination results.
The Academic Appeals Committee is a sub-committee of the Academic Senate of the University. The Committee is normally chaired by the Vice-President of the Academic Senate. There are four other Committee members appointed by the Senate. Three of them are academic staff of the University and the fourth member is a student member of the Academic Senate. The Academic Appeals Committee procedures do not provide for personal representation by students or others. All appeals must be in writing, so it is important that you prepare your case thoroughly.2. Preparing your Submission
- Read carefully the information that is included with your end year 2007 examination results and ensure that you provide answers to the four(4) questions listed on one of the enclosures. If a question is not relevant to your show cause submission, please answer ‘not applicable’.
- Consult the Schedule of Units in the 2008 Handbook of Undergraduate Studies (available in December 2007) online or in hard copy. You should provide the Committee with a proposed program of study.
- If you have been excluded for taking too long to complete your degree (unduly long time) you need to document the reasons for this and provide the Committee with a detailed program of units needed to complete the degree in the minimum time. Consult the Schedule of Units in the 2008 Handbook of Undergraduate Studies.
- If you are not permitted to re-enrol in a unit for a third time, you may appeal to the Academic Appeals Committee. The Committee may determine the matter as it sees fit (Bachelor Degree Rule 16). It is acknowledged that these cases will probably not emerge until after 7 January 2008 (Bachelor Degree Rule 16). Students in this category are strongly advised to seek high-level academic advice before making a submission to the Academic Appeals Committee. They may well be advised to consider an alternative program of study or degree.
3. Steps in the Academic Appeals Process
- Prepare your appeal (see Section 2, Preparing your Submission).
- Submit your appeal to the Academic Program Section, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, by Friday 4 January 2008. Mark your correspondence for the attention of the Executive Officer, Academic Appeals Committee.
- Your submission is attached to your file and sent to the Dean of Division of your Division of Registration. The Dean of Division (or their nominee) reads your file. They may consult with the staff who have taught you. The Dean of Division (or their nominee) makes a recommendation to the Academic Appeals Committee.
- All members of the Appeals Committee receive a copy of your submission and the Division’s recommendation.
- The whole committee meets in late January and early February and considers each case individually.
- A decision is made and a few days after your case has been discussed you are advised of the outcome in writing by the Academic Program Section.
- Every endeavour is made to inform students of the outcome of their appeal before the commencement of the enrolment period. The Academic Appeals Committee may dismiss the appeal or permit a student to re-enrol under certain conditions.
- Sometimes the Appeals Committee refers individual students to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (or equivalent) in your Division or other senior academic staff for a compulsory interview before enrolment is permitted.
If you are submitting an appeal after the closing date of 4 January 2008, you will need to include a documented explanation for the late submission. The Committee will only consider an appeal submitted after the specified date if the Committee is satisfied with the candidate’s documented explanation for the late submission.
4. Transfer to another Program of Study
- Students who are excluded under Bachelor Degree Rule 14 from further enrolment in a single degree or diploma program, and whose appeal for permission to re-enrol in their program of study is not successful, are permitted to transfer to any other program for which they are eligible or be considered for admission via the Universities Admission Centre to another undergraduate program, even while under exclusion.
- Students are excluded under Bachelor Degree Rule 14 from further enrolment in a combined or double degree program, e.g. BA DipEd, BA LLB or double degree program, eg BAppFin BCom – Accg, BBA BCom-Accg, are permitted to continue the program of study that is not affected by the double failure in a prescribed unit, or may transfer to any other program for which they are eligible or be considered for admission via UAC to another undergraduate program even while under exclusion.
- Any student wishing to transfer to another program, must meet the requirements set out in the details specified under the Internal Transfer Between Undergraduate Courses Section of the Handbook of Undergraduate Studies and must lodge the application to transfer by the deadline specified in the Request to Transfer Degree Course form. Any application for admission to a program via UAC must also be lodged by the date specified in the UAC Guide
- AS THE DEADLINE FOR LODGEMENT OF THE REQUEST TO TRANSFER DEGREE COURSE FOR THE FIRST HALF YEAR 2008 IS PRIOR TO THE MEETINGS OF THE ACADEMIC APPEALS COMMITTEE IN JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008, YOU ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO ENSURE THAT ANY APPLICATION TO TRANSFER IS LODGED BY THE DEADLINE. LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. YOU SHOULD NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU RECEIVE ADVICE REGARDING THE OUTCOME OF YOUR APPEAL TO LODGE THE TRANSFER FORM. IF YOUR APPEAL IS SUCCESSFUL, YOUR APPLICATION TO TRANSFER WILL NOT BE PROCESSED.