Many postgraduates contact the Postgraduate Association for help with academic appeals, which can include the following:
- Unfair assessment of assignments / projects / oral/ aural performance
- Failing a subject / thesis
- An unfair or unorthodox examination process for a thesis
- Poor supervision, resulting in failure of thesis.
Advisers at the Postgraduate Association assist students with the appeal process, including how to approach the issue, letters of appeal, and accompanying students to meetings — especially those which occur at the Academic Board.
How To Appeal
You have the right of appeal if you think that you have received an unfair assessment of your thesis, assignment, paper or presentation. The steps recommended by the Association are outlined below:
Begin your appeal informally by seeking out your supervisor, tutor, lecturer or examiner and discussing the matter with her or him. This can be done in person or in writing. In your discussions you should outline why you feel you have been unfairly assessed and request an independent remarking.
If you are unsuccessful with this approach, write a formal letter to your Head of Department or Postgraduate Co-ordinator. If you have no luck at this juncture, you could try the Dean of your faculty.
If you still don't receive any satisfaction, you can send a detailed letter outlining your appeal, and the steps that you have taken so far to resolve the issue, to the Secretariat of the Academic Board.
The Academic Board
The Academic Board is the final court of appeal. While matters of academic judgement are outside the jurisdiction of the Board, it can address appeals based on the following:
- defects in the process of preparation or examination of the thesis / assignment / presentation on the part of the faculty, department, supervisors or examiners;
- proof that the assessment has been made on so-called "non-academic grounds", for example personal or political animosity, gender bias or prejudice, ethnicity or race;
- the assessment being a result of incorrect advice given to the student.
Unfortunately there is no legislative provision within the University which allows students to seek redress for grievances based solely on matters of academic judgement.
For Further Information
The University of Melbourne Student Grievances Policy
Make an appointment with a Postgraduate Adviser at the Graduate Student Association, by phoning (03) 8344 8657, emailing gsa (at) gsa.unimelb.edu.au or visiting the Assocation at the Graduate Centre, University of Melbourne.
Last updated: July 2007