The membership of a Court of First Appeal will vary according to whether the Court of First Appeal is Course-based, School-based or Faculty-based. The composition of the Courts of First Appeal is outlined below
Composition of a Course-based Court of First Appeal.
Pro-Dean (Chair)
Course Office Administrative Officer (Secretary)
Director of Undergraduate Teaching and Learning for Schools making contributions to the course
Postgraduate Student representative
Representation from schools/disciplines, as deemed necessary by the Course Management Committee
Appellants (students) and their tutors are entitled to attend to present their case.
Composition of a School-based Court of First Appeal.
Pro-Dean (Chair)
School Administrative Officer (Secretary)
Director of Undergraduate Teaching and Learning
Postgraduate Student representative
School representation, including representation from at least two other schools
Appellants (students) and their tutors are entitled to attend to present their case.
Composition of a Faculty-based Court of First Appeal.
Pro-Dean (Chair)
Faculty Administrative Officer (Secretary)
Directors of Undergraduate Teaching and Learning in each School
Postgraduate Student representative
For B.Mus.Ed. only: representation from DIT and RIAM (separate session)
School/discipline/course representation, in attendance, as appropriate
Appellants (students) and their tutors are entitled to attend to present their case.
Where an appellant is a relative of a member of a Court of First Appeal, that member should not be involved in hearing that student's appeal. The definition of a relative is the definition previously agreed by Council (click here).
A member of a Court of First Appeal should not also represent a student in appeal to that Court of First Appeal.
Courts of Appeal are normally convened to hear appeals following annual and supplemental examinations.
Courts of Appeal shall be scheduled to take place before the relevant meetings of the Academic Appeals Committee.
The dates of the Courts of First Appeal should be set well in advance and notified to all relevant Directors of Teaching and Learning/Course Co-Ordinators, all College Tutors, the Senior Tutor and the Senior Lecturer and posted on School/Department/Course notice boards.
Deadlines should be set for the submission of appeals for consideration at the Court of First Appeal and notified to the above parties.
Courts of First Appeal will consider appeals concerning events occurring more than eighteen months previously only in the most exceptional circumstances.
PROCEDURES FOR BRINGING AN APPEAL TO A COURT OF FIRST APPEAL
All appeals arising from the decisions of Courts of Examiners should be made directly to the Court of First Appeal.
The student has responsibility for advising his/her tutor in good time of his/her intention to make an appeal.
A student may make an appeal through his/her tutor, or if the tutor is unable or unwilling to act, through the Senior Tutor, to the Court of First Appeal.
An appeal should be made using the Appeals Form, also available through the Senior Tutor's Office. Appropriate background documentation should be included.
The student's tutor, or the Senior Tutor, will attend the Court of First Appeal to represent the student, and the student may also attend if he/she so wishes.
Students may request a representative of the Students' Union to represent them as an alternative to their tutor or the Senior Tutor.
A record should be made of the deliberations of Courts of First Appeal, giving grounds for each decision.
The recommendations of the Court of First Appeal should be forwarded to the Senior Lecturer for approval. All recommendations should be returned on the prescribed form.
Recommendations of a Court of First Appeal shall not be seen as binding until they have been approved by the Senior Lecturer.
Once the Senior Lecturer's approval is obtained, the relevant Course / School Office should instruct the student's tutor or representative to inform the student of the outcome of the appeal.
