Students may appeal a range of University decisions. The most common are:

• academic decisions and
• decisions on misconduct 

Other appealable decisions include:

• complaint outcomes; and
• refusing a release request for student visa holders.

Please note, the links above will direct you to the relevant appeal-related content available to students; the links also contain further details about each particular type of decision and the appropriate escalation pathway for that type of matter.

As academic decisions are the most common type of matter and involve the broadest set of staff, a brief introduction to that appeal pathway is included below.

Key information about the academic decisions appeal pathway

There are three escalating stages:

1. Informal resolution – involves discussion with an original decision maker and results in a written outcome.
   • Students have 15 working days from being advised of the academic decision to initiate this step.
   • Staff have 10 working days to provide an outcome. If the relevant staff member does not respond within 10 working days, a student may move directly onto the next stage (Application for Review).
   • Please note that Special Consideration, Credit, and Mobility have their own standardised way to complete this step. Likewise, certain faculties (e.g. FASS, Business, and FMH) have a specific avenue to initiate this step.
2. Application for Review (to the Faculty/Administrative Unit) – involves a review of the merits of a decision. A review ‘on the merits’ requires the Faculty/Administrative Unit, to assess whether the academic decision is the correct and preferable decision, taking into account all of the relevant facts.
   • Students have 20 working days (from the outcome of their Informal Resolution) to initiate this stage.
   • The Dean/Associate Dean/Academic Panel have 15 working days to provide an outcome (or an update); they may seek advice and information from the relevant program director, unit of study coordinator, and any other staff members or affiliates they consider appropriate.
   • Please note that at this stage, the Faculty/Administrative Unit is not limited to considering procedural issues.
3. An appeal to the Student Appeals Body (SAB) – involves a review of procedural fairness only. That is, an appeal to the SAB is limited to a review of the process by which the academic decision was arrived at (e.g. the SAB cannot determine if additional marks are appropriate or if a student had shown good cause).
   • Students have 15 working days (from the outcome of their Application for Review) to initiate this stage.
   • SAB appeals include a provision for the Director of Compliance and Student Affairs to assess the eligibility of appeals before referring them to the SAB (it typically takes 10-15 working days to determine if the appeal will proceed to a SAB hearing or not)
   • If the Director determines that a matter does not qualify for a hearing, that decision will be reviewable by the Academic Registrar or the Deputy Registrar (Complaints, Appeals and Misconduct) (see section 5.1(4)).

Further overview information about the Student Appeals Body (SAB) and hearings

Students may wish to appeal to the Student Appeals Body (SAB) on the basis that the review decision made by the Faculty/School/Academic Panel was:

• not based on merit
• not procedurally fair and reasonable, taking into consideration all relevant circumstances, and/or
• not made in accordance with relevant University rules, policies, procedures, local provisions and resolutions.

The SAB will hear and decide appeals that come to it as set out in Part 8 of the University of Sydney (Student Academic Appeals) Rule 2021. Its decision on the appeal will be final.

Hearings

Appeals to the Student Appeals Body (SAB) will be heard in accordance with Part 8 of the University of Sydney (Student Academic Appeals) Rule 2021.

1. Prior to the hearing

The student is invited to seek support or representation from the SRC or SUPRA as appropriate.

At least five working days before the hearing, the SAB, the student, and the nominated Faculty/School/Academic Panel representative (nominated representative) will receive a copy of the SAB Binder. This document primarily consists of:

• The student’s written submission (including any supporting documents)
• The Faculty/School/Academic Panel’s written submission (including any supporting documents)
• A copy of the student's academic transcript.

2. During the hearing

1. Hearings are usually conducted through Zoom.
2. The SAB panel will consist of three members, usually two staff and one student.
3. Members of the SAB will ask questions to the student and the nominated representative about their written submissions.
4. Once the SAB is satisfied with all relevant information on the matter, the student and the nominated representative will be asked to leave the meeting.
5. The SAB will then deliberate on all that has been submitted and typically make a verbal decision on the day.

3. The decision of the SAB

Please note that only a formal written decision (the Decision Report) will be communicated to the student, which takes some time. After the hearing, and after the Decision Report has been drafted and reviewed by the three members of the SAB, the Appeals Manager will provide the student and the Faculty/School/Academic Panel with a copy of the SAB decision report.

This will take approximately 5 to 20 working days, depending on various factors. Please note, the decision of the SAB is final.

Decisions

The Student Appeals Body (SAB) should take the following matters into consideration when making its decision:

Administrative facts

• Have the appropriate policies and guidelines and any other legislative requirements been followed by the Faculty and the student?

Individual factors which may be considered by the SAB

• Have the relevant personal circumstances of the student been considered?
• Has the relationship between the student and the Faculty/School/Academic Panel played a part in the outcome of the appeal?
• Has the student sought to take personal responsibility for the situation, sought counselling or undertaken additional study?
• Have there been any changes in the student’s working hours, financial situation or study load which would result in better performance?
• If a student was applying for readmission, had they actively undertaken any further studies (e.g. Summer School)?
• Has the student abided by any conditions set by the Faculty/School/Academic Panel since their exclusion?

After consideration of the administrative facts and any individual factor pertinent to the case, the SAB may uphold or dismiss a student’s appeal; and in its absolute discretion:

• refer the academic decision back to the relevant Faculty/School/Academic Panel for reconsideration in accordance with due academic process or,
• make a new or amended academic decision or,
• determine that no further action should be taken in relation to the matter.

Where a decision of a SAB panel reveals a systemic or other serious failure by the Faculty/School/Academic Panel to observe due academic process, the Chair of the SAB will send a copy of the decision to the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost for consideration and action.