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What can be appealed?
Students can appeal decisions related to their academic progress under the following grounds:
- Ordinary Regulations: If the student’s case is not adequately covered by the ordinary regulations of the College.
- Improper Application: If the regulations of the College were not properly applied in the student’s case.
- Ad Misericordiam Appeal: Appeals based on exceptional circumstances or compassionate grounds.
Court of First Appeal
The Court of First Appeal refers to the initial body that reviews appeals related to academic progress. This court is responsible for examining the grounds of the appeal and making a decision based on the regulations and procedures of the College.
A student may appeal a decision of the Courts of Examiners relating to academic progress to a Court of First Appeal. Trinity has an Appeals Policy and supporting guidelines and procedures which outline the timelines for lodging an appeal, and the processes around the holding of a Court of First Appeal. An appeal should be made using the appropriate Appeals form, and supporting documentation should also be included.
Further Info Court of First Appeal
The Court of First Appeal convenes to consider appeals on matters of academic progress arising out of examinations or other academic circumstances where a student case:
- is not adequately covered by the ordinary regulations of the College; or
- is based on a claim that the regulations of the College were not properly applied in the applicant's case; or
- represents an ad misericordiam appeal
- 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 TUD 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.
- 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.
- A record should be made of the deliberations of Courts of First Appeal, giving grounds for each decision using the Courts of First Appeal Summary Sheet.
- 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.
Academic Appeals Committee
Decisions of a Court of First Appeal may be appealed to the Academic Appeals Committee. Appellants must have exhausted the appropriate appeals mechanism in the first instance through the relevant Court of First Appeal prior to coming before the Academic Appeals Committee. The committee considers whether there is a case for a hearing and makes decisions that are presented to the University Council and Board for approval.
The Academic Appeals Committee reserves the right to refuse to hear a case that has not previously been brought to the relevant Court of First Appeal without justification.