At St Andrews, once a student has graduated, no appeal is allowed
(presumably on the grounds that, by graduating, they have accepted the
classfication of degree awarded).
Where students appeal, we automatically postpone their graduation to allow
time for the appeal to be heard in an orderly way.
However, as this case shows, there can still be grounds for a retrospective
claim when the student was not made aware of regulations, procedures and
facilities that might have made a difference to the outcome of their
studies. It is therefore vital that we are able to demonstrate that we
made every reasonable effort to inform students of these things and it is
additionally helpful to have evidence that the student has signed regular
statements (on registration forms) to say that they are aware of the terms
and conditions of study (even if they have not read them!).
Alastair
At 16:39 27/07/98 +0100, you wrote:
>An Exeter colleague has asked me to forward the following
>query to the list:
>
>A recently graduated student, obviously disgruntled with
>their degree classification, is appealing on more than one
>ground, but the one in question here is retrospective
>medical evidence.
>
>The student feels that the degree result did not reflect
>their true ability, and has, after the event, been
>certified as dyslexic. At Exeter as in many institutions,
>such certification ahead of exams would have triggered a
>number of special assessment arrangements.
>
>The student has submitted this evidence outside the
>'normal' time boundaries, but would claim that this
>condition was unknown to them until professionally
>diagnosed.
>
>Clearly there are a number of issues here - not least the
>one of the precedent for a whole raft of retrospective
>appeals where medical conditions were generally unknown
>at the time.
>
>I'd appreciate any responses from other institutions that
>have dealt with similar cases recently.
>
>Thanks
>
>Patrick
>
>
>
>----------------------
>Patrick Kennedy
>University of Exeter
>(01392) 263021
>
>
>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alastair E W Work MA MIPD
Director of Registry
University of St Andrews
Scotland
[log in to unmask] +1334 46 2115 (phone) 2123 (fax)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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