Joe
A year ago Senate at the University of Southampton approved revised academic
appeals procedures for both UG/PGI and PGR students, and, in the case of the
former, instituted Faculty Review Panels charged with dealing with any appeals
at local level, which is where the detailed knowledge of individual students
resides. The creation of this preliminary stage has meant that it has not proved
necessary, in the last year, to convene the central Senate Appeals Committees.
Students still have the right to appeal, beyond the Faculty Review Panels, to
the Senate Committee, but only if "they possess fresh evidence not available at
the time of the Faculty Review Panel; or that they possess evidence that, for
reasons that must be explained, they were unwilling to divulge at the time of
the Review."
So far as plagiarism is concerned, UG/PGI students have the right of appeal on
the grounds that they claim that the "Board of Examiners or Faculty Board had
erroneously concluded that they had cheated or plagiarised or attempted to gain
an unfair advantage in an element of work submitted for a degree." A very
similar form of words applies to PGR students.
These revised procedures seem to be working well, though we haven't yet
satisfactorily solved the problem of how to respond to a student (such as a
PGCE, or Nursing, or Social Work student) who wishes to appeal against the
result of an external placement, in a school, hospital or care agency where the
judgement has been made by somebody not employed by the University.
I hope these comments may be useful, and have put a copy of both the appeals
procedures, UG/PGI and PGR, in the post to you.
Robert Green
>
> Do any mailbase members have any advice or comment to offer on the
> following issue?
>
> The University's regulations concerning cheating in exams/plagiarism
> allow students who are found guilty by the Senate Investigating
> Committee which considers such cases a right of appeal to an ad hoc
> appeal committee appointed by the Senate. The current regulations,
> though, do not elaborate upon the grounds for an appeal, and this has
> led to some students lodging appeals which have turned out to be
> no more than re-trials going over the same evidence and
> arguments as in the original hearing. Unsurprisingly this has given
> rise to some expressions of dissatisfaction on the part of those
> members of staff obliged to serve on the appeal committees.
>
> So there seems to be a clear need to expand the regulations to make
> clear acceptable grounds for appeal. These could obviously include
> the presentation of new evidence not available to the original
> Investigating Committee, or any evident procedural failing on its
> part. Has anyone any further comments or suggestions, or lessons to
> pass on from experience?
>
> Many thanks for any replies received.
>
> Joe Taylor
> Assistant Registrar
> Academic Office
> University of Warwick
>
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Dr R.J.Green *
Academic Registrar's Department *
University of Southampton *
Highfield *
Southampton S017 1BJ. *
Tel: 01703-593062; Fax: 593037. *
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