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ACADEMIC GRIEVANCE POLICY

Coursework and Honours Students

Faculty academic grievance resolution flowchart

Who to approach with a problem or concern concerning your academic experience

A student who has a question or concern about a decision, act or omission of a member of staff of the Faculty of Creative Arts that affects their academic experience should follow the steps set out below. You should take careful note of the deadlines for following up your grievance at each step.

Stage 1 – Informal Approach to person(s) directly involved

You should first approach the person(s) directly involved as soon as possible to discuss any question or concern. For example, you might approach your:

• marker for an explanation of a mark awarded for an assessment task;
• Subject Coordinator or Honours Coordinator (as appropriate) to discuss a mark awarded by an external marker, or a final mark or grade;
• Honours supervisor where there is an issue or concern about supervision;
• Subject Coordinator where you are unhappy about their decision regarding a special consideration application.

You might then seek advice informally from other appropriate persons in the School or Faculty (e.g. Subject or Program Coordinator).

Stage 2 – Formal grievance resolution by Faculty

Where an issue or concern is not resolved informally by directly approaching appropriate Faculty staff under Stage 1, you may take the following steps to have the matter formally resolved by the Faculty.

Step 1: Referral to Head of School

You may refer the matter in writing using the Grievance Form to the Head of School in which the disagreement arose.

Your application must:

• include your name, student number and contact details;
• set out the nature of your grievance, any specific issues involved and the form of resolution that you are seeking;
• be lodged with the Head of School within ten (10) working days of the decision, act or omission about which you are complaining or of receiving your mark for an assessment task or a final result or grade awarded for a subject.

(if unresolved)

Step 2: Referral to Sub Dean

If the School under Step 1 does not resolve the matter to your satisfaction, you may refer the matter, in writing, to the Sub Dean within ten (10) working days of receiving a response from the Head of School.

Note: If a person specified in one of these steps is involved in the grievance, the matter will be referred directly to the next specified person.

Stage 3 – Referral to Dean of Students

If the matter is not resolved by the Faculty under Stage 2, you may refer the matter, in writing to the Dean of Students for consideration within ten (10) working days of receiving your final response from the Faculty. The Dean of Students may:

1. refuse to take the matter further if there are insufficient grounds for the grievance;
2. conciliate the matter; or
3. decide whether the Faculty has failed to observe “due process” in dealing with the grievance.

“Due process” means your procedural rights under this or other policies, your right to be given a fair hearing and your right to have your case decided by someone who is not biased.

Where the Dean of Students decides that the Faculty has not followed due process, s/he may decide to refer the matter back to the Faculty for reconsideration or make a decision regarding the matter.

Stage 4 – Appeal to Academic Review Committee

After you have gone through the processes explained above, you may appeal to the Academic Review Committee if you believe that there has been a failure to follow due process in Stages 2 or 3, or relevant new or additional information is available to you.

You must lodge your appeal in writing with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & International) within ten (10) working days of receiving written notification of the decision of the Dean of Students. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & International) will either:

• refer the matter to the Academic Review Committee where the appeal is based on lack of due process;
• refer the matter back to the Faculty or Dean of Students where the appeal is based on relevant new or additional information;
• or refuse to take the matter further where the appeal is not based on lack of due process.

Where the Academic Grievance Committee hears the matter and decides that the Faculty or Dean of Students has not followed due process, it will generally refer the matter back to the Faculty or Dean of Students for reconsideration. The Committee will not reconsider the matter itself.

Stage 5 – Appeal to Council Committee of Appeal (Student Matters)

Where you believe that there has been lack of due process in the proceedings of the Academic Review Committee, you can apply, in writing, to the Vice-Principal (Administration) to refer the matter to the Council Committee of Appeal (Student Matters). The application must be lodged within ten (10) working days of being notified of the decision of the Academic Review Committee.

A student who is dissatisfied with the outcome of an appeal within the University, may appeal to the NSW Ombudsman or other external agencies.