The University of Huddersfield Students’ Regulations

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September 2006 edition

Section 4

Assessment Regulations

Students are advised to seek impartial help, advice, guidance and support from sabbatical officers in the Students’ Union.

  1. Assessment Regulation 1: Arrangements for formal examinations and assignments
    Examinations shall be conducted in the following manner except where the regulations of an external body specify otherwise. Students with disabilities and requiring any special or additional needs should notify their year tutor and School office following enrolment. Documentary evidence of their disability and needs must be provided where practicable.
    1. Responsibility for invigilation is an academic duty. The invigilator-in-charge must be a member of the academic staff of the University. Invigilators other than the invigilator-in-charge may be members of the non-academic staff of the University or other suitable person as approved by the Dean of the School responsible for the administration of the examination in accordance with 1.3.
    2. Invigilators shall be required on the basis of one per fifty candidates with a minimum of two per examination room.
    3. An invigilator-in-charge will be appointed for each examination to ensure that provisions have been made for the proper conduct of examinations and that the examinations are conducted in accordance with the regulations. Where there is one examination in a room the Dean of School responsible for the administration of the course will inform the Head of Registry in advance who is to be the invigilator-in-charge. Where there are a number of examinations being held simultaneously in a room, the Head of Registry will determine which Dean of School shall nominate the invigilator-in-charge.
    4. An invigilator shall not be engaged in other work during the period of invigilation.
    5. Except in special circumstances no examination documentation for either a written examination or an electronic examination shall be withdrawn from the Registry before the day of the examination.
    6. Collection of examination documentation
      1. Written examinations
        1. The invigilator-in-charge should arrange for the collection of the papers from the Registry on the day of the examination and should be in the examination room, together with the papers, at least fifteen minutes before the written examination is due to start. The papers shall be in a sealed envelope which will be opened in the examination room in time to allow the distribution of the papers before the start of the written examination.
      2. Electronic examinations
        1. A technical examination support officer authorised by the Director of Computing and Library Services and the Dean of the School responsible for the administration of the electronic examination in accordance with 1.3 shall be appointed and shall be available for the duration of each electronic examination.
        2. The invigilator-in-charge should arrange for the collection of the electronic examination from the Registry on the day of the examination. The invigilator-in-charge should pass the electronic examination to the authorised technical examination support officer at least 30 minutes before the electronic examination is due to start and should confirm its successful installation. The invigilator-in-charge should be in the examination room at least 15 minutes before the electronic examination is due to start.
    7. For written examinations, question papers should be issued reverse side up. Where a number of different examinations are being held in the same room all must be started at the same time and be of the same duration.
    8. An examiner representing each examination (who may also act as an invigilator) should be present for the first half hour of any internal examination and should remain within call for the duration of the examination.
    9. Candidates must be seated according to the seating plan which will have been drawn up previously.
    10. Candidates should be admitted to the examination room at the latest five minutes before the examination is due to commence.
    11. Overcoats, briefcases and similar items must be left in the place designated for this purpose. Apart from writing implements candidates may bring to their examination desks only such instruments, books and other items as have been specified by the examiners.
    12. Candidates should be informed when they are under examination conditions and that all conversation must cease. For written examinations, answer books should then be signed by the candidates. For electronic examinations, candidates should type in their full name and course on the screen and sign the working booklets made available for their rough notes. The examination should then be commenced.
    13. Candidates should be checked by the invigilators against the eligibility lists so that attendances may be noted.
    14. No candidate should normally be allowed to enter an examination after the first third has elapsed. Where a late arrival is the result of unavoidable delay the invigilator-in-charge may allow the candidate to sit the examination. The answer book or working booklet together with the invigilator’s report sheet should be appropriately endorsed and a report should be made to the Head of Registry, who should be consulted before any extension of time is allowed.
    15. Invigilators should keep a close watch on candidates during the examinations.
    16. Where unfair conduct is detected or suspected the invigilator-in-charge should so endorse the candidate’s answer book or working booklet together with the invigilator’s report sheet, attaching a report and informing the Head of Registry as soon as possible after the examination. The endorsed answer book or working booklet should be withdrawn at once and a new one issued. For electronic examinations, the current examination should be stopped and saved, and the electronic examination restarted.
    17. The invigilator-in-charge should require a candidate who, after being warned, persists in conduct disturbing to others to leave the examination room. The answer book or working booklet together with the invigilator’s report sheet should be so endorsed and an immediate report be sent to the Head of Registry. For electronic examinations, the examination completed to date should be saved.
    18. At least one invigilator must be present at any time during the examination.
    19. Candidates wishing to leave the examination temporarily for personal reasons may do so under escort. The escort may be either an invigilator or a member of staff summoned for the purpose.
    20. Except in an emergency a candidate should not be allowed to leave the examination room permanently during the first third or the last twenty minutes of an examination session. In the event of an emergency, candidates should leave the room as instructed by the invigilators and should not enter into conversation with other examination candidates. Candidates should be advised of the time when twenty minutes of the examination remains.
    21. Closure of an examination
      1. For written examinations, at the close of the examination the necessary papers should be collected from candidates and no conversation between candidates should occur until all answer books are in the invigilators’ hands.
      2. For electronic examinations, the candidates should be instructed not to touch the keyboard or mouse and no conversation between candidates should occur until the invigilators have closed all of the electronic examinations and all working booklets are in the invigilators’ hands.
    22. Submission of examination documentation to internal examiners
      1. For written examinations, the invigilator-in-charge should then arrange for the answer books to be conveyed securely either to the appropriate internal examiners in the case of a University examination or to the Head of Registry in the case of an external examination.
      2. For electronic examinations, the invigilator-in-charge should collect a copy of the disc of the electronic examination answers from the authorised technical examination support officer and convey this disc and the working booklets securely to the appropriate internal examiners. The authorised technical examination support officer should submit a second copy of this disc to the Examinations office in Registry and keep a third copy of the disc in the fire safe in Computing and Library Services.
  2. Assessment Regulation 2: Conduct of candidates in examinations and assignments
    1. The following regulations for candidates apply to all examinations held in the University except where the examiners have specified otherwise.
      1. Candidates will be admitted to an examination room at least five minutes before the examination is due to start.
      2. Overcoats, briefcases and similar items must be left in the place designated for this purpose. Apart from writing implements candidates may bring to their examination desks only such instruments, books and other items as have been specified by the examiners. The use of electronic dictionaries is not permitted. Mobile phones and MP3 players must not be brought into the examination room.
      3. A candidate will not normally be allowed to enter an examination room after one third of the time allowed for the examination has elapsed. In the case of unavoidable delay a candidate arriving late should report in the first instance to the invigilator-in-charge.
      4. Each desk in the examination room will normally be numbered. A candidate must occupy the desk which is allocated to him/her.
      5. Before commencing a written examination candidates must sign the answer book which will have been placed on their desk. Before commencing an electronic examination candidates must sign the working booklets which will have been placed on their desk and type their name and course on the screen.
      6. Candidates are responsible for checking that they have been issued with the correct examination documentation for either a written examination or an electronic examination.
      7. A candidate who wishes to attract the attention of the invigilator should raise his/her hand.
      8. A candidate who wishes to leave the examination room temporarily must be accompanied by an invigilator or by a member of staff.
      9. A candidate may not leave the examination room permanently during the first third of the time allowed for an examination or the last twenty minutes.
      10. Smoking is not allowed at any time in an examination room.
      11. For written examinations, candidates should remain in their seats at the end of an examination session until all the answer books have been collected. For electronic examinations, candidates should remain in their seats until the invigilators have closed all of the electronic examinations and the working booklets have been collected.
      12. A candidate whose conduct is disturbing to other candidates will be warned by the invigilator. Should the conduct persist the candidate will be required to leave the examination room. For written examinations, the answer book will be appropriately endorsed. For electronic examinations the working booklet together with the invigilator’s report sheet should be appropriately endorsed and the examination completed to date should be saved. In both cases, a written report will be sent to the Head of Registry immediately.
      13. If, during an examination, a candidate is suspected of using unfair means he/she will be so informed by the invigilator and have his/her answer book or working booklet together with the invigilator’s report sheet appropriately endorsed. The endorsed answer book or working booklet will be withdrawn and a new book will be issued before the candidate is allowed to continue the examination. Additionally, for electronic examinations, the current examination should be stopped and saved, and the electronic examination restarted. In both cases a written report will be sent to the Head of Registry.
    2. If, following an examination, the invigilator or examiner suspects that a candidate has used unfair means the answer book or working booklet will be so endorsed and a written report will be sent to the Head of Registry. Additionally, for electronic examinations, a printed copy of the completed electronic examination will be sent to the Head of Registry.
    3. In-course assignments (e.g. projects, essays, laboratory exercises) which are to be examined as part of an overall assessment must be carried out in the manner prescribed by course regulations and by the responsible lecturer, in particular
      1. assignments must be carried out under the prescribed conditions;
      2. assignment material must be presented in the required format not later than the date specified in Regulations, or by the lecturer responsible;
      3. when an assignment is not invigilated, and a student fails to submit work for assessment by the agreed submission date, other than because of the student’s own proven illness or some other valid cause, the student may be deemed to have failed that assessment.
    4. If there is evidence that assignment material, presented for any form of assessment leading to information which would be taken into consideration by examiners, or members of an Assessment Board, has been arrived at by unfair means then a written report may be sent to the Head of Registry.
    5. The examination methods and procedures may be varied by an Assessment Board where a student, through disability or handicap, is unable to be assessed by the methods approved for the course.
    6. It is the responsibility of candidates to ensure that personal matters which they might wish to claim had a bearing on their performance are made known in writing to a tutor before the relevant Assessment Board meets and that, where appropriate, claims are supported by medical certificates or other evidence acceptable to the Board.
      Note: Guidelines on the submission of claims under Assessment Regulation 2.6 are detailed in Section 5 of this Handbook.
  3. Assessment Regulation 3: Plagiarism
    1. The University uses software to detect plagiarism. Where plagiarism is suspected, the module tutor shall determine whether the instance shall be treated as major or minor.
      1. Where it is considered that an instance of plagiarism is minor, the matter will normally be dealt with in the School. A warning about future conduct will be issued and no report will be made to the assessment board. The work in question will be marked on its merits and the fact that some plagiarism has taken place may result in a lower mark than might otherwise have been awarded.
      2. Where it is considered that an instance of plagiarism is major, a report will be made to the course leader who will establish whether or not the accusation is contested.
      3. Students may be required to submit electronic copies of all summative work as well as hard copy.
    2. If the student or students concerned dispute the allegation, a full report will be made to the Head of Registry and a formal board of enquiry will be convened in accordance with the procedure referred to in Assessment Regulation 4. The student’s performance will not be considered by the assessment boards concerned until the board of enquiry has completed its investigations.
    3. Students who are found to have colluded in making their work available to be copied by others will themselves be deemed to have committed plagiarism. Any student who is found to have undertaken an assignment on behalf of another will be treated as having committed plagiarism.
    4. Where an allegation of plagiarism has been considered under either paragraph 3.1.2 or paragraph 3.2 above, reports will be submitted to the relevant Assessment Board and a record will be placed on the student’s file.
    5. Where an Assessment Board is advised that a student has committed plagiarism, it will normally decide that the student has failed the module, and will only be able to retrieve the situation by retaking all the elements of assessment prescribed for the module.
    6. The Assessment Board will then consider the significance of the plagiarism in the context of the course as a whole and determine an appropriate penalty.
    7. In cases of confirmed serious plagiarism, an assessment board may prevent a student from using accumulated credit for the purpose of accreditation of prior learning on other courses of study which lead to a higher award within the University.
      Note: Guidelines on plagiarism are detailed in Section 6 of this Handbook.
  4. Assessment Regulation 4: Action following a report to the Head of Registry of suspected unfair behaviour
    1. If the Head of Registry receives a report of suspected unfair behaviour by a candidate, a meeting of a Board of Enquiry shall be convened, as soon as possible, to consider the case. The Board of Enquiry will normally meet within 15 working days of the receipt of the report. Notification of the date of the Board of Enquiry will be forwarded to the candidate at least five working days in advance of the meeting.
    2. The Board will consist of the following persons:
      1. Three members of the Senate with no direct involvement in the assessment in question
      2. The Head of Registry or nominated deputy
      3. The President of the Students’ Union, or a deputy
    3. The Head of Registry will inform the candidate of the action taken and will supply to the candidate a copy of the report.
    4. The Board shall consider the report and take evidence as necessary from those involved. Representatives from the School will present their case in the presence of the student and supporter. The candidate shall have the right to appear before the Board in person to present his/her evidence and to be accompanied by a friend when doing so.
    5. Where it is established that a candidate has cheated or has otherwise sought to gain an unfair advantage, a report to that effect shall be made to the relevant Assessment Board.
    6. The student’s performance will not be considered by the Assessment Board concerned until the Board of Enquiry has completed its investigations.
    7. The Assessment Board shall then consider the matter and shall exercise discretion in a manner appropriate to the case. This discretion shall include the power to deem the student to have failed part or all of the stage assessment concerned and to determine whether or not the student should be reassessed.
    8. In cases of confirmed serious plagiarism, students may be prevented from using accumulated credit for the purpose of accreditation of prior learning on other courses of study which lead to a higher award within the University. The Assessment Board shall determine whether or not the student should be so prevented.
    9. The candidate shall be informed of the decision of the Board of Enquiry and shall have a right of appeal against that decision (see Assessment Regulation 5).
    Note: This regulation should be read in conjunction with Assessment Regulation 3 on plagiarism.
  5. Assessment Regulation 5: Appeal against a decision of a Board of Enquiry
    1. An Appeals Committee, acting on behalf of the Senate, may re-examine the case of a candidate who has been judged to have been guilty of unfair behaviour in an assessment. The candidate must satisfy the Committee, on the basis of a material administrative error or the existence of new evidence or some other material irregularity, that the decision should be changed.
    2. An appeal against a decision that unfair behaviour has occurred shall be made in writing to the Head of Registry’s office as soon as possible and normally not later than four calendar weeks after the decision which is disputed has been made known to the appellant. Some reasonable delay in lodging an appeal will be allowed where, for example, the appellant is involved in either industrial activities or teaching practice as part of his/her course. The letter should give an indication of the nature of and grounds for the appeal.
    3. The Appeals Committee shall comprise three members of the Senate, one of whom will be a student member. The Committee shall be drawn from the members of the Senate and no member shall have been directly involved in the decision under dispute. The chair of the Committee, who may not be a student, shall be chosen by the members of the Committee.
    4. A senior officer not previously involved shall act as secretary and convenor of the Committee, but shall not be a member.
    5. The Appeals Committee shall normally hold its first meeting within 15 working days of the appeal being lodged. Its meetings shall be held in private and its proceedings shall be confidential.
    6. The appellant may, if he/she wishes, present his/her case to the Committee in person and has the right to be accompanied by a friend when presenting the case to the Committee. Notification of the date of the Appeals Committee will be forwarded to the appellant at least five working days in advance of the meeting.
    7. The Appeals Committee shall have powers to disallow an appeal and in such cases its decision shall be final, with the following provisos:
      1. the Senate may hear complaints of improper conduct against the Committee;
      2. in cases of exclusion the decision of the Appeals Committee cannot prejudice the right of appeal;
      3. the Committee shall be re-convened if substantial new evidence is later presented.
    8. All decisions of the Appeals Committee shall be made by a majority vote of the members. In the event of the votes being tied the decision shall be in favour of the appellant and the procedure laid down in paragraph 5.10 shall be followed.
    9. The Committee shall submit a written report of its conclusions within ten working days of its final meeting to the Chair of the Course Assessment Board and to the appellant.
    10. In cases where the appeal is upheld, and in consequence the case is referred back, the Assessment Board shall be informed of the evidence accepted as justification for the appeal to be upheld and the case should be re-assessed in the light of the new totality of information on the case.
  6. Assessment Regulation 6: Publication of the results of assessments
    1. The results of any assessments and the decisions which follow shall be recorded on the University ASIS database. Only results published under the authority of the Head of Registry shall be deemed authentic.
    2. The outcome of any deliberation of an Assessment Board shall not be published in numerical form. Where modules are graded the literal grades specified in E5 of the University’s Regulations for Awards shall be used. Candidates are entitled to be given their numerical marks on an individual basis.
    3. Results lists from Assessment Boards will be signed by the Chair of the Board and the Dean, or a nominated deputy, and will be retained securely within the School Office. Students will be advised of their results via the University ASIS database.
    4. Students will be advised of their resit results via the University ASIS database on the Friday following the end of the Resit Assessment Board meetings. In exceptional circumstances some courses will receive results by letter.
    5. Electronic copies of results lists from all Assessment Boards will be lodged in the School Office. Paper copies of conferment lists will be lodged in the Registry and the School Office.
  7. Assessment Regulation 7: Appeal against a decision of an Assessment Board
    1. An ‘appeal’ is defined as a request for a review of a decision of an Assessment Board charged with making decisions on student progression, assessment and awards. Such an appeal will always be concerned with the conduct of the assessment or with the personal circumstances of the candidate and not with questioning the academic judgement of a Board.
    2. An Appeals Committee, acting on behalf of the Senate, may require an Assessment Board to reconsider its decision:
      1. if a candidate requests such reconsideration and establishes to the satisfaction of the Appeals Committee that his or her performance in the assessment was adversely affected by illness or other factors which he or she was unable, or for valid reasons unwilling, to divulge before the Assessment Board reached its decision. The candidate’s request must be supported by medical certificates or other evidence acceptable to the Appeals Committee.
      2. if the Appeals Committee is satisfied on evidence produced by a candidate or any other person that there has been a material administrative error, or that the assessments were not conducted in accordance with the current regulations for the course, or that some other material irregularity has occurred.
    3. A request for an appeal of a result confirmed by an Assessment Board shall be made in writing to the Head of Registry’s office as soon as possible and normally not later than two calendar weeks after the decision of the Assessment Board which is disputed has been announced. Some reasonable delay in lodging a request will be allowed where, for example, the student is involved in either sandwich placement or teaching practice as part of his/her course. The letter should give an indication of the nature of and the grounds for the request.
    4. If leave to appeal is granted the Appeals Committee shall comprise three members of the Senate, one of whom will be a student member. No member shall have been directly involved in the assessment under dispute, be a member of the Assessment Board nor be drawn from the School in which the student is based. The chair of the Committee, who may not be a student, shall be chosen by the members of the Committee.
    5. The Head of Registry or a nominated deputy shall act as secretary and convenor of the Committee, but shall not be a member.
    6. The Appeals Committee shall normally hold its first meeting within 20 working days of the request being lodged. Its meetings shall be held in private and its proceedings shall be confidential.
    7. The student may, if he/she wishes, present his/her case to the Committee in person and has the right to be accompanied by a friend when presenting the case to the Committee. Representatives from the School will present their case in the presence of the student and supporter. Notification of the date of the Appeals Committee will be forwarded to the student at least five working days in advance of the meeting.
    8. The meeting of the Appeals Committee may be postponed, for no more than five working days, if the student who has made the appeal can show good reason for not being able to attend at the originally specified time. However, the failure or inability of a student to attend the meeting of the Appeals Committee will not preclude the Committee from reaching a decision.
    9. The Appeals Committee shall have the powers to disallow a request and in such cases its decision shall be final, with the following provisos:
      1. The Senate may hear complaints of improper conduct against the Committee or require in exceptional circumstances, the Committee to be reconvened.
      2. In cases of exclusion the decision of the Appeals Committee cannot prejudice any right of appeal under Article 87. (See regulations governing the suspension and expulsion of students from the University on academic grounds.)
    10. In cases where the request is granted, and in consequence the case is referred back, the Assessment Board shall be informed of the evidence accepted as justification for the review to be carried out and the case should be re-assessed in the light of the new totality of information on the case.
    11. In its proceedings the Appeals Committee must pay proper deference to the role and the authority of external examiners and to the regulations of external bodies where they are material.
    12. All decisions of the Appeals Committee shall be made by a majority vote of the members. In the event of the votes being tied the decision shall be in favour of the student and the procedure laid down in paragraph 7.10 shall be followed.
    13. The Committee shall submit a written report of its conclusions within ten working days of its final meeting to the Chair of the Course Assessment Board and to the student.
    14. The University will meet reasonable and proportionate incidental expenses (for example, travel within the UK, subsistence and essential accommodation) necessarily incurred by successful appellants as a result of attending an Appeals Committee. The University will not meet any legal expenses.
    15. The Head of Registry will prepare an annual statistical report on complaints and appeals for the University’s Teaching and Learning Committee and Research Committee. This report will identify any issues which need prompt attention.
    Note: This should be read in conjunction with E3.7 of the Regulations for Awards, September 2005.
  8. Assessment Regulation 8: Retention of records, scripts, coursework, etc.
    1. The Head of Registry will be responsible for ensuring that awards records are created and stored for reference purposes over an indefinite period.
    2. Examination scripts and discs of electronic examination answers together with the working booklets must be retained for reference purposes for a minimum period of three months after the statutory limit for requests for review of a decision of an Assessment Board has expired.
    3. The University has the right to retain in-course assignments following assessment as in 8.2. When assignments are returned to candidates this is done on the understanding that any assessments already made will remain on record.
  9. Assessment Regulation 9: Research misconduct for candidates registered on an approved course of supervised research
    1. Research misconduct involving plagiarism, piracy or falsifying results is a form of dishonesty which is viewed by the University as a serious offence. The University’s Regulations for Awards contain provisions, in section F2.9, under which the University’s Research Committee may penalise candidates who are found to have dishonestly obtained work for assessment. The purpose of this section is to explain what research misconduct is, to describe the procedures which will be followed when it is suspected, and to indicate the penalties which are likely to be imposed when it is detected.
    2. Common forms of misconduct are piracy, plagiarism and fraud.
      • Piracy is the deliberate exploitation of ideas from others without acknowledgement.
      • Plagiarism is the copying of ideas, data or text without permission or acknowledgement.
      • Fraud involves deliberate deception including the invention of data and the omission from analysis, and non-publication of inconvenient data.
    3. Where a supervisor or an examiner (internal or external) suspects that research misconduct has occurred, the Dean of the School (or nominated deputy) will interview the candidate concerned and will establish whether or not the accusation is contested. The supervisor(s) and/or examiner(s) may also be asked to take part in the interview. If all parties agree that misconduct has taken place, a report will be prepared by the Dean (or nominated deputy) for consideration by the University’s Research Committee. The report will be signed by all parties.
    4. If the candidate concerned disputes the allegation, a full report will be made to the Head of Registry and a formal Board of Enquiry will be convened in accordance with the procedure referred to below. The candidate’s performance will not be considered further until the Board of Enquiry has completed its investigations.
    5. Where it has been found that research misconduct has been committed, the University’s Research Committee shall determine whether or not the candidate shall be permitted to continue, submit or be re-examined. In the latter case the candidate shall submit for re-examination within the period of one calendar year from the date of the latest part of the examination.
    6. Action following a report to the Head of Registry of suspected dishonest behaviour by a student registered on an approved course of supervised research
      1. If the Head of Registry receives a report of suspected dishonest behaviour by a candidate, a meeting of a Board of Enquiry shall be convened, as soon as possible, to consider the case. The Board will consist of the following persons:
        • Two members of the Senate with no direct involvement in the assessment in question
        • One member of the relevant School’s Research Committee with no direct involvement in the assessment in question
        • The Head of Registry (or nominated deputy)
        • The President of the Students’ Union, or a deputy
      2. The Head of Registry will inform the candidate of the action taken and will supply to the candidate a copy of the report.
      3. The Board shall consider the report and take evidence as necessary from those involved. The candidate shall have the right to appear before the Board in person to present his/her evidence and to be accompanied by a friend when doing so.
      4. Where it is established that a candidate has cheated or has otherwise sought to gain an unfair advantage, a report to that effect shall be made to the University’s Research Committee.
      5. The student’s performance will not be considered further until the Board of Enquiry has completed its investigations.
      6. The University’s Research Committee shall then consider the matter and shall determine whether or not the candidate should be allowed to be reassessed.
      7. The candidate shall be informed of the decision of the Board of Enquiry and shall have a right of appeal against that decision.
    Note: This regulation will apply to the research element only of an integrated course and should be read in conjunction with the above regulations on research misconduct. For those candidates following a taught element of an integrated course of work, Assessment Regulations 3 and 4 will apply. Students are advised to seek impartial help, advice, guidance and support from sabbatical officers in the Students’ Union.
  10. Assessment Regulation 10: Appeal against the recommendation of examiner (students on approved courses of supervised research)
    1. Candidates may in the circumstances set out below request a review of the examiners’ recommendation, whether at the first examination or on re-examination.
      1. An ‘appeal’ is defined as a request for a review of the recommendation of the examiners, whether at the first examination or on the re-examination. Such an appeal will always be concerned with the conduct of the examination or with the personal circumstances of the candidate.
    2. Grounds for an appeal
      An appeal may only be made in relation to the decision made on the recommendation of the examiners. Given the existence of procedures for complaint during the study period, alleged inadequacy of supervisory or other arrangements during the period of study do not constitute grounds for requesting a review of the examination decision.
    3. An appeal is permitted only on the following grounds:
      • that there are circumstances affecting the candidate’s performance of which the examiners were not aware at the oral examination;
      • that there is evidence of procedural irregularity in the conduct of the examination (including administrative error) of such a nature as to cause doubt as to whether the result might have been different had there not been any irregularity;
      • that there is evidence of unfair or improper assessment on the part of one or more of the examiners. Candidates may not otherwise challenge the academic judgement of the examiners.
    4. Procedure for dealing with an appeal
      A notice for an appeal against the recommendation of the examiners shall be made in writing to the Head of Registry’s office as soon as possible and normally not later than one month from the date of notification of the outcome. The candidate must submit the detailed written case for the appeal within a further three months from the date of giving notice.
    5. The appeal will be considered by a panel convened by the Head of Registry. The panel will consist of three persons having experience of supervising and examining research degrees and who have had no previous involvement in the case nor be drawn from the School in which the candidate is based. No student or research degree candidate may be a member of a Research Degree Appeal Panel.
    6. The Head of Registry or a nominated deputy shall act as secretary and convenor of the Research Degree Appeal Panel, but shall not be a member.
    7. The Research Degree Appeal Panel shall normally hold its first meeting within one month of the submission by the candidate of the written case for the appeal. Its meetings shall be held in private and its proceedings shall be confidential.
    8. The candidate may, if he/she wishes, present his/her case to the Panel in person and has the right to be accompanied by a friend when presenting the case to the Panel. Notification of the date of the Panel will be forwarded to the candidate at least ten working days in advance of the meeting.
    9. The meeting of the Panel may be postponed for no more than ten working days, if the candidate who has made the appeal can show good reason for not being able to attend at the originally specified time. However, the failure or inability of the candidate to attend the meeting of the Panel will not preclude the Panel from reaching a decision.
    10. If a Panel agrees that a candidate has valid grounds for appeal, it must either:
      • recommend that the examiners be invited to reconsider their decision;
      • recommend that new examiners be appointed.
    11. A Research Degree Appeal Panel is not constituted as an examination board and has no authority to set aside the decision of examiners and thereby to recommend the award of the degree.
    12. The Panel shall have the powers to disallow an appeal and in such cases its decision shall be final, with the following proviso that the Senate may hear complaints of improper conduct against the Panel or require in exceptional circumstances, the Panel to be reconvened.
    13. All decisions of the Panel shall be made by a majority vote of the members.
    14. The Panel shall submit a written report of its conclusions within ten working days of its final meeting to the candidate, the examiners, the candidate’s Director of Studies and the Chair of the University Research Committee.
    15. The University will meet reasonable and proportionate incidental expenses (for example, travel within the UK, subsistence and essential accommodation) necessarily incurred by successful appellants as a result of attending a Research Degree Appeal Panel. The University will not meet any legal expenses.
    16. The Head of Registry will prepare an annual statistical report on complaints and appeals for the University’s Teaching and Learning Committee and Research Committee. This report will identify any issues which need prompt attention.