Appeals & Consultation

The Academic Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees by Research and Thesis stipulate that a research student has the right to appeal the decision not to confirm/transfer them to the PhD register, the decision not to allow progression, or the outcome of an examination. Such appeals are made directly to the Graduate Research Studies Board (GRSB), which is chaired by the Dean of Graduate Studies. The GRSB Appeals Standing Committee will be convened to consider appeals made to GRSB on the grounds detailed below.

Please refer to Appendix 1 for the terms of reference of the GRSB Standing Committee.

A student must make explicit the grounds upon which they are appealing the decision of the supervisory panel or examiners. Academic Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees by Research and Thesis indicate that the grounds for appeal do not include simply disagreeing with the academic judgment of the supervisory panel or examiners. Academic judgement refers to a judgement that is made about a matter where the opinion of an academic expert is essential.

As per the regulations, an appeal will only be considered on the basis of one of the following grounds:

• I. There was a failure to adhere to Academic Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees by Research and Thesis

• II. There is an insufficiency in the regulations contained in Academic Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees by Research and Thesis.

• III. There is evidence of extenuating circumstances that was not available to the supervisory panel or the examiners for justifiable reason and, therefore, was not considered when a decision was made relating to confirmation/transfer to the PhD register, progression or the outcome of an examination. Extenuating circumstances are unforeseen circumstances, outside the control of the student, that temporarily prevented the student from pursuing their research or from performing at the level that might reasonably have been expected of them. Extenuating circumstances include illness and bereavement and suitable documentary evidence must be provided if they are to be considered as part of the student’s appeal (see the Appeal Documentation section).

• IV. There is a case that sufficient weight was not given to documented extenuating circumstances notified prior to the decision being reached.

• V. There was a material administrative error or a material irregularity in assessment procedures which have made a real and substantial difference to the decision of the supervisory panel or the outcome of an examination.

Cases judged by the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee to fall outside the above grounds will not be considered and the appeal will be rejected.

Appeals are processed in accordance with Section 13 of Academic Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees by Research and Thesis. A student should carefully read this section of the regulations before submitting an appeal.

3.1 The GRSB Appeals Standing Committee will be convened to consider appeals submitted to GRSB. This Committee is chaired by the Dean of Graduate Studies in their capacity as Chair of the Graduate Research Studies Board.

3.2 To appeal a decision of the examiners or supervisory panel, the student should complete the Research Appeal Form and submit it to the Secretary of GRSB by the specified deadline. The Research Appeal Form for the 2023/24 academic year can be accessed via the appeals section of the OVPAA website and includes the submission deadlines for this period. The Secretary of GRSB for the 2023/24 academic year is Dr David Mc Carthy (david.mccarthy@dcu.ie). 

Appeal documentation submitted to the Secretary by the relevant deadline 

Secretary and/or Chair seeks any further information required

Meeting of GRSB Standing Committee convened

Report of appeal decision communicated to the GRSB for consideration

Final decision of GRSB communicated to the student, Head of School and other relevant parties

Final decision of GRSB reported to Academic Council

The deadline by which a student must submit their Research Appeal Form is determined by the date that the formal decision of the supervisory panel or examiners is either approved by GRSB or made known to the student as per the table below.

3.3 Progression to the next year of study for the purposes of continuing academic activity is permitted in respect of a student who has lodged an appeal that, for reasons outside their control, could not be considered by the committee prior to the beginning of the next academic year. However, engagement with the next year of study must cease immediately upon notification of an unsuccessful outcome of the appeal.

In the interests of students, appeals are considered as promptly as possible following the notification to the student of the decision by the supervisory panel or examiners. It is usually not appropriate, however, that an appeal be considered while related parallel processes, such as the student grievance process, are also in progress.

3.4 The appeal documentation is reviewed by the Chair and the Secretary of the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee. Any additional documentation or further clarification that is required in order for the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee to make a fully informed decision will be sought by the Chair or the Secretary. This may include written comments from the Head of School and/or elements of the student’s record where relevant, (e.g., annual review reports, examination reports, etc.

3.5 The decisions of the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee are subject to approval by the GRSB and are then submitted to Academic Council for noting. Once approved by GRSB, the decision of the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee is final and binding.

3.6 The proceedings of the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee, and any subsequent discussion at GRSB, shall be confidential to the parties involved. The Dean of Graduate Studies, acting as Chair of the GRSB, will notify all parties concerned of the decision of the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee.

As part of the appeal process, the student is invited to specify their desired outcome using the Research Appeal Form. In doing so, the student should be cognisant of the possible outcome(s) for the different types of appeal.

The possible outcomes of the different types of appeal are provided below:

Please Note: The GRSB Appeals Standing Committee does not re-examine work or make an academic judgement and, therefore, will not overturn an academic decision.

5.1 A student who decides to exercise their right to appeal a decision of the supervisory panel or examiners must complete the Research Appeal Form and submit it to the Secretary of the GRSB, along with all necessary supporting documentation, by the submission deadline for the next meeting of the committee.

5.2 The GRSB Appeals Standing Committee does not make an independent academic judgement of the quality of a student’s work. Students should not, therefore, include any extraneous materials (such as reports, papers or other student work) with their appeal submissions, as these will not be considered as part of the appeal.

5.3 In cases where the student considers that extenuating circumstances should have been given more weight or were unknown to the supervisory panel or examiners but are alleged to be relevant, the student’s appeal should be supported by a formal letter from a relevant professional on headed paper or other suitable documentary evidence outlining the circumstances and the timing of the illness/condition which gave rise to the appeal.

In the case of an appeal made on the grounds of extenuating circumstances relating to other factors, such as the death of a relative, written evidence must be attached in the form of a letter from a member of the clergy, a death notification or a Garda report.

The student must ensure that the documentation provided as evidence of extenuating circumstances provides sufficient detail/information to allow the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee to assess the impact of the condition(s) in the context cited.

5.4 An appeal shall be heard on the basis of extenuating circumstances that are submitted after the meeting of the supervisory panel or examiners. Where such an appeal is submitted, the student shall be required to demonstrate circumstances outside of their control that prevented the relevant factors being disclosed at the appropriate time. In all cases, the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee will consider the reasons why the student failed to bring these extenuating circumstances to the attention of the supervisory panel or examiners prior to the decision being reached. Where the GRSB Standing Committee considers that the extenuating circumstances should have been so notified, the failure to do so by the student will be a relevant factor in determining the extent to which the appeal is justified.

5.5 Students should only include supporting documentation that provides evidence directly related to the grounds upon which they are appealing a decision. No other documentation will be considered. At the start of its scheduled meeting, the documentation provided will be examined by the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee for its relevance to the cited grounds of appeal. Any documentation deemed irrelevant to the appeal will be removed from the application at this stage and will not be considered further as part of the appeal.

The GRSB will maintain a Set of Precedents, which consists of a collection of statements, not linked to specific cases, that capture how the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee responded to arguments or evidence provided in an instance that might have more general relevance to future deliberations of the committee. These precedents shall be used as an aid to achieving consistency in decision-making by ensuring that members of the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee are made aware of similar circumstances that arose in the past and of the decision made in these instances.

A precedent shall be added where the GRSB members agree that the circumstances that constitute the context and the outcomes of a particular appeal represent an instance that is likely to occur again. The Set of Precedents shall be reviewed periodically in order to remove precedents that no longer apply or to take account of instances where the University’s regulations have changed.

The GRSB Appeals Standing Committee will consider all eligible appeals based on their individual merits in an objective and impartial manner and will determine the most appropriate course of action pursuant to the information provided.

The function of the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee is to establish whether or not there is a justified case for an appeal against a decision. If there is a justified case for an appeal, the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee will adjudicate on the appeal.

The role of the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee is to:

• a) consider written appeals and submissions;
• b) examine the relevant academic record of the student involved;
• c) seek the views/comments of the Head of School and relevant academic staff where the standing committee considers that it is appropriate to do so;
• d) consider and determine whether or not there is a justified case for an appeal against a decision of the supervisory panel or examiners; and
• e) in the situation of a justified case for appeal, take all information into account and decide to:
  • i. uphold the appeal and determine the most appropriate course of action in the appellant’s case; or
  • ii. reject the appeal.

The GRSB Appeals Standing Committee shall confine its consideration of each appeal to matters related to procedural fairness, due process and the grounds for appeal indicated by the student, taking into account relevant information available in the student’s record and provided by the Head of School and other academic staff as appropriate.

The GRSB Appeals Standing Committee will comprise of a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 8 members. The Chair of GRSB will be the Chair of the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee, while the Secretary of GRSB will be the Secretary of the committee and will attend in a non-voting capacity. Membership of the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee will normally primarily be drawn from the membership of GRSB and will include a student representative and a mix of representation from across the University’s faculties through the Associate Deans for Research. A maximum of 3 members of the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee may be drawn from outside the membership of GRSB, e.g.., from Emeritus professors and other colleagues with relevant experience in the supervision and examination of postgraduate research students.

No member of the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee who has a conflict of interest or a significant prior involvement in a specific case will be involved in considering that case, and the chair or membership of the committee will be adjusted, if necessary, to accommodate this principle.

The Chairperson may invite a legal professional to attend in an advisory and non-voting capacity. The Chairperson may also request a non-voting representative from the Registry to attend to advise on matters that are regulatory in nature and/or relate to the student record and the impact of decisions on a student’s registration status or record. The appellant does not attend the meeting.

No member of the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee shall take any representations prior to the sitting of the committee from students who intend to make an appeal. Representations made to any member of staff in the University concerning the decision of the standing committee shall not be entertained.

The GRSB Appeals Standing Committee shall make its decision by a simple majority of those present and voting. In the case of an equality of votes, the Chairperson shall have a second or casting vote.

All decisions made by the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee shall be consistent with University regulations and standards, and are subject to approval by GRSB. Once approved by GRSB, the Chair will inform the student and the relevant staff of the decision of the GRSB Appeals Standing Committee. At the end of each calendar year, the Chairperson shall, on behalf of the GRSB, notify Academic Council of the number and outcomes of any appeals considered.

The GRSB Appeals Standing Committee shall have the right to make recommendations and observations to GRSB concerning any matters of detail or principle arising from a case.

1.1. An appeal is the procedure whereby a student may request a review of a decision by a Progression and Award Board relating to their academic progress or award, in accordance with specified grounds.    

1.2. A student may appeal against a decision of a Progression & Award Board on the following grounds only:  

• (a) Their performance in the assessment was adversely affected by illness or other factors, which they were unable or, for valid reasons, unwilling to divulge before the Progression & Award Board reached its decision.  
• (b) The Progression & Award Board did not give sufficient weight to any extenuating circumstances[1] previously notified to the Registry prior to the holding of the meeting of the Progression & Award Board. 
• (c) The examinations were not conducted in accordance with the current regulations as approved by Academic Council. 
• d) There was a material administrative error or a material irregularity in assessment procedures which have made a real and substantial difference to their result. 

1.3. There is no right of appeal against decisions of a Progression & Award Board which are matters of academic judgement. Disagreement with the academic judgement of a Progression & Award Board in assessing any information relating to a candidate’s performance does not in itself constitute grounds for an appeal. 

1.4. In exceptional circumstances, students may appeal a provisional^[2] examination result that has not been formally approved by the relevant Progression and Award Board, namely, where students have failed the module concerned and the resit opportunity takes place before the examination result is formally approved by a Progression and Award Board.

• 1.4.1. Where a student appeals a provisional result under such circumstances, the same ground(s) for appeal may not be used if a subsequent appeal is made in respect of the same module(s) following the Progression and Award Board.         

[1]Extenuating circumstances are interpreted as unforeseen circumstances, outside the control of the student, that are accepted by the Progression and Award Board as having temporarily prevented the student from submitting their work for assessment, undertaking an assessment, or from performing in an assessment at the level that might reasonably have been expected of them.            

[2]Where examination results have been approved by a Programme Board Examination Review Committee or equivalent but have not been formally approved by a Progression and Award Board.   

2.1. A student who opts to exercise their right to appeal the decision of a Progression and Award Board must present such an appeal on the Examinations Appeal Form (R-31) online at https://www.dcu.ie/ovpaa/Appeals.shtml with supporting documentation  within a specified number of days[1].

2.2. Appeals submitted after the closing date for lodging appeals (as published on the University’s Academic Calendar) will not be considered.  

2.3. A student lodging an appeal is required to submit the requisite fee[2] online with the application[3] at This fee is non-refundable except in the case of a student whose appeal is deemed by the Examination Appeals Board to be successful. 

2.4. In the case of an appeal made on the basis of extenuating circumstances, the student is required to provide relevant information, as would have been included in an R30 Extenuating Circumstances submission as outlined below 

• 2.4.1. Details of appropriate types of documentation are outlined on the website here.

• 2.4.2. Students must ensure that such documentation provides sufficient detail/information for the Examinations Appeals Board to assess the impact of the condition(s) cited.

• 2.4.3. It is not sufficient to provide contact details for professionals who may provide such information/details on request.  Students can have one absence from academic activities of up to five days that does not require supporting documentation.  Two or more absences or longer periods of absences require supporting documentation.  Two or more periods of absences require supporting documentation when a student submits extenuating circumstances.  These measures include teaching weeks, study weeks and exam weeks

2.5. A full set of examination results for the current academic year should accompany your appeal submission. You may also provide examination results/transcripts for any other academic years that you consider relevant and to which you might want the Examination Appeals Board’s attention to be drawn. 

2.6. Where an appeal is made on the grounds of extenuating circumstances which were not brought to the attention of the Progression and Award Board, the student is required to demonstrate the circumstances that prevented the relevant factors being disclosed at the appropriate time.

2.7. The appeal form should be completed as follows:

• 2.7.1. All sections of the form should be completed

• 2.7.2. Personal details should be provided in Section 1.

• 2.7.3. Details of the degree programme and the modules being appealed should be included in Section 2.                                                      

• 2.7.4. The grounds on which the student is appealing should be identified in Section 3. There are no grounds for appeal other than those listed in Section 1.2 of this document.

• 2.7.5. Section 4 indicates the information which should be provided in the Personal Statement in Support of Appeal. Further details of this are listed in Section 2.8 below.

•  2.7.6. Any documentary evidence included with the appeal should be listed in Section 5

• 2.7.7. You should provide your examination results for semester 1 and semester 2 in Section 6 in a legible format by screenshot, or scan and upload your results page.

• 2.7.8. Section 7 contains a checklist to assist in ensuring the appeal is complete. Incomplete appeals are invalid and will be rejected.

• 2.7.9.  The appeal form should be submitted using a student DCU e-mail account only.  Submissions which are made from other accounts will be considered invalid.

2.8. The Personal Statement in Support of Appeal should be concise. 

• 2.8.1. It may include the action which the student would like the Examination Appeals Board to take. 

• 2.8.2. If a student is appealing on the grounds of previously undisclosed extenuating circumstances, [ground (a)], it should include a valid reason why the student was unable or unwilling to notify the Progression and Award Board at the appropriate time.

•  2.8.3. If a student is appealing on the grounds that the examinations were not conducted in accordance with current regulations or that there was a material administrative error or irregularity in assessment procedures [grounds (c) or (d),] the error or irregularity should be stated in the personal statement. 

• 2.8.4.  A personal statement must not name staff specifically.  If a narrative is being provided then job titles are to be used, e.g. Programme Chair, Module Co-ordinator, Lecturer, Fellow student etc.

2.9. The Examination Appeals Board does not make an independent academic judgement of the quality of a student’s work. Students are therefore requested not to include any assessment materials (such as dissertations, essays, computer codes or reports) with their appeal submissions as they will not be considered.

2.10. Progression to the next year of study for the purposes of attending academic exercises is permitted in respect of a student who has lodged an appeal against the decisions of the Progression and Award Board in the resit examinations held in autumn of each academic year. However, such attendance must cease immediately upon notification of an unsuccessful outcome of the appeal or an upheld decision which does not permit progression by the following year.  There may be circumstances where such attendance is not possible e.g. placements 

2.11.  Appellants are advised to postpone registering until completion of the Examination Appeals Board process.  Upon receipt of the decision, students should visit the Registry Office immediately to complete registration.  The late registration fee will be waived upon presentation of the letter/decision of the Examination Appeals Board.

[1]Currently 10 days from the promulgation of examination results online

[2]Currently €100. This is a flat fee and it covers multiple modules.

[3]Fee to be submitted online at https://dcu.sybernetsps.ie/dcupayments/dcu  

3.1. The procedures relating to preparation for and conduct of the Examination Appeals Board meetings and notification of the decisions of the Board are outlined in the Terms of Reference, Composition and Standing Orders of the Examination Appeals Board.

3.2. The Examination Appeals Board shall in all cases consider the reasons for any failure by students to have brought extenuating circumstances to the attention of the Progression and Award Board prior to that Board reaching its decision. Where the Appeals Board considers that the extenuating circumstances should have been so notified, such a failure shall be a relevant consideration justifying the rejection of the appeal. 

3.3. If the appeal is judged to be successful, the Examination Appeals Board will determine an appropriate course of action.  

3.4. The decision of the Examination Appeals Board is communicated in writing. 

3.5. In the case of a successful appeal, the appeal fee shall be fully refunded and an amended statement of results will be issued shortly afterwards.

3.6. As outlined in the Terms of Reference, Composition and Standing Orders of the Examination Appeals Board, decisions of the Examination Appeals Board are final and binding. Further representations made to any member of staff of the University will not be entertained. 

1.1 The following procedures arise from the decision of Academic Council on 7 December 2016 to implement a module recheck facility, on a pilot basis for 2 years commencing with the academic year 2017/18. It will be available for academic sessions commencing September 2017.

1.2. A recheck is the administrative process whereby it is confirmed that:

• All elements submitted for assessment were considered and assessed
• The calculation of the marks awarded was correct
• No errors or omissions occurred in the recording, collating or combining of marks
• The correct summary mark was presented to the Progression and Award Board. 

1.3. A recheck does not involve the regrading of exam scripts or continuous assessment. 

1.4. A recheck of a module is only open to students who were unable to avail of the relevant consultation days, following the promulgation of results, for the following reasons:

• Certified Illness 
• Being abroad during the examination consultation period (either semester) 

1.5. A recheck can generally only be requested following confirmation of marks by a Progression and Award Board. This will usually be after the summer and autumn diets of examinations.  

1.6. In exceptional circumstances, students may request a recheck of a provisional2 examination result that has not been formally approved by the relevant Progression and Award Board (where examination results have been approved by a Programme Board Examination Review Committee or equivalent but have not been formally approved by a Progression and Award Board).  Namely, where students have failed the module concerned and the resit opportunity takes place before the examination result is formally approved by a Progression and Award Board.   Where students request a recheck under such circumstances, a further recheck cannot be requested following the Progression and Awards Board 

2.1. Two collated and stapled copies of all recheck documentation (completed form and supporting documentation i.e., medical certificate or evidence of travel) for each recheck requested should be submitted to Academic Affairs, Room D106, Bea Orpen Building, DCU Glasnevin Campus. 

2.2. Completed Module Recheck Forms must be submitted within a specified number of days. This period is the same as that applicable for the submission of appeals, currently 10 days from the date of promulgation of the results on-line for which the recheck is requested.

2.3. Recheck requests submitted after the closing date for lodging requests will not be considered. 

2.4. Module Recheck Request Forms must be accompanied by evidence of the basis upon which a request is being requested.  

2.5. An administration fee, currently €20 per module, will be payable in respect of each module for which a recheck is sought. This administration fee is non-refundable except in the case of a student where an error is discovered when conducting the recheck.   

3.1. Completed forms will be distributed by Academic Affairs to the relevant schools.  

3.2. It is recognised that examination script and continuous assessment storage arrangements vary across schools and faculties. Similarly, the arrangements in place to facilitate the recheck process may vary across schools.  

3.3. The Head of School, reflecting “ownership” of modules which resides with the schools responsible for their delivery, or nominee will ensure that 

• 3.3.1. The recheck is undertaken  

• 3.3.2. The outcome is submitted to Academic Affairs as per the date specified in the email from the OVPAA Administrator.  This deadline is necessary to ensure that the Examination Appeals Board members get the information in time for the meeting. The candidate may have simultaneously submitted an appeal request and hence it is essential that the outcome of the recheck process is known to the Examination Appeals Board.

• 3.3.3. Where the recheck gives rise to a change in grade, the post PAB amendment procedure must be followed. Direct contact must be made with the Student Awards Manager to initiate this procedure

• 3.3.4. As assessment storage arrangements vary across schools and faculties, each school should make their own arrangements as to who will conduct the recheck.

3.4. The administrator in Academic Affairs will 

• 3.4.1. Notify students where a recheck will not be undertaken as the request was not accompanied by relevant documentation

• 3.4.2. Notify the Examination Appeals Board of any changes affecting students who have also submitted an appeal.

• 3.4.3. Notify the student of the outcome of the recheck within one week of the date of the Appeals Board meeting.

1.1. An Assessment Review is a reconsideration of an element of assessment by an independent assessor in instances where a student makes a coherent academic argument that the grade awarded is incorrect.

1.2. Due to their nature, there may be modules or part of modules where an assessment review is not possible.  The assessment review process relies on there being an existent piece of work originally completed by the student for marking, which can be assessed by an independent reviewer.  This would not normally be the case for presentations, practice placements, supervisor’s mark for the conduct of a project etc. 

1.3. Students must have reviewed their examination script or assessment and/or discussed their performance with the relevant examiner/module coordinator prior to submitting an assessment review application. This includes students who submit an assessment as part of a group. 

1.4. An assessment review application must be specific as to the parts of the assessment which the student claims was marked incorrectly and include a coherent academic argument as to why the student believes the grade awarded is incorrect. Drafting this will take time and effort. 

1.5. The review is limited to this part of the assessment which the student claims has been marked incorrectly. 

1.6. The following review applications will not be processed 

• Applications where the student has not viewed their assessment/script or 
• Applications which do not outline the exact points with which the student disagrees or 
• Applications where there has been a failure to identify the specific part of the assessment which is believed to have been marked incorrectly 
• Applications where a coherent academic argument as to why the grade awarded is incorrect is not provided.  

1.7. A review will not be undertaken for reasons such as the following

• Disappointment with the grade awarded
• Assertions that the grade does not reflect the work effort
• Results are borderline for a higher degree classification 

1.8. An application for an assessment review can only be made against a grade which has been approved by a Progression and Award Board. An application for review cannot be made against a provisional result.                  

2.1. Completed Assessment Review Forms must be submitted online at https://www.dcu.ie/ovpaa/Appeals.shtml within a specified number of days[1].

2.2. Review requests submitted after the closing date for lodging requests will not be considered. 

2.3. A student requesting an assessment review will be required to submit the requested fee[2] with the application[3]. This fee is non-refundable except in the case of a student where the process results in a change to the previously published module result and can be submitted at https://dcu.sybernetsps.ie/dcupayments/dcu.

2.4. In instances where the student claims significant errors have been made in the grading of more than one module, a separate application must be completed for each module[4].

2.5. Due to the nature of the process, it is highly unlikely that a final decision will be received within the examination appeals process timeframe. Hence, students are advised to prepare for and avail of any resit opportunities pending the outcome of the review. 

2.6. Decisions from the assessment review process are final and binding. 

[1] This period is the same as that applicable for the submission of an appeal, currently 10 days from the date of promulgation of the results online for which the recheck is requested.

[2] The requisite fee is the same as that for an appeal, currently €100.

[3]The fee should be submitted online at the web-link provided above and on the submission form.

[4] The requisite fee is payable per application

3.1. Completed applications are reviewed by a subcommittee of the Examination Appeals Board to adjudicate as to whether it is a valid request e.g.  whether the student has provided a coherent academic argument as to why the mark awarded is incorrect. 

3.2. Applications which are found to be invalid are returned to the student with a confirmation that the grade as awarded stands. 

3.3. Valid applications for review of assessments, excluding dissertations, are forwarded to the school responsible for the module for review. 

• 3.3.1. Head of School or nominee is asked to confirm if the assessment has already been subjected to double marking by either  
  • Another internal examiner or 
  • The module external examiner. The external examiner must have reviewed that applicant’s particular assessment. It is not sufficient that they reviewed a sample of assessments which may or may not have contained the applicant’s assessment.                                                             

• 3.3.2. Where the assessment has already been double marked, the school confirms this to the Secretary of the Examination Appeals Board who notifies the student that the grade as awarded stands. 

• 3.3.3. Where the assessment has not already been subject to double marking, the Head of School or nominee arranges for the relevant portion of the assessment to be reviewed by an independent person. 
  • Where possible this review will be conducted by a member of staff.
  • Where there is no member of staff with the expertise in the relevant area, the opinion of the external examiner must be sought.

• 3.3.4. The result of the review is notified to the Recording Secretary of the Examination Appeals Board and the students and relevant staff are advised, in writing, of the decision.    

3.4. Valid applications for review of dissertations are forwarded to the school responsible for the programme for review. 

• 3.4.1. Head of School or nominee is asked to confirm if the applicant’s dissertation has already been reviewed by the external examiner. 

• 3.4.2. Where the dissertation has been reviewed by the external examiner, school confirms this to the Recording Secretary of the Examinations Appeal Board and the applicant is notified that the grade as awarded stands. 

• 3.4.3. Where the dissertation has not been reviewed by the external examiner, the Head of School or nominee arranges for the relevant portion to be reviewed by an independent person. 
  • Where possible this review will be conducted by a member of staff.
  • Where there is no member of staff with the expertise in the relevant area, the opinion of an external examiner must be sought.

• 3.4.4. The result of the review is notified to the Recording Secretary of the Examinations Appeal Board and 
  • Notifies the applicant of the outcome
  • Notifies Registry as to any change to the grade awarded.  

3.5. The outcome of the review process can result in no change, an increase or a decrease to the grade already notified to the student. In situations where students have availed of a resit opportunity pending receipt of the outcome of their review request for a failed module, section 7.1.4 of Marks and Standards will apply i.e. the revised first attempt mark will be included in calculating the precision mark.

3.6. The relevant Head of School or nominee should ensure that the review takes place in as timely a manner as possible. It is recognised that the appropriate persons may not be available to conduct the review within the timeframes which apply to the university’s examinations appeals process. Hence, students are advised to prepare for and avail of any resit opportunities pending the outcome of the review. 

A summary of the outcomes of review applications is included in the annual report of the Examination Appeals Board to Academic Council