Rules & Regulations

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ACADEMIC REGULATION ON ACADEMIC PROGRESS

1.1     A student is permitted to proceed with his or her approved course of study only if he or she maintains
          acceptable progress as evidenced by attendance at classes, satisfactory performance in examinations and the proper
          completion of such other work as may be allotted to the student.

1.2     A student whose academic progress is unsatisfactory may be:               
               (a)  excluded from examinations in whole or in part;                
               (b)  required to withdraw from University for a period or permanently.

1.3     The Deans shall have power to require a student whose academic performance is inadequate to:               
               (a)  be excluded from examinations in whole or in part; and/or                
               (b)  withdraw from University for a period or permanently.         

          Such requirements may be either absolute or conditional on the student in question failing to comply 
          with requirement relating to his or her studies which has been imposed by a Dean.

ACADEMIC PROGRESS COMMITTEE

2.1     An Academic Progress Committee (APC) shall be established by the Senate. The members of this Committee shall be: 
              (a)  One Pro-Vice-Chancellor (or alternate). 
              (b) The Deans of Arts, Social Sciences, and Science (or alternates). 
              (c)  The Director of Student Support Services. 
          The Quorum for the Committee shall be three.

2.2     The function of this Committee shall be to consider appeals made by students arising out of decisions made by Deans, the
          Faculty Examining Boards or a Committee of Inquiry into allegations of Unfair Practice, as established under the Academic 
          Regulation on Unfair Practice.

2.3     Neither the Dean of the relevant faculty nor any other member directly concerned with the student's studies shall
          participate in or be present at the decision of the Committee. He or she may provide information and respond to
          questions by the Committee.

2.4     For appeals based on medical evidence that relates to the Semester 1 Boards but does not come to light until the
          Semester 2 Boards, the following procedures will apply:
                 1. medical evidence to be considered in the first instance by the Deans' Special Cases Panel  normally when it meets
                     to consider evidence relating to the next round of examinations, to establish whether it falls within the guidelines
                     established by the Panel;
                 2. the Academic Progress Committee to consider such appeals in the light of the Panel's comments on the validity of 
                     the evidence now made available.

STUDENTS WHO FAIL TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR ATTENDANCE AT CLASSES AND/OR SUBMISSION OF WORK

3.1      At the commencement of each session a Department shall provide for each student taking courses in the Department a
           document containing details for each course provided by the Department of its requirements in relation to students’
           attendance at classes, the submission of work, and methods of assessment. Students should ensure that they obtain a
           copy of this document at the commencement of each session and that they acquaint themselves fully with its contents.

3.2      (a)  Where a student has been identified by a staff member as failing to meet the requirements for attendance at classes
                  and/or submission of work, the Head of Department/Board or a person designated in his/her place should normally
                  interview the student and undertake such other formal consultation as he/she considers necessary. 
           (b)  If after interviewing the student and after any appropriate consultation no satisfactory explanation has emerged, the
                 Head of Department/Board will forward a report to the appropriate Dean, with a copy to the Pro Vice-Chancellor. 
           (c)  The Dean will obtain such other reports as he considers necessary, interview the student if appropriate, and decide
                 which of these courses of action to take:

                 (i)  To issue a formal warning via the Pro Vice-Chancellor that unless the student improves he or she will be:
                 either  (a) excluded from examinations in whole or in part;
                 or        (b) required to withdraw from University for a period or permanently.
                 (ii)  To make a report to the Local Education Authority or other source of financial support.
                 (iii) To approve the exclusion of the student from examinations in whole or in part.
                 (iv)  To require the student to withdraw from University for a period or permanently.

3.3      A student who is identified as ‘Unsatisfactory’ during the third term shall be interviewed by the Dean as in 3.2 (a) above. 
           Such a student shall not be barred from any end of session examinations but the Dean will inform the student that any
           departmental reports will be taken into account by the relevant Faculty Examining Board at the end of the session. The
           Dean shall, if appropriate, inform the student that the Faculty Examining Board may record him or her as ‘Unsatisfactory’
           and decide that the student should be Not Allowed to Return to University, subject to any conditions regarding the
           submission of outstanding written work or sitting additional departmental tests as stipulated by the Board.

3.4     The last date on which a Dean may exclude a student from University or approve a Department's refusal to sign up a
          student for examinations is the first day of the third term.

3.5     The decision to refuse to sign a student up for an examination for academic reasons can only be taken after reference to
          and with the approval of the Dean.

3.6     The Dean will inform the student and the Pro Vice-Chancellor of his decision in every case.

3.7     The Pro Vice-Chancellor will inform the student in writing within seven days of the decision of the Dean and the student’s
          right of appeal.

3.8     The student has fourteen days in which to submit an appeal.  The form can be downloaded here: 
Application for an Appeal against a decision of an Examination Board
          

3.9      A student may only appeal on exceptional personal circumstances not known to the Dean when the decision was taken  
           to refuse to sign up for examinations or to exclude from the University. In such cases, an appeal will only be considered if
           the student can provide good reasons why the grounds for appeal had not previously been made known to the relevant
           department or Dean.

3.10    All appeals will be considered by the APC. Any student who has appealed against the decision of the Dean either to
           exclude him or her from examinations or to require him or her to withdraw from University shall have the right to appear
           before the Committee and may be accompanied by a person of his/her choice, for example a fellow student (enrolled
           student) or a Sabbatical Officer of the Students’ Guild or a member of the academic staff.  If that person is acting as a
           legal representative, then the University must be informed at least three working days before the date of the Committee.

3.11    The Committee shall inform the student within seven days of the decision on the appeal.