How to Appeal Your Academic Standing of Suspension or Exclusion

The Re-Enrolment Appeal committee will consider your appeal two weeks after the appeal submission deadline stated in your appeal.

If you elect to appear before the committee, you must be available at short notice.  Ensure that your contact details are clear in your appeal and correct on myUNSW.

Notification of the outcome of your appeal will be sent to your student email account, and personal email address if  registered on myUNSW.

If you are currently enrolled in Summer Term but are suspended or excluded, you should continue studying.

Your supporting documentation must be from a specialist doctor, counsellor, Minister of Religion, or independent third party and clearly outline:

• the date your circumstance(s) began or changed
• how your circumstance(s) were beyond your control
• how your circumstance(s) affected your ability to study
• action(s) you have taken to overcome the circumstance(s).

If your supporting documentation includes a personal statement made on a Statutory Declaration, please be advised that the declaration must be witnessed and signed by a Justice of the Peace, as should verified copies of original supporting documentation. Please be advised that a Justice of the Peace cannot write or provide supporting documentation; they are only permitted to witness and verify documentation.

Your supporting statement must address the reason(s) why your academic performance has not been satisfactory. These reasons may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• academic issues
• medical problem(s)
• employment related problem(s)
• course related problem(s)
• family/personal problem(s).

In addition, the committee also require an outline of what steps you will take and what changes you will make to ensure that you are successful in your studies should your appeal be successful and you be permitted to re-enrol in your program.

If you are in the final year of your degree, please tell us how many units of credit, and which courses you intend to study, in each of your remaining terms in order to complete your degree.

For a guide regarding how to structure your supporting statement, please refer to this letter structure (PDF).

Your supporting statement must address the reason(s) why your academic progression has not been satisfactory, as well as the plan you intend to implement to address and resolve these issues. Your supporting statement should briefly address the issue(s) which negatively impacted on your academic progression.

The reason(s) for your unsatisfactory progress may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Academic issues
• Course related problem(s)
• Employment related problem(s)
• Family and/or personal problem(s)
• Medical problem(s).

More importantly, however, you should provide an explanation of how you have (or intend to) resolve the problem(s), or address the issue(s), so that your studies will not be affected in the future.

Whilst the Re-enrolment Appeal Committee are interested in the reason(s) for your poor academic progression in the previous term(s), they are primarily concerned with what steps you will take and what changes you will make (as well as the changes you have already made) to ensure that that your studies will not be affected in the future should your appeal be successful.

Some examples might include:

• If you state that you worked too much and this negatively impacted on your studies, the Re-enrolment Appeal Committee will want to see how you have addressed this. For example, you may intend to work less hours next term to enable you to dedicate more time to your studies. If this is the case, however, then you will also need to address how you plan to financially support yourself if you are to work less.
   
• If you state that you experienced health issues and this negatively impacted on your studies, the Committee will want to see that you have addressed this by engaging with a medical practitioner (e.g. doctor, psychologist, university counsellor) for advice and treatment. For example, you might make regular appointments with your medical practitioner for ongoing treatment to address your health issues. However, if this is the case, the Re-enrolment Appeal Committee will also require a letter from your medical practitioner which outlines their professional opinion regarding your ability to study.

The Re-enrolment Appeal Committee want you to demonstrate that you have carefully considered and acknowledged the reason(s) why you have not made satisfactory progress. It is important for you to acknowledge the cause(s) for your lack of progress so that you can implement changes to improve your performance.

If you are in the final year of your program, the Re-enrolment Appeal Committee would also like you to tell us the number of units of credit you have remaining, as well as which courses you intend to study in each of your remaining terms.

For a guide regarding how to structure your supporting statement, please refer to this letter structure (PDF).

Yes, unresolved results can lead to an academic standing of suspension or exclusion. If the withheld result becomes a passing grade, your academic standing is recalculated and may become something other than Suspension or Exclusion.

Because resolution of results can take some time, if you are in this situation, you should assume that your academic standing is Suspension or Exclusion and lodge an appeal.

You have the right to appear before the Re-Enrolment Appeal Committee of the Academic Board, although the Committee will only consider information provided in your written appeal. As the Committee cannot consider new information introduced at interview, you need to make your written appeal as comprehensive as possible. If you wish to appear before the Committee, you must clearly indicate this in your appeal

The Committee's decision is final. There is no further right of appeal within UNSW.

No, academic standing is determined at the career level i.e. at the undergraduate/postgraduate level. As a result, if you are suspended or excluded from one program, you cannot apply to study another program during the period of suspension or exclusion.

Yes, but please be aware that successful completion of the Summer course(s) will not be considered by the Re-Enrolment Appeal Committee and will have no bearing on the outcome of your appeal.

Standard 8 of the National Code requires that all international student visa holders who are not achieving satisfactory progress in their program of study be given 20 working days in which to access UNSW's complaints and appeals process.

Following the appeals process, an international student visa holder whose appeal has been unsuccessful will be reported to the Department of Home Affairs in accordance with Standard 9 of the National Code for failure to achieve satisfactory progress in their program of study.

For further advice on how your academic standing may affect your international student visa, please email international.student@unsw.edu.au

If you choose to appeal your Suspension/Exclusion and Termination, you are only required to lodge one appeal. You should complete the Application to Appeal Against Termination of Program – Maximum Repeat Fails form.

Your appeal should address the circumstances which prevented you from maintaining satisfactory progress, as well as those which prevented you from passing the same course/or course rule multiple times.

You will be notified of the outcome of your appeal approximately two weeks after the appeal submission deadline stated in your Academic Standing letter.