How to Appeal Your Academic Standing of Suspension or Exclusion

Your personal 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 personal 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, 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.

Whilst the Re-enrolment Appeals 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 Appeals 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 Re-enrolment Appeals 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 Appeals Committee will also require a letter from your medical practitioner which outlines their professional opinion regarding your ability to study.

The Re-enrolment Appeals 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 Appeals 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).

Your supporting documentation, which further highlights the information outlined in your personal statement, 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.

You must ensure that all supporting documentation is in English language or has been translated by a NAATI-certified translator.

If you need assistance with compiling your appeal, we recommend reaching out to Arc Legal & Advocacy who offer confidential and independent advice (all students can access this free service). You can call Arc on (02) 9385 7700 or email [email protected].

Student Support Advisors run Academic Standing Appeals Workshops, where they guide you step by step through how to prepare and lodge your appeal. If you are unable to attend a workshop or have further questions, you can also meet with a Student Support Advisor for personal support through the process. You can book an appointment with Student Support here.

If the appeals process is causing you distress, please contact the Team at Mental Health Connect (02 9385 5418), who are available Mondays to Fridays from 9am-5pm. Direct counsellor support is also available after hours via text 0485 826 595 (5pm-9am weekdays, 24hrs weekends/public holidays).

For additional, personal support, you may also consider contacting UNSW Psychology & Wellness who offers a free and confidential counselling service to students. Detailed information regarding their services is available here.

1. Prepare a typed personal statement addressing the reason(s) why your academic performance has not been satisfactory, as well as 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. Please refer to this Letter Structure (PDF) for further guidance.


2. Prepare any relevant supporting documentation which supports the information outlined in your personal statement. 
   
   Please be aware that if you provided falsified documents in support of your application, then this will result in one of a range of penalties, from failure in the course to Suspension or Exclusion. In some cases, the matter could also be reported to ICAC. As a student you must be aware of your obligations and responsibilities under the Student Code.
    
3. Combine all documents in one PDF file (personal statement and relevant supporting documentation) and name it in the following format 'LASTNAME, First Name zID'.

You can lodge your appeal (your combined PDF) via our online portal here:

• For domestic students: PORTAL CLOSED

• For international student visa holders: PORTAL CLOSED

The Re-Enrolment Appeals Committee will consider your appeal approximately two weeks after the appeal submission deadline stated in the academic standing communication you received following release of results.

Notification of the outcome of your appeal will be sent to your student email and personal email addresses (as provided in your online appeal submission).

If you are currently enrolled in Summer Term but are Suspended or Excluded, you are permitted to continue studying.

As academic standing is determined at the career level (i.e. at the undergraduate/postgraduate level), a program transfer will not reset your academic standing level. Therefore, if your academic standing is Suspension, Exclusion and/or Termination, then you must lodge an appeal to continue with your studies. 

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.

If you are awaiting the outcome of a Special Consideration application, Supplementary Assessment, Supplementary Exam, Review of Results application or a Conduct and Integrity matter, then you are strongly encouraged to lodge an appeal by the deadline specified in the Academic Standing communication you received following the release of results. 

As there is no way of knowing the outcome of such matters, you must lodge your appeal by the specified deadline as you will not be given the opportunity to lodge a late appeal, nor will any extensions be granted.

You have the right to appear before the Re-Enrolment Appeals Committee of the Academic Board, however it should be noted that appearing before the Committee does not necessarily mean that your appeal will be advantaged. The Committee makes its decision based on an objective review of each individual case and the documentary evidence supplied. As the Committee cannot consider new information introduced at interview, you need to make your written appeal as comprehensive as possible.

Should you decide to appear before the Committee, you would have the opportunity to further comment on your appeal and the Committee would have the opportunity to ask any questions of you in relation to your appeal and your plan going forward. If you wish to appear before the Committee, you must clearly indicate this in your personal statement.

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 Appeals 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 [email protected].

If you choose to appeal your Suspension/Exclusion and Termination, you are only required to lodge one appeal. 

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.

You may review the procedure here.