About progression and award decisions

The rules regarding progression and award decisions are defined in the University's regulations. It is not possible to bypass these regulations, even if your appeal is successful. The framework for the assessment and award of students is set out in Senate Regulations.

In certain instances the nature of the course means that there are stricter requirements necessary for progression/award. These are usually because of requirements imposed by professional bodies that accredit the course. The programme specification and your course handbook will advise if any stricter requirements apply.

Progression decision

This is a decision made by a Board of Examiners about whether you can proceed to the next stage of your course, e.g. the next year or the dissertation/project. 

If you have failed a module, the board will decide what opportunity, if any, you will have to resit/resubmit failed assessments associated with the module

Award decision

This is a decision about whether you have successfully completed sufficient credits to be eligible to be awarded your degree. If you are eligible for an award the Board of Examiners will also determine your degree classification.

Appeals against a 'without residence' decision

If you are an undergraduate student and you have been given a 'without residence' semester/year this will be because, as things stand, you have not passed enough modules (achieved sufficient credits) for the Board of Examiners to allow you to proceed to the next year of your course or be awarded your degree but you are eligible under regulations to have another attempt at specified failed assessments.

The University sets a limit on the number of credits that you can be allowed to resit or resubmit and still proceed to the next year of your course. This is so that you have a manageable workload and have successfully completed enough of your course to prepare you for the challenges of your next year of study. You are awarded the credits associated with a module when you pass the module. Credits are not awarded for individual assessments unless a module only has one assessment that counts for 100% of the module mark.

Possible outcomes of an appeal against a resit without residence decision

If you successfully appeal a resit without residencedecision based on new mitigating circumstances, a possible outcome is the award of uncapped reassessments. These will apply to the failed assessments of modules that you have not passed but which the appeals panel has accepted were adversely affected by mitigating circumstances. The marks you achieve in sit/submit attempts will not be capped. 

It is important that you are aware that these attempts will have to remain as part of a ‘without residence year’. You have been given a resit without residence decision because you have not obtained enough credits to proceed or be awarded.

If the panel accepts that your assessment performance was affected by extremely severe mitigating circumstances that meant that you were unable to take advantage of the teaching over a whole semester or the entire academic year, you might be awarded a repeat period of study.

It is extremely unlikely that as a result of your appeal you will be allowed to proceed to the next year of your course.