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Curtin University
Current Students

Academic Status Appeal

Purpose

If you have been placed on Conditional or Terminated status it is possible there were factors outside your control that have affected your work that your lecturers were unaware of. For this reason, an appeal process is available.

Full details regarding Academic Status and Academic Status Appeals processes are contained within the Assessment and Student Progression Manual located on the Curtin Policies website.

Apply for a request for review

If you wish to request a review of the decision to terminate you from your course, you will need to set out in writing the reasons for your request and include relevant documents that support your claim. A request for review will only be accepted accompanied by the Request for Review coversheet.

Requests for review must be addressed and forwarded Attention: Examinations Office by:

within 20 working days* of being notified of your Termination from your course.

* A working day is defined as all days Monday to Friday including all State, country and religious observances. However with the exception of the 5 day Easter observance ie Good Friday to Easter Tuesday inclusive and the 14 day University Christmas/New Year break, ie from the Monday of the first week until the Sunday of the second week inclusive.

Students should submit only one (1) copy of their request to the University. Multiple versions of the same appeal may slow down your appeal decision.

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Instructions

Your Request for Review letter must include:

  • the Request for Review coversheet
  • your full name
  • your student number
  • your address
  • your course of study
  • your current status
  • the grounds for your Request for Review, which must be stated in detail and should include:
    • what went wrong and how it affected you and your studies
    • what you have done about it
    • what plans you have made to improve the situation
  • appropriate supporting documentation that supports your grounds for appeal. For example:
    • A medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner (the length and severity of illness)
    • A letter of support from a University Counselling Services Counsellor
    • A letter of support from a registered Psychologist
    • A letter of support from a Minister of religion
    • A letter of support from an Authorised officer in the emergency services or Australian Defence Force

It is important that you include all relevant information with your Request for Review.

If you were terminated on a previous occasion but allowed to continue as a student following an appeal, it is particularly important that you show you have made every effort to deal with any issues that affected your performance in the past. Your appeal is unlikely to be successful if you are relying on the same or similar reasons for your poor academic performance and there is little or no evidence of attempts to resolve your issues.

If you require assistance with your appeal letter see the staff from the Student Progression and Transition (START) Team. They may refer you to the Curtin University Counselling Service if necessary.

Please note: The Counselling Service will generally only provide statements for terminated students who have previously attended the counselling service.

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Support and assistance

For assistance with your application, please contact the Student Assist line by

Alternatively, you can contact the START team by

What happens next?

When the Examinations Office receives your letter, an acknowledgement Official Communication is sent to you through OASIS.

You should continue to enrol, pay fees and attend classes as per normal.

When will the decision be made?

The Head of School will respond to your Request for Review within 10 working days and you will be advised by the Examinations Office through OASIS.

If the Request for Review is successful, you will be able to continue with your study. Note that you will not automatically be re-enrolled if your appeal is successful. You must check your enrolment immediately if your appeal is successful and re-enrol if necessary.

If the Request for Review is unsuccessful, you have two options:

  • Accept the decision and cease study;
  • Formally appeal the decision by submitting an appeal to the Student Progress Appeals Committee (see below).

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Lodge a formal appeal to the Student Progress Appeal Committee

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your Request for Review, you may lodge a formal appeal with the Student Progress Appeals Committee (SPAC). This must be done within 10 working days of the date of notification of the outcome of the Request for Review by the Head of School.

Note: You may only lodge an appeal to the Student Progress Appeals Committee if you originally lodged a Request for Review and have received the outcome of that Request. An appeal will only be accepted accompanied by the Appeal to SPAC coversheet.

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Instructions

Complete the SPAC coversheet.

This form will be added to your Request for Review and forwarded onto the Chair of the Student Progress Appeals Committee and these documents will be used by the Committee to assess the appeal.

Formal appeals are to be addressed and forwarded Attention: Examinations Office by:

within 10 working days* of being notified of the outcome of your Request for Review.

When the Examinations Office receives your appeal, an acknowledgement Official Communication is sent to you through OASIS.

You should still continue to enrol, pay fees and attend classes as per normal.

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When will the decision be made?

The Chair of the Student Progress Appeals Committee will respond to your appeal within 10 working days and you will be advised through OASIS

If the appeal is successful, you will be able to continue with your study. Note that you will not automatically be re-enrolled if your appeal is successful. You must check your enrolment immediately if your appeal is successful and re-enrol if necessary.

If the appeal is unsuccessful and you are not satisfied with the result or the conduct of the formal appeal process you may request that your appeal be considered by an person or body independent of and external to the University. You will be notified of this process in the outcome of the appeal to the Student Progress Appeals Committee.

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