Academic Appeals Policy

1. Introduction

London Institute of Business & Technology is bound to provide a means by which students are able to appeal against assessment decisions. The aim of this document is therefore to detail the mechanism by which appeals against assessments can be made.

2. Right to Appeal

The Appeals Process is available to all students of the institute. Students have the right to appeal in the following circumstances:

• Any grade awarded for any piece of work that contributes to the final grade
• Any grade awarded which may affect a student’s transfer/progression opportunities between courses or years of courses
• A final year/course grade

3. Grounds for Appeal

As part of the quality management of the institute courses, students can appeal against any aspect of an assessment decision outlined in 2.0 above. However, it is expected that student’s would normally appeal against the following:

• That parts of the documented procedures have not been applied and in doing so has disadvantaged the student to a degree which has materially affected the decision/recommendation made, rendering it unsound. (Refer to Annex - Assessment Policy)
• The lack of opportunity to show examples of competency against the assessment criteria/and or national academic standards.
• That the decision-making body took a decision which no reasonable person would find comprehensible. Disagreement with the decision does not make it manifestly unreasonable. To apply this ground, students must provide substantive argumentation as to why no reasonable person could have arrived at the decision that was made.
• The prejudice or bias of an assessor, which can be proven.

4. Invalid Grounds for Appeal 

The following circumstances will not be considered grounds for appeal: 

• Perceived past shortcomings in tuition, supervision or support not previously raised with the institute cannot be considered as grounds for appeal.  Concerns relating to the quality of teaching or supervision, or other circumstances that relate to the delivery of a programme of study before the point of assessment should be raised under the Student Complaints Policy as they arise. 
• An Appeal may not be made to question the academic judgment of the Assessment Board. The student's feeling that the result unfairly reflects the merit of their work or their ability is not a ground of appeal. 
• An Appeal may not be made against the actual mark awarded for a piece of assessed work, which is a matter of academic judgment, except where the case rests on a claim of procedural irregularity. 
• Errors in calculating or recording marks on the basis of which the original decision was made cannot be submitted as grounds for appeal unless these errors have been identified by the student and brought to the attention of the institute.

5. Submission of Appeals

• Appeals will only be accepted if submitted within one calendar month of the student receiving notification of the decision they wish to appeal against (or publication of results in the case of classification appeals). 
• Only written cases, made using the Appeal form and presented clearly and comprehensively, in accordance with the requirements set out in the Appeals Procedure, will be accepted. 
• There may be times when a student submits an appeal, the subject of which is actually a complaint, or vice versa.  In these cases, the institute may decide to reclassify the appeal or complaint, at whatever stage of the procedure that has been reached, and the institute will inform the student of this.

6. Academic Appeals Procedure  

• The procedure for Academic Appeals is shown on Form AAP
• The Academic Appeals procedure is split into 3 stages, which represent the process of acceleration, the internal and external personnel and the time scales involved.
• The mechanism for recording the process is shown by Form AAP

     6.1 Stage One

1. Student to discuss grade/mark awarded with the assessor and record using Stage 1 of the Form AAP immediately following the assessment or within 5 working days.
2. Assessor to compile a written response based on competence needed to gain grade and send it to the student within 5 working days
3. If no resolution, candidate to complete the ‘reason for appeal’ section on Stage 2 of the Form AAP and forward to Internal Verifier.

     6.2 Stage Two

1. Internal Verifier reviews all evidence and assessment records
2. Candidate informed orally and in writing using the response section of the Stage 2 appeal on Form AAP within 5 working days
3. If no resolution, go to Stage 3. 
4. Copy of Form AAP sent to Appeals Panel within 5 days

     6.3 Stage Three

1. Appeals panel convened consisting of the Programme Leader, a different assessor and an independent assessor/Internal Verifier within 5 days
2. Candidate and assessor invited to make appeal to panel

Note: Should the learner find themselves unsatisfied with the resolution of an appeal, despite having followed all internal procedures, they have the option to seek further guidance by contacting the relevant awarding or accrediting bodies directly. The relevant contact details are as follows:

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ATHE

Phone: +44 (0)1603 760030

Address:

Suite 4B, Rosebery Court,

Central Avenue,

St Andrews Business Park,

Norwich, NR7 0HS,

United Kingdom.

‍

CMI

Telephone: +44 (0)207 4970580

Address: 

77 Kingsway, 

London, 

WC2B 6SR

‍

Qualifi

Phone: +44 (0)115 888 2323

Address:

7 Acorn Business Park

Commercial Gate, Nottingham

Nottinghamshire

NG18 1EX

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Last updated on May 23, 2023 by LIBT Policy Committee
Approved by: Sesiri Pathirane – Board of Directors

Company Name: London Institute of Business & Technology Limited
Company Address: The Nunnery, Old Castletown Road, Douglas, IM2 1QB, Isle of Man, British Isles.

Date for the subsequent policy review: May 22, 2024