Step 4 - Appeals

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your request for review, you may be able to lodge an appeal with the Student Appeals Committee.

Your appeal must be made within 20 University business days of the outcome of the review.

An appeal against a University review decision may be lodged only on one or more of the following grounds:

that new and relevant material exists that was not reasonably available to the student before the review decision was made and that would have a significant impact on the decision
that there was a misapplication of policy or procedure resulting in some real disadvantage to the student
that the sanction applied was manifestly excessive, or
that there was a bias or a conflict of interest on the part of the reviewer

Submit an appeal (Student use only)

How your appeal will be managed

When you lodge an appeal you can expect that it will be managed by Student Policy and Integrity Services in the following way:

Acknowledgement

After you lodge an appeal, you will receive an acknowledgement as soon as possible following receipt.

Initial assessment

We will conduct an initial review of your appeal and will contact you if you need to provide more information or documentation.

You will be advised of the outcome of the initial assessment and the next steps in the appeal process.

Your appeal will not be referred to the Student Appeals Committee if it does not meet any of the grounds for appeal as specified in the Student Review and Appeal policy.

College response

You will be advised in writing if your appeal is eligible to proceed to the Student Appeals Committee. The relevant College/University service will be asked to provide a written response to your appeal.

At this time you will be advised of a preliminary date for the appeal hearing.

Student Appeals Committee

You and a representative of the College/University service will be invited to a Student Appeals Committee hearing to answer questions about your appeal. You are allowed to bring a support person (another student, a Flinders staff member or a FUSA representative). Neither you or the University/College service are able to have legal representation at the hearing (refer to the policy for further details).

Decision

The decision of the Student Appeals Committee will end the appeal process within the University. Both you and the College/University service will receive a written copy of the decision of the Committee and the reasons for the decision.

External appeals

The University recognises your right to refer a complaint to a relevant external agency at any time.

Need support?

Student Assist at Flinders University Student Association (FUSA) provides free, independent and confidential advocacy and support to help you resolve your complaint informally, or to help you lodge a formal complaint, request for review or appeal.

The Student Equal Opportunity Advisor can provide you with advice on your options on making a complaint concerning unlawful discrimination, harrassment or bullying.

Flinders University does not tolerate sexual harassment and sexual assault. For more information visit Safety on Campus.

If you are experiencing stress, health issues or you would like to receive some counselling support during the complaints or appeals process you can contact Health, Counselling and Disability Services. There is an out-of-hours crisis line available on 1300 512 409.