• Section 1 - Content
• Section 2 - Definitions
• Section 3 - Procedure – MEDI Courses / Units
• Amending a Final Result
• Appealing Against a Final Result
• Appeals against a final result in a course / unit
• JMP Progress and Appeals Committee
• Outcomes
• Late Appeal Against a Final Result
• Review of a JMP Progress and Appeals Committee Outcome
• Appeals Lodged by a Potential Graduate Following Failure in a Course / Unit
• Administrative Error
• Reporting

Section 1 - Content

(1) This procedure applies only to students enrolled in the Joint Medical Program and applies only to courses / units with the prefix MEDI as offered by the School of Medicine and Public Health (UON) and School of Rural Medicine (UNE).

(2) Appeals against results awarded for elective courses / units will be processed in accordance with the following policies:

1. at UON:  Appeal Against Final Result (Refer to Section 20 of Course Management and Assessment Procedure Manual);
2. at UNE:  Academic Assessment Appeals Policy.

Section 2 - Definitions

(3) In the context of this document:

1. Dean means the Dean of Medicine - Joint Medical Program (JMP);
2. Deputy Vice-Chancellors means the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) (UON) and/or the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (UNE).;
3. Faculty means the Faculty of Health and Medicine (UON);
4. final result means the cumulative mark for all the assessment items in a MEDI course/unit as approved by the Head of School responsible for the course / unit;
5. Head of School means Head of School of Medicine and Public Health at UON and/or the Head of School of Rural Medicine at UNE who is/are responsible for delivery of JMP Teaching and Learning Committee-approved MEDI course/units;
6. Joint Medical Program (JMP) means the Bachelor of Medicine – Joint Medical Program (BMed-JMP) or Bachelor of Medical Science / Doctor of Medicine – Joint Medical Program (MD – JMP); as delivered in partnership by UON and UNE;
7. JMP Progress and Appeals Committee means the Committee established to jointly consider and make determinations regarding the appeals submitted by, or progress of JMP students at the University of Newcastle (UON) and University of New England (UNE);
8. major assessment item means any assessment item, including the final examination, worth 20% or more of the final result; or an assessment item that is an essential criterion (i.e., a compulsory assessment item that must be satisfactorily completed in order for a student to receive a pass mark in that course/unit);
9. I Grade at UON means Incomplete, and indicates that the result in the course is yet to be finalised (see RU Grade at UNE);
10. in writing means either on the form provided by the University or a paper based, email, fax or other electronic form of delivery which is capable of being converted to hardcopy;
11. Pro Vice-Chancellor means the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Faculty of Health and Medicine at UON;
12. RU Grade at UNE means Results Unavailable and indicates that the result in the unit is yet to be finalised (see I Grade at UON);
13. S Grade at UON is an administrative code which indicates that a students has sought consideration in accordance with the JMP Adverse and Special Circumstances Affecting Assessment Procedure. Determination of a final grade is dependent on further specified task(s) being completed by the student (see SPE Grade at UNE);
14. School means the School of Medicine and Public Health (UON) and/or the School of Rural Medicine (UNE);
15. SPE Grade at UNE is an administrative code which indicates that a student has sought consideration in accordance with the JMP Adverse and Special Circumstances Affecting Assessment Items Procedure. Determination of a final grade is dependent on further specified task(s) being completed by the student (see S Grade at UON);
16. Year Assessment Decision Committee means the committees responsible for recommending final grades to the Head of School and for reviewing the assessment of courses/units in accordance with the Universities quality assurance principles.

Section 3 - Procedure – MEDI Courses / Units

Amending a Final Result

(4) A student who wishes to question a final result must refer to the following:

1. the Course/Unit outline;
2. the Course/Unit description as approved by the JMP Teaching and Learning Committee;
3. the criteria for the assessment of major assessment items of the course/unit;
4. weightings for the individual components of the course/unit; and
5. weightings/marks for the individual components of the examination (if appropriate).

(5) Students wishing to obtain further information on a final result in a course/unit, or to query that result, should, initially, contact the Course/Unit coordinator.

(6) If an error is found by the Course/Unit Coordinator under the following criteria:

1. error in determination of the result; or
2. all marks contributing to the final result have not been correctly weighted and their total accurately obtained; or
3. any other administrative error;

Appealing Against a Final Result

(7) After seeking a review by the Course/Unit Coordinator a student may lodge an appeal against their Final Result for a course/unit.

(8) To lodge an appeal a student must complete the JMP Application to Appeal against a Final Result Form and email it, together with a supporting statement, to appeals@newcastle.edu.au within seven (7) calendar days of the publication of the final result online. Appeals must be submitted in this way to be considered by the JMP Progress and Appeals Committee.

(9) The JMP Progress and Appeals Committee will consider all valid appeals and determine an outcome for:

1. appeals by student against a final result in a course/unit; and
2. appeals by potential graduates against a failure in a course.

(10) To be valid an appeal must address one or more of the following criteria and include relevant supporting documentary evidence:

1. the mark for one or more major assessment item(s)(including the final examination) does not reflect the quality of the work submitted. The student must demonstrate how the quality of the work is better than the mark suggests, e.g., through marking schema or matrix;
2. all required parts of the assessment were not included in the final determination of the result. The student must show proof an item was not included;
3. all marks contributing to the final result have not been correctly weighted and the total inaccurately calculated. The student must demonstrate how this has occurred;
4. the type and/or weighting of major assessment items differ from information in the course/unit outline. The student must provide the relevant section of the Course/Unit Outline;
5. the content of a major assessment item does not reflect the content of the course/unit. The student must provide the item and the relevant section of the Course/Unit Outline and identify how they differ;
6. Special circumstances are as defined in Clause 5 of the JMP Adverse and Special Circumstances Affecting Assessment Items Procedure. Special Circumstances may be used as a basis for an appeal against a final result only where extreme circumstances, such as extended hospitalisation, have prevented the student from applying for special consideration at the time of the assessment task.

(11) Appeals that do not provide evidence of the student having:

1. contacted or attempted to contact the Course/Unit Coordinator (or nominee); and
2. addressed at least one of the appeal criteria listed in Clause 11 of this Procedure and include relevant supporting evidence in writing will be rejected by the JMP Progress and Appeals Committee and the final result for the course will stand.

(12) The JMP Progress and Appeals Committee may (but is not obliged to) request any additional information required to determine the outcome of an appeal.

Appeals against a final result in a course / unit

(13) The JMP Progress and Appeals Committee may determine that:

1. no amendment to the final result is required; or
2. an amendment to the final result is required; or
3. referral to the Dean of Medicine - Joint Medical Program (JMP) is required. If the JMP Progress and Appeals Committee determines that there has been a significant error in the assessment processes, advice will be forwarded to the Dean of Medicine - Joint Medical Program (JMP) who shall, in consultation with the Chair of JMP Assessment and the Head of School of Rural Medicine, determine what remedial action (such as moderation) may be taken. Such remedial action will be referred to the Examinations unit at UON and/or the Student Administration and Services Office at UNE. Where a moderation is initiated, all students who may be affected will be informed that the process is being undertaken and warned that their marks may be varied upwards or downwards; or
4. granting of an alternate/supplementary assessment item is required. This will only be the case when extenuating circumstances have prevented earlier consideration of a student’s circumstances under the provision of the JMP Adverse and Special Circumstances Affecting Assessment Procedure.

(14) In accordance with the Delegation Schedule for Academic Governance and Support (AUB1) the Chair of the JMP Progress and Appeals Committee may undertake urgent business between scheduled meetings. Actions taken under delegation must be ratified by the JMP Progress and Appeals Committee at the next meeting.

JMP Progress and Appeals Committee

(15) The JMP Progress and Appeals Committee shall include in its membership:

1. the Deputy Head, Faculty of Health and Medicine (Teaching and Learning) (UON), or their nominee, who shall chair the Committee;
2. the Head of School, Rural Medicine (UNE) and Head of School of Medicine and Public Health (UON), or their nominees;
3. one senior member of professional administration staff from UON and UNE as nominated by the Chair;
4. co-opted members from within or outside the Faculty or Schools for particular cases as determined by the Chair.

(16) The JMP Progress and Appeals Committee shall have responsibility for matters referred to it:

1. under the JMP Review of Progress Procedure;
2. under the JMP Appeals Against a Final Result Procedure;
3. under the JMP Adverse and Special Circumstances Affecting Assessment Items Procedure; and
4. any other student progress or appeals issues forwarded to it by the Dean of Medicine - Joint Medical Program (JMP).

Outcomes

(17) The student should usually receive notification of the outcome within twenty-five (25) University working days after publication of the final result outline. The notification should identify which appeal criteria formed the basis of the decision.

Late Appeal Against a Final Result

(18) A late appeal will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances and provided that the student has not already lodged an appeal against the final result in that course and the late appeal is lodged no longer than two (2) months after the publication of the final result online. A student lodging a late appeal must:

1. complete and submit the JMP Application to Appeal Against a Final Result Form; and
2. provide evidence of having contacted the Course/Unit Coordinator; and
3. provide supporting documentation including information about the exceptional circumstances that caused late submission.

(19) A review of final result request against a mark or grade awarded as a consequence of academic misconduct must be made in accordance with the JMP Student Academic Misconduct Rule.

Review of a JMP Progress and Appeals Committee Outcome

(20) Students may request a review of a JMP Progress and Appeals Committee outcome. Such requests must be:

1. made on procedural grounds (i.e. the student must be able to demonstrate that correct process was not followed);
2. submitted via email;
3. addressed to:
   1. at UON, the President of the Academic Senate; and
   2. at UNE, the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic); and
4. submitted within three (3) University working days of the receipt of the official written notification of the outcome of their Appeal Against Final Result request.

(21) Students will be notified of the outcome of their appeal within twenty-one (21) University working days.

Appeals Lodged by a Potential Graduate Following Failure in a Course / Unit

(22) A potential graduate may lodge an appeal against a final result when a failure prevents them from completing their degree.

(23) The appeal must meet ALL the following criteria to be considered by the JMP Progress and Appeals Committee:

1. the course/unit that has been failed is a twenty unit course (UON) / twelve credit point unit (UNE):
2. the student has not previously failed this course/unit;
3. the student has undertaken the course/unit in the last two (2) terms of study (subject to d. below) and all other program requirements have been satisfied;
4. the final result achieved for the course/unit is not less than 40% of the total marks for the course/unit;
5. the student has not already undertaken supplementary assessment (other than on the basis of special consideration) in the course/unit; and
6. the student has submitted all required assessment items throughout the relevant semester on time (subject to any applications under the JMP Adverse and Special Circumstances Assessment Procedure). 

(24) The JMP Progress and Appeals Committee shall determine the legitimacy of the appeal.

(25) If the appeal is upheld it will be referred to the Course/Unit Coordinator, who will determine the nature, timing and content of a supplementary assessment item. The outcome of the supplementary assessment item will ensure that:

1. the student will not be awarded a final mark greater than 50% (a minimum pass) in the course/unit irrespective of the marks awarded for the supplementary assessment item;
2. the marks awarded in the supplementary assessment item may result in a Fail grade being changed to an Ungraded Pass grade; and
3. if the student does not obtain an Ungraded Pass grade as a result of the marks given for the supplementary assessment item, the Fail grade will remain and the student will not be eligible to graduate.

Administrative Error

(26) If an administrative error is identified in a final result, an Amendment to Result Form will be completed by the Course Co-ordinator (e.g. not all required items of assessment were included in the final determination of the result). This will be submitted to the Dean of Medicine - Joint Medical Program (JMP) for approval and notification of the student affected. 

Reporting

(27) The JMP Progress and Appeals Committee will report annually on the activities under this procedure. These reports must be available for compliance and monitoring if requested by Academic Senate (UON) / Academic Board (UNE).