UNSATISFACTORY STUDENTS PROCEDURE

(including the Presumed Withdrawn Process)

Office of Academic Appeals* (hereinafter referred to as the Office)

www.Leeds.ac.uk/AAandR

The Unsatisfactory Students Procedure is applied to students whose work, attendance or progress is unsatisfactory**.  It does not apply to serious examination failure, which is dealt with through the Referred Students Procedure, although evidence of difficulties in either area can be a contributory cause for applying either procedure.

Students may seek independent advice and support from LUU Student Advice Centre advice@luu.leeds.ac.uk

The following procedures apply to all taught students.

1. Presumed Withdrawn

Where a student is absent such that he/she appears to have withdrawn from the University, the School should notify TSA and ask that a Presumed Withdrawn Letter is sent to the student. 

• If there is no response from the student within two weeks, the presumption will be confirmed and TSA will amend the record.
• If the student does respond (other than to confirm withdrawal) this will not itself confer eligibility to restart. In these circumstances Schools should seek advice from the Office.

NB.     A student who is absent from classes for more than 4 weeks cannot be readmitted without special permission which must be sought by the School from the Office

2. Warning Procedure

(2.1 First Formal Warning, 2.2 Second Formal Warning, 2.3 Interview AAandR, 2.4 Study Abroad, 2.5 Internal Repeat, 2.6 Carry-forward of Warnings, 2.7 Readmission)

Any student whose work (including a failure to submit work on time), attendance or progress is unsatisfactory in the degree programme will be warned at an early stage.  Initially this may be informal but if there is no immediate improvement and no satisfactory explanation from the student the Head of the Parent School will apply the following procedure:

2.1 Where after investigation the case is judged sufficiently serious the Head of School or nominee will interview the student.  If there is no satisfactory explanation the student will be issued with a First Formal Written Warning (see 2.6).  This First Formal Written Warning will be copied to the Office for the student’s file.

2.2 Where the student's work/attendance/progress does not reach a satisfactory standard, the Parent School will issue a Second Formal Written Warning.  This will be copied to the Office.  The School will supply a list of dates of absences (including those that led to the First Formal Warning), copies of correspondence in which warnings, both formal and informal, have been given, notes of meetings in the School with the student and a list of any work outstanding

The student will be interviewed by the Head of Academic Appeals and Regulation.

Second Formal Warning issued immediately before or after the Easter Vacation

Where the Second Formal Written Warning is issued in the teaching week preceding or after the Easter vacation, no immediate action will be taken under the Unsatisfactory Students Procedure. In these circumstances the student must attend and continue to submit assessments and prepare for his/her forthcoming examinations.  Dependent on the results of the assessments/examinations the Board of Examiners, in consultation with the Office will decide on one of the following:

• where the student has passed sufficiently to permit progression he/she will be referred back to the Office under the Unsatisfactory Students Procedure.
• where the student has not passed sufficient to progress but has made a serious attempt he/she will be permitted August resits (subject to the regulations).  If the student subsequently passes sufficient to permit progression he/she will be referred back to the Office under the Unsatisfactory Students Procedure.  If insufficient is passed to progress the Referred Students Procedure www.leeds.ac.uk/aandr/ref_stu_proc.htm will be applied
• where the student has failed catastrophically he/she will be referred under the Referred Students Procedure with a recommendation for exclusion. The referral will include consideration of the reports from the School of the student’s unsatisfactory work/attendance/progress.

In addition, the School should supply the Office with details of the student’s attendance record, submission of assessments and examinations since the issuing of the Second Formal Warning

2.3 Interview with the Head of Academic Appeals and Regulation

Failure to attend the interview without good cause (cf missing an examination) will result in permanent exclusion from the University being confirmed with immediate effect and the record being changed accordingly.

The student will be required to bring to the interview a written statement addressing any reasons for his/her deficiencies in work/attendance/progress. 

A decision as to whether to reinforce the Second Formal Warning or to submit the case to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor with a recommendation that the student be excluded will be taken on the basis of the interview, the written statement and if necessary further consultations with the School.  Any decision, however, will not be restricted to these two possibilities and will be informed by the individual circumstances.

a) Exclusion

Where it has been decided that the case will be submitted to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor the student will given 24 hours to submit to the Office a plea against this recommendation.  Pending the decision of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, the student must continue to attend tuition, submit assessments and take the corresponding examinations.

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor’s decision is final.

b) Reinforce Second Formal Warning

The student will be issued with a Final Warning that if his/her work/attendance/progress does not reach a satisfactory standard then the case will proceed to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor with a recommendation for exclusion.

Where the case proceeds to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor his/her decision is final.

2.4 Study Abroad and Erasmus Students

In the case of a student studying abroad whose work, attendance or progress is unsatisfactory resulting in reports being made by the host institution to the University, the Head of the Parent School will issue the warnings as appropriate.  Where it is decided that the student is required to return to Leeds for interview by the Head of Academic Appeals and Regulation, he/she will do so at his/her own expense.  In these circumstances the student’s studies will be suspended immediately. Copies of Warnings issued to Erasmus students studying in Leeds will be forwarded to the student's home institution.

2.5 Internal Repeat

Students who have been permitted an internal repeat year following examination failure are subject to the normal academic discipline and must fulfil the normal attendance requirements.  Such students should therefore understand that they are subject to this Procedure.

2.6 Carry-forward of Warnings

All Warnings remain on the student’s file throughout his/her academic career and are carried forward from year to year and in the event of a transfer between programmes.

2.7 Readmission

If a student is permanently excluded from the University, by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, the student is not permitted to re-enter the University.

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Advice, Contacting the Office and Receipts

The Office will be pleased to give procedural advice but will not comment on or offer advice upon any part of the case itself.

The Office cannot undertake to receive documents by hand.  Papers for submission should be posted to arrive within the time limits.

Contact details are as follows:

Tel: 0113 343 3990
Fax: 0113 343 3991
Postal Address:
Dr C A G Brooks
Office of Academic Appeals and Regulation
Room 11.68, Level 11, E C Stoner Building, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT

Email: AAandR@leeds.ac.uk

Web site www.leeds.ac.uk/AAandR