Pre-hearing review: appeals lacking substance

On receipt of an appeal submission, staff in the Student Policy and Appeals office will inform the respondent named in the appeal, and provide them with a copy of the appeal submission.

If the respondent believes the appeal is lacking substance, i.e. that it:

• is unsubstantiated or unverifiable
• is misconceived
• is not made in good faith, or
• contains demonstrably false or misleading information

the respondent may ask to have the appeal submission reviewed before it goes to a Student Grievance and Appeals Committee hearing.

Process

The process is as follows:

1. Respondent prepares a brief explanatory statement and provides it, with the appeal submission, to the Director, Student Administrative Services, within 10 business days of the submission being lodged.
2. Director, Student Administrative Services, or a nominated representative investigates and assesses the appeal submission, providing both the appellant and the respondent with an opportunity to clarify their claims and arguments, if necessary. The Director makes a recommendation to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic).
3. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic) determines either that:

• the appeal is not lacking substance and must proceed to a Student Grievance and Appeal Committee hearing in accord with the Stage 3 process, or
• the appeal is lacking substance and the appeal process is terminated. In this case, the student's only remaining option is to proceed to Stage 4: External review and appeal.

The timelines for a Student Grievance and Appeals Committee hearing are suspended while this pre-hearing review is in process.