• Section 1 - Establishment
• Background
• Section 2 - Glossary
• Section 3 - Membership
• Section 4 - Functions and responsibilities
• Section 5 - Meetings
• Quorum
• Disqualification and casual vacancies
• Secretary
• Chair

Section 1 - Establishment

Background

(1) The University Student Appeals Committee (‘Committee’) is convened to hear and decide matters of appeals and where relevant, provide advice to staff, students, original decision makers and other committees on topics such as procedural fairness, bias, conflict of interest, balance of probabilities or confidentiality. 

Section 2 - Glossary

(2) Nil.

Section 3 - Membership

(3) The Committee will be convened from a University Student Appeals Committee panel by the University Student Appeals Officer.

(4) The Committee will compromise of at least three members:

1. one of whom may be a student, and if so, will be at the same level (undergraduate, postgraduate or higher degree by research candidate) as the appellant student,
2. one of whom, where the Committee is to hear an appeal of administrative nature or appeal against an administrative decision, may be a professional/general staff member,
3. one of whom, where the Committee is to hear an appeal of an academic nature or appeal against an academic decision, will be an academic staff member,
4. one of whom, where the Committee is to hear an allegation of a research nature or appeal against a research decision, may be an academic staff member with experience of higher degree by research supervision and research ethics and compliance,
5. one of whom, where the Committee is to hear an appeal of a workplace learning nature or appeal against a workplace learning decision, may be a staff member with experience and knowledge of workplace learning,
6. one of whom may be an external person.

(5) When necessary, an external member may be appointed on the advice of the Executive Director, Safety, Security and Wellbeing. An external member may include (but is not limited to):

1. a senior academic from another University, from the same discipline as the appellant student or a similar discipline,
2. a person who has been admitted as a legal practitioner in Australia for at least seven years, or
3. a person who holds or has held office in Australia as a judge, magistrate or member of a judicial tribunal.

Section 4 - Functions and responsibilities

(6) See University Student Appeals Policy and University Student Appeals Procedure.

Section 5 - Meetings

Quorum

(7) The quorum for any Committee meeting or hearing is three members.

Disqualification and casual vacancies

(8) A person will not be appointed to the Committee if they:

1. are a witness to any original decision before that Committee, or
2. have been involved in reporting, investigating, deciding or giving advice or recommendations about any original decision, appeal or review before that Committee.

(9) The University Student Appeals Officer (on the advice of the Executive Director, Safety, Security and Wellbeing) can disqualify a member of a Committee at any given time and without notice.

(10) The same Committee may be convened repeatedly over a period of time to hear all appeals that are assessed as meeting the grounds of appeal in that period.

Secretary

(11) The secretary to the University Student Appeals Committee will be appointed by the Executive Director, Safety, Security and Wellbeing or their delegate.

Chair

(12) The Chair of the Committee will be appointed by the Executive Director, Safety, Security and Wellbeing or their delegate (on the advice of the University Student Appeals Officer) and may be:

1. an academic staff member, where the Committee is to hear an appeal of an academic nature or appeal against an academic decision, or
2. an academic staff member with experience of higher degree by research supervision and research ethics and compliance, where the Committee is to hear an allegation of a research nature or appeal against a research decision, or
3. a senior professional/general staff member, where the Committee is to hear an appeal of an administrative nature or appeal against an administrative decision.

(13) The Chair has:

1. authority to make any decision or give any direction about Committee processes that is consistent with the requirements of the University Student Appeals Policy and University Student Appeals Procedure, including to adjourn a hearing or extend a deadline, and
2. where there is an equality of votes on any decision, an additional casting vote.