Academic Enquiries
We've got some FAQs here to help with specific problems that you may have with your course or the academic side of your university experience. We've also got some other pages that may be of interest: our revision page;
General enquiries
- Where can I get help with academic problems?
- You should first contact your Personal Tutor or Supervisor or someone in your department you feel at ease with. The University Senior Tutor may be able to help. The Counselling Service also offers workshops on Study Skills. As well as this you can contact the Student Advice Centre for help with academic problems.
See out page on support available for contact details for these groups.
- How do I change to another course at the University?
- This is not always easy and depends on your qualifications and whether the new course has a place for you. Speak to both your Personal Tutor and to the Admissions Tutor of the new course. You can also discuss all the implications with the Student Advice Centre or the University Senior Tutor.
- How can I transfer to another University?
- Look at the UCAS website to see all the courses offered by all UK Universities. Contact the Admissions Tutor of the course you are interested in following. It is probable that you will be required to start the new course from the first year.
- What help can I get with revision?
- Exams can be stressful even if you normally have a perfect bill of mental health; if you don't, exams can exacerbate current conditions and the run-up of revision can get incredibly difficult to deal with. We've created a page to act as a one stop shop for all exam tips and tricks, and what support is available at this time — see it by clicking here.
- What are the penalties for handing work in late?
- This can be a deduction of 5% for each day that passes after the deadline. Check in your course handbook. If you have been unable to meet the deadline because of illness you should present a medical certificate from your GP.
- What can I do if I have been accused of cheating in an exam?
- Make sure you know what you have been accused of and look at Part A of the Regulation covering procedure to be adopted in the event of suspected cheating.
- http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/gov/calendar/section2/regulations/cheating/
- You will be able to submit a written report before the meeting of an Investigating Committee. You can attend the committee and take someone with you. You can seek advice from the Student Advice Centre or from the University Senior Tutor.
- What can I do if I have been accused of plagiarism?
- Make sure you know what you have been accused of and read Part B of the Regulation covering procedure to be adopted in the event of suspected cheating.
- http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/gov/calendar/section2/regulations/cheating/
- Your Head of Department can impose penalties of a maximum of a 0% mark for the work. You can ask for the case to be referred to an Investigating Committee. You can submit a written report and appear before the Committee accompanied by one other person. You can get further advice and help from the Student Advice Centre or the University Senior Tutor.
- How can I avoid an accusation of plagiarism?
- Plagiarism is taken very seriously by the University. It is important to use good referencing practice to avoid the possible charge of plagiarism. Your course handbooks should give some instruction and you can also get information from the following website:
- http://www.warwick.ac.uk/services/elearning/plato/
- How can I make an Academic Complaint?
- If you have problems with an aspect of your course, you should first take it up with the person concerned. If this doesn't help, you could go see your personal tutor/supervisor (if they aren't who the complaint is about), and if you are dissatisfied with the that, the Chair or Head of your Department.
If the complaint is not resolved, you should write a formal letter to the Vice-Chancellor, who will appoint a senior person to conduct an investigation. This should be done within 3 months of the event you are complaining about. For more information about the complaints process, see the university's complaints procedure. You can get help in conducting your complaint from the Student Advice Centre or the University Senior Tutor. - If you are still unsatisfied, you can appeal to the OIA at www.oiahe.org.uk.
- How can I make an Appeal?
- If you feel you've been treated unfairly, in certain situations you can appeal to the University. As mentioned above, the first step should often be to talk to your personal tutor/supervisor.
For more information on the appeals process than what is below, view the University regulations on courses and assessment (which also covers appeals) here: section 8 covers first-time degrees, and sections 37 and 38 govern taught and research postgraduate degrees respectively.
You can download appeal forms from the Academic Office website, by clicking here. If you are going through an academic appeal, please contact the Student Advice Centre here in the Students' Union.
Undergraduate Appeals
The University will only let students appeal against certain decisions, not all marks.
You can only appeal at an undergraduate level if:
- You're a finalist, and you want to appeal appeal against the award of a particular degree class, or if you haven’t been given a qualification at all;
- You're a non-finalists, and you want to appeal against the University's decision to require you to withdraw from your course of study.
- Additionally, there are only a few instances where an academic appeal will stand. These are:
- Where you can show there has been a procedural error or a mistake in the recording, transcription or reporting of your results
- Where you can show there have been extenuating circumstances which you could not, or felt unable to, declare to the university earlier
- Appeals procedures cannot be used to challenge the academic judgement of examiners or to dispute marks awarded in individual modules or pieces of work (such as assessed essays).
An appeal must be lodged in writing and within 10 days of the publication of the exam results, or of you being told you weren't awarded a qualification. If you don't fit these criteria, we still strongly advise you to talk immediately to your department and see what they are willing to do.
For more information, see either the University's page on appeals for the relevant forms to fill in. Once submitted, the appeal will go to a "preliminary review panel" (the make-up of the panel is detailed in University regulation 8.12). If the panel deems you to have a valid case for appeal, then they will either recommend that the Board of Examiners reconsider their opinion, or that you get forwarded to a formal appeals panel.
If you want to appeal, feel free contact the Student Advice Centre for advice and guidance. - Postgraduate Appeals
- If the University decides that your performance merits the award of a lower qualification (e.g. a postgraduate diploma instead of a masters) or does not merit a qualification at all, you have the right to appeal. There is no right of appeal if you’re asked to resubmit work or re-sit examinations. The decision to award a Master’s degree at pass level rather than with distinction also cannot be appealed against. More information can be found at:
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/academicoffice/examinations/postgraduate.
The appeal will go to a "preliminary review panel"; the make-up of the panel is detailed in University regulation 37.5 for taught courses and regulation 38.9 for research degrees. If the panel deems you to have a valid case for appeal, then they will either recommend that the Board of Examiners reconsider their opinion, or that you get forwarded to a formal appeals panel.
What else can be done
If the academic appeal fails, then there is the option of going to the OIA (Office of the Independent Adjudicator); a free and independent ombudsman for higher education. This body generally looks at whether the University followed the correct procedures so rarely comes back with a decision in favour of the student.
If your appeal fails, then the University should provide you with a Completion of Procedures Letter. You must apply to the OIA within three months of receiving this letter, if you aren't satisfied with the appeals process you've been through. If you need help filling in the form then please feel free to contact the Education Officer Sumaiya Khaku (education@warwicksu.com) or the Welfare Officer Sami Wannell (welfare@warwicksu.com).
- What should I do if I am being bullied or harassed?
- The University has an anti-harassment policy and you can see the harassment guidelines here: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/insite/topic/healthsafety/welfare/harassment
- If you feel able to you can approach your harasser directly and ask them to stop or get a friend to do it for you. In some cases this might solve the problem. If it does not work or you do not feel able to do this you can consult one of the support services on campus. You can also make a formal complaint to the University under the University’s harassment policy. You can get advice about harassment from the Student Advice Centre or the University Senior Tutor.
- Can I take time off from my studies?
- Usually only with the agreement of your department. If you have to take time out because of illness or personal or family issues, you would normally have to provide some written evidence of the reason.
- Discuss with your personal tutor or supervisor in the first instance. You can also get advice from the Student Advice Centre or from the University Senior Tutor.
Postgraduate enquiries
- I am having problems with my PhD supervisor. What can I do?
- The responsibilities for PhD supervision are divided between the department, the supervisor and the student. They are set out in the guidelines for supervision of research students:
- http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/academicoffice/ourservices/gsp/admin/graduateschool/guide-supervisefee.pdf
- If you have problems with your supervisor, you should discuss the matter with the designated person in your department (who may be the Head of the department). It may be possible to change supervisor.
- You can also talk to the Student Advice Centre or the University Senior Tutor about supervisory problems.
- Where can I go for additional postgraduate research support?
- The Wolfson Research Exchange (based within the University Library) is a technology-rich facility for researchers and research students to study and come together for peer and collaborative support. This facility also offers guidance from the Graduate School, the Centre for Student Development and Enterprise, the Learning and Development Centre, Careers and others, offering drop-in and other sessions in the space relating to research skills development.
- I'm having problems with working for my department, what help is available?
- Many postgraduates take on paid roles from the university, which is a unique employment situation. Problems can arise to do with hours worked, amount of unpaid work that has to be done, lack of integration into the fixed-rate pay spine structure, and lack of training.
The NUS have worked with UCU and the National Postgraduate Committee to formulate an "Employment Charter for postgraduate student academic and academic-related staff".
If you are having any problems in this regard, contact either the local UCU branch, or the Student Advice Centre.