University Review Procedure
The University Review Procedure can be used by every student who has received a formal decision under a procedure which confirms access to the Review Procedure.
If you are unhappy with a decision made by the University under its policies and procedures, you can request a review of that decision within 14 days of receiving it but only if you have one of the following grounds:
- Procedural irregularity, i.e. the process described to reach the original decision was not followed;
- The decision and/or remedy was unreasonable and not supported by the facts of the case;
- There is new information or evidence that could not have been made available at the time when your original case was considered.
In order to request a review, you must
- Write to the Head of Student Cases at studentcases@cardiff.ac.uk within 14 days of receiving the decision you want reviewing. Requests outside of this deadline will only be considered if you can explain and evidence why it was not possible or reasonable for you to meet it.
- Explain clearly in your email what ground(s) you are requesting a review under.
- Explain how you have an arguable case under that ground:
- What was the irregularity and what did it cause in your case?
- What decision/remedy was unreasonable? Why was it unreasonable and how did that unreasonableness affect you?
- What is the new information? Why could it not have been made available before and what difference does that new information make?
- Provide evidence to support what you say. Evidence should ideally be independent and support all elements of your argument. If, for example, you are requesting a review because there was an irregularity in University Procedure, your evidence should support the irregularity and the negative impact on you. Please let me know if you are struggling to think of anything.
The Head of Student Cases will then decide if your request for review is eligible for consideration and should inform you of this decision within 7 days. If you do not give one of the permitted grounds and/or do not present an arguable case and/or do not provide evidence, the review request may be rejected; it is essential that you explain your grounds and argument clearly and concisely and provide the best evidence you are able to get.
If your request is deemed eligible for review it will be passed to a Senior Officer/Academic who is independent of your School. The Senior Officer should consider
- your request and evidence; and
- the University decision and the reasons for it; and
- all associated papers and previous investigations where applicable.
The Senior Officer/Academic can then decide to
- Dismiss the review and uphold the original decision; or
- Refer the case back to the original decision-maker where a ground is upheld; or
- Make another decision permitted by University Regulation, Policy or Procedure.
You should be informed of this decision within 28 days of formal consideration.
Managing your Expectations
The University Review Procedure can take some time to complete, and therefore is not a 'quick fix'. The Office for the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) recommends in its Good Practice Framework that appeals and complaints procedures should take 90 days to complete. However, we are aware that there are circumstances where the University have exceeded this time scale, and unfortunately this is not uncommon.
Please note that Student Advice is independent from the University, and therefore cannot provide you with an update on the status of your Review Request. You will need to email studentcases@cardiff.ac.uk to request an update on your Review Request.
If you feel that the Review Procedure has taken a significant amount of time and the University has significantly exceeded its own deadlines, you might wish to consider making a complaint on the basis of the delay and, importantly, its impact on you. This might seem ironic, and an adviser can talk to you about this or send you written guidance on the things you might wish to consider - get in touch with us if you need to discuss this further.
Contact Student Advice
Advice@cardiff.ac.uk
+44 (0)2920 781410
Gweithdrefn Adolygu'r Brifysgol
Gellir defnyddio Gweithdrefn Adolygu'r Brifysgol gan bob myfyriwr sydd wedi derbyn penderfyniad ffurfiol o dan unrhyw weithdrefn sy'n caniatáu defnyddio'r Weithdrefn Adolygu.
Os ydych yn anhapus gyda phenderfyniad wedi'i wneud gan y Brifysgol o dan ei pholisïau a gweithdrefnau gallwch ofyn am adolygiad o'r penderfyniad o fewn 14 diwrnod i'w dderbyn ond dim ond os yw'r canlynol yn wir:
- Afreoleidd-dra gweithdrefnol h.y. ni chafodd y broses gywir ei dilyn;
- Roedd y penderfyniad a/neu ddatrysiad yn afresymol a heb ei gefnogi gan ffeithiau'r achos;
- Mae gwybodaeth neu dystiolaeth newydd nad oedd ar gael pan gafodd yr achos gwreiddiol ei ystyried.
Er mwyn gwneud cais am adolygiad, rhaid
- Ysgrifennu at Bennaeth Achosion Myfyrwyr ar studentcases@caerdydd.ac.uk o fewn 14 dydd i dderbyn y penderfyniad. Bydd ceisiadau wedi'u cyflwyno tu allan i'r dyddiad yma ond yn cael eu hystyried os allwch esbonio a dangos nad oedd yn bosib neu'n rhesymol i gyflwyno'n gynharach.
- Esbonio'n glir yn eich e-bost pa sail/seiliau sydd gennych ar gyfer y cais adolygu.
- Esbonio sut allwch ddadlau eich achos ar y sail honno.
- Beth oedd yr afreoleidd-dra a beth wnaeth achosi?
- Pa benderfyniad/datrysiad oedd yn afresymol? Pam roedd yn afresymol a sut gwnaeth effeithio arnoch?
- Beth yw'r wybodaeth newydd? Pam nad oedd ar gael o'r blaen a pha wahaniaeth mae'r wybodaeth newydd yn ei wneud?
- Darparu tystiolaeth i gefnogi eich safbwynt. Dylai tystiolaeth fod yn annibynnol a chefnogi pob elfen o'ch dadl. Os, er enghraifft, rydych yn gwneud cais am adolygiad oherwydd afreoleidd-dra, dylai eich tystiolaeth cefnogi'r afreoleidd-dra ac effaith negyddol arnoch.
Bydd Pennaeth Achosion Myfyrwyr wedyn yn penderfynu os yw'r cais am adolygiad yn gymwys ar gyfer ystyriaeth a dylen nhw roi gwybod i chi o fewn 7 diwrnod. Os nad ydych yn darparu un o'r seiliau a chaniateir a/neu'n cyflwyno achos rhesymol a/neu dystiolaeth, efallai bydd yr adolygiad yn cael ei wrthod.
Os yw eich cais yn gymwys ar gyfer adolygiad bydd yn cael ei drosglwyddo at Uwch Swyddog sy'n annibynnol o'ch ysgol. Dylai'r Uwch Swyddog yna ystyried:
- eich cais a thystiolaeth; a
- penderfyniad y Brifysgol a'i rhesymau; a
- unrhyw bapurau perthnasol ac ymchwiliadau blaenorol lle bo'n addas.
Gall yr Uwch Swyddog wedyn penderfynu:
- diystyru'r cais a chadarnhau'r penderfyniad gwreiddiol; neu
- cyfeirio'r penderfyniad yn ôl at y rhai a gwnaeth y penderfyniad gwreiddiol lle bod sail wedi'i gynnal; neu
- gwneud penderfyniad arall wedi'i ganiatáu gan Reoliad, Polisi, neu Weithdrefn Prifysgol.
Dylech glywed am y penderfyniad o fewn 28 diwrnod.
Rheoli eich Disgwyliadau
Gall gymryd amser i gwblhau Gweithdrefn Adolygu'r Brifysgol, ac felly nid yw'n ddatrysiad cyflym. Yn ei Fframwaith Arfer Orau mae Swyddfa'r Dyfarnwr Annibynnol yn argymell y dylai gweithdrefnau apelio a chwyno cymryd uchafswm o 90 diwrnod. Ond, rydym yn ymwybodol bod amgylchiadau lle mae'r Brifysgol wedi cymryd hirach, ac yn anffodus nid yw hyn yn anarferol.
Nodwch fod Cyngor i Fyfyrwyr yn annibynnol o'r Brifysgol, felly ni allant ddarparu diweddariad ar statws eich cais. Bydd angen i chi e-bostio studentcases@caerdydd.ac.uk am ddiweddariadau.
Os deimlwch fod y Weithdrefn Adolygu wedi cymryd amser sylweddol ac nad yw'r Brifysgol wedi cwrdd â'i therfynau amser, efallai hoffech gwyno am effaith hyn arnoch. Gallwch siarad gyda chynghorydd am hyn.
Cysylltwch â Chyngor i Fyfyrwyr
Advice@caerdydd.ac.uk
+44 (0)2920 781410