« Back to Get help menu

Appeal or complaint?

Related articles:

• Academic appeals for coursework students
• Making a complaint

What is the difference between an academic appeal and a complaint?

There are important differences between an academic appeal and a complaint.

An academic appeal allows you to raise concerns over a specific academic decision or a breach in due process in making an academic decision. For example, you may submit an appeal against a grade for an assessment, or about the outcome of a special consideration application. Read the University’s information on academic appeals. 

A complaint is a way to raise an issue with the faculty or the University over matters such as discrimination, harassment, or bullying, or an issue with the quality of teaching or assessment. You have 12 months after the date of the incident to lodge a complaint. Read the University’s information on complaints.

A complaint is not the appropriate process to change or challenge your grade. However, serious concerns over issues with the course content, exam conditions or format, for example, can be included in a stage 1 appeal if you can clearly show how these issues impacted on your grade for the assessment.

If you do not want to challenge your grade, but you want to raise issues, it is your right to make a complaint to the faculty or to the University via the Student Affairs Unit.

If you submit both a complaint and appeal in the same unit of study to the faculty or University at the same time, there are important procedural matters to be considered. In this case your appeal will not be considered until the complaint is resolved. This means a complaint may delay the release of your results, or your ability to graduate.

If you want to understand more about academic appeals or complaints contact us.

Download this article as a Word document
Download this article as a PDF

Last updated January 2022

Get help