If you are unsuccessful in your Dispensation Application, you can appeal directly the Education Committee if you meet the grounds of appeal. Your college/department may also appeal on your behalf. You need to do this within 14 days of the date of the Education Committee decision.
There isn't a set form for your appeal, you just need to send your statement and any evidence to the Education Committee (edcapplications@admin.ox.ac.uk).
The grounds of appeal are:
- There was a procedural irregularity or error in the Committee's consideration;
- The Committee's decision was unreasonable (which aspects of the decision considered to be objectively unreasonable must be identified and why);
- Clear reasons were not provided for the Committee's decision
- There is material evidence which the Committee has not yet seen for which there are valid reasons for not having provided earlier
Here's some thoughts to consider under each of the appeal ground. You are able to apply under more than one appeal ground if more than one applies.
Procedural irregularity/error:
Identify exactly what irregularity/error you believe has occurred, citing the regulations or OIA good practice framework where you can. Then, explain how if this error had not occurred, the committee would have come to a different decision. This could include if there was bias or the perception of bias in who determined your initial application.
Committee's decision unreasonable:
Identify exactly which parts of the committee's decision you believe is unreasonable given the information provided. Then, explain how you feel they are unreasonable. You might want to draw attention to particular parts of your initial statement/evidence that you don't feel have been properly considered, and, if they were, a reasonable person would have come to an alternate decision. In this, it's important to stay polite despite disagreement with the reasonableness of the decision.
Clear decisions were not provided for the Committee's decision:
If there is any point of the outcome of which it is not clear how they come to that conclusion, you can highlight these. Do this by clearly citing which paragraphs you feel are not clear, and what questions you feel they still raise. Then, explain the impact you feel this unclear rationale has on your overall application, to show that it had more than a minimal or trivial impact.
Material evidence not yet seen:
Sometimes the outcome will make it clear that they did not feel they had sufficient evidence of the circumstances to confirm the impact they had on you, and thus couldn’t make your preferred decision. If this is the case, then it can be helpful to provide that for the committee to help them re-consider their outcome. Then, you have to give a valid reason to not provide this earlier. Ideally, this reason should be linked to your difficulties you were experiencing (e.g. difficulties in engaging effectively in support) or the availability of evidence as a result of a third party (e.g. NHS waiting lists).
It will then be considered by two members of the Education Committee with no previous connection with the case.
If you are unhappy with the outcome of your appeal, you can request a review of the Universities final decision by the external adjudicator the OIA.
OIA Review
If you have a question not answered by the above or would like your draft appeal/evidence checked over by a member of our team, then read our Advice Agreement then Contact Us and we'd be happy to help.