Student appeals and rectification rights
Read about what kinds of decisions the university makes concerning students and how to request for rectification concerning decisions.
University decisions concerning students
Decisions concerning students are made at different stages of studies. Decisions concerning students are usually administrative decisions. Administrative decisions that the university makes concerning students can be related to student admission, the forfeiture of the right to study, granting of extension for studies, conferment of a degree, assessments and grading and disciplinary measures.
Administrative decisions are given in writing, and they must be accompanied by their reasoning and instructions on how to request for rectification or how to appeal the decision.
The student has the right to be heard on any of the matters that the decision-maker has access to.
The student has the right to request for rectification
Students may request for rectification of or appeal an administrative decision concerning them in accordance with sections 82–84 of the Universities Act. Requests for rectification are addressed to Uniarts Helsinki, while appeals refer to claims brought before the Administrative Court.
According to section 82 of the Universities Act (558/2009), matters subject to the rectification procedure within Uniarts Helsinki include student admission, forfeiture of the study right, the grading of study attainments and theses/dissertations/final projects, as well as recognition of prior learning. A decision for which rectification may be requested under section 82 of the Universities Act may not be brought before the Administrative Court until after the rectification procedure has been completed.
Other administrative decisions and decisions made in the rectification procedure are appealed directly to the Administrative Court. The competent administrative court is the Helsinki Administrative Court.
The appeal instructions attached to the decision indicate where the appeal must be lodged and how the appeal should be filed. Appeals on decisions concerning the assessment of completed courses may not be brought before the Administrative Court.
Situations in which a request for rectification or appeal may be filed
Below, we present typical situations where a student has the right to request for rectification.
Student admission decisions
Under section 82(1) of the Universities Act (558/2009), you may request for rectification of a student admission decision made by Uniarts Helsinki. A written request for rectification of the admission decision may be submitted within 14 days of the date on which the decision was made.
Applications for extension when the student has forfeited their right to study
Students may apply for an extension to their right to study if the statutory maximum duration of studies is about to end. If the university does not grant the extension, the student may appeal the decision under section 82(2) of the Universities Act (558/2009) within 14 days of the decision date, as laid down in the Administrative Procedure Act. The date on which the decision is issued is not included in the appeal period.
Grading of study attainments or theses/dissertations/final projects
Study attainments refer to a study unit completed in accordance with the curriculum, and their scope is defined as ECTS credits. A study attainment may also refer to recognised prior learning or other competence required by the curriculum. For the sake of clarity, it must be stated that theses at the master’s, licentiate and doctoral level are also considered study attainments, but these are subject to partially different appeal rules.
At Uniarts Helsinki, study attainments are graded in accordance with section 44 of the Universities Act, and more detailed policies are stated in the Uniarts Helsinki Education Regulations.
Students who are dissatisfied with the grading of their study attainments or who have other grievances with their study attainments should first discuss the matter with the teacher of the study unit in question. If the situation cannot be resolved this way, the student should then contact the head of academic affairs at their academy.
Students have the right to obtain information on how grading criteria are applied to their study attainments. Students must be given an opportunity to see the graded study attainment, whether it is in writing or otherwise recorded. Written and otherwise recorded study attainments must be retained for a minimum of six months from the announcement of the result (section 44 of the Universities Act).
Results of study attainments must be announced no later than 4 weeks after an exam is taken or some other kind of study attainment has been completed. When the result cannot be announced within the time limit for a valid reason, students must be notified of the new result announcement date before the end of the time limit. Credits for study attainments are recorded without delay after the results have been announced. Data protection legislation and the Act on the Openness of Government Activities apply to the processing of study attainment data.
Students must monitor their own study attainments in the record of credits and point out when study attainments have not been entered into the record of credits on time. Finding old records afterwards is difficult and time-consuming. Students should also note that the exam papers are kept for a limited period of time (a minimum of 6 months), so it may be too late to ask about the grade of an exam that took place in December when noticing it missing only in July, for example.
Rectification of a study attainment grade (not the grade of a master’s, licentiate or doctoral thesis)
Under section 82(4) of the Universities Act, a student may submit a rectification request if they are dissatisfied with the grading of a study attainment that is not a doctoral dissertation, licentiate thesis or equivalent final project. They must submit the rectification request orally or in writing to the teacher who decided on the grade. The student must file their rectification request within 14 days of the date on which they received information about the grading and about how the grading criteria were applied to their study attainment.
A student dissatisfied with the decision regarding the request for rectification may appeal the matter to the Academic Appeals Board of Uniarts Helsinki within 14 days of receiving notification of the teacher’s decision.
A decision made in the rectification procedure concerning the study attainment grade and recognition of prior learning may not be brought before the Administrative Court for appeal.
Assessment of thesis projects (master’s, licentiate and doctoral level thesis)
In this context, a thesis project refers to a master’s, licentiate and doctoral thesis. The thesis assessment is issued in writing. Instructions for requesting a rectification from the Uniarts Helsinki Academic Appeals Board must be attached to the thesis assessment.
Under section 82(4) of the Universities Act, a student dissatisfied with the grading of a doctoral dissertation, licentiate thesis or equivalent final project, or graduate thesis for advanced studies or corresponding study attainment, may lodge a rectification request with an administrative body designated by the university within 14 days, as laid down in the Administrative Procedure Act. At Uniarts Helsinki, requests for rectification are processed by the Academic Appeals Board. The request for rectification must be submitted within 14 days of being notified of the decision in question. For further information on rectification requests in study matters, contact the head of academic affairs.
A written request for rectification is addressed to the Uniarts Helsinki Academic Appeals Board.
A decision made in the rectification procedure concerning the study attainment grade may not be brought before the Administrative Court for appeal.