Your show cause application will be referred to the Associate Dean (Academic) of your faculty for a decision. The decision of the Associate Dean (Academic) will be sent to your student email address.

First time a student is required to show cause

If it is the first time you have been required to show cause why enrolment should not be cancelled, the Associate Dean (Academic) will either:

• approve your show cause application; or
• approve your show cause application and impose conditions which are designed to assist you to improve your academic performance (e.g. seeking learning assistance, attending an academic advising session, limiting enrolment); or
• refuse your show cause application and provide reasons. The Associate Dean (Academic) may set conditions that you are required to meet prior to a show cause application being considered.

You will be advised in writing to your student email account if you have to comply with any conditions and the time within which you must do so.

Subsequent instances of unsatisfactory academic progress

If you have been required to show cause why enrolment should not be cancelled for a second or subsequent time, you may apply to the Associate Dean (Academic) in your faculty. However, before a decision is made, you must attend an interview with the Associate Dean (Academic) (or nominee) to discuss your academic performance. Please note that the Associate Dean (Academic) may decide to waive the interview requirement if you attended an interview the first time you were asked to show cause.

Again, the Associate Dean (Academic) will either:

• approve your show cause application; or
• approve your show cause application and impose conditions which are designed to assist you to improve your academic performance (e.g. seeking learning assistance, attending an academic advising session, limiting enrolment to fewer courses); or
• refuse your show cause application and provide reasons. Reasons might include failure to comply with any previous conditions which were set on your continued enrolment in a prior semester. The Associate Dean (Academic) may set conditions that you are required to meet prior to a show cause application being considered.

You will be advised in writing to your student email account if you have to comply with any conditions and the time within which you must do so.

If you have been required to show cause and are enrolled in the subsequent semester, you should continue to attend classes on a provisional basis and meet assessment requirements until you receive the outcome of your show cause application.

If your show cause application is unsuccessful you have the option to appeal that decision (see below). If you choose not to appeal, your enrolment will be cancelled and any financial liability will be removed. In accordance with the ESOS and National Code Part D, Standard 10 The University is required to notify the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) of students who are not making satisfactory progress and this could result in the cancellation of the student’s visa.

What do I have to do if conditions are set?

If conditions are set on your continued enrolment, it is your responsibility to take steps to meet the conditions. If you have difficulty meeting them or do not understand what is being asked of you, you will need to speak to your faculty.

Appealing against a decision to refuse re-enrolment

• If you are dissatisfied with the decision of the Associate Dean (Academic) regarding any action taken under these rules, you can appeal the decision to the Senate Student Appeals Committee.
• Your appeal should be lodged in writing with the Assistant Secretary, Senate Student Appeals Committee within 10 business days of the notice of the decision.
• You can contact the Assistant Secretary on telephone (07) 3346 8305, (07) 3365 2600 or email senatestudentappeals@uq.edu.au
• If your show cause application is refused and your Senate student appeal is dismissed, you may appeal to the Queensland Ombudsman. If this is not successful, you may not apply for permission to enrol until the same semester of the following year.

Example –

A student is asked to show cause why their enrolment should not be cancelled based on poor academic performance in Semester 1, 2008. The student submits a show cause application to enrol for semester 2, 2008 but is refused and unsuccessfully appeals the decision. The earliest semester that the student can submit a show cause application to enrol in is semester 2, 2009.

Note that once all avenues appeal have been exhausted, without reaching what you consider to be a satisfactory outcome, you may then take the matter to the Office of the Queensland Ombudsman. The Ombudsman would normally focus on issues of procedural compliance or fairness in the decision making process rather than matters concerning academic judgement.

International students must notify the Academic Registrar within 10 days of receiving the decision of the Senate Student Appeals Committee if the matter has been referred to the Ombudsman. This is required so that the University knows to delay reporting their poor academic process to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) until after the Ombudsman has considered the matter.

Please address any enquiries to the Academic Progression Officer on telephone (07) 3365 2600 or via email.