Readmissions

An academic standing at the end of 2017 of ‘not eligible to continue’ (RENN) means that you are not permitted to renew your registration in 2018 as you have not met the minimum academic requirements to do so.

An academic standing at the end of 2017 of ‘eligible to continue if SUPP/DE passed’ (SUPP) means that your readmission to UCT in 2018 depends on the outcome of your supplementary/deferred examinations. You must appeal before your supplementary/deferred examination results are released at the end of January. If you do not appeal by the deadline and you later fail your supplementary or deferred examinations, you will not be allowed to submit a late appeal.

Each faculty has a Readmission Appeal Committee (RAC). The RAC meets to consider appeals from students who have failed to meet the re-registration requirements but are appealing for readmission. Your appeal goes to 1 faculty RAC only. This need not be the faculty where you were registered in 2017.

This is the process you must follow if you wish to appeal the Faculty Examination Committee's decision to deny you re-registration in 2018:

The RAC is the only body that can hear your appeal and its decision will be final. No second or further appeal to a higher body is possible. So you must include all evidence of circumstances that would justify your readmission in your appeal. Such evidence may include:

• medical/death certificates
• sworn affidavits
• travel itineraries and tickets.

• The readmission appeal process

  Step 1: Read this information sheet carefully.

  Step 2: Complete the correct appeal form (make sure that you have completed the checklist at the end of this page). Please note that undergraduate and postgraduate students have separate forms.

  Make sure that before you submit your appeal that you make and keep a copy of your appeal form and any supporting documentation.

  Step 3: Upload your appeal to the Student Records Office by the deadline date and time:

  • RENN: Thursday 4 January 2018 by 12:00
  • SUPP: Friday 12 January 2018 by 12:00.

  Your appeal form and supporting documents can only be submitted to the Student Records Office.

  You are encouraged to submit your form electronically. This not only simplifies the process but allows for faster and more efficient communication with the RAC. It has the added benefit of ensuring that your documents are not delayed in reaching us or lost in the post.

  Step 4: The Student Records Office prepares an appeal folder that will be sent to your faculty’s RAC. Please do not include your UCT and matric results in your application. This package will be sent to the faculty RAC to which you have appealed.

  Step 5: The RAC will consider your appeal.

  Step 6: The RAC will write to you to inform you of their decision (for further information about this, please read the section titled ‘Appeal Results’).

  Step 7: Start making plans for what you will do in 2018 if your appeal fails and you are denied readmission to UCT. Please do not wait until you know the outcome of your appeal to start planning for 2018 as you may be too late to gain entrance into another institution.

• Reasons for appeal

  You must provide all possible information about why you struggled academically through the year.

  Reasons may be, for example:

  • accommodation problems
  • your financial position
  • any emotional problems
  • ill health
  • family difficulties.

  When the RAC evaluates appeals, members of the committee read the full appeal and are guided in their considerations by 3 specific questions. These are set out below.  Draft your appeal in a way that provides the necessary information to the RAC.  

  1. Were there significant events or circumstances, probably mostly beyond the control of the student, which impacted adversely on the student’s academic performance and explain the poor academic performance? Were these circumstances well beyond the events or circumstances which happen to most students from time to time?
  2. Is there evidence (letters, documents, etc) to confirm the events or circumstances, and a clear description of how they affected the student? Does the timing of the events correlate with the poor performance?
  3. Is there evidence that the difficulties have been dealt with, or are being dealt with, or that there are plans in place, so that there is a good chance that the poor performance will not simply repeat itself this year?

  In addition, the committee looks carefully at the academic record, to try to evaluate whether, despite the fails on the record, there may be evidence of progress in key courses which might indicate your potential to complete the degree.

  If you intend appealing to a different faculty to where you were previously registered, you should refer to the relevant faculty website and electronic faculty handbooks to find out what programmes they offer. If you choose to apply to a different faculty, you must provide a motivation as to why you should be considered for entry into that faculty.

  Consult the most recent versions of the handbooks.

   

• Help and advice

  If you need help completing the form, or need advice on changing programmes or faculties, please contact the relevant people below. Be aware that people may be unavailable due to public and other holidays.

  Faculty	Contact Person	Email address
  Commerce	Yolandah Hall	Yolandah.Hall@uct.ac.za
  EDU Commerce	Yolandah Hall	Yolandah.Hall@uct.ac.za
  EBE	Nuraan Hartley	Nuraan.Hartley@uct.ac.za
  Health Sciences	Sandra Munesar	Sandra.Munesar@uct.ac.za
  Humanities	Brigit Aldersley	Brigit.Aldersley@uct.ac.za
  Law	Patricia Phillips	Patricia.Phillips@uct.ac.za
  Science	A/Prof David Gammon	david.gammon@uct.ac.za

  For additional support and advice (such as career advice, psychological support and advice regarding the RAC process and your rights) you should contact:

  Who to contact	Telephone	E-mail
  SRC representative: (RAC process/rights)	+27 (0)21 650 3537	src@uct.ac.za
  Careers Services: (Careers advice)	+27 (0)21 650 2497	careers.service@uct.ac.za
  Student Wellness Centre: (Psychological support)	+27 (0)21 650 1017/20	N/A

• RAC decisions

  The faculty will send you written confirmation of your RAC outcome. In addition, you can check PeopleSoft on the following dates to see the outcome of your appeal:

  Faculty	If you do NOT have January exams	If you DO have January exams
  Commerce	Thursday 18 January 2018	Friday 9 February 2018
  EDU Commerce	Thursday 18 January 2018	Friday 9 February 2018
  EBE	Friday 19 January 2018	Friday 2 February 2018
  Health Sciences	Friday 12 January 2018	Tuesday 23 January 2018
  Humanities	Friday 2 February 2018	Friday 9 February 2018
  Law	Friday 12 January 2018	Wednesday 7 February 2018
  Science	Thursday 18 January 2018	Friday 2 February 2018

• Address to which you must send your appeal

  E-mail: rac-records@uct.ac.za

  Hand deliver to:

  Student Records Office
  Room 4.18, Level 4
  Masingene Building
  Cross Campus Road
  Middle Campus
  Rondebosch

  Fax: +27 (0)21 650 5714

  Post to:

  The Secretary, Readmission Appeals Committee
  Student Records Office
  University of Cape Town
  Private Bag X3
  Rondebosch
  7701

  Tel: +27 (0)21 650 3595

• Final dates for appeals

  RENN – Thursday 4 January 2018 by 12:00

  SUPP – Friday 12 January 2018 by 12:00

  The RAC may decline to consider applications submitted late.

   

• Checklist

  Check this list to ensure you have completed your appeal form correctly:

  • Have you completed your appeal form?
  • Undergraduate only – If you are applying to another faculty, did you motivate?
  • If you ticked that you are appealing to another faculty, have you contacted the faculty office concerned? Has supporting documentation (if relevant and/or including a motivation) been attached?
  • If you are appealing to transfer to another qualification have you checked that you would meet the current entrance requirements of that qualification? If not, the RAC cannot make an admissions decision.
  • Is your appeal clearly written and does it include all relevant evidence to support the reason(s) for your poor performance? Remember that all information submitted to the RAC remains confidential, and withholding vital information will jeopardise your appeal.
  • Undergraduate only – If you are appealing/applying to the Humanities and/or Commerce faculties, have you included a completed curriculum plan?
  • If you do not want an SRC nominee on the RAC to hear your appeal, have you ticked NO on page one of the form?