Appeals procedure for students

The Legal Service cannot act as a legal adviser to students, given that it may be called upon to act as an appeal authority against decisions made by faculty bodies.

The Legal Service may be called upon to act as an appeal authority against decisions made by faculty bodies.

Among others, the Fédération des associations d'étudiants-e-s (FAE) and the Conseil juridique de l'Association des étudiants-e-s en droit de Lausanne (AEDL) can provide support to students in their appeal procedures.

• FAE
• AEDL

In addition, the Legal Department cannot assist you with private matters.

In the event of a final decision on a course of study, the student will receive two separate decisions against which he or she may appeal:

1. Faculty final decision (appeal procedure see table 1)
2. Décision déexmatriculation du Service des immatriculations et inscriptions et (procédure de recours cf. tableau 2)

The information given on this page is for information only and does not replace the need to read the legal bases.

The appeal period begins to run on the day following notification (article 19 al. 1 LPA-VD).

As regards the notification of results, the Faculties make available to their students, on their MyUnil server (or on its own server for HEC), the minutes of the examination results after each session. This is the official notification. Students are deemed to have been informed of their results within 3 days of the date of official notification. The 30-day appeal period therefore takes effect from the 4th day.

Decisions to grant a final discharge at the end of a course of study are notified by the Faculty in writing and by registered post. The 30-day appeal period begins on the day following their notification (articles 1 and 2 of Directorate Directive 3.3 on the Notification of Results).

Other decisions made by a Faculty body or by the UNIL Management (e.g. decision on exmatriculation) are notified in due form. The 10-day appeal period begins on the day following notification.

The decision is final.

The appeal period is observed when the decision is delivered to the authority, a Swiss post office or a Swiss diplomatic or consular representation, no later than the last day of the period (article 20 al. 1 LPA-VD).

For reasons of proof of compliance with the appeal deadline, students are advised to send their appeal by registered post to the authority.

The appeal must be signed and state the grounds of appeal. The contested decision is attached to the appeal (article 79 al. 1 LPA-VD). The procedure is conducted in French (article 26 LPA-VD).

The appeal must state the reasons on which it is based, otherwise it has no chance of success.

In this regard, the student is invited to refer to the optional provisions applicable to him and to article 76 LPA-VD.

Decisions taken by the Faculties and the Management of UNIL are immediately final. The lodging of an appeal against a university decision does not have suspensive effect.

If an appeal is lodged, the decision is final.

If, following a definitive failure in a course, the student nevertheless wishes to continue his/her university course during the appeal period, he/she is advised to ask the competent authority for provisional measures consisting of being able to continue his/her course (course, examination, etc) in addition to lodging his/her appeal. This authority will consider whether or not to grant these provisional measures.

The appellant domiciled abroad must declare his domicile in Switzerland where notifications may be addressed to him (article 17 LPA-VD).

In administrative proceedings, the appellant is in principle required to provide an advance on costs to the authority (article 47 LPA-VD). The appellant may be exempted from the advance on costs provided that he applies for it (article 18 LPA-VD) and provides proof of his indigent financial situation.

Proceeding costs are reimbursed to the student if he or she wins the case.