Procedure governing unforeseen circumstances and course credit

A student who, in the course of the academic year, encounters unforeseen circumstances resulting in an irreconcilably disrupted exam schedule leading to exam absence(s) and loss of credit is entitled to submit an appeal dossier.
An appeal dossier submitted on the basis of unforeseen circumstances must conform to the following conditions:
- The appeal dossier must be submitted by e-mail using the student’s university email address and containing the student’s personal information (student number, last name, first name, degree program), as well as the course modules to be appealed, categorized per academic year, and per exam period.
- The dossier concerns exam absences caused by unforeseen circumstances, which could not be otherwise avoided by adapting the student’s exam schedule.
- In the event that the unforeseen circumstances cited in the dossier span multiple academic years, separate appeal dossiers must be submitted for each academic year.
- The dossier contains a clear description and documentation of the circumstances leading to the absence(s), where ‘unforeseen circumstances’ is defined as: an unexpected and serious situation that occurs beyond the student’s control, which was unknown to the student at the moment of enrolment, and which caused the student’s inevitable exam absence(s).
- In the event that the exam absence(s) are due to serious medical reasons, the appeal dossier must be accompanied by two medical attests per exam period of the respective academic year:

• a medical attest from the student’s attending physician, which does not contain a diagnosis but which motivates the student’s appeal by providing the physician’s judgement regarding the severity of the student’s condition and the expected duration of the student’s reduced ability to function normally.
• a sealed medical attest addressed to the advising physician of KU Leuven describing the student’s diagnosis, supported by a detailed medical report by the student’s attending physician, and covering the duration of the respective exam period.

- The dossier includes a record of the written actions taken concerning the notification of the examination ombudsman and the faculty governing the missed exam(s), the communication concerning the rescheduling of the exam(s), the request for special accommodations, … (in accordance with the regulations described in the education and examination rules, in Dutch, het onderwijs-en examenreglement)
- Beginning in academic year 2011-2012, appeal dossiers must be submitted by the third Wednesday of the academic year following the period stipulated in the appeal.
An appeal dossier can only be declared admissible if there is actual evidence of unforeseen circumstances. The contents of admissible appeal dossiers are then further investigated. If the case so requires, the student may be called to a hearing. The vice-rector will announce the decision by e-mail.

The negative decision of the Vice-rector for Student Affairs can be appealed to the Council for Disputes concerning Continued Studies (in Dutch, Raad voor Betwistingen inzake Studievoortgangsbeslissingen).
This appeal must be submitted within five calendar days following the date of the vice-rector’s emailed decision. In the event that the vice-rector determines that both unforeseen circumstances have occurred and there is no possible way to come to a resolution, the student’s appeal is sustained, however, the student must still submit their appeal dossier to the Council of Disputes within the five-day period mentioned above in order to obtain (partial) restoration of course credit. By law, the university cannot act alone is such cases.