Student regulations (i.e. EEL and internal appeal)

Education, Examination and Legal position regulations for students

The Dutch version is approved by the Board of Governors of Hasselt University in June 2023.
Applicable to all programs and postgraduates of Hasselt University/tUL.

Education, Examination and Legal position regulations 2024-2025 (pdf, 655 KB)

Education, Examination and Legal position regulations 2023-2024 (pdf, 619 KB)

Against which decisions can I file an internal appeal?

(article 19.2 EEL)

Any student who feels that an unfavourable study progress decision was affected by a violation of his rights may file an internal appeal, on condition that this issue was not the subject of a previous appeal. an unfavourable study progress decision is:

• an examination decision, i.e. any decision (whether or not based on a deliberation) that involves a final judgement on whether or not one or several program components or an entire program/postgraduate should be passed;
• an examination disciplinary decision, i.e. a sanction that has been imposed as a result of certain events during an examination;
• granting a certificate of proficiency, indicating that a student on the basis of previously acquired competences or previously acquired qualifications acquired certain competencies;
• granting an exemption, i.e. removing the obligation to take an examination for a program component;
• a decision imposing a bridging and/or preparation program and establishing the study load of such a program;
• imposing a measure of study progress monitoring;
• refusing a student with an individualised study program to take up a particular program component in the study contract for which he has not registered before;
• a decision concerning the equivalence of a foreign diploma of higher education with a Flemish diploma of higher education, taken pursuant to article II.256 of the Codex higher education;
• an individual decision concerning the refusal of enrolment based on the insufficient or negative learning account (below 0) of a student.

I want to file an internal appeal. How can I do this?

(article 19.3 EEL)

The formal appeal shall be filed by means of registered letter to the chairman of the Internal Appeals Committee within 7 calendar days:

tav Department Educational Policy and Quality Assurance
Céline Jaspers
Secretary Internal Appeals Committee
Universiteit Hasselt
Martelarenlaan 42
B-3500 Hasselt

Under penalty of inadmissibility the appeal shall contain at least the following information:

• Name, postal address and signature (autograph) of the student filing the appeal or his legal counsel;
• A description of the decision against which the appeal is directed, possibly together with the relevant documents;
• A description of the grievances.

For administrative reasons, the student also needs to confirm the internal appeal via the email address intern.beroep@uhasselt.be. We kindly ask you to attach the letter of appeal, other relevant documents and proof of registered mail as well.

What happens after I have filed an internal appeal?

(article 19.4 EEL)

The Internal Appeals Committee judges on the admissibility of the filed appeal. An admissible appeal means that you have fulfilled all the conditions as stated in article 1.3, sections 2 and 4 Legal position regulations.

1. If the appeal is inadmissible, the student will receive electronically a motivated decision within 20 calendar days, starting from the day after the appeal was filed.
2. If the appeal is admissible, the internal appeal committee will decide on the merits of the internal appeal. The committee can hear the student before making a decision. In that case, the chairman of the Internal Appeals Committee convokes the committee. The student will be informed of the hearing by e-mail, at the latest 24 hours before the hearing.

What happens when I receive an invitation to state my case at a hearing of the internal appeal committee?

(article 19.4 section 2 EEL)

1. You can go to the hearing alone, or you come with a person of your choice to assist you.
2. If you cannot be present at the hearing, you can be replaced by a person of your choice. If you are not present at the hearing and are replaced by a representative, that representative must be authorized in writing by you, unless the representative is a legal counsel.
3. If you have been duly summoned but did not show up for the hearing, the Internal Appeals Committee may validly deliberate in your absence.

What happens at the hearing?

(article 19.4 section 2 EEL)

The Internal Appeals Committee will hear you. The Committee may also hear any other persons involved.

Being heard means that you can tell your story to the members of the internal appeals committee. The committee then also listens to the story of the lecturer and the examination committee. This is done individually.

What happens after the hearing?

(article 19.4 section 4 EEL)

The Internal Appeals Committee makes a decision. The internal appeals procedure leads to:

• a motivated dismissal of the appeal based on the inadmissibility of the appeal or because the appeal is ill-founded.
• a new study progress decision from the Internal Appeals Committee.

The Internal Appeals Committee communicates its decision to the student via electronic means, mentioning the remedies. It shall do so within 20 calendar days, starting from the day after the appeal was received.

How long will it take before I know the decision of the internal appeals committee?

(article 19.4 section 5 and 7 EEL)

The appeals committee will inform the decision via the online student file and by e-mail, stating the further possibilities of appeal, within a period of 20 calendar days, starting the day after the appeal was lodged.

In the event that the internal appeals committee is unable to deliver a decision within 20 calendar days, the internal appeals committee will notify you by e-mail when they will decide.

I do not agree with the decision of the internal appeals committee, what now?

(article 19.4 section 6 EEL)

If you do not agree with the decision of the internal appeals committee, you can file an appeal with the Council for Disputes concerning study progress decisions. Under penalty of inadmissibility, the appeal must be in Dutch, dated and signed by the applicant or his counsel and sent to the Council by registered letter, within an expiry period of seven calendar days which enters into effect the day after the day on which the decision of the internal appeal procedure is notified.

Dienst van de bestuursrechtscolleges
Koning Albert II-laan 15 bus 130
1210 Brussel

A copy of the possible appeal must, at the same time, be sent by registered letter to:

Céline Jaspers
secretary of Internal Appeals Committee
Universiteit Hasselt
Martelarenlaan 42
B-3500 Hasselt

Code of conduct and disciplinary regulations for students (pdf, 152 KB)

Regulations concerning the rights to research results and rights to copyright works of bachelor's and master's students at Hasselt University and tUL and the partner institutions in a joint study programme (pdf, 256 KB)

Regulations concerning the use of statute books and dictionaries in the law program (pdf, 276 KB)

Bachelor thesis regulations for the Law programme (pdf, 154 KB) (Dutch)

Master thesis regulations for the Law programme (pdf, 74 KB) (Dutch)

Erasmus regulations for the Law programme (pdf, 155 KB) (Dutch)

Additional faculty regulations can be consulted in the study guide of the relevant programme and / or faculty websites.