Proposed accelerated timelines to speed up Leaving Cert appeals and admission to college

Posted: 1 November, 2018

UCD welcomes proposed changes to Leaving Cert appeals process, which will accelerate the timetable by two to three weeks.

In a joint statement, the Minister for Education and Skills, Joe McHugh and Minister of State, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, announced details of proposed changes which will mean that students who appeal the results of their Leaving Certificate will be informed by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) of the outcome of their appeals much earlier than previously.

This year, Wexford student Rebecca Carter took a case to the High Court for judicial review on the basis that the current timeframe for processing LC appeals was outside the University’s admissions deadline and that if successful, she would be given a deferred place on her higher preference course as UCD argued that it was not in the best interest of students to enter a class so late (mid-October) into their first semester.

According to the Department statement, the proposed changes will mean that “In cases where students have applied for course places in Higher Education via the Central Applications Office (CAO), and where their appeal result means they could obtain a higher course preference, they will in most cases be able to avail of that higher preference in the current academic year, rather than have their offer deferred by a year.”

Where classes are full, the University may still offer a successful appeals student a deferred place.

To support the changes proposed by the SEC, the University, and all other HEIs admitting students through the CAO system, will consider a revised offer/acceptance schedule that also accelerates the timetable for first-year entrants.  This schedule is expected to be confirmed in two weeks’ time.

The proposed timeline for Leaving Certificate results and appeals and admission to UCD looks like this:

The Deputy President and Registrar of UCD, Professor Mark Rogers said: “We have all made considerable efforts to tighten up the process. We will now need to consider module registration issues and supplemental orientation support for these students who join us after 9th September next year.”

By: Eilis O'Brien, UCD University Relations