University Statistics Report 2025 shows that 2,718 student disciplinary appeals filed between 2022 and 2025 remained open and unresolved. /AI ILLUSTRATIONThousands of university students with pending disciplinary cases are facing an uncertain academic future, with the Commission for University Education (CUE) warning that delays can prevent them from graduating, transferring institutions or re-enrolling in affected units.
The University Statistics Report 2025 shows that 2,718 student disciplinary appeals filed between 2022 and 2025 remained open and unresolved.
CUE recorded a 65.2 per cent overall success rate between 2022 and 2025. The rate rose from 43.1 per cent in 2022 to 67.8 per cent in 2023 and peaked at 78.1 per cent in 2024 before falling to 58.8 per cent in 2025.
The figure represents a substantial backlog in a process that is intended to provide students with a second level of review after disciplinary decisions by their universities.
CUE describes the right to appeal a disciplinary verdict as a “fundamental element of procedural fairness in university governance”, underscoring the importance of having appeals handled within a reasonable timeframe.
However, the Commission’s data shows that universities recorded 11,016 appeals during the four-year period.
Of these, 7,178 were successful, 1,120 failed, while the 2,718 remained open. The unresolved cases account for nearly a quarter of all appeals recorded during that period.
The situation was particularly pronounced in 2025, when universities recorded 3,017 appeals. Of these, 1,773 were successful, 328 failed and 916 remained open.
CUE, however, noted that the 2025 figure may not represent the outcome of all cases filed that year because some appeals were still pending at the time of extraction of data.
Meanwhile, the report interprets the high rate of successful appeals as an indication that some first-instance disciplinary decisions could be flawed and may warrant closer examination.
CUE says the pattern “suggests that, at the system level, first-instance disciplinary decisions are frequently inconsistent with the evidence or with the proportionality standards expected under the Universities Act”.
The Commission adds that universities should view a high appeal success rate as a reason to examine the quality of their disciplinary processes.
To address the backlog or unresolved appeals, CUE wants universities to resolve disciplinary appeals within 90 days of filing, with institutional compliance rates reported annually through the Universities Management Information System (UEMIS).
The recommendation comes as student disciplinary cases remain high. The 3,017 student behaviour-related cases reported in 2025 were submitted by 65 institutions through UEMIS, down from 3,361 in 2024.
Amid the pending disciplinary processes, thousands of students continue to face uncertain academic consequences.
An unresolved appeal can extend beyond an administrative dispute and interfere directly with a student's overall career progression.
According to CUE, students with open appeals face an “uncertain academic status” as they cannot graduate, transfer to another institution or re-enrol in affected units until their appeals are resolved.
The Commission says prolonged delays can be particularly devastating to students from lower-income backgrounds, who may be unable to absorb the financial consequences of waiting for an appeal to be determined.
Depending on the circumstances of the case, a student whose appeal remains unresolved may face additional semesters, difficulties moving to another institution or delayed entry into employment.
The report does not, however, indicate how long individual unresolved appeals have been pending or provide a breakdown showing how many students have been prevented from graduating or transferring because of the delays.
The proposed 90-day timeframe could, however, provide a benchmark against which that number is measured.
