The Board of Appeal for Examinations (CBE) is an independent body where administrative appeals can be lodged against individual decisions by Boards of Examiners, examiners and Admissions Boards on the basis of Article 7.60 of the Higher Education and Research Act (WHW).
What is the Board of Appeal for Examinations (CBE)?
The Board of Appeal for Examinations (CBE) is an independent body where administrative appeals can be lodged against individual decisions by Boards of Examiners, examiners and Admissions Boards on the basis of Article 7.60 of the Higher Education and Research Act (WHW). This may concern decisions about subjects specifically related to teaching, such as:
- marking of examinations and final assessments
- admission to examinations
- admission to a degree programme
- assessment of the entrance examination (colloquium doctum)
- establishing the number of ECTS credits earned
- granting of exemptions.
Article 7.61 of the WHW and the stipulations concerning administrative appeals in the General Administrative Law Act (Awb) apply to appeals. Article 7.61 of the WHW deviates from the Awb in a number of places. Since Article 7.61 of the WHW is a 'lex specialis' for the CBE, this article will in these places override the stipulations in the Awb.
Lodging an appeal
Appeals must be lodged within six weeks. On receipt of the appeal, the CBE will first attempt to reach an amicable settlement between the parties involved. If this turns out to be impossible, the CBE will process the appeal and organize a hearing to give the appellant the opportunity to put his or her case, explain his or her standpoint and answer questions asked by the CBE. The person who took the decision or someone representing the legal entity that took the decision will also appear at this hearing to put his or her case. In addition, a registrar will be present to write a report of the hearing as well as a secretary who will record the CBE’s decisions. The CBE’s decisions with regard to appeals are taken independently, which means that the University is in no way involved. The procedures for lodging an appeal, the hearing and other procedural matters are set out in the Reglement van orde van het CBE [CBE Rules of Procedure].
The secretariat and registry of the CBE fall under the Legal Affairs Department. In addition to the above-mentioned tasks, the secretary also provides legal assistance to the CBE and can provide information about the appeals procedure to the parties involved and anyone interested upon request. The registrar maintains the administration of the CBE.
The address of the CBE is
University of Groningen
Board of Appeal for Examinations
P.O. Box 72
9700 AB Groningen
Secretary of the CBE:
mr. M.E.A. Donkersloot
Registrar of the CBE: Rolien Bron
