In her fourth year, she failed an assessment in which two different assessors claimed her Shakespeare research did not meet PhD-level criteria.
Despite disputing the English faculty’s decision and undergoing an appeals process, Balakrishnan was unsuccessful. She believes the university’s strategy is to prolong the appeals and complaints procedures in hopes that she will give up. The university confirmed that the appeals process has concluded.
The Queen’s College, where Balakrishnan studied, expressed concern regarding her treatment, noting that no serious issues were raised in her term reports despite her failures. The college questioned the appeal process that led to her transfer to a master’s course and pointed out potential errors in how the rules were applied. Additionally, two professors specialising in Shakespeare stated that her research had potential and warranted a PhD.
However, the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA), an independent body that reviews complaints about higher education institutions, sided with the university’s perspective. The OIA ensures fairness in the academic process and protects student rights.
The University of Oxford emphasized that achieving Confirmation of Status requires students to demonstrate significant progress toward completing a doctoral thesis. The university also stated that students have the right to appeal assessment outcomes under established procedures, which aim to ensure fairness and transparency.
