Show cause letter: what it means and what to cover
Updated
A show cause letter is a notice that your university considers your academic progress unsatisfactory and wants a written explanation of why you should stay enrolled. Your response usually needs to explain what affected your study, what you have done about it, and your plan from here, with genuine supporting documents. Triggers, deadlines and outcomes differ between universities, so the dates and instructions in your own letter apply.
A show cause letter asks you to explain unsatisfactory progress
The University of Melbourne says a show cause notification means your academic progress is considered unsatisfactory and will be reviewed by the Course Academic Progress Committee (CAPC). The notification email asks for a written submission and, in some cases, a meeting with academic staff.
The name and process differ elsewhere. Monash holds an Academic Progress Committee hearing, UQ asks for a Progression Improvement Plan, RMIT asks for a show cause submission, and Sydney asks for a show cause letter. Deakin's policy lets you apply for a review of your academic progress and any proposed conditions or exclusion.
The pages checked for this guide cover Australian universities only. UK universities may use different terms and steps, so read your own university's regulations and the letter itself.
What triggers a letter varies by university
Many universities use a failed-credit-points measure, but the details are not the same.
- Monash assesses progress as unsatisfactory if you fail 50 per cent or more of your completed credit points, fail the same unit two times or more, exceed the maximum course duration, or do not complete the required credit points in the required time.
- Deakin treats progress as unsatisfactory if you fail 50% or more of your enrolled credit points in each of the last two active study periods, or meet another listed condition, such as failing a compulsory unit for the second time.
- UQ looks at the current Study Review Period. A student who fails at least 50% of the total unit value gets Progression Intervention if their previous standing was not None or Satisfactory. Otherwise the standing is Progression Alert. The Associate Dean (Academic) notifies the student when a Progression Improvement Plan is required.
- RMIT may identify you as final stage 'at risk' and ask for a show cause submission if you make unsatisfactory progress again in the same program after being identified as first stage 'at risk'.
So a 50 per cent fail rate does not mean the same thing everywhere. Your letter will say which rule your university applied.
Deadlines come from the notice, and some are in working days
| University | What you submit | Deadline on the pages checked |
|---|---|---|
| Monash | Written and in-person information at the Academic Progress Committee hearing | No number of days stated |
| Melbourne | Written submission, and a meeting if invited | Book any meeting by the deadline in your email; no number of days stated |
| RMIT | Written show cause submission | No number of days stated |
| UQ | Progression Improvement Plan | No later than 20 business days from the date the notice is issued |
| Sydney | Show cause letter | Set by your show cause notification; no number of days stated |
| Deakin | Review application on the approved form, with a written submission | Within 10 working days of the date of notification of the proposed actions |
The range on these pages runs from 10 working days at Deakin to 20 business days at UQ, and other universities leave the time to the notice. Read the date in your own letter, and check whether it counts from the date the notice was issued or from another event.
A response usually needs to cover these points
The wording differs, but the universities above ask for much the same things:
- What affected your progress. Melbourne, UQ, RMIT and Deakin all ask for the circumstances. Sydney asks for circumstances that were beyond your control and how they affected your studies.
- What you have done about it. UQ asks for steps already taken and those planned. RMIT asks what you have done and how you will improve.
- What has changed or will change. Melbourne asks you to describe this and to show your capacity to continue. Sydney asks for a plan to meet progression requirements.
- Your ability to finish. At a Monash hearing you can submit information to show you can complete your course within the maximum duration.
- Supporting documents. Melbourne asks you to outline any supporting evidence. Sydney asks for documents where available. RMIT asks for independent supporting documents. Deakin asks for a certified translation if a document is not in English.
Use only documents that are genuine, and describe only what happened. RMIT points students to information about document fraud, and a submission built on invented or altered material puts you in a worse position than a short, accurate one.
RMIT also suggests that, before you write, you consider whether your current program is the right one for you or whether a break would help. That is a question worth answering honestly, because your plan should match what you intend to do.
Outcomes range from conditions to exclusion
The decision belongs to the university, and nobody can tell you in advance which way it will go. The pages checked list these possibilities:
- Monash: the Academic Progress Committee can let you remain enrolled without conditions, with conditions, recommend actions, or exclude you from your course.
- Melbourne: the CAPC may recommend strategies, apply conditions, suspend your enrolment, or terminate it.
- RMIT: the Program Assessment Board may allow you to continue or exclude you from the program for one full academic year, after which you may apply for re-admission.
- Sydney: if the Associate Dean decides you have shown good cause, you can re-enrol without restrictions. If not, they can allow re-enrolment with conditions, such as passing a unit of study or limiting your credit points in a set period, or exclude you from your award course for two years.
Read the conditions in any outcome closely, because Sydney, for example, attaches consequences to not meeting them.
Student advocates and university support can help you prepare
Sydney says its student representative organisations can give advice and support when you prepare a show cause submission: the SRC's Caseworker Help service for undergraduates and SUPRA's Postgraduate Advocacy Service for postgraduates. Melbourne suggests accessing support services and, at an earlier stage, booking an At Risk appointment.
The pages checked do not say whether an equivalent service exists at every university, or what it costs. Search your own university's student website for its student advocacy or representative organisation and ask what they offer.
Common questions
How long do I have to reply to a show cause letter?
It depends on the university. UQ says the Progression Improvement Plan must be lodged no later than 20 business days from the date the notice is issued. Sydney says the show cause notification sets the deadline. Deakin sets 10 working days from notification of proposed actions for a review application. Use the date in your own notice.
Do I have to attend a meeting?
Not always. Melbourne says that in some cases you will be invited to a meeting with academic staff, and you must book it by the deadline. Monash holds a hearing where you can submit information in writing and in person. Your letter will say what applies to you.
Can a show cause process end in exclusion?
At Monash, Melbourne (termination), RMIT and Sydney, exclusion or termination is listed among the possible outcomes. Other outcomes include continuing with or without conditions. The decision rests with the university, so read its policy and your letter.
Does failing 50 per cent of my units always lead to a show cause letter?
No single rule applies everywhere. Monash, UQ and Deakin each use a 50 per cent measure, but they count different things, and Deakin looks at two consecutive active study periods. RMIT bases its show cause step on a second unsatisfactory result after an earlier at-risk stage.
Sources
- Monash University, checked 3 November 2026.
- Monash University, checked 3 November 2026.
- The University of Melbourne, checked 3 November 2026.
- RMIT University, checked 3 November 2026.
- The University of Queensland, checked 3 November 2026.
- The University of Sydney, checked 3 November 2026.
- Deakin University, checked 3 November 2026.
General information, not legal or migration advice. Rules differ between universities and change; your university's current page and your own letter apply. If you hold a student visa and the outcome could change your enrolment, a registered migration agent or an immigration lawyer can look at your own situation.