Legal Protection Committee

These guidelines of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences concerning student admission, the loss, revocation and reinstatement of the right to study and the Legal Protection Committee (“Guidelines”) describe the procedures and principles applied by Metropolia University of Applied Sciences Ltd (“Metropolia”) to the aforementioned matters, as well as describing the composition of the Legal Protection Committee, the matters included in its remit and the manner in which cases are brought before and processed by the Legal Protection Committee. 

These Guidelines were approved by the decision of Metropolia’s President and CEO on 17 June 2025. These Guidelines entered into force on 1 August 2025, as of which date they will be applicable. 

In addition to these Guidelines, Metropolia’s operations are steered by: 

• Degree Regulations of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
• Study Guidelines of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
• Rules of Procedure of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
• applicable legislation, particularly the Universities of Applied Sciences Act (932/2014)
• general ethical principles and the complementary ethical guidelines specific to each professional field.

All of Metropolia’s activities are based on our strategy and mutually defined values. Our Code of Conduct, which is derived from our values, defines the rules that each and every one of us at Metropolia must follow. Metropolia’s value base consists of the following:

• Towards a sustainable future
• With an orientation on solution
• With competence renewal
• With a human touch 

2.1 Cases processed by the Legal Protection Committee

In accordance with section 33 of the Degree Regulations of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, the Legal Protection Committee handles appeals concerning student admission (as referred to in section 28 of the Universities of Applied Sciences Act) and the loss of the right to study (section 32 of the same Act), and prepares cases concerning the revocation of the right to study (section 33 of the same Act) and the reinstatement of the right to study (section 35 of the same Act).

2.2 Appeal concerning student selections 

In accordance with section 57 of the Universities of Applied Sciences Act and section 33 of the Degree Regulations of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, a person who is dissatisfied with Metropolia’s decision concerning the selection of degree students according to section 7 of the Degree Regulations, admission as a transfer student according to section 9 of the Degree Regulations or a transfer from one degree programme to another according to section 10 of the Degree Regulations may appeal against the decision to Metropolia’s Legal Protection Committee within 14 days of the publication of the results of the student selections or the decision concerning admission as a transfer student or the transfer from one degree programme to another.

2.2.1 Appeal concerning a discretionary extension period and the loss of the right to study

A student will lose their right to study if they have not enrolled for the studies in the manner stated in section 29 of the Universities of Applied Sciences Act and section 14 of the Degree Regulations of Metropolia within the period stated in section 30 of the Universities of Applied Sciences Act and section 13 of the Degree Regulations of Metropolia or within the additional period stated in section 30a of the Degree Regulations. Similarly, a student who has not been granted an extension for completing their studies will lose their right to study.  If such a student later wishes to start their studies or resume them, they may apply for the right to be re-admitted as a student in accordance with Metropolia’s instructions. The student may appeal to the Legal Protection Committee against the decision concerning the loss of the right to study, as referred to above, within 14 days of being informed of the decision.

2.2.2 Appeal concerning the revocation of the right to study

According to section 17a of the Degree Regulations of Metropolia, in cases where the studies impose requirements concerning the safety of minors, patient or client safety or traffic safety, Metropolia may revoke the right to study under the criteria set out in section 33 of the Universities of Applied Sciences Act if:

1. the student has repeatedly or seriously endangered other people’s health or safety during the studies and thus demonstrated that the student is unsuitable for attending to practical assignments or training related to the studies;
2. it is evident that the student’s state of health or functional capacity does not fulfil the requirements for being admitted as a student, as stated in section 26(1); or
3. the student has withheld information referred to in section 26(2) concerning an earlier decision on revoking their right to study that could have prevented them from being selected as a student during the application stage.

Before the revocation, Metropolia will discuss with the student the possibility of transferring them to another degree programme. The more detailed instructions and descriptions of this procedure are available in Metropolia’s SORA guidelines and process.

In a case concerning the revocation or reinstatement of the right to study (SORA cases), the Legal Protection Committee may, after processing by the SORA working group and at the request of the director of school for the degree programme in question, prepare a motion for a decision on the case by the President and CEO and, if necessary, provide an expert opinion when the President and CEO or the Board of Directors process the aforementioned case. 

The Board of Directors of Metropolia decides on revoking and reinstating the right to study upon a motion by the President and CEO which is based on preparation by the SORA working group. Before such a decision is made, the student must be given an opportunity to be heard. The student also has the right to receive support from the Student Counsel during the processing of the case.

In accordance with section 35 of the Universities of Applied Sciences Act and sections 17a and 33 of the Degree Regulations of Metropolia, a revoked right to study may be reinstated upon the student’s application if the revocation was due to an issue concerning the student’s health or functional capacity and the student is able to demonstrate that the reason for the revocation has ceased to exist.

In accordance with sections 33 of the Degree Regulations of Metropolia and section 48 of the Universities of Applied Sciences Act, a student may appeal to the Legal Protection Committee against a decision on the loss of the right to study in accordance with section 33 of the Universities of Applied Sciences Act or a decision on the reinstatement of the right to study in accordance with section 35 of the Universities of Applied Sciences Act within 14 days of being informed of the decision.

The Legal Protection Committee is composed of the Chair and two (2) other members, all of whom have two personal deputies. The Chair and the Vice Chair are appointed from among committee members representing the staff. The two other members of the Legal Protection Committee must be a lecturer at Metropolia and a student completing studies leading to a degree. In accordance with section 13 of the Rules of Procedure of Metropolia, the Board of Directors of Metropolia appoints the Chair, Vice Chair and members of the Legal Protection Committee as well as their deputies for a term of two (2) calendar years. The Legal Protection Committee appoints a secretary to the committee from among its members. 

The deputy members always have the right to be present and speak at the meetings of the Legal Protection Committee. If a member of the Legal Protection Committee is prevented from processing and deciding on a case, or has a conflict of interest in it, their deputy member will participate in processing and deciding on the case in question. The Legal Protection Committee is competent to process a case when the Chair or Vice Chair and two members, or their deputies, are present at a meeting. 

The Legal Protection Committee invites a representative of the Student and Admission Services to prepare and present cases and to take responsibility for executing decisions, and this representative has the right to be present and to speak at the meetings of the committee. The Student Union’s Student Counsel is an expert member of the committee with the right to be present and to speak at the meetings. The Legal Protection Committee may invite experts to participate in the processing of a case at its meetings, where they have the right to be present and to speak in their capacity as other experts.

4.1 Initiation of a case

A case is initiated by the Legal Protection Committee once it has been sent in writing to Metropolia’s Registry Office, either by email (kirjaamo [at] metropolia.fi (kirjaamo[at]metropolia[dot]fi)) or by post (Metropolia University of Applied Sciences Ltd, Registry Office, PO Box 4000, 00079 Metropolia). The Registry Office will inform the presenting officer of the Legal Protection Committee of the case, and depending on its content, the Chair and Vice Chair of the committee and the person in charge of the case in Metropolia’s Legal Services will be informed of the case by email or through the case management system.

4.2 Preparation of a case

Once a case has been initiated, the presenting officer of the committee will prepare it and, if necessary, request further information from the person who submitted the appeal. If necessary, a statement will be requested from the degree programme or other experts for the handling of the appeal. 

The date on which the appeal will be handled will be sent by email to the email address provided to Metropolia by the student who submitted the appeal, or if such an email address does not exist, it will be sent to the latest postal address provided by the student. 

If the presenting officer determines that the appeal was not submitted according to Metropolia’s instructions (for example, within the given deadline), the Legal Protection Committee will not consider the case, and the case will be returned to the person who submitted it.

4.3 Processing of a case at a meeting of the Legal Protection Committee

The Legal Protection Committee will process the case at its meeting based on the proposal prepared by the presenting officer. The Legal Protection Committee may invite experts or persons related to the case to be heard orally at the meeting held for processing the case. 

If providing a written statement is unreasonably difficult for the appealing student but their statement is necessary for investigating the case, the student will be given the opportunity to be heard orally at the meeting of the Legal Protection Committee where this case is processed if they submit a justified request in writing to the person preparing the case, either when the case is initiated or immediately after being informed of the date on which the case will be processed. The student also has the right to receive support from the Student Counsel during the processing of the case.

4.4 Decision of the Legal Protection Committee

The Legal Protection Committee prepares minutes of its meetings containing a decision or a proposal for a decision on the appeal, depending on the nature of the case. 

1. Admission as a degree student

   In an appeal concerning admission as a degree student, the Legal Protection Committee may either accept or reject the appeal.

2. Discretionary additional period or loss of the right to study

   In an appeal concerning a discretionary additional period or the loss of the right to study, the Legal Protection Committee may either accept or reject the appeal.

3. Revocation or reinstatement of the right to study in the SORA procedure 

In a case concerning the revocation or reinstatement of the right to study (SORA cases), the Legal Protection Committee may, in accordance with the SORA guidelines, prepare a motion for a decision on the case to the President and CEO and, if necessary, provide an expert opinion when the President and CEO or the Board of Directors handle the aforementioned case. 

4.5 Providing information on a decision

The Legal Protection Committee takes a decision on a case, and the presenting officer of the committee informs the student/applicant of the decision electronically, if the student/applicant has consented to this, or by post in a registered letter. 

If the Legal Protection Committee has proposed in its decision that the right to study be revoked, the case will be sent to be processed by the President and CEO, after which the Board of Directors will take a decision on it. The student will be informed, in the manner stated above, of the President and CEO’s and/or the Board of Directors’ decision once it has been taken. 

4.6 Appeal against a decision of the Legal Protection Committee

An applicant who objects to a decision by Metropolia’s Legal Protection Committee may lodge an appeal against it with the Helsinki Administrative Court within 30 days of having been notified of the decision. In accordance with section 60 of the Universities of Applied Sciences Act, an administrative court decision concerning admission to the university of applied sciences referred to in section 28 or the loss of the right to study referred to in section 32 may not be appealed against.