Appeal Procedures and Review Boards

Academic Review Board

Grade Appeal. See the Grading Policy section of the catalog for grade appeal information.

Academic Termination Appeal Procedures. If a student is terminated (i.e., dismissed) or suspended from ECPI for lack of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) or other academic reasons, the student may appeal by following the steps below:

• The student may submit a written petition to the Academic Review Board through the Campus Director of Academic Affairs’ office
• The written petition of appeal must contain verifiable documentation of mitigating circumstances that contributed to poor academic performance and a realistic plan for improvement
• The written petition must be submitted prior to the beginning of the following term if the student wishes to continue without interruption
• The student must appeal within three months of dismissal or all rights of appeal expire. The Committee will meet within two weeks of receiving an appeal and will attempt to accommodate more urgent schedules

The Academic Review Boards will consist of three or more members of campus administration and/or academic staff. Academic Review Boards will consider all the facts of the appeal and will provide a recommendation to the Campus President typically within two business days.

The Campus President will consider the recommendation of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Committee and will typically render the final decision on the petition in writing within two business days. If the petition of appeal is approved, the student will be reinstated on academic probation and provisions of the University’s academic probation policy will apply.

Judicial Review Board

Adverse Action Appeal Procedures. Adverse actions are disciplinary actions due to a student violating student conduct policies or academic honesty standards. These can include termination or suspension. All adverse actions take effect immediately when imposed by campus administration but are subject to appeal.

If the student disputes the basis for an adverse action, the student may appeal the action with the following procedure:

• A student appealing an adverse action must submit a written statement with supporting evidence (if any) disputing the basis of the adverse action to the Campus President. The Campus President will investigate the facts of the case and render a final decision in writing typically within seven business days.
• If dissatisfied with the decision of the Campus President, or if the adverse action was taken by the Campus President, the student may appeal to the Judicial Review Board. Any such appeal must be made in writing within 30 days for suspensions, and within three months for terminations. A request to be heard before the Judicial Review Board must be in writing to the Campus President and it must set forth, in significant detail, the basis for the appeal. A Judicial Review Board hearing will be held within a reasonable period of time, usually two weeks. The board will be comprised of three faculty or staff members, none of whom are directly involved in the issue. The appealing student may call witnesses and provide other evidence to support his/her case. The decision of the Judicial Review Board will be by majority vote, will be made within two business days of the Board’s meeting, and will be final and binding upon the University and the student.
• If a suspension has already taken place and the course(s) is/are still ongoing and, upon appeal, is reversed by the Campus President or Judicial Review Board, the University will provide reasonable assistance and time for the student to make up missed material, tests, or projects, all of this being on the basis that such extra time or instruction is practical in the sole judgment of the University.
• In the event a student has already been terminated or suspended and the course(s) has/have ended, the student will be allowed to retake any courses that were interrupted by a termination or suspension that was reversed upon appeal.