Academic Appeals Policy

The following policy applies to student appeals for exception to some University academic policy, waiver of academic requirements or dispute over student grades.  Note: The conditions under which a grade dispute may enter the appeals process are described in the "Grading" section.

1. Requests for exceptions to some academic policies and procedures described in this chapter may begin as Academic Petitions which are submitted to the attention of the Senior Associate Director of Academic Advising, Academic Success Center, North Walker Hall, and are decided by the Associate Provost or designee. If a petition is not answered in a way that satisfies the student, he or she may advance an appeal to the Academic Appeals Committee. The Associate Provost or designee reserves the right to refer petitions to the Academic Appeals Committee for disposition as academic appeals.
2. Student appeals on academic issues must be filed using the Academic Petition form.  It is the student’s responsibility to provide all necessary supporting documentation with the petition when submitted for review. The Associate Provost and/or Academic Appeals Committee will take into account information from the instructor, as well as information from any other source deemed appropriate for consideration of the petition. 
3. The student may request that the case be reconsidered by the Academic Appeals Committee only in the event that new information is available after the committee has rendered its decision. 
4. The decision of the Academic Appeals Committee is considered final. If the student believes that procedural due process was not followed, he or she may request review by the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate, which will render a decision as to whether the Academic Appeals Committee afforded procedural due process to the student in its consideration of the appeal.