Appeals
Any first-level response can be appealed by a student or faculty member, provided that one or more of the reasons for appeal listed in (Section I below) is relevant to the case.
I. Appellate Review Officer
- The Associate Dean of Student (or designee) will review all Appeal Requests for the Academic Honor System.
II. Appeal Requests
- A written request, Appeal Review Request Form, should be completed and submitted to the Coordinator of Judicial Services within 72 hours of the date the student receives the written response indicating responsibility and sanctions. The Appeal Review Request Form is available in the Office of the Dean of Students during regular working hours of 8am to 4:30pm.
- The request should state the reason(s) for appeal (see III below) and the supporting facts. In order for an appeal to be considered valid, the student must explain how his or her reasons for appealing have the potential to change the original finding by the faculty member or Honor Court.
- An Appellate Officer will review the written request, Appeal Review Request Form and any accompanying information, of the student and can decide whether or not to grant an appellate review.
- After evaluating the Appeal Review Request Form and any accompanying information, a student will be notified in writing whether or not their request was granted.
- If the Appellate Officer refuses to grant an Appeal Review based on the criteria in Section III, then the original response and any sanctions will stand.
- If the appeal is granted, an Academic Honor System Appeals Board will be formed to review the case (see IV.)
III. Appeal considerations are limited to:
- Evidence that appropriate procedures were not followed which may have a bearing on the initial response.
- New information that was not available at the time of the original inquiry/conference which may have a bearing on the initial response.
- Evidence of bias that may have a bearing on the initial response.
- Sanction(s) that is extraordinarily disproportionate to the violation.
IV. Appeals Board and Process:
- The Appeals Board will be formed from the existing members of the Honor Court and Faculty Advisors, but those individuals must have no knowledge of the case. The Appeals Board will consist of at least three students and one Faculty Advisor. A student, normally the Chief Justice, will preside and facilitate the conference/inquiry.
- Student or faculty member will be notified of the time, date, and location of the Appeals Board meeting.
- During the meeting, the original documentation will be reviewed, the recording of the original adjudication conference/inquiry will be reviewed (if available,) and the student or faculty member will be permitted to present his/her reasons for appeal, as long as the reasons are relevant. The Chief Justice has the authority to determine the relevance of information. Throughout the meeting, the board members may ask any questions of the student or faculty member they believe to be relevant to the appeal. The student or faculty member is allowed an additional opportunity to present any further information deemed pertinent to the appeal. The conclusion of the board meeting will end with closing statements from student or faculty and the Appeals Board.
- The Appeals Board will make every effort to inform the student verbally of the decision. The Coordinator of Judicial Services, in conjunction with the Faculty Advisor, will produce an appeal outcome letter.
V. Appeal Outcome: The Appeals Board may not increase the sanctions of the original decision, not may it remand the incident to the original decision entity. Any decision rendered by the Appeals Board is subject to the review and approval of the Provost. The Provost will receive all documentation and may wish to speak with the members of the Appeal Board. The decision of the Provost is final.
