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While academic decisions, grade assignments, and final grades are not initially subject to
formalized appeal procedures, students who wish to question an academic decision or grade will be
granted an opportunity to informally discuss the matter with the faculty member who made the
decision or assigned the grade. If the student and the faculty member, along with the department’s
academic standing committee, fail to resolve the matter, the student may then request an official
academic review (See Procedures below), provided the student produces evidence of one of the
following elements:
- Grade miscalculation or other technical error affecting the academic decision, or
- The existence of extraordinary circumstances affecting the student's performance, which were
outside the student's control, and which the student disclosed to the program or faculty member via
email or other written communication prior to any of the following: an examination, clinical
experience, assignment, or other grading encounter, which significantly impacted the final course
grade or academic decision but was not considered or weighed when the academic decision was
made.
Documentation of a circumstance outside of the student’s control does not necessarily indicate
that a reversal of the academic decision, grade assignment, or final grade will be granted. Any
information disclosed by the student after the academic decision, grade assignment or final grade
was made, will not be considered in the review.
Aspects of the official academic review that involve or address the implementation of approvcd
student accommodations, or lack thereof, also will be evaluated by the school’s Student
Disabilities Coordinator before the review is heard by the academic review committee. The Student
Disabilities Coordinator will determine whether the student had applied for and received approved,
reasonable accommodations, and whether those accommodations were implemented as directed.
Deadline Extensions: At any point during the review, should a deadline need to be extended due
to scheduling conflicts or should any party require additional time to meet an upcoming deadline,
an email request must be sent to and received by the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs for
consideration. Should the extension be granted, the Assistant Dean will alert all parties..
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Procedural Steps:
- Informal Faculty Review
A student may request, within five (5) business days from when the academic or grade decision
becomes available to the student, to meet with the faculty member or members who taught the course
to review informally an academic decision. Faculty should summarize the meeting in an email sent
back to the student. Should the matter not be resolved informally, the student may then proceed to
a formal academic review (See steps below).
- Program/Department Level Review
If not satisfied with the outcome from the Informal Faculty Level Review, the student can submit
a written request via email utilizing the “Request for Academic Decision & Grade Review” to the
Program Director or Department Chair (copy to Assistant Dean for Student Affairs) seeking a
Department Level Review. This request must be submitted within five business days following the
informal faculty review. In the absence of a Department Academic Standing Committee and if the
Program Director is not available or was originally involved at the Faculty Level Review, the
Department Chair will decide the outcome of the review.
The request for a Program /Department Level Review must include all the original documentation
and requests, plus any notes or emails summarizing the Informal Faculty Level Review including
dates of any in-person, zoom, or phone meetings. The request must state under which condition [(a)
or (b)] the student is requesting a review as well as provide documentation supporting the request.
Upon receiving a request for a Program /Department Level Review, the Department must meet with the
student within 5 business days and have up to an additional 5 days to render a decision.
- School Level Review
If not satisfied with the result of the program/department review, the student can submit a
written request via email utilizing the “Request for Academic Decision & Grade Review” form for a
School Level Review to the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs within five (5) business days from
the date the decision was reviewed with the faculty.
The request must provide written evidence supporting either condition III. (a) or (b) above.
Only information directly related to these conditions will be allowed. If the review includes
condition III. (b), the request must include a printed or electronic copy of the email or other
form of communication originally sent by the student to the program or faculty member notifying
them of the extraordinary circumstance(s), which memorializes the date, time, and manner that the
program or faculty member was notified by the student. Any evidence that the student's request has
been altered, edited or fabricated in any manner, including changes in the body, heading or time
stamp of those emails, will result in the immediate termination of the review process and academic
penalties up to and including dismissal from the school. The student must state under which
condition [III. (a) or (b)] the review is requested. The Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and the
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs together with the Chair of the Committee on Admissions and
Academic Standing (CAAS) will collaboratively determine if the student’s request meets the criteria
for an official school level academic review as outlined above, and inform the student in writing
of the decision. Students not submitting their requests in writing per the deadline will not be
considered for an academic review. If the request is allowed to move forward for review, the
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs or designee will schedule the date (not necessarily hold the
meeting) for the Academic Review Panel within five (5) business days from the day the request was
received. The program’s official written response to the review must be received no later than 2
days prior to the hearing.
The Academic Review Panel will consist of a minimum of three (3) Committee on Admissions and
Academic Standing (CAAS) faculty members who are not affiliated with the student's
Program/Department. Should members of the CAAS not be available, the Assistant Dean for Student
Affairs, in consultation with the CAAS chair will select SHP faculty members to serve on the review
panel. All pertinent documentation from the student’s department must be submitted, directly to the
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs or designee, no later than two (2) business days prior to the
scheduled hearing. The Academic Review Panel will review the evidence provided by the department
and the student. The student and a department designee must be available for an interview by the
panel in-person or through our audio-video conferencing system. Within five business days of the
hearing, the panel will render a written decision, which will be transmitted to the student and the
department. Should the committee require additional time to gather additional information, the
student will be notified.
Students may consult with private legal counsel at any time for advice. Students or legal
counsel may submit to the Academic Review Panel any documents or other evidence relevant to the
matter at any time prior to the conclusion of the hearing. Legal counsel shall not be permitted to
appear at the proceedings of the Academic Review Panel, but may be present outside the hearing room
to consult with the student at any time during the hearing or at the student’s request. Students
may be accompanied by a non-attorney advocate during the hearing. No other participation by the
advocate is permitted. The session can not be recorded.
While awaiting the outcome of the review, the student will be allowed to resume didactic course
work provided that the pre-requisite courses have been completed. However, continued participation
in clinical experiences is prohibited, unless the Program Director determines that the student's
participation is safe, and that the clinical experience cannot be easily rescheduled at the end of
the review process. Students will not be allowed to continue in any coursework where the pre-
requisite course has not been successfully completed.
- Dean’s Review
Should a student disagree with the written decision of the Academic Review Panel, the student
must submit a written request via email within five business days to the Dean of the School of
Health Professions (copy Assistant Dean for Student Affairs). Should the Dean not be available, a
designee will be assigned. Within five days of receipt of the request for review, the Dean or
designee will render a written decision. The decision of the Dean is final and no further request
will be permitted.
- Steps
Academic Decision & Grade Review Flow
Diagram
- Form
Policy 3.1.1 Request Form
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