Appeals
Any student who has had a Resolution Meeting before a Conduct Administrator may appeal the decision to the Dean of Students, or designee. An appeal must be requested in writing within five business days of issuing of the original decision. The written appeal must present specific information as to the reason for the appeal. Appeals must be submitted under at least one of the following grounds:
- Procedural Error: A procedural error occurred within the conduct process that had the substantial ability to impact the outcome. A description of the error and its impact on the outcome of the case must be included in the written appeal; or,
- New Evidence: New evidence or information has arisen that was not available or known to the appealing party during the investigation or hearing, that would change the outcome. Information that was known to the party during the resolution process but which they chose not to present is not considered new information and fails to meet grounds for appeal. The new evidence, an explanation as to why the evidence was not previously available or known, and an explanation of its potential impact on the investigation findings must be included in the written appeal; or
- Actual Conflict of Interest or Demonstrated Bias: The Reporting Party, Conduct Administrator, or others with an official role in the conduct process demonstrate an actual conflict of interest or demonstrated bias for or against the students involved in the case that would change the outcome. Any evidence supporting the alleged conflict of interest or demonstrated bias must be included in the written appeal.
The severity of sanction or disagreement with the finding of responsibility is not considered a legitimate ground for an appeal. Only one appeal is allowed per student involved. The Dean of Students, or designee, will review the written appeal and other pertinent information and will notify the student in writing of the appeal outcome.
A meeting with the Appellant or other parties will occur only at the discretion of the person reviewing the appeal. The decision of the appeal administrator is final.
All outcomes imposed by the original Conduct Coordinator will be in effect during an appeal. A request may be made to the Dean of Students, or designee, to delay implementation of the outcomes until the appeal is decided, but the presumptive stance of the institution is that the outcomes will go into effect immediately.
Graduation, study abroad, internships/ externships, etc. do not in and of themselves constitute exigent circumstances, and students may not be able to participate in those activities during their appeal. In cases where the appeal results in reinstatement to the University or resumption of privileges, all reasonable attempts will be made to restore the student to their prior status, recognizing that some opportunities lost may be irreparable in the short term.