Article VIII. Appeal of Academic Decisions

ARTICLE VIII. APPEAL OF ACADEMIC DECISIONS

Grievance procedures, as detailed under the “Policy on Student Academic Procedures” in The Student Reference Manual, the H-Book and other University publications, are applicable in the case of challenges to academic decisions. The procedure approved by the Board of Trustees on April 23, 1994, is as follows:

Section 1. The Informal Process

A. A student who believes that he/she has been aggrieved must first attempt to seek an informal resolution with the other party involved in the dispute, e.g., a grade dispute with the instructor.

B. If the student is unable to resolve the dispute with the primary party of the dispute, then the student is advised to seek the intervention of his or her departmental chairperson.

C. All disputes, which are not resolved at the departmental level, are then brought to the Dean’s Office, whereupon the Dean or his/her designee will seek to reach an informal resolution through mediation between the parties; and

D. If mediation at the Dean’s level fails, then the student’s grievance is consigned to the committee designated by the school/college to address student grievances herein referred to as the Student Grievance Committee.

Section 2. The Formal Process

A. Student grievances, which are consigned to the Student Grievance Committee, must be specified in writing by the student and given to the Dean or his/her designee.

B. The student’s written statement, along with supportive evidence, constitutes a case document, which will be submitted to each member of the committee.

C. The second party to the dispute is also requested to provide to the office of the Dean with his or her written account of the matter in dispute, which becomes a part of the case document that is forwarded to each member of the committee.

D. The Student Grievance Committee is then required to set a date for convening a meeting to hear the case as expeditiously as possible.

E. After the date has been set, each party to the dispute is sent a certified letter, which informs him or her of the charges, and date of the meeting as well as a statement requesting his or her presence.

F. During the hearing, the student presents his/her case; after, the accused party is allowed to present the other side. Each side is permitted to have witnesses.

G. Following the hearing, members of the committee after deliberation on their assessment of the case reach a decision as to how the case should be resolved.

H. The committee’s decision is sent to the Dean of the Graduate School in the form of a recommendation.

I. The Dean then informs the student in writing of the decision, which may be based upon the committee’s recommendation or upon a modification of it; and

J. The procedures for resolution of grievance matters are subject to revision by the Board of Trustees.

Please note all appeals must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies in the Graduate School within 10 business day after the dated decision. It is the students’ responsibility to check the official means of correspondence (i.e., bison.howard.edu). There will be no exceptions.