Disciplinary/Non-Disciplinary Appeals Process

Any student seeking to appeal a disciplinary action enacted on him/her by the university can find further information on how to make an appeal below.

If a student is the recipient of disciplinary or non-disciplinary action and wishes to appeal the decision, a one-page, written request for an appeal must be filed with the Vice President of Student Life within two business days of receiving the disciplinary or non-disciplinary decision.  Appeals may be submitted via email or hard-copy.  An appeal must include an explanation of the situation and a reason for the appeal, based upon one or more of the following:

a) The student, in fact, did not commit the act(s) that led to the disciplinary or non-disciplinary action

b) The disciplinary or non-disciplinary action is not appropriate for the act(s) committed, and/or

c) The process did not follow policies or procedures stated in the Student Handbook and/or Community Policies.

The Vice President of Student Life or designee will respond to the student’s appeal within two business days regarding the next steps.  Next steps for an appeal may include one of the following: request a meeting with the student to gather additional information, make an appeal decision based solely on the merits of the appeal as presented in the student’s letter, or call for an appeals hearing. 

When an appeals hearing is called, an appeals hear­ing committee will be assembled in a timely fashion, with appropriate gender representation. This com­mittee will consist of two to four faculty members (appointed by the Dean of Students or designee), the Student Government president, an elected/selected member of Student Government, and one other student (appointed by the Student Government president). Each of the above listed are voting members, while the com­mittee is chaired by the Vice President of Student Life or designee. In cases where the Vice President of Student Life is involved in the initial disciplinary action, a designee will be appointed as the chair of the ap­peals hearing committee.

The student appealing may request, in writing, that students not be included on the appeals hearing committee. A decision regarding this request will be made by the chair of the appeals hearing commit­tee.

Additional persons present at the appeals hearing may include a secretary or others deemed appropri­ate by the chair.

Rules governing the appeals hearing include the following:

1. The student is given at least 24-hour notice, in writing, prior to the hearing.

2. The chair of the appeals hearing committee is responsible to provide direction and order throughout the entire appeals hearing. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, the chair has the right to immediately halt the appeals hearing and resume at a later time.

3. Only members of the university community may be present during any part of the appeals hearing.

4.  At the start of the appeals hearing, committee members are instructed on the protocol of an appeals hearing. During this phase of the appeals hearing, only the committee members are present and any other individuals as deemed appropriate by the chair.

5.  All parties are assembled and introduced.

6. One of the deans presents all evidence on behalf of the university. During this phase of the appeals hearing, the committee members may ask questions for clarification.

7. The student may respond to the dean’ or remain silent.

8. The student may then present his/her appeal, which may include a maximum of three members of the university community to testify (in person or in writing). During this phase of the appeals hearing, the committee members may ask questions for clarification. 9. The dean may respond to the student’s presentation or remain silent.

9. The dean may respond to the student’s presentation or remain silent.

10. The student, dean, and committee members are provided opportunity to ask questions or present final comments for clarification.

11. Following all questions, designated parties are dismissed. During this phase of the appeals hearing, committee members deliberate and review all information presented

12. The task of the committee is to uphold the original decision regarding disciplinary action or recommend an alternative response based upon the criteria listed above (see “Making an Appeal”, section 12.14). The appeals hearing committee may not increase the consequence of the original disciplinary action.

13. The voting members of the appeals hearing committee decide on the appeal by simple majority vote by a secret ballot. In the case of a tie, the chair of the committee casts the deciding vote.

14. The decision of the appeals hearing committee serves as a recommendation of disciplinary action to the Vice President of Student Life or designee. This decision is to be placed in writing and given to the Vice President of Student Life or designee in a timely manner.

15. The student is notified of the decision in a timely manner.