Any party may request an appeal of the decision of the hearing officer by filing a written request to the Assistant Dean of Student Life within 5 business days of when the notice of outcome was delivered, except in cases where the student chose not to participate in the initial hearing.
Appeal requests are limited to the following grounds, which the student must address in the appeal letter in order to have the appeal considered:
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A procedural error occurred that significantly impacted the outcome of the hearing; or
- To consider new evidence, that was unavailable during the original hearing, which could substantially impact the original decision or sanction. A summary of this new evidence and its potential impact must be included.
The Assistant Dean of Student Life or his/her designee will conduct an initial review to determine if the appeal request meets the limited grounds and was submitted in a timely manner. If it is determined that the appeal does not meet the requirements, the original findings and sanction will stand and the decision is final. The Assistant Dean of Student Life or his/her designee will notify the student if the appeal will ow will not be heard within 5 business days of the filing of the appeal.
When new evidence is presented, the Assistant Dean of Student Life or his/her designee will determine if the matter should be returned to the original decision-maker for reconsideration or if it will be reviewed by the Appeal Committee.
- The Appeals Committee will be chaired by the Assistant Dean of Student Life or his/her designee and will consist of: the Assistant Dean of Student Services/Single Parent Success; the Assistant Dean of Success; and may also include an Academic Associate Dean.
For instances of appeals on procedural grounds, the Appeal Committee will make determinations in the case. The appeal officer may ask that the student schedule a meeting with him/her to discuss the appeal, or may determine that there is enough information to make a determination without an additional hearing. From the date of the submission of the appeal, the appeal officer usually responds to the appeal with either a final decision on the matter or a request to meet within ten business days.
The original finding and sanction(s) are presumed to have been decided reasonably and appropriately, thus the burden is on the appealing party to show clear error. The Assistant Dean of Student of Life or his/her designee will limit his/her review to the grounds presented. On reconsideration, the Appeal Committee may affirm or change the findings and/or sanctions of the original hearing. All decisions of the Appeal Committee are final. A student may not submit an appeal to the Appeal Committee’s decision.