Before I Submit My Appeal

Have I:

☐  obtained needed support?   

☐  read the Student Misconduct and Academic Appeals Policy and determined which appeal body I am submitting my appeal to?

☐  read the procedure for the appeal body I am submitting my appeal to?

☐  completed the Student Appeal Submission Form available through the "Submit your Appeal" button on the homepage of the University Student Appeals Office website?

☐  gathered and attached all required information and evidence? The required information that must be provided is listed in Section 4.4 of the University Appeals Committee Procedure or the University Appeals Tribunal Procedure.

☐  submitted my appeal within 10 business days of the decision I am appealing, or submitted a request to extend that deadline? See Sections 4.1 – 4.3 of the University Appeals Committee Procedure or the University Appeals Tribunal Procedure.

The student appeal process at the University is a serious process. In putting your appeal together, it is important that you:

• Understand the Student Misconduct and Academic Appeals Policy and its procedures
  • These documents describe the appeal process, what must be included in an appeal, and important deadlines.
  • If you have questions or do not understand any part of these documents, please contact the University Student Appeals Office or the Student Ombuds immediately for clarification. We want to make sure you have the information you need regarding the appeal process so you are best able to make your case.
• Put yourself in the position of the Appeal Review Administrator and the appeal panel
  • Include information in your appeal that answers questions the Appeal Review Administrator or the appeal panel may ask, or that provides further information for the Appeal Review Administrator or the appeal panel to make their decisions.
  • If you are writing an appeal letter, please number each paragraph of your letter as this allows decision makers to easily refer to specific paragraphs in your letter.  For example:
    1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nullam sed nulla sed mauris viverra pulvinar tempor non erat. Curabitur feugiat augue in purus dignissim finibus. Maecenas quis dui sit amet est sollicitudin convallis at id sapien. Maecenas rutrum scelerisque aliquam. Quisque molestie placerat quam eu blandit. Donec sagittis nec urna id sagittis. In a urna dolor. Morbi eu pellentesque neque. 
    2. Suspendisse in lobortis velit. Suspendisse semper tincidunt bibendum. Etiam rutrum tortor tempor nisl consectetur congue. Nullam auctor elit at lectus dignissim condimentum. Donec scelerisque mauris mauris, vel porta velit faucibus vel. Etiam eget dolor gravida lectus dictum tincidunt. Etiam eu volutpat turpis. Praesent et consequat quam. Aenean vel mollis metus, faucibus maximus metus. 
  • Organize your appeal and supporting documents in a clear and logical way that is easy to follow and understand, for example, in chronological order.  Make sure to follow the instructions regarding numbering your attachments, and include the attachment number when you refer to the attachments in your appeal (i.e., “I received a letter from my doctor on September 18, 2017 (attachment number 4).”
  • Be factual in your writing instead of emotional, and provide as many specific details as you can. Instead of writing “I spoke to the faculty about this on three separate occasions”, provide specific information about when and who you spoke with and what their responses were.  Remember that everything that is sent to the panel is confidential, and that this may be your final opportunity to include all of the evidence you want to put forward.
• Determine your ground or grounds of appeal and what you are going to use to prove these grounds. In other words, what is your evidence, and how does your evidence support your grounds of appeal? Evidence may include: your transcript; medical documentation; excerpts from documentation, such as the University Calendar or your course outline; and copies of email correspondence between you and other individuals.
• Determine the outcome you are requesting, and include reference to any university documentation that supports that outcome (for example, specific sections of a course outline, a faculty or University policy, or the University Calendar).  This will help the panel in determining whether the outcome you are requesting is possible.
• Consider having the Student Ombuds, the advisor who will assist you during your appeal or a trusted friend review your appeal before it is submitted.