Academic Appeal Process Procedure

1. Purpose

The intent of this procedure is to ensure that, in the event of disagreements between students and the College or its staff, the College follow processes which are effective, fair, timely, and respectful of students while maintaining academic integrity.

2. Application

This policy applies to all Loyalist College students, faculty and staff.

3. Policy Statement

A student can discuss a grade with faculty at any time during the semester with the intent of clarifying the reasons for the grade. A student can also appeal a grade at any time during the semester as per the process below. Any appeal related to marks or grades must be initiated within five working days from the issuance of final grades (grades submission deadline) to initiate an academic grade appeal. This procedure works in collaboration with Academic Operating Policy (AOP) 224 Evaluation of Student Performance.

In cases of disciplinary action or other penalties assessed by the College, the student may proceed directly to Stage III – Academic Appeal Board.

• 3.1 Stage I: Student – Faculty
  • A student completes the Academic Appeal Form and submits it to the faculty who taught the course.
  • In the case of final grades appeal, the form must be submitted within five working days from the issuance of that final grade.
  • Faculty will respond to the student in writing within five working days.
  • If unresolved, the student may take the concern to the Dean.
• 3.2 Stage II: Student – Dean
  • The student must submit the signed completed Academic Appeal Form and the faculty written response to the relevant Dean within five working days.
  • The Dean’s office will contact the student to make an appointment. The student discusses the concern with the Dean.
  • The Dean provides a written response to the student and the faculty involved on the Academic Appeal Form within five working days.
  • If the student disagrees with the Dean’s decision, the student may proceed to Stage III of the appeal process.
• 3.3 Stage III: Student – Academic Appeal Board
  • Please refer to AOP 224 – Evaluation of Student Performance for full details.
    • If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of the academic appeal process (Stages I and II), the College provides a more formal process for having concerns heard. The student forwards the Academic Appeal Form to the Registrar’s Office, date stamped within five working days of receiving the written response from the Dean, disciplinary action, or other penalties assessed by the College.
    • The Registrar, in consultation with the Academic Appeal Board Chair, will either confirm that the matter is appropriate for consideration by the Board, or refer the appeal to the appropriate individual or group. If appropriate, the appeal will then be reviewed by the Academic Appeal Board.
    • The Chair establishes a hearing date within five working days from receiving the request.
    • The Registrar collects documentation from the student, faculty, and Dean in order to distribute to the Academic Appeal Board at least two working days prior to the hearing.
    • Each party to the appeal is heard separately. The Board reserves the right to audio tape any interview conducted during the appeal process to assist in the clarification of the facts as provided by the parties concerned. Tapes are the property of the Board and will be destroyed by the Registrar immediately following the Board deliberation and appeal decision.
    • The student will make a presentation to the Academic Appeal Board outlining the basis for the appeal. If the student wishes, they may be accompanied by a person of their choice. Any person accompanying the student is not permitted to participate directly in the proceedings. Board members may question the person in matters related to the appeal.
    • The faculty member or Dean whose decision is being appealed will make a presentation to the Academic Appeal Board outlining the basis for the decision. Board members may question the faculty member, program coordinator, and/or the Dean in matters related to the appeal.
    • If any additional information is required, it will be requested by the Chair of the Academic Appeal Board from the appropriate sources.
    • After all information has been heard and submissions received, the Academic Appeal Board will make its decision without the presence of any other parties. The goal of the Board is to reach a consensus decision based on the evidence presented. In the event that consensus cannot be reached, a vote will be held. In the event of a tied vote, the appeal will automatically be decided in the student’s favour.
    • The Chair of the Academic Appeal Board will notify the student and other parties involved of the decision in writing within three working days of the hearing with a copy to the Senior Vice President Academic and President.
    • The decision of the Academic Appeal Board is final and must be implemented in a timely manner by the responsible parties, unless there is a formal written request to review the decision based on procedural issues within five working days.
    • In the case of an appeal based on process or procedures of the Board, the appeal would be reviewed by the Senior Vice President Academic and a decision will be made within five working days. Appeals based on issues other than process or procedures will not be considered and the decision of the Academic Appeal Board will stand.
    • The Academic Appeal Board will prepare an Annual Report for the President and Senior Vice President Academic by June 30th each year. The report will include a summary of the cases heard, excluding the names of the parties involved, the decisions made in these cases, and any other recommendations as the Board determines to be relevant or helpful to the review process.

4. Composition of the Academic Appeal Board

Members of the Academic Appeal Board are appointed annually by the Senior Vice President Academic, effective June 1st. Appointments may be renewed to a maximum of three (3) years. Membership includes:

• A student representative appointed by Student Government
• Two faculty members from different areas of the College, one of whom will be appointed by the Senior Vice President Academic to Chair the Board
• A Dean
• An additional administrator who is not a Dean
• A support staff representative
• College Registrar (ex-officio).

The Registrar acts as Executive Officer to the Board and provides liaison for the student and faculty involved in the appeal. The Chair facilitates the hearings and assists the Board in reaching a decision. The Chair may request the services of a recorder for the hearings.

An academic alternate may take the place of a regular member of the Board when that member is unavailable or a potential or stated conflict of interest exists. Under no circumstances shall the representatives on the Board for a particular hearing be from the same school from which the complaint has originated. The Chair of the Academic Appeal Board shall designate academic alternates at the beginning of an appeal process when necessary, based on recommendations from the Registrar. If for any reason the Chair is unable to participate in the hearings, an alternate (faculty) will be appointed by the Senior Vice President Academic.

5. Recruitment and Orientation

• The Senior Vice President Academic is responsible for implementing a formal recruitment process for Board members.
• Training and/or orientation sessions will be organized and implemented for all Board members prior to the commencement of the academic year and will address topics such as the role of the Board and particularly the scope of the Board’s decision-making and consequences as an evidence-based process.

6. Confidentiality

• The rights of all individuals regarding confidentiality and release of information will be respected by all members of the Academic Appeal Board and those members of the College community involved in the appeal.
• The detailed deliberations of the Academic Appeal Board are confidential and, as such, any record of those deliberations will be used exclusively by the Board to facilitate its operation. However, the Board has an important responsibility, and the circumstances, outcome, and rationale for the decision will be documented by the Registrar for the records of the Board, and for the information of the President, the Senior Vice President Academic and any appropriate members of their staff.

7. Jurisdiction

The Board may uphold any decision of the College, or may decide on one of a number of alternative actions, such as review of a final grade by: referral back to the appropriate Dean for review; re-evaluation of materials by another faculty member with content expertise; direction to the Dean to provide additional opportunities for the student to demonstrate competency in the course objectives; and, referral of the issue to other College policies. The Board’s jurisdiction does not include the authority to change or assign a final grade or to overrule College policies or published program requirements.

8. Related Documents or Links

• AOP 224 Evaluation of Student Performance
• AOP 231 Academic Appeal Process Policy
• Academic Appeal Form
• Academic Appeal Form – Stage I Outcome
• Academic Appeal Form – Stage II Outcome
• Academic Appeal Form – Stage III Appeal Board Request