Associate Dean for Students, Curriculum & Accreditation

Graduate Student Appeals Information

STUDENT'S RIGHT OF APPEAL

University of Georgia students have the right to appeal academic decisions. Usually the appeal goes first to the unit responsible for the decision (for example, grades to the faculty members who assigned the grades; department requirements to the department; college or school requirements to the school; university requirements to the Educational Affairs Committee). An unfavorable ruling at one level can be appealed to the successive levels (viz., a faculty decision can be appealed to the department; a department ruling can be appealed to the college in which the instructional unit is located; a college-level ruling can be appealed to the Educational Affairs Committee; the Educational Affairs Committee ruling can be appealed to the President of the University; and, except for grade appeals, the President's ruling can be appealed to the Board of Regents). All grade appeals must be initiated within one calendar year from the end of the term in which the grade was recorded.

Additional information concerning the policy on appeals can be directed to the Office of Academic Affairs General Academic Policy at: http://www.uga.edu/vpaa/polproc/aapm/gap/main.html .

STEPS IN MAKING AN APPEAL AS A GRADUATE STUDENT

If you wish to make an appeal, it is important that you first contact your Major Professor, Graduate Coordinator and/or Department Head. They will guide you through the process of appeals and inform you who to contact regarding your situation. The appeals routing process is best described in the Academic Affairs Policy Manual which can be found at: http://www.uga.edu/vpaa/polproc/aapm/gap/sa/40203.html .

Appeals relating to admission to graduate study or completion of an academic program are handled by the Graduate School and the following process describes the steps for appealing process.

Appeals to the Graduate School

An applicant/student who submits an appeal to the Graduate School concerning admission to graduate study or completion of an academic program may have the petition considered by either the Administrative Committee of the Graduate Council or the Admission and Retention Committee of the same body. The Administrative Committee will consider appeals of administrative decisions of the dean of the Graduate School or appellate bodies at the department/school/college level involving academic matters. The Admission and Retention Committee will hear appeals of decisions of the dean of the Graduate School or appellate bodies at the department/school/college level to (a) deny admission to graduate study, (b) deny a request for a change in degree objective, or (c) dismiss a student for academic reasons.

An applicant/student may initiate an appeal within a period of 30 calendar days after receipt of an adverse decision by the dean of the Graduate School or an appellate body at the department/school/college level. The appeal must be written and be addressed to the dean of the Graduate School stating the nature of the appeal, the decision desired, and reasons why the petition should be granted. The petition should include the current address and telephone number of the applicant/student. An applicant/student submitting an appeal to the dean of the Graduate School has the right to appear in person before the appropriate committee on the scheduled hearing date to present his/her views on the matter under consideration.

The following rules will apply to hearings before both committees when the appellant chooses to appear and present his/her appeal in person:

The appellant and any respondent will be notified of the date, time, and place of the hearing either orally or in writing.
The hearing will be recorded on equipment provided by the Graduate School . The recording will be maintained in the Graduate School for one year and will be available to the appellant and respondent to hear or copy in preparation for any subsequent appeal. The participants may record the proceedings on their recording equipment if they choose to do so.
The appellant and respondent may review all material relating to the appeal that is on file in the Graduate School . All material on file must be available to the appellant and respondent at least 48 hours prior to the hearing. Only those issues presented in the petition will be considered at the hearing.
Members of the Administrative Committee and the Admission and Retention Committee will be appointed by the dean of the Graduate School to the committees from the membership of the Graduate Council, the elected body responsible for promulgation of policy governing the Graduate School . Each committee has six members appointed at the beginning of the academic year. A majority of the members constitutes a quorum. In the event a member of either committee is unable to be present for a hearing, a replacement will be selected by the dean of the Graduate School from members of the graduate faculty who have served on one of the committees in previous years. Whenever possible, the replacement will be from the same college/school as the member who is unable to attend the meeting.
Members of either the Administrative Committee or the Admission and Retention Committee will be excused from service under the following circumstances:
- If, in their judgment, they have a personal or professional relationship with any party to the hearing which would preclude them for rendering an objective judgment in the case;
- If the hearing involves a member of the faculty or a student from the same department as a member of the committee;
- If the hearing involves an appeal of a decision of a department, college, or school committee in which the committee member has been involved.
Hearings shall be closed and attended only by persons essential to the proceedings.
Each committee will choose the option of whether the appellant and respondent appear separately or together. The parties will not be permitted to cross-examine each other during the hearing. Formal legal rules of evidence do not apply in hearings on academic matters.
The appellant and the respondent in the hearing may each invite a maximum of three persons to be present. Unless permitted by the committee, the role of any such person(s) shall be limited to advising the participants. Any appellant or respondent intending to bring an attorney to a hearing must notify the dean of the Graduate School at least one week in advance of the hearing.
The appellant is responsible for contacting any person(s) whom he/she wishes to provide a written recommendation to the committee concerning the appeal. The appellant may submit additional evidence related to his/her previous academic performance or his/her potential to undertake graduate study. Such evidence may include scores on standardized tests other than required admission tests, or a record of exemplary academic or professional achievement, including publications, theses or other comparable evidence.
The appellant shall be the first to address the committee in the hearing; the respondent will address the committee after the appellant.
The appellant and respondent in the hearing may be recalled singly or together at the discretion of the committee.
When the committee has received the information it deems necessary for reaching a decision in the case, it will determine the outcome by a majority vote of all members present. The decision will be transmitted in writing to the appellant within ten (10) working days after the committee's action. If an appeal is denied, the appellant will be notified of the decision by certified letter.

A committee decision may be appealed to the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. Such an appeal must be addressed in writing to the Associate Vice President for Instruction, Dr. Ann Crowther, in the Senior Vice President's Office within thirty (30) calendar days from the time the decision is received by the appellant.

Source: The Graduate School Student Handbook> Regulations and Procedures> Student Appeals