Following notification of a decision for dismissal or placement on an extended program, a student may appeal, in writing, the decision to the Dean. Such appeals must be received by the Dean within three working days after the student is officially notified of the dismissal or deceleration decision. A narrative explaining the basis of the appeal should accompany the request. An appeal must be based on one of the following premises:

  1. Bias of one or more Committee members.
  2. Material information not available to the Committee at the time of its initial decision.
  3. Procedural error.

The Dean will review the appeal request and narrative. If he/she deems that there are sufficient grounds to convene another meeting of the Student Promotion and Graduation Committee, the Dean will request that the committee consider the appeal. If a decision is made to convene a Committee meeting, the student requesting an appeal shall be notified in writing with a delivery confirmation (i.e., e-mail or hand delivery) by the Associate Dean at least two working days in advance of the scheduled Committee meeting in which the student's appeal will be heard. The student may request and shall be permitted to appear before the Committee (in person or via telephone) in order to present the basis of the appeal request. In such instances, the student shall inform the Associate Dean in writing (i.e., e-mail or hand delivery) of his/her desire to appear before the Committee or his/her intent to waive the right to appear. If the student chooses to appear before the Committee, this prerogative extends to the involved student only and not to any other individuals. The Committee then submits its recommendation to the Dean. Upon receipt of the Committee's recommendation, the Dean makes the final decision, typically within 5 working days.

If the Dean’s initial review does not reveal a substantial basis for another SPGC meeting, he/she will rule on the appeal request independently. The Dean makes the final decision, typically within 5 working days.

During the appeal process, the student must continue to attend classes. Students registered in a rotation course may be placed on a mandatory leave of absence until the appeal process is finalized.