Student Appeals and Academic Dishonesty

The By-Laws Committee of University Council is charged with the responsibility of recommending rules and procedures to deal with allegations of academic dishonesty on the part of students, and also to recommend rules and procedures to deal with appeals by students and former students concerning academic decisions affecting them; the University Secretary is charged with administering the procedures and enforcing the rules approved by University Council. Complete regulations governing student appeals and discipline as well as academic dishonesty can be found at the Student Conduct & Appeals website.

Student Appeals

Students who wish to raise questions or register complaints about matters of academic standing should be encouraged and strongly advised to communicate informally with their instructors, Department Heads, and Deans, before seeking a review under formal procedures. Experience shows that the great majority of questions or complaints of this kind can be resolved satisfactorily through informal communication.

To make a formal appeal of academic standing based on substantive academic judgment, an undergraduate student must follow the procedures set forth for consultation with the instructor and rereads; for more information on this process see the section of the Handbook dealing with Grades and also the Council Regulations on Student Appeals in Academic Matters available from the University Secretary’s office or on the Academic Honestly website. Copies of Form A, Application for an Report of Consultation Regarding Academic Standing, and Form B, Request for and Report of Reread, are also available at this website. The result of a rereading procedure is final; there is no further appeal.

A separate set of procedures exists for graduate students appealing academic standing or status; these students should be advised to consult informally with the Chairperson of their Advisory Committee (or the Department or College Graduate Advisor where no committee exists), with the Department Head, or with the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research before invoking formal procedures. If, after these consultations, the student is unsatisfied, they may petition the appropriate Academic Committee of the College of Graduate Studies and Research for a formal ruling on the allegation. Further details are found on the Academic Honesty website.

Appeals of academic standing involving factors other than substantive academic judgment are to be made in writing within 30 days to the Dean of the College offering the class, who will instruct the Department Head to arrange for an informal investigation of the allegation. The Dean will inform the student in writing as to the outcome of the investigation. If the student is not satisfied with the results of this informal investigation and/or believes that he or she has suffered an injustice, he or she may appeal in writing using Form C, Application for an Appeal of Matters Other than Substantive Academic Judgment.

Student Academic Dishonesty

Many cases of alleged academic dishonesty on the part of students result from misunderstanding or carelessness. A case of this kind can be addressed through an informal meeting with the student involved. Generally, an explanation and a warning is all that is required. Where, however, the event is such that it should be addressed through a more formal approach, University Council has established a set of rules governing appropriate procedures. These rules cover the investigation of formal allegations of academic dishonesty, determination of consequences, and appeal procedures; they also provide a useful and comprehensive definition of academic dishonesty. The regulations can be found on the Student Conduct & Appeals website.

Instructors may wish to mention the regulations on and consequences of academic dishonesty in their class outlines.