APPEALS PROCESS
A student may be entitled to an appeal, if he/she did not receive due process within the disciplinary hearing, if there is new evidence, facts, and/or witnesses being presented, and only if the decision of the disciplinary board was to suspend the student from the University.  A decision of the judicial board or administrative functionary may be appealed for one or more of the following reasons:

1. Substantial violation of the hearing procedure.  If the appeal is based on substantial violation of the hearing procedure, the following should be noted: Citation of specific procedural errors,  reason(s) why procedural error was not mentioned in the original hearing, and  reason(s) why correction of error can contribute to a decision other than the one originally made;
    
2. New evidence, witnesses or facts.  If the appeal is based on new facts, the following must be included: A description of new evidence, name(s) of person(s) who can  present this evidence (if any), or reasons why the evidence was not discussed at the original hearing, and reason(s) why the evidence can contribute to a decision other than that which was originally made;
    
3. Insufficient Information.  The decision reached was based on information that was not sufficient to establish that the student violated the Code of Conduct.
    
4. Sanction.  A claim that the sanction imposed was inappropriate for the Code violation.

The student’s letter of appeal must clearly state the grounds for requesting the appeal and include pertinent information that will assist the designated University official or judicial body  in determining whether an appeal is warranted.  The date of the request and the student’s signature must also be visible and legible within the letter requesting the appeal. 

FILING AN APPEAL
The student can only appeal a suspension or expulsion sanction rendered by the disciplinary board.  All appeals must be submitted in writing to the Vice Provost for Student Life within 24 hours after the student has received notification of a decision of suspension rendered in their particular case.  The appeal request must state the specific grounds on which he/she should be granted an appeal as described in the previous section.    The appeal request must also be clear and specific, as the Vice Provost may decide whether to grant an appeal based solely on the written request of the student.

After the  letter of appeal has been received, the Vice Provost for Student Life will determine whether there are grounds to grant an appeal and notify the student of the decision within forty-eight (48) hours after receipt of the student’s request. If a conference is needed to consider the matter further, the notice shall include the time and place at which the student is to be present. 

The decision of the Vice Provost for Student Life is final, except in those cases involving expulsion from the University. In cases involving expulsion, the student may appeal the sanction to the President of the University, in writing, with a copy to the Vice Provost within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt of the decision of the Vice Provost. Appeal requests of this nature must also be typewritten. The President is not obligated to confer with the student, and may choose to review only the written information in making a decision. 

The sanction of suspension imposed by the judicial board does not become effective until all available appeals have been exhausted by the student within the time periods designated for appeals.  An exception occurs when, in the determination of the Vice Provost for Student Life, the student’s continued presence on campus constitutes a clear and present danger to the students and/or others in the University community.  In such instances, the student will be asked to leave the campus; however, his/her rights to request an appeal within the designated time periods shall not be compromised. 

If a student chooses not to request an appeal, the decision of the Student Life Disciplinary Committee is final. Further, if a student does not request an appeal within the specified time period, the decision of the Student Life Disciplinary Committee is final. It is, therefore, imperative that the student abides by the stipulations of  his/her sanction.