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Appeals Process

Students can appeal the decision of any judicial hearing. Appeal procedures and the basis for when appeals will be considered are listed below.

Appeal Procedures

1. The respondent student or student organization, or complainant in a case involving an act of violence, may appeal any decision reached as a result of a Judicial Board or administrative hearing.
2. All appeals must be made in written form specifying all reasons given for the appeal and given to the coordinator of Student Activities and Judicial Affairs within seven (7) calendar days after the initial hearing. The coordinator of Student Activities and Judicial Affairs will forward the appeal letter (except violations of Article II, Section C1) and the student's or student organization's judicial file to the dean of students. All appeals concerning violations of Article II, Section C1 (academic misconduct) shall be forwarded to the provost. The respondent student or student organization shall be able to present in person his/her appeal to the appropriate Appeals Officer after submitting the written appeal. Such presentation shall be limited to no more than forty-five (45) minutes.
3. The coordinator of Student Activities and Judicial Affairs will notify the complainant(s) of a pending appeal in order to permit the complainant(s) to submit an "impact statement" to be considered along with the respondent's appeal. The complainant may either submit a written letter to the judicial adviser, to be forwarded to the appeals officer, or may make an appointment with the appeals officer to discuss the impact statement in person.

Basis Upon Which An Appeal May Be Considered

An appeal may be made for one or more of the following purposes:

• To determine whether the original hearing was conducted in conformity with the prescribed procedures of this Code. Minor deviations from designated procedures will not form the basis for sustaining an appeal unless it is determined that suck deviation resulted in significant prejudice. For any substantial deviations from designated procedures, the appeals officer may, in his or her discretion, remand the matter for reconsideration.
• To present new evidence which could not reasonably be made available at the time of the original hearing. Such cases, at the discretion of the appeals officer, may be remanded back to the appropriate hearing format or reconsideration in light of new evidence.
• To determine whether the sanction imposed was appropriate to the violation with which the respondent student or student organization was charged.

Sanction Reduction

1. In keeping with the educational mission of the College, the office of the Dean of Students will accept requests for sanction reduction.  These requests are available to all students and student organizations after one calendar year of the date sanction was assigned as a judicial sanction.
2. A three-person panel consisting of the dean of students or the dean's designee and two students from the student judicial board will hear all requests.  Requests should be submitted in writing to the coordinator of Student Activities and Judicial Affairs along with one letter of recommendation from a member of the College community.
3. The student or student organization must prove to the panel's satisfaction that he/she/it has developed increased self-discipline as a result of the sanction period and can contribute to the College community through increased involvement opportunities.  The request should demonstrate significant contributions, both of an academic and co-curricular nature, to the panel.
4. All decisions of the panel are final and not subject to appeal.  If a student or student organization is not granted a sanction reduction, the student or student organization may reapply after one calendar year.  If a student or student organization is granted a sanction reduction and is later found responsible for violating the Code of Student Conduct, the student could face disciplinary suspension, deactivation, or expulsion.