Academic Integrity Appeal Process
Appeal Process
Students alleged to have violated academic integrity may appeal the citation by the deadline provided, typically two weeks from notification of the incident. Students must provide rationale for their request to reverse the citation, and supporting documentation may be provided. Appeals are submitted in writing to the Dean of Advising, Dr. Ann Dulany, at adulany@franciscan.edu.
1. Meeting with Instructor:
A student who seeks appeal of an academic decision will first speak with the instructor concerned. If the instructor determines that s/he was mistaken, s/he will take the necessary steps to reverse the decision. If the instructor maintains that the determination was not in error, the student may request a meeting with the Chair of the Department in which the course was taken.
2. Meeting with Department Chair:
If the student wishes to proceed further with the appeal, s/he will then speak to the Chair of the Department in which the course was taken. The Chair, after speaking with both the student and instructor, may agree that the determination be upheld, or direct the instructor to alter it. If there is any question about the decision reached by the Chair, the aggrieved student or instructor will request a meeting with the School Dean or his/her designee. The Chair will keep a written record of all discussions. A copy of this should be forwarded to the School Dean if further action is necessary. If the School Dean is the instructor of the student filing the appeal, the appeal will be forwarded to the VPAA instead of the School Dean.
3. Conference:
If either the student or the instructor wishes to proceed further with the appeal, s/he will contact the School Dean. If the School Dean is the instructor, the VPAA will be the designee of the School Dean’s role in the conference setting. Upon receiving the request, the School Dean or designee will call a conference with the student, Chair, and instructor. If the student wishes, they may invite a fellow student or advocate knowledgeable of the situation to attest on his or her behalf. The School Dean or designee will keep a written record of the conference, or may, at his or her discretion, invite a secretary to the meeting to assist in taking minutes. The School Dean or designee can only overturn the determination of an instructor if it is found to be arbitrary, capricious, or inconsistent with the announced policies of the course. The final decision reached by the School Dean or designee will be communicated in writing to the student, instructor, and department Chair involved. Should the student refuse to follow the sequence herein outlined, his/her complaint shall be considered void.