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Student Academic Appeal Guide
Students have the right (Academic Appeal Policy 310.01) to appeal decisions and practices that affect their academic standing. This guide outlines the series of steps a student may take to resolve an appeal issue.
This document is intended for general information only. Please refer to UFV Academic Appeals Policy 310.01 for detailed procedures. Complaints related to general instructor performance rather than a specific grade may be referred to the Dean of the area. In this situation, the Coordinator, Office for Academic Integrity and Appeals will refer your complaint and give you instructions about whom to contact.
Steps students are encouraged to take to resolve an appeal issue:
1 - Initial Discussion Read More.
All complaints should begin by meeting with whoever made the decision (usually the instructor) to discuss the problem. We encourage both parties to make every effort to resolve the concern at this level. If you are uncertain how to approach instructors, the Coordinator can offer you some tips. The department or program head might be brought in at this level by either party to help with resolution. The initial discussion should be held very quickly after the grade or event being appealed. Read Less.2 - Notify UFV you intend to appeal Read More.
If, after the discussion with your instructor, you decide to submit an appeal, you must complete the Notice of Appeal form and submit it to the Coordinator by the deadline.
The Notice of Appeal form can be downloaded here:
- Academic appeal form (
 / PDF)
The most important component of the Notice of Appeal is the evidence summary. You must provide clear statements about what part of the assignment or exam was incorrectly graded and reasons why. Appeals without evidence (for example, a GPA or grade in another class is not evidence of misgrading in the grade you are appealing) will not succeed. If you have any questions about the type of evidence you need to provide, the Coordinator can provide further details.
After discussion with you to make sure your form is complete and you understand the process, the Coordinator will forward a copy of the notice and evidence to the instructor and ask for a written response. The Coordinator will try to facilitate an informal resolution of the appeal at that point.
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3 - Informal Resolution Read More.
The Coordinator may try to find an informal way to resolve the issue. If all parties agree, mediation may be one possibility. Other solutions may be explored. The Coordinator or someone she/he designates, will meet with you and the instructor, either together or separately, to help find a solution agreeable to both parties.
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4 - Formal appeal Read More.
If the problem cannot be resolved at the informal resolution stage, you can request a formal appeal by submitting an Application for a Panel Decision form. The information required for this form is very similar to the Notice of Appeal form, above, in that the most important component is the discussion of the evidence you want to present. The Coordinator will supply you with the form. It must be submitted within five days of the informal resolution attempt, or five days of the instructor's response, if informal resolution is not attempted. An Appeal Panel is appointed from the Standing Academic Appeal Committee, which consists of UFV employees and students. The Panel will hear evidence from both parties, judge the appeal, and render a decision.
The formal appeal has some important procedural rules for both parties. All evidence must be provided in writing with the appeal application. This includes:
No additional information or arguments can be added after the hearing has begun.
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All evidence is distributed to all parties before the appeal hearing.
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You may have one advisor present at the hearing but you must include that information on your appeal application. The advisor cannot be a witness, and cannot speak on your behalf.
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You will have the opportunity to make statements to the panel and to question witnesses.
After the Hearing Panel has reviewed the evidence and heard arguments from all sides of the dispute, it will give its decision. The decision of the Hearing Panel will be confirmed in a letter to the individuals concerned.
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Note
It is important for everybody concerned that appeals be settled as quickly as possible. Therefore please pay close attention to the time limits for each step as outlined in UFV Academic Appeal Policy 310.01. If you fail to meet a deadline or fail to appear at any meetings prescribed throughout the appeal process, it will be assumed that you have withdrawn your appeal and the dispute will be considered as resolved.
The Coordinator may extend deadlines by a few days when there are extenuating circumstances, but this is very rare and fairness to both sides is considered.
Although the term "instructor" is used in the Guide to refer to the respondent in a dispute, students are entitled to appeal the academic decisions of any UFV employee, e.g., dean, department head, registrar.
Where there is a perceived difference between the meaning or intent of the Academic Appeals Guide and the Academic Appeals Policy, the wording of the Academic Appeals Policy will apply.
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