Appeal of Decision Instructions
At a minimum, an appeal of an Honor Code Violation Decision must include substantial evidence that the decision rendered was arbitrary or capricious. To ensure receipt and processing of the appeal letter, students are required to use the Appeal of Decision Form when submitting a decision appeal so that all necessary elements for the appeal are included. A request for appeal must be submitted within 5 business days of receipt of a decision letter.
Students who do not submit appeals within 5 business days waive their opportunity to appeal.
IX. APPEAL OF DECISION
A. If the accused believes that the decision of the Honor Council was arbitrary and capricious, he or she may appeal the decision in writing to the Office of the Provost within five business days of the date he or she receives notice of the decision of the Honor Council. To ensure processing and tracking of an appeal, students are required to use the Appeal of Decision Form when submitting an appeal so that all necessary elements for the appeal are included.
B. The Provost’s designee shall review the record of the hearing and the evidence supporting the appeal. The Provost’s designee shall determine whether the Honor Council acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner in reaching its decision. The Provost’s designee may consult with the Office of General Counsel, the Division of Student Life, or any other department prior to reaching his or her decision.
C. If the Provost’s designee finds that the decision of the Honor Council was arbitrary and capricious, he or she shall reverse the decision. Otherwise, the Provost’s designee shall affirm the decision of the Honor Council.
D. If the accused desires to appeal the decision of the Provost’s designee, he or she is allowed one appeal of the decision within the Office of the Provost. That appeal must be submitted within five business days of receipt of the decision. The appeal will be reviewed by an individual within the Office of the Provost who is at the Vice Provost or higher level. That person must be someone other than the Provost’s designee who made the initial decision that is being appealed. That individual shall review the record of the hearing, confer with anyone who has evidence related to the case, and, based upon this review, decide to affirm or reverse the decision. The decision of the Provost or Vice Provost following such an appeal is final.
The process for appealing a sanction for an Honor Code violation is available on this Web page: Appeal of Sanction Instructions.