Graduate Academic Standards Policies

Student Appeal Procedures

Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to provide a prompt, equitable and efficient method for the resolution of a student grievance.

Guidelines

1. Academic issues will be grieved, as appropriate, via
   1. Faculty or Professional Staff member
   2. Department Chair
   3. School Dean d. Provost (Vice President for Academic Affairs)
2. Student Affairs concerns will be grieved,as appropriate,via
   1. Professional Staff member
   2. Director of the Office concerned
   3. Vice President of Student Affairs
3. Appeals within the Administrative area will be grieved, as appropriate, via
   1. Professional Staff member
   2. Director of the Office providing the service
   3. Next supervisory level, as appropriate
   4. Appropriate Vice President overseeing the office
4. Matters which may be grieved or appealed include only those matters which are not covered by existing grievance procedures.
5. The student and the professional staff member may each represent him or herself or may seek an adviser to assist in the process. The adviser must be a member of the professional staff of the College.
6. In the case of a grade appeal:
   1. Only a final grade may be appealed
   2. Student shall allege that the course instructor assigned a final grade for reasons unrelated to the quality of the work in question.

Appeal Procedures

1. Step One: the grievance must be filed in writing with the first level in the appeals process (the faculty member) within 21 calendar days following the act or omission giving rise to the appeal. The appeal shall contain a brief, dated statement of the claim, the facts surrounding it, and the remedy sought. The student and the faculty member shall attempt an informal resolution of the grievance. A written response to the student from the initial level of appeal shall be issued within 21 calendar days after the receipt of the grievance. For the purpose of appeals, calendar days will exclude the time between semesters and official holidays/ vacation periods as shown on the approved academic calendar.
2. Step Two: if the response to Step One does not resolve the matter, the student may appeal the Step One response by filing an appeal with the next higher level within 14 calendar days after the receipt of the Step One response.In grievances where the Step One and Step Twoindividuals are the same,the appeal will be directly to Step Three.Such an appeal shall be in writing with a copy to the Step One faculty member, and will include a copy of the appeal filed at Step One, a copy of the Step One response, and a brief, dated statement of the reasons for the disagreement with the Step One response. The Department Chair at Step Two shall schedule where appropriate, a meeting with the student, the Step One faculty member, and the adviser(s). Such meeting is to take place no later than 14 calendar days after receipt of the Step Two appeal. A written response from the Step Two Department Chair shall be issued to the student within 14 calendar days after the meeting with a copy to the Step One faculty member.
3. Step Three: if the response to Step Two does not resolve the appeal, the student or the faculty member may appeal the Step Two response by filing an appeal with the appropriate office within 14 calendar days after the receipt of the Step Two response. Such appeal shall be in writing and shall include a copy of the appeals filed at Step One and Step Two, copies of the Step One and Step Two responses, together with a brief, dated statement of the reasons for the disagreement with the Step Two response. The Step Three official (or designee) shall schedule a meeting with the student, the faculty member, and as appropriate, Step Two officials and the adviser(s), within 14 calendar days after receipt of the appeal. The Step Three official(or designee) shall issue a written response to the student, and to the faculty member, with copies to Step One and Step Two officials, within 14 calendar days following this meeting. The Step Three decision shall be final as to the substance of the appeal.
4. Step Four: if the student claims failure by the College to follow the appropriate procedural steps outlined above,the student may request a review by the Provost (or designees). Such a request shall be in writing and shall include a brief, dated statement of the claimed procedural failure. The Provost (or designees)shall issue a written response to the student with copies to the Step One, Step Two and Step Three officials within 14 calendar days after receipt of the request for review. The Step Four decision shall be final as to procedural issues.

Timeliness

1. An appeal that is untimely is considered to be lost unless there is mutual agreement by both parties for a delay or where circumstances beyond an individual’s control led to such delay. A late response or the absence of a timely response, at any level, will not prevent the appealing party from proceeding with an appeal to the next level no later than 14 calendar days from the date by which the response should have been made.
2. If neither party appeals the decision at any step, the decision stands.

Records Maintenance

1. Actions or decisions at any step may not be made until the appeal process has been completed.
2. The Office of the Vice President or Provost shall maintain a file on each grievance or appeal, which goes to Step Three or beyond. Such records shall be kept for a minimum of five years following the final action on the appeal.

Grade Appeal Policy

The purpose of this procedure is to provide a prompt, equitable and efficient method for the resolution of a student’s grade appeal.

Only a final grade may be appealed. The student shall allege that the course instructor assigned a final grade for reasons unrelated to the quality of the work in question.

An appeal of a final grade by a graduate student must be submitted within 21 calendar days of the beginning of the semester subsequent to the one in which the course was taken. Academic issues will be grieved via: 1) the faculty member, 2) the Department Chair, 3) the School Dean, and 4) the Provost.

Additional Education Unit Appeals Information

Education program candidates should also refer to the Education Unit Fair Process Policies and Procedures found on page 26.

Course Syllabi Statement

Beginning on the first day of each class the instructor shall make available to each student (and deposit in the office of the respective academic dean and department chair) a current syllabus containing information on course objectives, general description of course material, listing of course activities, evaluation procedures, grading policy, attendance policy, office hours, office phone number and email address.

Class Attendance

Students are responsible for meeting all academic requirements of a course and following the attendance policy announced by individual instructors. This policy must be announced during the first class meeting and must be explicitly stated in the course syllabus.

Students are expected to attend the first meeting of their classes or to inform the instructor of the reason for absence within 48 hours of the first meeting. Should a student miss the first meeting without an explanation, the instructor may drop the student from the class roster.

In general,students are expected to attend all classes. Students are responsible for all work missed because of class absence. Instructors shall establish procedures to accommodate students who miss class work due to excused absences. An excused absence consists of an absence resulting from documented active participation in a College-sponsored activity, illness, family emergency or military obligation. Whenever possible, students must consult the faculty member in advance of their absence.

Instructors are responsible for determining the details of attendance for their courses according to their own philosophy and the nature of their courses. Students should be evaluated primarily on the basis of achievement. However, the College supports the following attendance guidelines:

1. The instructor may assess a penalty to a student’s grade for any unexcused absence.
2. For excessive unexcused absences, the instructor may assign a grade of 0.0 for the course.
3. The instructor may count excessive tardiness as absence.
4. The instructor may determine that student absences, even those “excused,” are so excessive as to prevent a student from gaining the essential educational experience of the class. In such cases, the instructor may assign a final grade of 0.0; the student may apply for withdrawal or emergency withdrawal from the course.

Note: If additional or more specific policies are to apply to a course, the instructor must state those policies in the course syllabus.

Disputes (other than final grade appeals) arising from this policy shall be referred to the appropriate department chair, and thereafter, if necessary, shall be referred for resolution to the appropriate academic dean under the established Student Appeals Procedures.

Under New York State Education Law (sub-section 224-A) the following is also applicable:

S224-A. Students unable because of religious beliefs to register or attend classes on certain days.

1. No person shall be expelled from or be refused admission as a student to an institution of higher education for the reason that he or she is unable,because of his or her religious beliefs, to register or attend classes or to participate in any examination, study or work requirements on a particular day or days.
2. Any student in an institution of higher education who is unable, because of his or her religious beliefs, to attend classes on a particular day or days shall, because of such absence on the particular day or days, be excused from any examination or any study or work requirements.
3. It shall be the responsibility of the faculty and of the administrative officials of each institution of higher education to make available to each student who is absent from school because of his or her religious beliefs an equivalent opportunity to register for classes or make up any examination, study or work requirements which he or she may have missed because of such absence on any particular day or days. No fees of any kind shall be charged by the institution for making available to the said student such equivalent opportunity.
4. If registration, classes, examinations, study or work requirements are held on Friday after four o’clock post meridian or on Saturday, similar or makeup classes, examinations, study or work requirements or opportunity to register shall be made available on other days, where it is possible and practicable to do so.No special fees shall be chargedtothestudentfortheseclasses,examinations,study or work requirements or registration held on other days.
5. In effectuating the provisions of this section, it shall be the duty of the faculty and of the administrative officials of each institution of higher education to exercise the fullest measure of good faith. No adverse or prejudicial effects shall result to any student because of his or her availing himself or herself of the provisions of this section.
6. Any student who is aggrieved by the alleged failure of any faculty or administrative officials to comply in good faith with the provisions of this section shall be entitled to maintain an action or proceeding in the supreme court of the county in which such institution of higher education is located for the enforcement of his or her rights under this section.
   1. It shall be the responsibility of the administrative officials of each institution of higher education to give written notice to students of their rights under this section, informing them that each student who is absent from school because of his or her religious beliefs must be given an equivalent opportunity to register for classes or make up any examination,study or work requirements which he or she may have missed because of such absence on any particular day or days. No fees of any kind shall be charged by the institution for making available to such student such equivalent opportunity.
7. As used in this section, the term “institution of higher education” shall mean any institution of higher education, recognized and approved by the Regents of The University of the State of New York, which provides a course of study leading to the granting of a post-secondary degree or diploma. Such term shall not include any institution which is operated, supervised or controlled by a church or by a religious or denominational organization whose educational programs are principally designed for the purpose of training ministers or other religious functionaries or for the purpose of propagating religious doctrines. As used in this section, the term “religious belief ” shall mean beliefs associated with any corporation organized and operated exclusively for religious purposes, which is not disqualified for tax exemption under section 501 of the United States Code.