Academic Appeal

Students may appeal any academic decision believed to be arbitrary, capricious, or unfair. Appeals must be initiated within 30 days of the date of the decision or action being appealed. The student should first appeal the decision in writing to the person who made it by stating the appropriate rationale for reconsideration, the requested remedy, and the student’s contact information. If the matter is not resolved, the student may then appeal that decision in writing to the next highest authority.

In matters related to academic coursework, the line of appeal is first, the faculty member; second, the associate dean/department chair; third, the dean of the college; and finally, the Provost’s Office.

Each person to whom an appeal is made will normally respond to the student in writing within five (5) business days of receipt of the appeal. Extensions may be granted by the Provost in cases where the issue requires more extensive review and/or other extenuating circumstances. The student will have ten (10) calendar days from the date of each response to appeal to the next level.

The dean and/or Provost’s Office may request a meeting with the student and other parties involved. Appeals will be considered only if they are from students enrolled at UMHB upon initiation of the first appeal. Conversations and/or correspondence with anyone other than students and UMHB faculty/staff will not be considered in responses to appeals until and unless the issue has been appealed to the Provost’s Office.

Students should understand that mere dissatisfaction with a grade or decision is not grounds for an appeal. For an appeal to have merit, there must be some evidence that the student has been treated inappropriately with regard to the administration of the university’s policies and procedures.

NOTICE: Academic Policies for Particular Programs

With approval from the Provost, certain schools or programs within the University (e.g., Nursing) establish and publish their own policies regarding academic standards, academic sanctions, and academic appeals.  To the extent these specialized policies differ from the academic policies contained in this Catalog, the specialized policies will control.