Procedures for Academic and Non-Academic Appeals

This section outlines all procedures relating to the student appeals and complaints process. Included in this procedure are sections on: definitions and explanations, academic appeals, non-academic appeals and complaints.

Terminology

Student Appeal

A student appeal is a formal request by an enrolled or former student for reconsideration of a College rule or regulation, including the assignment of a final grade. The student initiates all formal appeals in one of our Student Services/Advising Centers.

Appeals Deadline

The deadline for all appeal forms and documentation is the longest session (A15) withdrawal deadline of the following term. Appeals will not be accepted after the deadline. Incomplete appeals will not be accepted.

Types of Appeals

Academic Appeals

  • Withdrawal Past Deadline

  • NA (Non-Attendance Issue)

  • Grade Change

  • Audit - Grade Issue

  • Fourth Attempt

  • Waiver Request - IDS 1107 (First Year Experience Requirement)

Non-Academic Appeals

  • Finance-Related Appeals

    • Waiver to Repeat

    • Refund and Disenrollment

  • General Appeals

    • Residency

    • Admissions/Selective Admissions

    • Graduation

    • Articulation

    • Other

Student Appeals Committee

A student appeals committee is defined as a reviewing body, consisting of at least one of each of the following committee members appointed by the appropriate Associate Provost: an administrator, a full-time faculty member, and a student representative. The administrator and faculty member should be from an academic area different from the student’s appeal request. The appropriate Associate Provost(s) will identify up to five faculty members annually who agree to serve on a Student Appeals Committee for that year. The list is subject to approval from the President of the Faculty Senate and will constitute the group from which the required faculty member(s) may be chosen for an appeal.

Academic Appeals

Informal Procedure

Step 1: Student Discussion With Instructor

  1. For grade change requests, the student is directed to speak first to the course instructor. If the instructor of record approves the grade change, the request is sent to the appropriate academic administrator for final approval. Once approved by the instructor and the academic administrator, the grade change documentation is forwarded to the Office of Student Records to be recorded in the student system.

  2. If the course instructor is no longer employed by the College or is unable to be reached after the Dean’s attempts to contact the instructor without success, the student may submit the grade change request to the appropriate academic administrator. If the academic administrator approves the grade change, all documentation is forwarded to the Office of Student Records to be recorded in the student system.

  3. If the student’s informal request is not approved, the student can initiate a formal grade appeal request at any Advising Center. In all cases, the student has the responsibility of demonstrating that the grade being challenged was administered in a manner inconsistent with criteria set forth on the instructor’s course syllabus, and that the evaluation process uniquely discredited the student’s grade.

Formal Procedures

Step 1: Student’s Submission of the Request

An appeal must be submitted no later than the longest session (A15) withdrawal deadline of the following term. The session withdrawal deadlines are listed in the Academic Calendar. Students should make every effort to discuss and possibly resolve issues with their instructors before submitting an appeal. If unable to complete a class, students should immediately inform their instructors. If receiving financial aid or VA benefits, it is the student’s responsibility to see a Financial Aid Advisor or VA Representative to discuss possible financial implications. Prior to submission of the student’s appeal request, the student must obtain a signature from the FA Advisor and/or VA Representative as confirmation of that discussion. An appeal must be completed for each class that is to be considered, and a complete set of documentation must be attached to each appeal. It is the student’s responsibility to make copies of all documentation to be submitted with the appeal. Documents will remain with the appeal when it is submitted and will not be returned to the student.

The following items MUST BE included with each academic appeal:

  1. A copy of the course syllabus for each appeal.

  2. Relevant Documentation:

    1. For Withdrawal Past the Deadline Requests, include all relevant documents to support the students claim, which may be one or more of the following:

      1. Hospitalization: Copy of the student’s hospital documentation that includes the date admitted and discharged from the hospital only. Hospital bills and other documentation are not considered to be acceptable.

      2. Death of immediate family member: One of the following (the documentation must include relationship to the deceased):

        1. Copy of death certificate

        2. Copy of newspaper announcement

        3. Copy of the funeral program

      3. Extensive Illness: A copy of a doctor’s note to excuse the student from school or work for an extended amount of time (must include dates of illness). The note must explain why the student was not able to attend school.

      4. Involuntary Military Duty: A copy of military orders providing the student’s name and the dates of deployment (100% refund is awarded).

      5. College Error: Copies of emails or messages with faculty/staff, screen shots of your account, error messages, or other supporting documents.

    2. For Grade Appeal Requests, include relevant course information, which could include correspondence with the instructor, graded assignments, copies of grades from Canvas, etc.

  3. The reason for the student’s appeal: If the space on the appeal form provided is not adequate, the student may write or type the reason on a separate sheet of paper and attach it to the appeal.

Step 2: Academic Administrator Review

  1. The Advising Center forwards the grade change appeal to the appropriate academic administrator, who has the initial responsibility for reviewing and forwarding the student appeal to the instructor of record for a response (approval/denial).

  2. If the instructor of record is no longer employed by the College or is unable to be reached after the Dean’s attempts to contact the instructor without success, the appropriate academic administrator makes the decision.

  3. If approved by the instructor of record and the appropriate academic administrator, a grade change is submitted to the Office of Student Records for processing. The appropriate academic administrator notifies the student of the decision in writing.

  4. If disapproved, the appropriate academic administrator provides the student written notification of the decision. The student has 15 College business days from the date of the notification to submit additional relevant evidential documentation and to submit a written request to the appropriate Associate Provost to convene the Student Appeals Committee to review the disapproval. If no request is made, or if the request for a Student Appeals Committee is denied based on insufficient additional documentation, the disapproved appeal and supporting documentation is forwarded to the Registrar’s Office and imaged to the student’s academic record. The appropriate Associate Provost or designee will notify the student in writing if the request for a Student Appeals Committee is denied due to insufficient additional documentation.

Step 3: Student Appeals Committee Review

  1. If the student is granted a hearing, the appropriate Associate Provost or designee will convene the Student Appeals Committee and appoint a Chair. The instructor of record must be invited to present to the committee. If the instructor of record is not available, the instructor may elect to send a representative. The instructor of record may also decline to participate. If the instructor of record cannot be reached, the committee review may proceed in the absence of the instructor of record. The Chair of the Student Appeals Committee, may (but is not required to) invite the student to present to the committee to clarify any statements or documentation that was submitted.

  2. The Student Appeals Committee considers the case and forwards its recommendation to the appropriate Associate Provost. The committee will meet within one month of receiving the request to convene from the appropriate Associate Provost, except in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

Step 4: Associate Provost Review

The appropriate Associate Provost shall review the recommendation of the Student Appeals Committee. The Associate Provost may accept, repeal, or amend the decision. If the Associate Provost anticipates the need to repeal or amend the decision of the Student Appeals Committee, the Associate Provost will meet with the Chair of the Student Appeals Committee to discuss any and all concerns with the Committee’s recommendation. Except in the event of unforeseen circumstances, the actions of the Associate Provost shall occur within 10 working days of receipt of the decision of the Student Appeals Committee. The Associate Provost shall send a written decision to the student. The decision of the Associate Provost is final and cannot be appealed. A copy of the final decision is transmitted to the Office of Student Records to be imaged to the student’s academic record. In the event the Associate Provost’s decision changes the original grade of the faculty member, the Associate Provost will notify the faculty member and provide written justification for the change.

Non-Academic Appeals

Step 1: Student’s Submission of the Request

An appeal must be submitted no later than the longest session (A15) withdrawal deadline of the following term. The session withdrawal deadlines are listed in the Academic Calendar. Non-Academic Appeals require additional documentation outlining the extenuating circumstances that necessitate the appeal. For a Finance-related appeal, there must be documented extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the student. If receiving financial aid or VA benefits, it is the student’s responsibility to see a Financial Aid Advisor or VA Representative to discuss possible financial implications. Prior to submission of the student’s appeal request, the student must obtain a signature from the FA Advisor and/or VA Representative as confirmation of that discussion. Each class that is to be considered, up to four classes, may be entered on a single appeal. If there are more than four classes to be considered, list the remaining classes on a second course listing page. All relevant documentation must be attached to the appeal. Appeals may be obtained from and submitted to any Advising Center.

The following items MUST BE included with the student’s request:

  1. Relevant Documentation: It is the student’s responsibility to make copies of all documentation to be submitted with the appeal. Documents will remain with the appeal when it is submitted and will not be returned to the student.

    1. For Finance-related appeals, include all relevant documents to support the student’s claim, which may be one or more of the following:

      1. Extensive Hospitalization: Copy of the student’s hospital documentation that includes the date admitted and discharged from the hospital only. Hospital bills and other documentation are not considered to be acceptable.

      2. Death of immediate family member: One of the following (the documentation must include relationship to the deceased):

        1. Copy of death certificate

        2. Copy of newspaper announcement

        3. Copy of the funeral program

      3. Extensive Illness: a copy of a doctor’s note to excuse the student from school or work for an extended amount of time (must include dates of illness). The note must explain why the student was not able to attend school.

      4. Involuntary Military Duty: A copy of military orders providing the student’s name and dates of deployment (100% refund is awarded).

      5. College Error: Copies of emails or messages with faculty/staff, screen shots of your account, error messages, or other supporting documents.

  2. The reason for the student’s appeal: If the space on the appeal form is not adequate, the student may write or type the reason on a separate sheet of paper and attach it to the appeal.

Step 2: Department Administrator Review

  1. The Advising Center forwards the Non-Academic Appeal to the appropriate department administrator for review. The appropriate department administrator will review the information submitted by the student and indicate approval or disapproval.

    1. Finance Related Appeals are forwarded to the appropriate Associate Provost.

    2. Limited and Selective Access Program Admissions Appeals are forwarded to the appropriate Academic Dean.

    3. Graduation, Residency, and College Admissions Appeals are forwarded to the Registrar’s Office.

    4. Articulation Appeals are forwarded to the Office of the Executive Director of Articulation.

  2. For Non-Academic Appeals, decisions made by department administrators and Associate Provost are final and may not be appealed. The appropriate department administrator will provide the student with written notification of the decision and forward relevant information for documentation.

  3. It will be the College’s general practice to resolve Non-Academic Appeals within 20 College business days; however, certain appeals may take longer to resolve.

Complaints

Students who have general complaints regarding their college experience may express those complaints verbally or in writing to any college administrator. Complaints alleging issues of discrimination or harassment should follow specific procedures of APM 11-0603.

It is expected that most general complaints will be resolved informally through normal operational discourse. Students who are unable to resolve complaints informally may make a formal complaint in writing to the appropriate Associate Provost or Associate Vice President. In making a formal complaint, the student should express that the complaint is formal and summarize any informal actions that the student has taken to attempt to resolve the complaint. The appropriate Associate Provost/Associate Vice President (or their designee) will ensure that all formal complaints receive an initial response within 10 College business days. If the complaint involves a faculty member or class issue, the Associate Provost or designee managing the complaint will notify the faculty member and involve the faculty member appropriately in the resolution of the complaint. The Associate Provost/Associate Vice President or designee will forward the formal complaint to the appropriate college personnel for action. The Associate Provost/Associate Vice President or designee will provide final notification to the student. It will be the College’s general practice to resolve formal complaints within 20 College business days; however, certain complaints may take longer to resolve. Once action has been taken on the formal complaint, the Associate Provost/Associate Vice President or designee will retain a copy of the complaint, a narrative summary of the resolution, and the final communication to the student for the purposes of periodic review and continuous quality improvement.

According to State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), Out-of-State Distance Education students who have completed the FSCJ Procedures for Academic and Non-Academic Appeals and Complaints and applicable state grievance processes may appeal non-instructional complaints to the FL-SARA Postsecondary Reciprocal Distance Education Coordinating Council (PRDEC Council). For additional information on this process, visit the FL-SARA Complaint Process page.