Academic and Disciplinary College and University Student Appeals
Many Florida and New Jersey college and university students will contact me about a particular issue. They have been through a process. Maybe it was that they were accused of academic dishonesty. Perhaps they were accused of some disciplinary issue not connected with academics or they disagreed with a professor’s grade and want to challenge it. Most schools have an academic and disciplinary college and university student appeals process. For purposes of this post I will break it down into appeals of academic and disciplinary issues and grade appeals.
Academic and Disciplinary Student Appeals
This appeal process normally takes place after the student has been found responsible for something. For an academic issue it could be that they failed to maintain a certain GPA and are now dismissed. A disciplinary issue could be that they were accused of cheating. Regardless, your college or university handbook will outline an appeal procedure. Sometimes the procedures can be confusing or it is not clear what a student can and cannot argue on appeal.For example, many Florida and New Jersey colleges and universities will indicate that only certain issues can be appealed. These many times include the following: Was the student provided all due process and procedures under the college or university’s rules; Is there “new evidence” that is now available which was not available to the student at the time of the hearing; and, are the sanctions overly harsh or not in line with what the student was accused of doing. There can be other issues but one issue which is normally not allowed is the student being able to “re-argue” the case. This is normally not accepted on an appeal. If the student does not understand this then he or she could waste their appeal opportunity. This is why it is important to not only have an experienced education attorney, but one with appellate experience. I take my experience in both of these areas to craft the best possible student appeal as possible.
Grade Appeals
Grade appeals are typically handled differently and many times have a separate set of procedures that must be followed. If the student follows the wrong procedure, it could negatively impact their appeal. Like academic and disciplinary appeals, there are certain things that can and cannot be argued. A thorough review of all documents and research is typically needed to put the best appeal forward.
The Importance of the University Student Appeal
Appeals are important. The most obvious reason is that it provides the student with another opportunity to achieve a positive decision. But there is another reason. If you fail to appeal you have failed to follow the administrative process that the college or university provides. This could be fatal down the road if you attempt to seek alternative means of relief, like a lawsuit or even simply getting an attorney involved to speak with the school’s general counsel. Therefore, you must go through the process, even if you suspect the college or university will simply “rubber-stamp” the lower decision.Grade appeals, appeals of academic dishonesty, or disciplinary appeals are serious and require someone with the background to help you succeed. Mr. Asselta is uniquely qualified with his experience as an appellate attorney having written and filed appeals in federal and state courts as well as appeals at the college and university level. Protect your academic and future career. Hire award-winning education lawyer Richard Asselta to fight for you. Call today and speak to a Florida and New Jersey licensed education lawyer that offers student defense services to students throughout the United States. A lawyer you can trust. 855-338-5299 Click here to read what client’s are saying about Richard Asselta on AVVO, a lawyer review website.