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Academic Appeals and Student Complaint Protocol

University of Georgia students have the right to appeal academic decisions. Usually, the appeal goes first to the unit responsible for the decision, for example, grades to the faculty members who assigned the grades; department requirements to the department; college or school requirements to the school; university requirements to the Educational Affairs Committee. An unfavorable ruling at one level can be appealed to the successive levels. A faculty decision can be appealed to the department; a department ruling can be appealed to the college in which the instructional unit is located; a college-level ruling can be appealed to the Educational Affairs Committee; the Educational Affairs Committee ruling can be appealed to the President of the University; and, except for grade appeals, the President’s ruling can be appealed to the Board of Regents.

Additional details on appeals of academic matters, including special provisions for appeals in academic dishonesty cases, can be obtained from the UGA Academic Honesty site.

Student Complaint Protocol

This protocol has been developed to provide students a fair and explicit process through which they can address actions of faculty, staff or other students within MFE COE that they perceive have resulted in unfair treatment or disadvantage related to the student’s learning or work, and that Fall outside the purview of existing UGA policies (e.g., Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy, Sexual Misconduct Policy, Code of Conduct, Academic Honesty Policy, Workplace Violence Policy, Employee Grievance Policy, etc.). Complaints that Fall under the purview of existing UGA policies must be pursued under the procedures outlined in those policies as they do not Fall under the jurisdiction of MFE COE to resolve. In addition, faculty, staff, and students outside of MFE COE are not under MFE COE’s jurisdiction, and complaints directed against such persons cannot be resolved through the process outlined in this protocol.

The intent of this protocol is to resolve issues as quickly and fairly as possible and with respect for both the student submitting the complaint and those persons against whom a complaint is filed. Complaints under this policy may be filed by an individual student or a group of students who share a common concern.

Download Student Complaint Protocol Document (PDF)

Grades

Any student, undergraduate or graduate, who believes that he or she received an incorrect or unfair grade due to factual error, improper or unprofessional bias, or evaluation different from the stated course objectives/criteria or other public criteria, may appeal the grade. Grades are appealed within the department and college in which they are earned, not in the department and college in which the student’s major resides. Appeals to the departmental or college level must pertain to the cumulative grade assigned for the course.

Exception: Grade appeals, when a grade of I (Incomplete) has lapsed to a grade of F, must go directly to the UGA Educational Affairs Committee.

Please note that all grade appeals must be initiated within one calendar year from the end of the term in which the grade was recorded.

Bases for Appeal

Grade appeals must be based on one or more of the following issues

  1. Inaccurate Evaluation or Grade Calculation. Such appeals must demonstrate that the instructor inaccurately graded one or more assignments and/or made a clerical error in calculating the graded work.
  2. Discrimination. Appeals based on discrimination must demonstrate that the instructor treated a student differently in assigning grades than he/she treated other students in a similar circumstance. The different treatment must have resulted in the student being assigned a lower grade than would have been assigned if the student were treated similarly.
  3. Failure to Follow Course Policies. Such appeals must demonstrate that the instructor failed to follow written or orally communicated policies related to grading for his/her course. The student must demonstrate that the instructor’s failure to follow one or more course policies resulted in a lower grade than would have been assigned had policies been followed.
  4. Failure to Follow Published University Policies. Such appeals must demonstrate that the instructor failed to follow published University policies related to instruction and/or grading and that the instructor’s failure adversely affected the student’s grade.

Grade appeals should include the following elements

  • The class name, term class was completed, instructor’s name
  • Grade received
  • The appeal should make an argument, based on one or more of the issues presented above (see Bases for Appeals) indicating why the grade received should be changed.
  • The appeal should request a specific remedy, i.e. indicate the grade the student believes to be appropriate.

Appeal route for Undergraduates

  1. Instructor
  2. Department Head *
  3. COE Undergraduate Academic Appeals Committee *
  4. UGA Educational Affairs Committee *
  5. UGA President

Appeal route for Graduates

  1. Instructor
  2. Department Head *
  3. Dean’s Office
  4. Graduate School
  5. UGA Educational Affairs Committee *
  6. UGA President
  7. Board of Regents

* Prior to review at each of these levels, the faculty member who assigned the student’s final grade will receive a copy of the student’s letter of appeal and be given the opportunity to provide a response for those reviewing the appeal.

Department or College Curriculum Requirements

Undergraduate curriculum requirements are readily available on the UGA Course Bulletin. Graduate curriculum requirements are available in each student’s major department. Although academic advising is required of all students every semester, students are ultimately responsible for their knowledge of these requirements, their course registration, and their progress toward degrees. However, occasionally it may be appropriate for a department or college to waive one or more of its requirements for students on a case-by-case basis as it sees fit, most often when there are extenuating circumstances. Any student who feels he or she is deserving of a waiver of department or college requirements has the right to appeal. Requests to waive University curriculum requirements must go directly to the UGA Educational Affairs Committee, with the exception of the undergraduate Environmental Literacy requirement that can be appealed at the college level.

Undergraduates

Appeal route for department requirements

  • Department Head
  • COE Undergraduate Academic Appeals Committee
  • UGA Educational Affairs Committee
  • UGA President
  • Board of Regents

Appeal route for college requirements

  • COE Undergraduate Academic Appeals Committee
  • UGA Educational Affairs Committee
  • UGA President
  • Board of Regents

Graduates

Appeal route for department requirements

  • Department Head
  • Dean’s Office
  • Graduate School
  • UGA Educational Affairs Committee
  • UGA President
  • Board of Regents

Grad students have no college requirements.

Admission to Undergraduate Major

Many of the College’s undergraduate majors are high-demand. A high-demand major is one that receives or expects to receive more applications from fully qualified students than the program can accommodate without endangering the quality of instruction offered. Sometimes departments are forced to reject fully qualified students due to these limitations, and there is nothing that can be done. Nevertheless, any student not admitted to his or her intended major does have the right to appeal the denial of admission to the major. Please note that appeals of this nature must be initiated no later than the midterm of the Spring or Fall semester prior to the proposed date of admission.

Appeal route for Admission to Undergraduate Majors

  1. Department Head
  2. COE Undergraduate Academic Appeals Committee
  3. UGA Educational Affairs Committee
  4. UGA President
  5. Board of Regents

Academic Suspension

A student is on Academic Suspension if their Total Institution GPA is below 2.0 for two or more consecutive terms and they fail to meet the minimum retention requirements. You can find your GPA and academic standing in DegreeWorks and on your Unofficial UGA Transcript in Athena. You will be notified of Academic Suspension by your School/College through UGA email. A student on Academic Suspension must be away from UGA for one Fall or Spring semester.

What is required of students on Academic Suspension?
  1. To return to UGA after Academic Suspension, students should contact their school/​college dean’s office representative (PDF) before the readmission deadline, which is 30 days (1 month) prior to the first day of classes for the semester you plan to return. Note that readmission from suspension can’t be processed after this 30-day window. If you change your major to one located in a different UGA school or college, you should contact the School/College representative for your new major.
  1. After you return, you are required to meet with your Degree Completion Team(DCT). The purpose of this meeting is to reevaluate and revise your plan for a successful semester and to connect with support resources that meet your unique needs. You will be notified by UGA email of your required DCT meeting. A registration hold is placed after drop/add and will be removed after your initial appointment with your Degree Completion Team.
  2. You will be required to enroll in UNIV 2800 - Returning with Strength, during your first term back after suspension. This 2-hour course is designed to provide tools and teach skills to enhance your academic success and personal growth.

NOTE: If you have been away from UGA for a year or more, you must complete a former UGA Student reapplication at least 2 weeks prior to semester you wish to return. If your School/College has readmitted you, you won’t be denied admission during the reapplication process; this is simply to update and reactivate your records.

Who should I contact?
Contact your school or college (PDF) or your academic advisor with questions.

To initiate an Academic Suspension return appeal in COE, prepare and submit a COE Academic Suspension Petition. If you have questions, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Advising.

Appeal Route for Academic Suspension

  1. COE Undergraduate Academic Appeals
  2. UGA Educational Affairs Committee
  3. UGA President
  4. Board of Regents

Appeals for admission at second academic dismissal must go directly to the UGA Educational Affairs Committee.

COE Appeals Procedures

Preparing Appeals for the COE Undergraduate Academic Appeals Committee

Letters of appeal must be written by the student and should be addressed to:

COE Undergraduate Academic Appeals Committee c/o Director of Academic Advising 612 Aderhold Hall Athens, Georgia 30602

Include your complete name, 810 number, mailing address, and phone number. Also include any documentation (transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc.) that will be helpful to the committee reviewing your appeal.

Students wishing to appear before the committee must include this request in the letter of appeal.

In most cases, the academic department will receive a copy of your letter and will be asked for a recommendation. Please contact that office if you wish to receive a copy of the recommendation.

Decisions made by the COE Undergraduate Academic Appeals Committee will be mailed to the student; no results will be delivered by phone, email, or fax.

Preparing Appeals for the UGA Educational Affairs Committee and Beyond

To learn more about filing an appeal to the UGA Educational Affairs Committee and beyond, please see the Office of the Vice President for Instruction website.

Other Appeals

The following appeals must go directly to the UGA Educational Affairs Committee:

  • Board of Regents’ requirements
  • CPC requirements/deficiencies
  • Learning support
  • Area I of general education curriculum
  • United States and Georgia history and constitution requirements
  • Minimum of 120 semester hours for a baccalaureate degree
  • Minimum of 21 semester hours of upper-division major coursework
  • Minimum of 39 semester hours of upper-division coursework overall
  • Academic renewals
  • Learning disabilities
  • Grade appeals, when a grade of I (Incomplete) has lapsed to F
  • University curriculum requirements, except environmental literacy
  • Second academic dismissal
  • Accuracy of student records
  • Posthumous degrees