Appeals Guide for Students

Students have the right to appeal most academic actions. This document is meant as a guide for students, full details and regulations regarding appeals are given in “Student Code of Conduct and Appeals” of the Undergraduate Calendar, and “Graduate Student Code of Conduct” of the Graduate Calendar. Not all decisions may be appealed, for example admittance and reinstatement in programs may not be appealed, nor may scholarship decisions.

1.1  Appeals of Grades

To appeal grades, students should first talk to the instructor informally. If that fails to resolve the situation, students may appeal to the head of their department, if this also fails to resolve the situation then the student may request a formal reassessment of grades. Complete details of this process are given in section “Appeal of Grade” in the Undergraduate Calendar.

1.2  Appeals of Academic or Non-Academic Misconduct

If a student wishes to appeal either the ruling or the penalty in either an academic or non-academic misconduct, then they must make an appeal to the Council Discipline Committee. Details on how to do this are given in the Section "Appeal of Academic or Non-Academic Misconduct” in the Undergraduate Calendar.

1.3         Other Appeals (not grades, not Misconduct)

Graduate students may appeal most academic decisions, the first level of appeal is to the unit that made the decision. If this appeal fails to resolve the issue, the appeal may be brought to a higher level. Disagreement or dissatisfaction with the resolution is not sufficient grounds for appealing to the next level; students must demonstrate that the decision was unfair or biased or otherwise deserving to be reversed.

A graduate student who wishes to appeal a decision made at the department or unit level must first appeal to the department or unit that made the decision. If this appeals process fails, students may take their appeal to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, but only after they have exhausted all the stages of appeal within their own program. Similarly, academic decisions made by Graduate Studies and Research are to first be appealed within Graduate Studies and Research. If the issue is not resolved by the Faculty Graduate Studies and Research,  a subsequent appeal may then be made to the Council Committee on Student Appeals. See https://www.uregina.ca/president/executive-team/ed-governance-univ-secretary/student-appeals/academic-appeals.html for details about how to do this. If the appellant is not satisfied with the decision of the Council Committee on Student Appeals, they may appeal to the Senate’s Appeal Committee, this is the final level of appeal.

1.4  Preparing  an Appeal to FGSR

Academic decisions from the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research may be appealed to the Dean of FGSR in writing within two weeks of the decision.  In this appeals process, the onus is on the student who is challenging a ruling to prove that the ruling is unfair or inappropriate. Appeals will be heard by Dean of FGSR, or a designee. The Dean, or designee, will provide, in writing to the appellant, the decision rendered on the appeal.

Please include the following in an appeals letter:

1. Your full name, student ID number and program.
2. What academic decision or FGSR regulation you are appealing.
3. A clear basis for your appeal. Explain why you feel the decision was unfair or inappropriate.
4. A clear statement of the resolution you are asking for, and grounds for that resolution.

Other items to include in an appeals letter:

1. If you are appealing an academic RTD, you must explain why the RTD is unfair. You also need to justify why you believe that you will be successful in your program if allowed to continue and outline a plan to improve your academic performance.
2. If you are appealing a non-academic RTD, you need to explain why you feel the RTD is unfair and outline a plan to remedy the situation that caused the RTD.
3. If you are asking for additional repeats of courses, your letter you should state why you failed the course and why you feel you can pass it given an additional opportunity.
4. Please include any evidence or documentation you need to support your case with your appeal.

Suggestions for students wishing to make an appeal of academic decisions.

1. Ensure that you are familiar with the relevant regulations, policies, and procedures that apply to your case.
2. Prior to making a formal appeal, ensure that you have exhausted all informal means of resolving the difference of opinion. Your supervisor, committee members, department head or graduate coordinator may assist you with this informal process.
3. During your appeal, present all the aspects of your case and all evidence that you wish to have considered. Your case will be stronger if supported with written documentation. You are encouraged to submit with your appeal any letters or documentation (of medical conditions or compassionate grounds) that are pertinent to your case.
4. Make the strongest possible case for yourself and do not rely on any third party (e.g., professors, department heads, deans) to make your case for you. The appeal process does not involve any independent fact-finding or investigation. The outcome of the appeal will depend solely on the evidence provided by the parties involved in the dispute.

A final note:

An appeal is meant as a means to address unfair processes or decision.

In some cases, an appeal of an academic decision might not be the appropriate way to resolve your situation. For example, in the case of a serious medical or personal issue, you may want to take a medical or compassionate withdrawal from a semester. This can be done after the end of term, and will require official documentation.

If you have been required to discontinue, please think about whether or not your graduate program is right for you. Sometimes taking time to figure out why you were RTD’d and how to effectively resolve the problems is a better use of your time than an appeal. RTDs are usually for one year and you may apply to be reinstated after that year is up.