If a student wishes to appeal a faculty ruling on an academic matter (i.e., the requirement to withdraw from a faculty for academic reasons, the denial of continued registration, the denial of the right to graduate, specific requirements by the faculty for the completion of a degree/course of study), the student shall address a letter of appeal to the dean of the student's registered faculty within fifteen days of the unfavourable decision.

In the letter of appeal, the student must clearly and fully state the ruling/decision being appealed, the grounds for appeal and the remedies being sought, together with all supporting evidence or documentation, if any. Mere dissatisfaction with a ruling is not sufficient grounds for an appeal.

At this stage the dean, at the dean's discretion, may attempt to resolve the situation inside the faculty, without proceeding to the Faculty Appeals Committee. If the matter is not resolved to the student's satisfaction, the appeal letter will be sent to the Faculty Appeals Committee.

The dean will forward the letter to the chair of the Faculty Appeals Committee for consideration. If the appeal letter does not detail the decision being appealed, the grounds for appeal and the outcome sought by the student, or if the chair of the Faculty Appeals Committee decides that sufficient grounds do not exist, the appeal will not be heard. If the appeal is to be heard, and the student has not already received a copy, the student is advised to request from the dean's office, a copy of the principles and procedures that govern the Faculty Appeals Committee for that faculty. These procedures will detail the composition of the committee, the right of the student to have an advocate at the hearing, how the hearing will be conducted, and other information.

The Faculty Appeals Committee shall report its decision to uphold or deny the appeal, in writing to the dean of the faculty, the Registrar and the appellant as quickly as possible.

General Faculties Council's Committee to Hear and Determine Student Academic Appeals

This committee hears appeals of decisions made by Faculty Appeals Committees on matters of academic concern to students. The General Faculties Council's Committee will hear an appeal only if there is reason to believe that the Faculty Appeals Committee showed alleged bias, alleged unfair procedures, and/or if there is substantial new evidence which could not have been presented to a Faculty Appeals Committee. Grades obtained in courses completed by the student in the appeals process will not be considered as new evidence. Before the General Faculties Council's Committee will accept an appeal, the chair of that committee must be satisfied that departmental and faculty appeals procedures have been fully utilized.

Students wishing to make an appeal to the Committee to Hear and Determine Student Academic Appeals must do so within fifteen days of the unfavourable decision from the Faculty Appeals Committee. A letter of appeal should be sent to the Secretary to General Faculties Council (Administration 127), and must indicate the decision being appealed, the grounds for appeal (alleged bias, alleged unfair procedures, and/or substantial new information), and the remedies being sought by the student, together with all supporting documentation. The appeal letter should also state the levels of appeal that have already been utilized.

The General Faculties Council's Committee will not hear the appeal if the chair decides that sufficient grounds do not exist.

A student whose appeal is to be heard by the General Faculties Council's Committee is entitled to obtain from the Secretary to General Faculties Council the principles and procedures governing the General Faculties Council's Committee. These procedures will detail the composition of the committee, the right of the student to have an advocate, how the hearing will be conducted and other information. The principles and procedures are available on the University Secretariat website: www.ucalgary.ca/secretariat

The committee will normally give fifteen days written notice of a hearing to the appellant and to the head of the academic unit against whose office the appeal is being made. Normally, the General Faculties Council's Committee will hear an appeal within thirty days of its acceptance. The chair of the General Faculties Council's Committee will convey the committee's findings in writing to the appellant, the respondent, the Secretary to General Faculties Council and the Registrar.

For more specific information and other principles governing student academic appeals, the Secretary to General Faculties Council should be consulted.