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Student Rights & Responsibilities Office

UFV/Student Rights & Responsibilities Office/Academic integrity & appeals/Academic integrity/Academic misconduct appeal

Academic misconduct appeal

This appeal process is described in section 5 of Student Academic Misconduct (70) Regulations & procedures.

Appealing an academic misconduct or penalty

Within 5 university business days of receiving a Notice of Disciplinary Action for Academic Misconduct discussed at your resolution meeting, you may appeal:

  • the finding of academic misconduct,
  • any bias or procedural unfairness in the investigation, or
  • the severity of the academic misconduct penalty assigned.

Steps for making an appeal

1

Determine the basis of your appeal

Students have a right to appeal a Notice of Disciplinary Action when:

  • The student can provide proof, through tangible evidence, that the Academic Misconduct did not occur;
  • The student can provide proof, through tangible evidence, that there was bias or procedural unfairness in the initial investigation; or
  • The student wishes to appeal the severity of an assigned penalty and can provide sufficient grounds to warrant a change in penalty. 
2

Submit the academic misconduct appeal form

Within 5 days of receiving your Notice of Disciplinary Action for Academic Misconduct, complete the Academic Misconduct Appeal digital form by checking the appropriate boxes, writing out your reasoning for the appeal and attaching any evidence.

Once your appeal has been submitted, the appeal package will be reviewed against the criteria noted above. If the grounds for appeal are satisfied, the appeal package is submitted to the appropriate Dean to initiate appeal proceedings.

For assistance with completing the digital form, to request an alternate format of the form, or if you have any questions, please contact the Students Rights and Responsibilities Office.

Academic misconduct appeal form

3

Attend a hearing

The Dean or designate responsible for the subject area will contact you to schedule a hearing. You have an opportunity to respond to the evidence presented at the hearing by the complainant (typically the instructor) and the department head.

4

Receive the outcome

After reviewing the evidence in support of the complainant and your response, the Dean determines if the complaint is valid and, where applicable, determines the penalty imposed. You will receive the outcome in writing from the Dean or designate within 10 UFV business days of the hearing. The Student Rights and Responsibilities Office retains a copy of the decision.

5

Request an appeal

After you have received the decision of the dean or designate, you have the right to request an appeal of the validity of the complaint and/or the penalty within 10 UFV business days of receiving the decision.

To learn next steps, contact the Student Rights and Responsibilities Office. The process is outlined in point 5.4 of the Student Academic Misconduct (70) Regulations and Procedures.

Note: Where there is a perceived difference between the meaning or intent of the steps found on our website and the Student Academic Misconduct - Policy 70 and its companion, Student Academic Misconduct (70) Procedures and Regulations, the wording of the Student Academic Misconduct policy and procedures will apply.