VII. Undergraduate Degree Regulations and Procedures
Academic Misconduct
The Formal Appeal
If an academic concern is not satisfactorily resolved during the informal appeal process, the Student may file a formal appeal with the Manager, Registrarial Services. All formal appeals must be filed within fifteen (15) days of the conclusion of an informal appeal process. Normally, appeals submitted beyond the 15-day deadline will not be accepted.
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Formal appeals must be in writing, stating all grounds for the appeal and the resolution being sought, and must be submitted on the University of Guelph-Humber Application for an Academic Appeal Hearing Form, to the Manager, Registrarial Services. At the time the appeal is filed, the student shall submit all supporting documentation to the Manager, Registrarial Services, for distribution to the Appeal Panel and the appropriate academic unit(s) along with the name(s) of individual(s) accompanying him/her.
Upon receipt of all of the above documents, the academic unit (led by the appropriate Program Head) shall have five (5) working days to submit all documentation they will be presenting at the Formal Appeal Hearing. The Office of the Registrar, Humber College shall distribute these documents to the Student and the Appeal Panel. The Student shall have five (5) working days to review the submissions of the academic unit prior to the Hearing. Extensions to these time frames may be granted by the assigned Chair of the Appeal Panel if extenuating circumstances can be shown. No new documentation from either the Student or the academic unit may be submitted on the day of the Appeal, unless otherwise directed by the assigned Chair of the Appeal Panel.
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Timing and Notice of a Formal Appeal
Once a formal appeal is filed, the Office of the Registrar, Humber College shall schedule the hearing accordingly. In the event of an emergency, a formal hearing may be scheduled at a time not previously published.
The student may withdraw a formal appeal prior to the scheduled hearing.
A formal appeal may be dismissed without a hearing of its substance on any of the following grounds:
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The student has previously submitted the same, or substantially the same complaint to the formal appeal process.
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The student has not followed the appropriate appeal-filing procedure.
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The student has commenced civil or other litigation against the the University of Guelph and/or Humber College regarding the issue in question.
In order to allow the student an opportunity for rebuttal, the decision to dismiss an appeal on any of the above-noted grounds can only be made by the Appeal Panel at the scheduled hearing.
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Formal Appeal Panel:
Each Appeal Panel shall be drawn from a group of University of Guelph-Humber faculty and student volunteers.
An Appeal Panel consists of three individuals (one of whom acts as Chair) selected from programs other than the program in which the student is registered, and the academic unit in which the academic decision being appealed originated. The membership of each panel shall include two full-time faculty members (one from the University of Guelph and one from Humber College) and one full-time University of Guelph-Humber student.
To ensure consistency of process, each Appeal Panel will be chaired by one of those selected individuals who has received additional training in the role and responsibilities of a Chair.
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Academic Appeal Hearing Protocol:
Prior to the Hearing, the appointed Chair of the Appeal Panel shall confirm the Hearing participants with the Office of the Registrar, Humber College. The Student may bring to the Appeal Hearing witnesses who can provide further information directly related to the Appeal. The Student may have an individual accompany him/her to the Hearing in a support role. This individual cannot actively participate in the Hearing. Notice of the intent to be so accompanied and the names of any witnesses to be present on the student’s behalf should be provided at the time a formal appeal is filed.
Individuals representing the academic unit may include the appropriate Program Head, but will always include any faculty member directly involved in the academic decision being appealed.
If two or more formal appeals are submitted which involve the same or similar questions, the Chair may:
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combine the appeals or any part of them, with the consent of the parties;
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hear the appeals at the same time, with the consent of the parties;
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hear the appeals one immediately after the other; or
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stay one or more of the appeals until after the determination of one of them.
An Appeal Panel member having any prior knowledge of the student or of the nature and circumstances of the Appeal which, in the view of the Chair, would lead to an apprehension of bias must withdraw from the Panel. In the event that it is the Chair’s knowledge which causes a possible apprehension of bias, the decision as to whether the Chair should withdraw shall be made by unanimous vote of the other two members of the Panel.
Academic Appeal hearings shall be conducted in closed session. Recording devices are not permitted to be used in connection with the Academic Appeal Process, including the hearing. Legal representation is not permitted on behalf of any party during the Academic Appeal Process, including the hearing. All information/matters, not otherwise publicly available, presented and/or discussed at an appeal hearing are deemed confidential.
Once the hearing is in session, all participants, other than witnesses, must remain until all information has been presented and the meeting has been formally adjourned and/or concluded. Witnesses called by either the student or the academic unit will be dismissed by the Chair of the Appeal Panel once they have presented their information and have been questioned by the other party to the Appeal, and by the Appeal Panel.
The decision of the Appeal Panel shall be by majority vote and is final and binding on all parties. The Student and/or academic unit(s) are precluded from seeking subsequent review of the appeal decision under any office or in accordance with any policy or procedure within the University of Guelph-Humber, Humber College, or University of Guelph.
One copy of all materials presented at the Academic Appeal Hearing shall be kept on file for a period of 7 years from the date of the hearing.
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