CMSV 318 Academic Dismissal Appeal Policy
Policy Name: Academic Dismissal Appeal Policy
University of Mount Saint Vincent Master of Science Physician Assistant Program students who have been dismissed from the program have the right to appeal the Academic Performance Committee (APC) recommendation of dismissal.
Initial Step for Appeal of Academic Dismissal
All academic grievances regarding dismissal from the program must be addressed in writing within 7-business days of receiving formal notification of dismissal from the program, to the program director.
Appeals Process
When all other means of resolving a dismissal from the program have been exhausted, specifically appealing the decision to the program director, a student may request a grievance hearing. Requests for a hearing should be made in writing to the Dean of the College or the Dean Students when jurisdiction is in doubt. A student may notify and/or consult with either the Provost/Dean of the Faculty or the Vice President for Student Affairs.
All grade appeals (CMSV 315) must be completed before the Academic Grievance Committee will accept a student’s appeal of the dismissal decision. An appeal of the dismissal decision must be received by the Academic Grievance Committee within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date of the decision of dismissal. If the appeal is not received by the committee on or before the 14th day, normally the appeal will be denied. Learn more about the Academic Grievance Procedure.
In addition to considering the student’s written appeal, the Academic Grievance Committee may require the student to appear at a hearing in order to, among other things, answer any questions the Academic Grievance Committee may have, or to provide additional information. At the hearing, the student may present additional evidence in support of his or her appeal. As part of its deliberations, and at its sole discretion, the Academic Grievance Committee may, among other things, take into consideration the student’s academic record, request relevant information from faculty members concerning the circumstances that resulted in the dismissal, and request information from persons knowledgeable about the issues before the Academic Grievance Committee. The student will be permitted to respond to such information if it is adverse to the student and the committee is likely to rely on it in making its decision.
Standards for Granting an Appeal
An appeal will be granted only if the student demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the Academic Grievance Committee, that the student’s unsatisfactory academic performance is due to:
- Extraordinary circumstances.
- Non-recurring circumstances.
Please note: In order for an appeal to be granted, each of the two elements must be satisfied.
Information Required
The written appeal submitted by the student to the Academic Grievance Committee must include the following information:
- The student’s name, telephone number, address, and Mount Saint Vincent email address.
- The reason the student was dismissed from the program.
- Identification of the (a) extraordinary and (b) non-recurring circumstances that caused the student’s unsatisfactory academic performance and why the information provided should result in the reversal of the decision to dismiss the student from the program.
- A copy of the letter informing the student that he or she was dismissed from the program.
- With respect to the final course grades that resulted in the student being dismissed, a statement that no grade appeals are pending or will be commenced after the appeal of the decision to dismiss has been submitted to the Academic Grievance Committee.
Composition of the Grievance Committee
The Academic Grievance Committee is composed of:
- The Administrative Vice President of the Student Government Association.
- The Vice President of the complainant’s class.
- Two members of the faculty, one chosen by the student/complainant and one chosen by the Dean of the College.
- One other member of the University of Mount Saint Vincent community—either an academic affairs or student affairs administrator.
Charge of the Committee
The committee shall meet, hear the complaint, call witnesses, and conduct investigations as it deems appropriate, deliberate in private, and present its conclusions to the Provost/Dean of Faculty and the complainant. The decision of the Academic Grievance Committee shall be binding, subject only to veto by the Provost.
Please note: When an ex officio or selected member of the committee has privileged information or prior dealings with the case such that questions could be raised regarding his/her impartiality, an appropriate substitution may be made.
VIII. Appeal Decision
- If the appeal is granted, the student will be “decelerated” within the program.
- The conditions for deceleration will be set by the program APC and relayed to the Provost of the University of Mount Saint Vincent for final approval
- Upon re-entering the program with the next subsequent cohort, the student will be placed on academic probation in accordance with the conditions set forth by the APC and approved by the Provost.
- A student who is reinstated pursuant to this Academic Dismissal Appeal Policy and fails to satisfy the conditions of academic probation within the time permitted, will be dismissed automatically from the program.
- If such occurs, ordinarily the dismissal will be final, and the student will not have the right to any further review or appeal.
- If the appeal is denied, dismissal from the program will be effective as of the last day of the semester, in which the student was on probation or was enrolled in the program immediately prior to being dismissed.
The decision of the Academic Grievance Committee shall be binding, subject only to veto by the provost. The student will be notified of the decision of the Academic Grievance Committee in writing as soon as practicable, usually within seven (7) business days following the date on which the Academic Grievance Committee made its decision. The decision should consist of factual statements, not conclusory statements unsupported by facts.