Appeals

A student found to have violated the Code who wishes to appeal a decision of the Student Conduct Committee must make the appeal in writing to the President within two class days from the time the student is told of the Committee’s decision. This letter must state clearly the specific ground(s) on which the appeal is being made.

Grounds for appeal include:

• The hearing was not conducted fairly and in accordance with College procedure and policy, as outlined in the Code.
• Sanctions imposed by the SCC were grossly inappropriate.
• New evidence has come to light which would have been sufficient to alter the Committee’s decision.

At least one of these three grounds for appeal must be cited by the student in his/her letter of appeal.

The Co-chairs of the Student Conduct Committee provide a written statement to the ad hoc Appeals Panel, approved by the Committee, which sets forth the rationale for the Committee’s decision in the case now being appealed. This statement should present the rationale both for the finding that the student violated the Code as charged and for the Committee’s decision on penalty.

Any time the President is absent, the Dean of the Faculty may act in his/her place for purposes of the appeals process. In this case, the Dean of Faculty appoints one member of the faculty to serve on the ad hoc Appeals Panel. When the Dean of Faculty is absent, the President may appoint a member of the Faculty or Administration to act in his/her place.

Upon receipt of an appeal the President establishes a seven-member ad hoc Appeals Panel constituted as follows:

• a. The President
• b. The Dean of the Faculty
• c. Three faculty members: one, selected by the Committee on Committees and Governance and approved by the President, who will serve for the year as the standing faculty member on all appeals committees, a second chosen by the appellant student, a third chosen by the other two faculty members in consultation, and two students elected by the Representative Assembly who will serve for the year as the standing student members on all appeals committees. The President shall be the Chair of the ad hoc Appeals Panel. No faculty or student member who has been involved in any way in the original SCC hearing shall be a member of the ad hoc Appeals Panel. If the standing faculty member cannot be present for the appeal, or has been involved in any way in the original hearing, the standing faculty member will be replaced by a designee of the President. If a standing student member cannot be present for the appeal, or has been involved in any way in the original hearing, the standing student member will be replaced by the Representative Assembly.

All authority for further deliberation and judgment of an appeals case rests with the duly constituted ad hoc Appeals Panel. The ad hoc Appeals Panel will decide upon the scope and procedures of its deliberations.

The ad hoc Appeals Panel may, in whole or in part, affirm, reverse, vacate, remand for further proceedings, or otherwise modify any prior decision of the Committee on Student Conduct, provided that no punishment shall be increased upon appeal. The ad hoc Appeals Panel may, in unusual circumstances, confirm the judgment of a penalty, but hold its implementation in abeyance for a prescribed time (e.g. until the end of the semester). If a penalty is held in abeyance, the Appeals Panel shall stipulate the specific conditions, the period of abeyance, the restrictions on the individual during the period of abeyance, and the conditions of its implementation upon completion of the period of abeyance.

The decision of the ad hoc Appeals Panel is the final decision of the College on the matter.

The President, through the Dean of Students, shall notify the student of the outcome of the appeal.

The President shall report to the faculty on action taken by the ad hoc Appeals Panel. Ordinarily this is done at the next faculty meeting subsequent to a decision.