Appeal Process
The academic appeal process for graduate students is designed to be a fair process in making determinations about the academic status of students and their continuation in graduate school at Alcorn State University. There are two levels in the hierarchy for submitting an appeal.
Level 1: Graduate Studies
1. The s tudent should submit the Appeal Form to the Office of Graduate Studies via email to
graduatestudies@alcorn.edu .
2.
Supporting documentation must be attached to the Appeal Form to augment the reason for the
appeal.
3.
Appeal is reviewed 3-5 days following submission. A detailed electronic communication is
forwarded to the student to inform him/her of the decision and the next step.
4.
Questions regarding the decision should be directed to the Support Programs Coordinator in
the Office of Graduate Studies.
Level 2: Academic Affairs
1.
The student has the option of submitting an appeal to the Office for Academic Affairs if
he/she did not receive a favorable decision from the Office of Graduate Studies.
2.
The student must provide a formal written complaint to Academic Affairs within one week after
receiving the decision from the Office of Graduate Studies.
3. The student must submit all pertinent documentation from the Office of Graduate Studies
including a copy of the appeal decision.
4.
The student must craft a detailed formal letter stating justification for requesting reversal of the
Graduate Studies appeal decision.
5.
An appeal to the Office for Academic Affairs is no guarantee that the appeal decision at the
Office of Graduate Studies will be reversed.
6. A decision will be rendered based upon the information contained in the appeal.
Students can submit an appeal for one/or a combination of the following reasons.
a.
The student has been placed on academic probation and has not satisfied the conditions of this
probation in retaking a course(s) because the course(s) was not offered during the specified
probationary term.
b. The student believes that there were extenuating circumstances which affected the student's progress .
c.
A course grade dispute has been filed with the academic department or instructor, or a change
in grade caused the student’s GPA to drop below a 3.0.
d. Coursework exceeded the six-year time limit for degree completion.
Time Limit on Filing and Processing Complaint
A. Office of Graduate Studies - The student must submit the appeal within 10 days after the
determination of academic standing.
B. Students should submit their appeal to request an extension of the six-year timeline to
complete their degree program once a decision has been made to return to graduate school.
The request is reviewed and forwarded to the appropriate academic unit within three days
after the Appeals Committee reviews the request.
.
C. Academic units return their recommendation to the Office of Graduate Studies within five to
seven days, at which time, the final decision is made by the Appeals Committee and a decision
communicated to the student electronically within one to three days.
D. Office for Academic Affairs - The appeal for reconsideration of the academic status of the
student must be submitted to the Office for Academic Affairs within one week following the
decision at the Office of Graduate Studies.
E. Exceptions to these timelines may be considered in exceptional circumstances such as, but
not limited to, extended illness, bereavement, etc.
.