- The Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs (AVPAA) notifies the student of Academic Leave by email and by certified letter to the permanent address as listed in the student account. The notification includes the start and end dates of the leave, the deadline for the appeal (usually about two weeks from the date of the letter), information about the appeal process, and the form to be used for the appeal.
- The student submits the appeal form by email ONLY to the Chair of the University Appeals Board (currently the Registrar) before the deadline stated on the appeal form. The appeal includes a narrative written by the student explaining the reasons for poor academic performance and detailing a plan for improvement. (The plan may include, but is not limited to, retaking courses, changing the major, making lifestyle changes, and making use of university academic support services.) The student may also submit supporting documentation.
- The Chair of the University Appeals Committee distributes the submitted appeals to the committee members and convenes a meeting of the committee, which comprises members of the university faculty and staff. At the meeting, the AVPAA may provide additional information about individual students that may aid the committee in recommending whether to support or deny the appeal. The committee reviews each case, deliberates, and makes their recommendation. (For leaves following the spring semester, the committee may recommend making the final leave decision after summer semester grades are available.)
- The Chair provides a written report of the committee’s recommendations to the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA), who makes a final determination to either uphold the leave or grant the appeal (or to delay the decision until the end of the summer semester). If the appeal is granted, the academic status of the student is changed to Academic Notice (formerly Final Warning). 5. The VPAA informs the student of the decision by email and by letter sent to the permanent address.