Appeal
Students’ right to appeal
Overview
The University of Georgia is committed to excellence in a teaching/learning environment. In line with this commitment, the University addresses all written student complaints in a fair, professional, and timely manner and in accordance with established procedures.
The Division of Student Affairs oversees the University’s official web-based system available at studentcomplaints.uga.edu to collect, disseminate, address, and report on written student complaints.
Guidelines for student appeals
All University of Georgia students have the right to appeal eligible academic decisions. Appeals begin with the individual or unit responsible for the decision. For example, grade appeals begin with the faculty member(s) who assigned the grade; appeals of departmental requirements begin with the department head; appeals of college requirements to the Grady College Executive Committee; all university requirements to the Educational Affairs Committee.
If you have a complaint related to a faculty member or academic department, it is preferable for students to contact the specific faculty member(s), academic department head, and/or the Grady College.
A petition that is not approved at one level can be appealed to successive levels. A faculty decision can be appealed to the department; a department decision can be appealed to the College that houses the instructional unit; a College ruling can be appealed to the UGA Educational Affairs Committee; the Educational Affairs Committee ruling can be appealed to the President of the University, and except for grade appeals, the President’s ruling can be appealed to the Board of Regents.
The UGA Educational Affairs Committee provides guidelines for students on appeals for the following: 1) waivers or substitutions of university requirements; 2) readmission after academic dismissal; and 3) academic renewal. For more information, visit https://honesty.uga.edu/student-appeals/. You may also meet with the Grady College Director of Undergraduate Services to discuss your appeal.
The Executive Committee of Grady College will review and decide all appeals involving Grady undergraduate student programs or requirements that cannot be resolved at the department level. These appeals may include, but are not limited to, grade appeals or requests to waive departmental prerequisites.
Please note: Grady College eligibility requirements and admissions decisions are not subject to appeal.
Filing an appeal
The Grady College Office of Undergraduate Services serves as the contact point for appeals. Students who wish to appeal an academic matter should meet with their Grady Primary Advisor or the Director of Undergraduate Services to learn more about the appeals process.
Students who wish to return to the University after academic suspension must submit a written request for readmission and meet with the Director of Undergraduate Services. Readmission to Grady College after academic suspension is determined by the Director of Undergraduate Services.
After meeting first with their Grady Primary Advisor or the Director of Undergraduate Services, students who wish to appeal a departmental requirement should schedule a meeting with the appropriate department head.
After a decision has been made at the departmental level, students may wish to appeal to the Grady College Executive Committee. To do so, students must contact the Director of Undergraduate Services (gradyabj@uga.edu) to begin their appeal. Students must also provide a brief written rationale for their request.
Deadlines, Time, and Scope Limits on Appeals
The Grady College Executive Committee meets each semester but does not hold emergency meetings, so students must coordinate their appeals and timelines with the Director of Undergraduate Services.
Appeals of departmental requirements must be initiated before the last day of the semester in which the issue is brought to the department chair. Again, department appeals begin by scheduling a meeting with the appropriate department chair, but students should find out about the appeals process first by meeting with their Grady Primary Advisor or the Director of Undergraduate Services.
Grade appeals must be initiated within one calendar year from the end of the term in which the grade was recorded. Grade appeals must originate with the instructor who assigned the grade.
All other appeals to the Grady College Executive Committee must be initiated before the last day of the semester in which the appeal request is submitted to the Director of Undergraduate Services. If an appeal is not initiated by the student within this time frame, the right to appeal expires at the end of the semester. Appeals may be brought before the Executive Committee only once, and they must be brought within the time frame above, i.e., the last day of the semester in which the request is logged with the Director of Undergraduate Services, or within one calendar year from the end of the term in which the grade was recorded for grade appeals.
Once a decision involving an appeal is rendered by the Grady College Executive Committee, that case may not be appealed again to the Executive Committee Students are notified via UGA email of decisions made by the Grady College Executive Committee.
For more information about the appeals process, contact your Grady Primary Advisor or the Director of Undergraduate Services (gradyabj@uga.edu) or the Office of Academic Honesty & Student Appeals (https://honesty.uga.edu/student-appeals/).