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Appeals of Academic Suspension

Students who are dismissed for academic reasons have the right to appeal the action within five (5) business days from the date of notification. The appeal must be in writing and include pertinent information other than what is available to the committee at the time of its initial action. The letter of appeal should be:

  1. word processed and follow the format of a formal business letter or be considered as a formal writing activity (e-mailed letters from the student are acceptable);
  2. addressed to the Chairperson of the SAAS Committee; and 
  3. submitted to the Office of Academic Services. Students also may wish to consult with the Director of Academic Services on these and other academic matters.

To reach a decision on the appeal, the SAAS Committee will take into consideration the student’s previous academic, labor, and social record at Berea, as well as the degree to which the student has responded to institutional attempts to support academic success (e.g. successful completion of GST 101: Strategies for Academic Success, response to consultation with the Academic Advisor, documented visits to the Learning Center, etc.).

In addition, the following criteria will be considered by the SAAS Committee during appeal hearings:

  • Evidence of Satisfactory Academic Progress, compliance with General Education requirements, and timely resolution of incomplete grades according to College policy detailed elsewhere in this Catalog & Student Handbook.
  • Compliance with the expectations identified in the Midpoint Degree Check.
  • Evidence of student responsiveness to the College’s many opportunities for assistance.
  • Evidence of extraordinary circumstances beyond the student's control.
  • Clear support for reinstatement from informed members of the faculty and staff, including instructors, physicians, counselors, labor supervisors, etc.
  • Likelihood of completion of degree requirements within remaining terms of attendance.
  • Submission of a clearly written plan to achieve academic success.
  • Evidence of balanced engagement in co-curricular, social, and labor opportunities.

The SAAS Committee may wish to interview the appellant. For that reason, appellants should make themselves available at the time of the appeals meeting. It is the student’s responsibility to ascertain the time and place of the appeals meeting; this information will be e-mailed to the student by the Office of Academic Services. After the Committee has considered the appeal, the Committee informs the student of the decision by mail to the student’s CPO and permanent mailing address on record.

If the appeal is successful, the student will be reinstated on probation for one subsequent regular term. The same appeal will be used for purposes of continued eligibility for Title IV and state financial aid. Without this written appeal, the student will not remain eligible for Title IV and state financial aid.