Academic Procedures

Procedures

Academic Appeals

In the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS), appeals by undergraduate students are heard by the academic department/school, the Academic Review Committee, the Student Affairs Committee, and the Dean as appropriate.*

Departments/School

Students should contact the respective department chair/school director regarding complaints about classroom performance of the instructor and grade appeals. Grade appeals must follow the procedures established by the department/school. Students should contact the coordinator of the Office of Student Services regarding concerns about academic advising.

Academic Review Committee

The Academic Review Committee (ARC) is an administrative review committee appointed by the dean to act on requests related to the following:

• Permission to take a CEHHS required course with field experience for a second time.
• Permission to take a CEHHS required course (other than those with a field experience) for the third time.
• Permission to take a course while completing clinical practice.
• Permission to participate in clinical practice after having received a grade of W (withdrawn) or U (unsatisfactory) in the experience.
• Permission for an out-of-area (Tier III) clinical practice placement. (Specific conditions must be met.)

Students wishing to make such requests should contact their academic advisor for details for submitting a request. Appeals must be submitted following the established procedures.*

Members:

Based on their administrative or managerial appointments, the following are appointed by the Dean to serve as the members of this committee:

• Chairs/director of College of Education, Health, and human Sciences' departments/school with undergraduate programs
• Coordinator of Student Services
• Coordinator of Field Experiences

Meetings/Procedures:

• The committee has regularly scheduled meetings twice a month.
• Students have a right to appear before the committee and make their requests. This right may be waived by the student resulting in a paper review by the committee, meaning that the committee will base its decision solely on the documentation in the record.
• Written notification of the decision of the committee and the basis for the decision shall be communicated to the student within five (5) working days of the hearing /committee review. A copy of the notification shall be placed in the student’s academic folder and forwarded to the Dean of the college.
• Decisions of the Academic Review Committee may be appealed to the Student Affairs Committee.

Student Affairs Committee

• The Student Affairs Committee is a standing committee of the College of Education. This committee serves as the faculty-student appeals committee according to Section 5.3 of the Bylaws of the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska.* As stated in the Constitution of the College of Education (Article II, Section 1.c), the Student Affairs Committee shall review all cases brought to it concerning dismissal, retention, or adjudication of grievances for individual undergraduate students and shall advise the Dean regarding each case.* A student who believes any of the following actions were arbitrary or capricious may submit an appeal to the Student Affairs Committee:
  • Denial of grade appeals at the department/school level.
  • Academic suspension from the university.
  • Denial of recommendation for certification at the department/college level.
  • Denial of continuation in a program.
  • Denial of reinstatement in a program.
  • Decisions by the Academic Review Committee.

Appeals must be submitted following the established procedures.*

Members:

• In accordance with the CEHHS Bylaws (Section 6.), the membership of this committee is:
• Chair (A college administrator appointed by the dean. The associate dean typically serves in this capacity.)
• Four (4) tenure-track faculty members appointed by the Dean, based on recommendations from the CEHHS departments/school having undergraduate programs.
• Two (2) CEHHS undergraduate students appointed by the Dean from recommendations made by the CEHHS Office of Student Services.
• A staff member of the CEHHS Office of Student Services appointed by the Dean. This member shall not have voting privileges.

Meetings/Procedures:

• The committee meets once a month.
• Students have the right to appear before the committee and make their request. If the student appears before the committee, student testimony and any other witness testimony are audio recorded. The right to appear before the committee may be waived by the student resulting in a paper review by the committee, meaning that the committee will base its recommendations solely on the documentation in the record.
• The committee shall decide whether the action taken was proper or improper.
• The committee is advisory to the Dean and makes recommendations to the Dean regarding the appeal. The committee may recommend: 1) that the appeal be approved; 2) that the appeal be denied; or 3) that some other reasonable action be considered. The committee shall have five (5) working days from the date of the hearing to submit its recommendation to the Dean.
• Written notification of the committee’s recommendation to the dean shall be communicated to the student via USPS certified mail return receipt requested.

Dean's Review/Decision

• Upon receipt of all the appeal materials and the recommendation from the Student Affairs Committee, the Dean independently reviews the appeal and renders a final decision within 10 working days.
• The Dean may: 1) approve the appeal, 2) deny the appeal, or 3) take some other reasonable action on the appeal.
• Written notification of the dean’s decision and the basis for the decision shall be communicated to the student via USPS certified mail return receipt requested. A copy of the decision letter is placed in the student’s academic folder.

• The Dean’s Office also reviews the following requests:
  • Academic Amnesty
  • Course credit overloads in any semester

Students wishing to make such requests should contact their academic advisor.*

Academic Suspension

According to university policy, academic suspension is based on the number of hours attempted at UNO, the cumulative grade point average for total hours attempted at UNO, and the grade point average for the most recently completed semester.

The online semester grade report notifies students of academic suspension and instructs them to contact the dean's office. A letter will also be sent with instructions to see their advisor immediately.

A student desiring to appeal the suspension and receive an "extension of probation" must:

1. Visit with his/her advisor to validate the GPA. The registrar will be notified at once of any change in status.
2. The appeal form is available online. The written appeal must include a specific request for extension of probation, a statement indicating reasons for the request, identification of circumstances believed to have affected previous academic performance, and identification of changes in circumstances that will make a difference in future academic performance.
3. Students may enroll for courses pending the appeal. See an advisor for course selection.

When written appeals are received, the Chair of the Student Affairs Committee will call a meeting of the committee to determine, on an individual basis, whether the suspension will be upheld or an extension of probation will be granted. The student or chair of the committee may request the student to appear in person before the committee.

The Student Affairs Committee is an advisory committee to the Dean. As such, the committee makes a recommendation to the Dean. The committee, informs the student of its recommendation. The Dean makes the final decision on whether the suspension is upheld or academic probation is extended. Upon the final decision, the student and advisor are informed of the decision. There is no appeal beyond the Dean. The registrar is advised of the Dean's decision. For the procedures to gain reinstatement following suspension, students should consult with the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences' academic advisors.

Students under academic suspension, who are allowed by the dean to register pending their appeal outcome, must pay all required tuition and fees. If the appeal to extend probation is denied, the student will be disenrolled and tuition (but not fees) will be refunded. Academic suspension is for a minimum of one calendar year. For the procedures to gain reinstatement following suspension, students should consult the appropriate UNO catalog.

Clinical Experience Appeal

Students who receive a grade of "D", "F", or "U", who are withdrawn from any laboratory or clinical experience, or who voluntarily withdraw after being identified as a student in jeopardy, must petition the Academic Review Committee if they wish to continue their program. Student teachers who receive a grade of "U" or "I", who are withdrawn from any student teaching placement, or who voluntarily withdraw after being identified as a student teacher in jeopardy, must petition the Academic Review Committee if they wish to continue their professional preparation program.

The student must file a written petition to the Chair of the respective Committee. The appeal form is available online.

Upon receipt of a student's appeal, the Committee will observe the following procedures:

• The Chair of the respective Committee will request a written summary of the situation from the Coordinator of Student Teaching which identifies the irregularities and the efforts made to correct the situation.
• The Chair will convene a meeting of the respective Committee to consider the student's appeal. The Committee will consider the student's appeal and the report of the Coordinator of Field Experiences.
• Written notification of the final decision of the respective Committee will be forwarded to the student, the Department Chair, and the Office of Student Services.

Complaints Regarding Classroom Performance of Instructor

A student who has a complaint about the classroom performance of his/her instructor should initiate a conference with the particular instructor to discuss the apparent discrepancy or disagreement. If the conference fails to yield a resolution, the student should arrange a conference with the Chair of the Department* to which the instructor is assigned.

If informal attempts at resolution fail to yield the relief sought, the student may wish to formalize the procedure by submitting a written petition to the Chair of the Department*. Upon receipt of the petition, the Department Chair shall constitute a committee to hear the petition. The written petition should include:

1. the name, address, and identification number of the petitioner.
2. the specific nature of the matter for which consideration is requested.
3. the specific identification of the relief sought.
4. the basis for requesting that formal action be taken.
5. the identification and inclusion of supporting data, testimony, etc.

The Chair of the Department should notify the student and course instructor of the date, time, and place of the hearing. The notification should include a description of the procedures to be followed during the hearing. The procedures shall conform to due process requirements.

If the relief sought is not recommended at the department level, the student may appeal to the dean, who will refer the appeal to the appropriate committee.

*Note: References on this page will use the designation of "Chair" to refer to the chief administrator of each academic unit in the college, including the director of the School of Health and Kinesiology. By the same token, when the term "department" is used, it will include the School of H&K.

Denial of Continuation in the Professional Education Component

Students may be denied permission to continue in the Professional Education Component of programs on the basis of deficient grade point average, conduct or deportment during laboratory experience which has a negative impact upon the learning of youngsters in the sites used for such experiences, or health problems or safety habits which may negatively affect the health and well-being of youngsters and staff on the sites used for laboratory experiences.

For students who do not meet the GPA requirements for TED or SPED courses, they may appeal directly to the department chair to enroll without meeting pre-requisites (GPA or course). Click here for the TED course appeal instructions, or here for the SPED course appeal instructions.

Denial of Recommendation for Certification at the Department/College Level

The recommendation for certification must be supported by the Department Chair and the certification officer of the college. If the student is denied the recommendation, he/she may petition the respective department for consideration. If the decision rendered at the department level does not grant the relief sought, the student may petition the Student Affairs Committee for consideration within 10 days after receiving written notification of the denial decision.

Students may be denied a recommendation for certification at the college level if the requirements for certification are not completed, the proficiency examination requirements are not met, the grade point requirements are not met, sufficient cause can be shown at the department level for not recommending certification, or if the student has been convicted of a felony. (See special note below.)

The Student Affairs Committee will conduct hearings on such petitions when the student submits a written request and is able to provide evidence that the recommendation was denied at the department level. The appeal form is available online.

The Chair of the Student Affairs Committee will notify (at least 10 days in advance) the student and the Chair of the respective Department of the date, time, and place of the hearing. The notification will include a description of the procedures to be followed during the hearing.

Written notification of the action recommended by the Student Affairs Committee will be forwarded to the student, his/her advisor, and the dean of the college.

Grade Appeals

Individuals who believe that their grade in a particular course does not properly reflect their performance or that the instructor acted in an arbitrary or capricious manner in determining the grade should first contact the instructor to determine the rationale for the grade or if there was an error in reporting. Consultation with the instructor should take place before taking any formal action in regard to a grade appeal.

After the instructor has provided the rationale for the grade in question and has indicated that no error in reporting was made, the individual may then wish to petition the department/school for reconsideration. In such instances, the student should contact the department chair/school director to obtain information on the procedures to follow in requesting an appeal at the department/school level.

If an individual believes that the department/school action did not comply with the due process procedures or did not provide legitimate relief, he/she may petition the Student Affairs Committee of the College of Education. The Student Affairs Committee is the appellate body for grade appeals after a student has received a decision at the department/school level. Students wishing to appeal a grade to the Student Affairs Committee should contact the Dean’s Office (Roskens 211) to obtain the procedures to follow in filing an appeal.