Academic Policies and Forms

THE ONLINE APPEAL PROCESS SHOULD ONLY BE UTILZED IF YOUR GRADE APPEAL REQUEST HAS ALREADY BEEN DENIED BY THE DEPARTMENT OR SCHOOL OF YOUR MAJOR. COURSE(S) MUST BE HOUSED WITHIN THE COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS.

Listed below is the process for appeal grades earned within the College of Applied Arts:

1. Discuss your appeal with the instructor of the course (course must be housed within the College of Applied Arts). If the instructor approves your request, no further action is needed by the student. 

2. If the instructor denies your appeal request, you must discuss your appeal with the chair/director of the department/school offering the course.

3. If both the instructor and chair/director deny your request, the Dean of the College of Applied Arts will review your request. The Dean's decision is final.

G/PPS No. 02.08 (08.01) states that Deans may grant Administrative W's for students that present documentation of extremely extenuating circumstances that prevented them from successfully completing coursework. 

If you have extenuating circumstances and wish to pursue Administrative W’s for all courses within a given semester, contact your undergraduate advisor for additional information.

If a student has a complaint or wishes to express a grievance regarding the actions/behaviors of a faculty/staff member, they should first discuss the complaint with the faculty/staff member directly involved or contact the Student Ombuds Services. If the student deems the outcome with the faculty/staff member unsatisfactory, they may pursue a formal grievance process as outlined below. Confidentiality will be maintained throughout the grievance process; however, anonymity cannot be guaranteed. 

Please note that Title IX incidents should be reported immediately to the Title IX Coordinator at 512-245-2539 or through the “Report an Incident” online form. Crimes that occur on campus should be reported to UPD by calling the 24/7 hotline at 512-245-2805. If it’s an emergency, please call 911.

First Level of Grievance: The students must submit a formal grievance in writing to the faculty/staff member involved in the complaint.*

* The student may skip the First Level of Grievance and proceed to the Second Level of Grievance or contact the Student Ombuds for assistance if the student deems it inappropriate to speak with the faculty/staff member directly involved.

Second Level of Grievance: If the grievance cannot be resolved with the faculty/staff member, the written grievance with supporting documentation should be sent to the chair/director of the faculty/staff member. The chair/director or designated representative will evaluate the grievance and communicate with all parties involved to determine whether a preponderance of evidence shows that the faculty/staff member’s decision/actions in question were inconsistent with the syllabus, department/school, or university policies and procedures. After the evaluation, where applicable, the department/school will take corrective action. A final response will be sent to the student’s university-assigned email address within 10 business days of grievance receipt unless otherwise specified. 

Final Level of Grievance: In the event the complaint cannot be resolved with the department chair/school director, or the student deems the response unsatisfactory, the student may submit a formal grievance in writing to the college dean. The Dean will evaluate the grievance and determine whether the documented circumstance and supportive evidence merits further action. The final decision will be sent to the student via their university-assigned e-mail address within 10 business days of grievance receipt unless otherwise specified. The college dean will make the final decision.