Graduate Catalog

Contents
Catalog Links

Academic Appeals

When a student believes a faculty member has treated him or her unfairly related to an assessment or a grade received in a course for which the student is registered, the student is encouraged to speak with the faculty member regarding the concern and to attempt to reach a mutual conclusion. Under rare circumstances, students and faculty members may not be able to resolve a matter through informal conversation, or students may wish to appeal a decision made by a faculty member, the Dean, or the faculty committee of their school (Academic Affairs Committee for the School of Counseling and Faculty Council for the School of Ministry).

Students are expected to attempt to discuss and resolve the matter with the faculty member before submitting a written appeal whenever possible. For cases in which a student desires to appeal a decision related to a grade or assessment, the process is outlined below.

The student’s written appeal must be provided to the faculty member and the Dean of the student’s school and should contain:

  1. A statement describing the decision being appealed along with documentation;
  2. A written statement of the grounds for appeal, which, at a minimum, should contain a list of alleged errors in the decision or procedure, and a statement of why the decision or sanction is in error. (Note that disagreement with an instructor's academic judgment alone is generally not sufficient grounds for a successful appeal);
  3. Documentation (if appropriate) to support the student’s position regarding the alleged errors;
  4. A requested remedy; and
  5. The signature of the student and date the appeal is being submitted.

The faculty member will respond to the student and the Dean in writing. If the appeal is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student and faculty member, the student has the right to appeal directly to the Dean. If the appeal is not resolved by the Dean to the satisfaction of the parties involved, the student has the right to request the referral of the matter to the faculty committee of their school.

Faculty committees receive appeals only by referral from the Dean of their school. The Academic Affairs Committee or Faculty Council will meet to discuss the student’s written appeal and may request additional information or an interview with the student to gain greater clarity. After the committee makes their determination, the Dean will respond in writing to the student and any other parties involved in the decision.

Appeals must be received by the faculty member within 30 calendar days from the date the grade was submitted to Canvas and visible to the student.  Subsequent appeals must be submitted no later than 21 calendar days following the written response from the faculty member or the Dean. Faculty members should respond to the appeal in writing within two work weeks.

If the appeal cannot be settled at the Academic Affairs Committee (School of Counseling) or Faculty Council (School of Ministry) level, a student may appeal to the Provost.

If the complaint cannot be settled at the institutional level, a student at the Atlanta campus may contact:
Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission
2082 East Exchange Place, Suite 220
Tucker, GA 30084-5305
770.414.3300
GNPEC Complaint Form

A student at the Chattanooga or Online campuses may contact:
Tennessee Higher Education Commission
312 Rosa Parks Ave, 9th Floor
Nashville, TN 32743-0830
615.741.3605

Reapplying to Richmont after being dismissed is not considered an appeal of the dismissal decision. In this scenario, a student would be able to apply for readmission to the institution one year after dismissal or the time frame specified in the dismissal letter. Dismissal letters will also state any specific stipulations required in order to reapply to Richmont. Reapplication after dismissal does not guarantee that a student will be readmitted to the institution.