Notice: Student Appeals Policy

Please note the following Student Appeals Policy has been updated and will be effective as of Oct. 2, 2013. If you have questions, please contact your academic advisor for more information.

Policy for Student Appeals

Columbia Southern University recognizes decisions surrounding Academic and Student Affairs policies and/or other university requirements may be reconsidered on occasion. Students have the right to appeal any decision made based upon an academic policy or university requirement. The decision to approve or deny an appeal will be based upon, but not limited to, the following:

• An extenuating circumstance that creates an unrealistic expectation to comply with an academic policy or university requirement
• An improper or unwarranted interpretation or application of academic policy or university requirement that creates an undue hardship
• Documentation that may otherwise provide justification directly related to the basis of the appeal

Students have 5 business days from the date of the original decision to file an appeal, outlined in the Appeals Process. Appeals will be categorized as academic or administrative and follow the appropriate appeal track. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) decisions and Student Complaint and Grievances have specific appeal processes; therefore, exempt from the Policy for Student Appeals. The scope of the Policy for Student Appeals is limited to requests to reconsider a decision made in alignment with Academic and Student Affairs policies and/or other university requirements. In the event students wish to file a complaint, please refer to the Student Complaint and Grievance Policy.

Appeals Process

Level I. Appeal

• Students appealing a previous decision should submit a formal letter, identifying the basis of the appeal, directly to studentappeals@columbiasouthern.edu within 5 business days of the original decision. Relevant documentation will be taken into consideration and should accompany the formal letter.
• An appeal decision will be sent to the student via e-mail within 5 business days.

Level II. Appeal

• Students unsatisfied with the appeal decision may petition to the Office of the Ombudsman, studentappeals@columbiasouthern.edu. Level II Appeals must be received within 5 business days of the Level I notification date.
• The Office of the Ombudsman will conduct a secondary review of the appeal and notify the student of the Level II decision within 5 business days.

Level III. Appeal

• Students unsatisfied with the Level II appeal decision may petition to the appropriate vice president, studentappeals@columbiasouthern.edu. Level III Appeals must be received within 5 business days of the Level II notification date.
• The assigned vice president will conduct a final review of the appeal. Notification of a decision will be sent within 5 business days. The decision rendered by the assigned vice president denotes a final decision.