Academic Appeals
Niagara College students have the right to appeal decisions that significantly affect their academic career. The academic appeal process provides steps through which students may appeal College decisions including admissions, final course grades, penalties of academic misconduct and promotion (Appeal of Academic Decisions policy)
Academic appeals generally involve appealing:
- A final grade in a course
- A penalty of academic misconduct
Academic Appeal Steps
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Step 1: Complete 1st section of the Appeal Form and email to Academic Appeals
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Step 2: Meet with Academic Administrator
If not resolved and student provides new supporting evidence, move to Step 3.
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Step 3: Request a Committee Review
Reviewed by Students Appeals Manager to establish eligibility.
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Step 4: Committee Review
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Step 5: Appeal Resolved (approved or denied)
Formal Appeal Process Concluded
FAQ on the Appeals
According to NC Academic Honesty Policy, “[e]ngaging in any form of academic dishonesty to obtain any type of academic advantage or credit is an offence under this policy and will not be tolerated.”
Forms and examples of Academic misconduct include but are not limited to:
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- Copying from another student or making information available to another student.
- Using ideas or direct quotations from another source without properly acknowledging or citing the source.
- Falsification of documents and data.
- Cheating in a test
- Unauthorized aids (cellphone, cheat sheet, and GenAI without the instructor’s permission).
More examples and details of academic misconduct are listed under Academic Honesty Policy.
Yes, the Niagara College Policy on Appeal of Academic Decisions states that “students have the right to appeal decisions that significantly affect their academic career”. These include final grades, academic misconduct charges and penalties, as well as admissions and promotions decisions.
The appeal process applies to final grades and charges of academic misconduct.
For interim marks (e.g., assignments, tests, labs) that are not related to academic misconduct, your first step should be discussing the matter with your professor. You may also consider using the Student Complaints and Concerns process, which includes discussion and/or referral to the professor and Associate Dean. Be sure to follow the policy instructions carefully: Student Complaints and Issues Policy.
If the issue is not resolved during the semester and contributes to a failing final grade, you may then pursue a formal grade appeal.
No, simply disagreeing with a grade or decision is not sufficient grounds for an appeal. You must provide evidence to support your appeal. Appeals are considered only on academic grounds, such as grade miscalculation, inconsistency between course policy and classroom practice, or unfair grading compared to the rest of the class.
Financial or personal issues are not considered valid academic grounds for an appeal.
A student can request a Supplemental Evaluation, which may be offered in certain courses to enhance student success. According to NC Grading and the Transcript Policy: “[a]t the discretion of the Academic Administrator, supplemental evaluation may be offered in certain courses to enhance student success. A student who receives a final grade of 45% to 49% in one (1) course in a term, with no other failing courses, may apply for Supplemental Evaluation. If allowed and successfully completed, the grade reported will be the minimum required for successful completion of the course, normally 50%.”
To request a Supplemental Evaluation: discuss the potential for a supplemental with faculty and/or Academic Administrator of your course – these are usually handled in the academic area.
If no supplemental is offered, request for appeal can be initiated.
Grade Appeals must be submitted within 10 business days from the date final grades are posted.
Academic misconduct appeals must be submitted within 10 business days from the date you received the penalty of academic misconduct. Note that the 10 business days are counted from the date the student receives the email decision, not the date the email is opened.
If you choose to appeal your first misconduct resulting in a zero grade on an assignment, you will remain enrolled in the course. However, for penalties involving a zero in the course, program suspension, or more severe consequences, typically associated with a second misconduct or beyond, the penalty takes effect from the date the decision letter is issued. In such cases, you will not be permitted to attend classes until the appeal decision is finalized.
The Academic Appeals process is based on academic evidence only. Personal and/or financial matters are not considered. Academic evidence may include any documents that support your claim and explain why your grade should be reconsidered. Academic Evidence may include:
- Rough notes/ assignment draft
- Study notes
- TLP, Course Outlines, and/or Assignment Rubrics/ outline and instructions
- Exam log or computer logs, IP address and more
- Emails, texts, or discussion posts between group members or professor
- Any Academic evidence that can support you including witnesses from class
You should contact Enrolment Services, by emailing [email protected].
Refer to Academic Appeal Steps section
The Academic Appeals Office in Enrolment Services can provide guidance and support throughout the process. You can reach out to [email protected].
Additionally, NCSAC (How NCSAC can Help) offers individualized support to students navigating the appeal process.
Academic misconducts will not appear on your transcript. It will appear on your student Record.
Each report of academic misconduct will be on your record for 4-years from the date the offense was committed.
Relevant Polices
- Appeal of Academic Decisions Policy
- Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedures
- Request for Appeal of Academic Decisions Form
- Grading and the Transcript Policy
- Academic Honesty Policy
- Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence Statement
- Academic Rights and Responsibilities Policy
- Harassment & Discrimination (Respectful Environment) Policy
First: Fill out the first section of the appeal form (Request for Appeal of Academic Decision Form).
If you haven’t already, you may connect with your professor to discuss the reasons for your grade or your alleged involvement in academic misconduct.
Note: It is important to include the date you discussed the issue with your professor, the outcome of that discussion, and a brief summary of your reason for appealing. Provide documentation (emails, text messages, or BrightSpace messages) between student and faculty showing your efforts to resolve matters with faculty. It would be helpful to provide any relevant documentation, such as emails, text messages, or Brightspace messages, showing your efforts to resolve the matter directly with your professor.
Following your Contact with your professor, if a resolution is not reached, and you have solid/valid grounds to appeal, you may proceeds with the Request for Appeal of Academic Decision Form.
Second: Email the completed form with a statement of your intention to appeal and all evidentiary documentation to support your appeal to [email protected]
Note: Only one submission is required. Academic Appeals office hours are 8:30 – 4:30 Mon-Fri excluding holidays.
- Following your formal submission of the appeal form, a meeting will be arranged to meet the Associate Dean or Academic Administrator of the school responsible for your course; Therefore, it is important to monitor your Niagara College inbox for any communications related to your appeal request.
- The Niagara College Appeal of Academic Decisions procedure states that students are responsible for checking their college email and following through on any scheduled appointments or requirements as part of the appeal process. Failure to respond to emails may result in forfeiting the right to continue with the appeal. For full details, review the policy: Appeal of Academic Decisions.
- Following your meeting with the Academic Administrator, and if you disagree with the outcome and have new evidence to support your case, you may request a committee review by:
- Replying with the required details to the decision email that you have received stating the appeal decision or
- Completing the third section of the Appeal Form and emailing it to Academic Appeals.
- The Student Appeals Manager will review your request to determine if it meets the eligibility criteria for a committee review.
- If the appeal does not meet the eligibility criteria, it will be denied, and the appeal process concludes.
- If the appeal is eligible, the process will move forward to a committee review.
- Committee Review is the last step in the appeal Process. Both the student and the academic program involved will need to prepare a submission package to support their case and present it to the committee. Once the committee makes a decision, it is final and cannot be appealed further.
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