Graduate Academic Appeals

Graduate students may appeal substantive or procedural academic matters, including grades, evaluation of transfer and candidacy examinations and other program requirements, decisions about the student's continuation in any program, or concerning any other decision with respect to the application of academic regulations and requirements.

Decisions related to admission to an academic program, including admission to the RSI doctoral program for current master's students, fees or voluntary withdrawal from a program are not subject to appeal.

It is expected that students will first attempt to resolve the matter with the instructor or other person whose ruling is being questioned. If those discussions do not resolve the matter, and the student wants to pursue an appeal, they should contact one of the Graduate Coordinators or Associate Director of RSI in a further attempt to try to resolve the issue. If still no resolution can be reached, the student may then make a formal appeal in writing to the Chair of the Graduate Department Academic Appeals Committee (GDAAC). The student should contact the Graduate Coordinator for the Chair’s contact information.

Reference to your Graduate Department Academic Appeals Committee:

Contact details for the Secretary/Chair of that Committee. A link to details regarding such committees' procedures on the SGS website. We recommend that you primarily rely on the language from that SGS webpage, altering where necessary to reference your own committee.

More information on the University’s appeal process can be found at these links: Graduate Academic Appeals and SGS Calendar – General Regulations