Disciplinary Actions for Violations of the Professionalism Policy; or Unrelated to Grades or Dismissal from the Program Grievances and Appeals Process
The student found guilty of violating the professionalism policy or other matters unrelated to grades or dismissal from the program may appeal the decision of the Progress and Promotion Committee to the Program Director in writing including a date and signature (if e-mail must be from the student’s UMES email account) within five (5) business days of the program’s decision. All grievances must be based upon the following:
1. A substantial mistake of fact occurred
2. A fundamental misinterpretation of official policies is evident
3. A significant procedural error took place.
The Program Director, the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, appropriate personnel, and/or University Committee(s)will review the grievance. When appropriate, the Program Director will refer the grievance to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies for review. If the situation is not resolved, If the situation is not resolved, the student can appeal to the next in the organizational chain of command if the committee is not available; and finally, the Provost/Vice President (VP) of Academic Affairs outlined below. The Program Director may appoint the Assistant Program Director to rule on the appeal if he/she is unavailable. Initial requests sent to anyone other than the Program Director will not be considered. Non-written complaints or written complaints received after the deadline will not be accepted under any circumstance. Students who enter a plea of “guilty” will forfeit their right to appeal the decision.
A student seeking a professionalism, non-grade, or non-dismissal violation appeal will proceed in the stated order in the following table:
| Appeal Step | Maximum number of business days in each step of the appeals process |
| Student submits appeal to the Program Director and Department Chair | 5 |
| Program Director and Department Chair or Assistant Program Director rules on the appeal (First appeal level) | 5 |
| Student submits appeal to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies | 3 |
| Dean of the School of Graduate Studies Rules on the Appeal (Second appeal level) | 5 |
| Student submits appeal to the Provost/VP for Academic Affairs | 3 |
| Provost/VP for Academic Affairs Rules on the Appeal (Final appeal level) | 5 |
| Students will be invited to attend a meeting to present their case and respond to any questions the committee or Dean may have. As this meeting is a purely academic proceeding, no legal counsel will be allowed to attend or participate. The student may, however, request participation by other students or non-program faculty with approval of the Program Director. Proceedings may not be recorded in any manner (audio, video, digital, etc.) All parties involved in the appeals process may respond/rule as soon as the ruling/request is received. If the person responsible for receiving the appeal is not available, another faculty member or administrator may be designated by that person or by the Program Director to function in his/her stead. The Program Director collaborates with the faculty/Preceptor involved in determining the ruling. The student, Program Director, and Dean of the SPHP will be informed of the Dean’s ruling. If program/university cannot make decisions within the five (5) business days due to extenuating circumstances (including but not limited to illness, seeking legal counsel, or request for additional information), such delay will be documented in an e-mail that will be sent to the student and the time extended accordingly. In such cases, all reasonable efforts will be made to expedite the process to reach a final decision. | |
