It is your right to appeal an Academic Integrity decision, but you should know upfront that it can be difficult to have the Associate Dean’s decision overturned. They are working on the evidence presented and use a balance of probabilities to determine the outcome. The Appeals Committee will hear appeals based on at least one of the following criteria:
- new information and facts that were not considered by the original decision-maker
- a claim that the policy and related procedures were not properly followed
- a claim that the impact of the sanction was not consistent with the offence
Your appeal will need to demonstrate that the Associate Dean erred in their assessment of the evidence or that new information has come to light. You should address the points brought up by the Associate Dean in their decision letter and provide an alternative to that assessment. If you are presenting new information and/or facts, be sure to state that explicitly. The Appeals Committee is unlikely to reverse the Associate Dean’s decision if you are only appealing because you disagree with the outcome or sanction.
You have ten working days from the date you received the decision letter to submit an appeal. Please refer to Section X of the Academic Integrity Policy for more information. Use the Academic Integrity Appeal Form when you are ready to submit it.