The Appeal Process

Students have three (3) business days from the date of the outcome letter to appeal the decision of the case officer.

General dissatisfaction with the outcome of the student conduct proceeding or an appeal for mercy are not appropriate grounds for appeal. Appeals must be in writing and must successfully meet one of the following criteria:

• There is a significant procedural error that changes the findings of fact of the disciplinary proceeding.
• New evidence that significantly alters the findings of fact, that was previously unknown to the respondent, has been discovered and is available during the appeal process.
• Requests for appeal may be submitted electronically, here. Please refer to the Code of Student Conduct for a more detailed explanation of the appeals process.

Suggestions for Your Appeal Request

The following suggestions will help you prepare an appeal letter, should you choose to file an appeal. The appeal letter should be approached like a position paper.

• The first thing you should do when writing an appeal letter is to brainstorm a list of every reason why the appeal should be granted. You should then review the list of reasons and determine which reasons meet the criteria listed above.

• If you determine that there are reasons to appeal that you believe meet the criteria above, then you should prepare an appeal letter.

• The appeal letter should have an introductory paragraph, a body, and a conclusion. In the introduction, you should introduce yourself and explain the grounds of your appeal. The introduction should end with a brief statement of why your appeal should be granted.

• In the body, you should state the grounds of the appeal (must be one of the two listed above, with a clear rationale) and talk about the situation from your perspective. When you finish the main body, you should then write your conclusion. The conclusion should briefly restate reasons why the appeal should be granted

• The letter should include your name and the present date. It should also list your contact information, such as your Catholic University e-mail address and phone number.

• Please be as informative as possible so the appellate officer can see your view of the incident. The review of an appeal is an administrative review of the case and does not automatically constitute a meeting with the appellate officer. If the appellate officer needs more information or clarification, s/he will contact you to arrange a meeting.