Contact Information:
gs-appeals@uwm.edu
Mitchell Hall
Office of the Dean of the Graduate School
3203 N Downer Ave.
Milwaukee, WI. 53211
A student who disagrees with a recommendation for dismissal may initiate an appeal. The three step process resembles the standard academic appeals process, beginning with the student’s program at step one, continuing to the Graduate Scholastic Appeals Committee at step two, and culminating in a final appeal to the Dean of the Graduate School at step three. Appeals of an academic dismissal are separate from any underlying academic appeals such as a grade appeal and do not extend the deadline for such underlying appeals. An appeal of an academic dismissal must follow this sequence:
Step One
Within 30 working days of the dismissal recommendation, the student appeals to the program. This appeal must be made in writing and should contain substantiating reasons for reversing the recommendation. If the decision is negative, the program must provide the student with a written statement of the reason for the adverse decision.
Step Two
If the Step One decision is not in the student’s favor, the student may, within 10 working days of receiving the decision, appeal to the Graduate Scholastic Appeals Committee. The appeal must be made in writing and should contain substantiating reasons for the appeal, a request for a specific remedy, and a rationale for the remedy sought. This may be done using the Step Two Request for Academic Dismissal Appeal Hearing (PDF). If a Step Two committee member was involved in making the dismissal recommendation or reviewing the Step One appeal, he or she must not participate in Step Two. The student will receive written notification of the outcome of the Step Two appeal.
Step Three
If the Step Two decision is negative, the student may, within 10 working days of receiving the decision, appeal to the Dean of the Graduate School. The appeal must be made in writing and should contain the reason for the appeal, substantial evidence in support of the appeal, and the solution sought. This may be done using the Step Three Academic Appeal Form (PDF). The appeal should be directed to the Dean’s office in Mitchell Hall Room 251.
The Dean of the Graduate School is responsible for reviewing the academic appeal for procedural fairness and maintaining and protecting the rights of BOTH the graduate faculty AND graduate students.
The Step Two decision will be subject to reversal if the Dean of the Graduate School finds that:
- The program or department did not follow proper procedures.
- The student did not have a fair hearing.
- There is evidence of unprofessional conduct on the part of the faculty that materially affected the academic decision.
The Dean’s decision in the Step Three appeal will be conveyed in writing to the student, program, and school/college.