This past June the Board of Governors dissolved its Petitions Committee, and established the Student Discipline Appeal Committee to handle student appeals to the Board. What will this change mean for students?
The new appeal process limits the scope of appeals to those concerning General Faculties Council student discipline decisions. These decisions are those that lead to student fines, suspension from the university or expulsion from the university. Student discipline decisions can concern both academic and non-academic misconduct. An example of the former is plagiarism, and an example of the latter is excessive violence on campus. Moreover, students must submit their appeal to the Board within 15 calendar days of the GFC discipline decision.
Also of significance, under the new appeal process the Board of Governors will no longer consider student requests unrelated to student discipline matters. In the past, students were entitled to petition the Board of Governors in respect of any matter. For example, a student alleging an unfair eviction from residence, after exhausting his or her appeal to the Director of Residence Services, could request that the Board of Governors review the matter. This is no longer possible. The Student Discipline Appeal Committee will only hear student discipline matters–those that lead to fines, suspension, or expulsion.
As a result, the appeal process within the university for non-discipline related student matters has been significantly restricted. Moreover, as the highest level of appeal for student discipline matters, the decision-making process of the Student Discipline Appeal Committee is less than ideal from a student perspective.
The 2004-05 University Calendar describes the previous, now rescinded, appeal process to the Board of Governors. In order to access the new guidelines, including information concerning the Student Discipline Appeal Committee, see the University Secretariat website at www.ucalgary.ca/secretariat and contact your friendly Student Rights Advisor at the SU office by telephone (220-3909) or in person at MSC 251.
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