Graduate students may file an appeal if they believe a unit, department, or program failed to follow its published policies or procedures. Appeals are intended to address procedural issues and should be resolved informally whenever possible.

• Appeals may relate to program requirements, plans of study, research grades, comprehensive exams, thesis/dissertation defenses, or program dismissals.
• Appeals must be based on failure to follow published rules and not on disagreements with professional or scholarly judgments.
• The Graduate College serves as a neutral resource throughout the appeal process and can assist students, faculty, and staff.

Students should remain enrolled and continue working on degree requirements while an appeal is in process.

A student must submit written notification of their intent to appeal within 14 calendar days of the event or decision that gave rise to the appeal, such as dismissal from a program.

• This written notice should be directed to the graduate program coordinator.
• If the graduate coordinator is directly involved in the matter, the student must seek guidance from the Graduate College.
• Written documentation should be maintained throughout the appeal process, including during any informal resolution efforts.

Unless otherwise stated:

• All deadlines are set for 5:00 p.m. Central Time on the date specified.
• If a deadline falls on a weekend or an official university holiday, it will move to the next regular business day.
• Deadlines that extend beyond the conclusion of a term (fall, spring, or summer) are managed at the discretion of the Dean of the Graduate College.

Complete and well-organized written records are essential to support the appeals process. Every appeal submission must include:

• A summary of the circumstances that led to the appeal
• A clear identification of the procedural issues involved
• The corrective action or resolution being requested

Formatting requirements:

• No more than two pages
• 12-point font
• Single-spaced or greater
• One-inch margins

All appeal decisions must be issued in writing to the involved parties, particularly the student. Once a final decision has been made at the unit, department, or program level, the communication should also be shared with the Dean of the Graduate College.

Appeals to the Dean must be submitted either in person or via email to:grad.dean@okstate.edu

The informal appeals process is the first step in resolving a concern. Students are expected to attempt resolution by communicating directly with the individuals involved in the matter.

• Faculty advisors, research mentors, advisory committee members, or graduate program coordinators (when not directly involved) can assist in guiding students through this process.
• Each academic unit, department, or program may have its own internal appeals procedures. Students must follow those procedures fully before appealing to the Graduate College.
• When appealing to a “dean,” graduate students must submit their appeal to the Dean of the Graduate College, not to a college or department dean.

If unit or department procedures are not explicitly defined:

1. The appeal should first be directed to the graduate program coordinator (if not involved in the issue).
2. If necessary, the next step is to appeal to the department head or graduate program director (if not involved in the issue).

Once all unit or department-level appeal options have been used, a written appeal may be submitted to the Dean of the Graduate College.

• Students are encouraged to seek guidance from the Associate Dean of the Graduate College or their designee regarding the appeals process.
• The Dean (or designee) will evaluate whether there are appropriate grounds for the appeal and attempt to resolve the issue informally.

• If no valid grounds for appeal are found, all involved parties will be notified in writing.
  • This decision is final and not subject to further appeal within the university.
• If an appeal is accepted, the Graduate College will issue a written outcome to all involved parties.

Every effort will be made to resolve informal appeals efficiently:

• The Graduate College aims to complete informal reviews within 60 calendar days.
• All parties involved are expected to make themselves available to facilitate a timely resolution.

If all internal informal appeal options have been exhausted and the Dean of the Graduate College (or designee) determines there are appropriate grounds for a formal appeal, the student may request a review by the Graduate Council.

Graduate Council appeals are strictly limited to procedural errors. Appeals must be based on a program’s failure to follow its own published policies, or those of the Graduate College or the University. Disagreements over academic judgment or evaluations are not grounds for appeal.

To initiate a Graduate Council appeal, students must:

• Submit a Request to Appeal to the Graduate Council to the Graduate College within 14 calendar days of receiving the outcome of the informal process.
• The appeal must be submitted in writing, in person, or via email to: grad.dean@okstate.edu.
• The appeal document (maximum two pages, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, single-spaced or greater) must include:
  • Circumstances of the appeal
  • Specific procedural issues involved
  • Remedial action sought

Supporting documentation must also include:

• List of involved parties with a brief statement of their involvement
• Optional witness list with names, contact details, and relevance
• Name and title of an optional advisor
• Any relevant correspondence or documents

Witness statements may also be submitted. Generally, witnesses not included in the documentation will not be permitted to participate in the hearing.

1. The Dean of the Graduate College (or designee) will meet with the student within seven calendar days to discuss the appeal process.
   • This meeting may be waived by the student.
2. If the student decides to proceed, a final appeal document is submitted to the Graduate College and shared with the involved parties.
3. The involved parties will have seven calendar days to respond in writing with a document (no more than two pages, same formatting as above) that includes:
   • Relevant correspondence or documentation
   • Optional advisor information
   • Optional witness list and statements

An ad hoc Graduate Council Appeals Committee will be formed and chaired (non-voting) by the Dean of the Graduate College or their designee. The committee includes:

• Two Graduate Council members nominated by the Council’s vice-chair (excluding the Dean of the Graduate College)
• One GPSGA executive board member nominated by the GPSGA president

At least three members, including the chair, must be present for the hearing. All committee members are vetted for conflicts of interest. If necessary, the Dean may request a variation in committee composition from the Provost.

Once the student and involved parties have submitted all necessary documents, a hearing will be scheduled, typically within 30 calendar days of receiving the full appeal and response materials.

Hearing Overview:

• The Dean of the Graduate College (or designee) opens the hearing with a summary of the appeal.
• The student and the involved parties appear separately to provide testimony. Each party will:
  • Have up to five minutes for an opening statement.
  • Be asked questions by the Appeals Committee to clarify submitted materials.
• Parties are not present during each other’s testimony.

After testimony:

• All participants are dismissed.
• The Committee enters a closed session to deliberate and vote.

Committee Decision:

• Decisions are based on a majority vote.
• The Committee may:
  • Deny the appeal
  • Uphold the appeal in whole or in part
  • Impose an alternative resolution
• The decision is final and cannot be appealed within the University.

If necessary, the Committee has the authority to direct the Registrar to change a final course grade.

The Dean of the Graduate College will communicate the outcome to the student, involved parties, and other appropriate individuals, typically within seven calendar days of the hearing.

Yes. Any individual with direct knowledge of the situation may serve as a witness.

• Witnesses may help clarify facts by answering questions from the Appeals Committee.
• Witnesses do not give prepared statements, but instead respond to Committee inquiries.
• Witness statements should be included in the documentation submitted before the hearing.
• Witnesses may accompany the student or the involved party during the hearing.

Witness participation is optional and has no bearing on the appeal’s outcome if not included.

Yes. Any party involved in the appeal may have an advisor present during the hearing.

• Advisors are silent observers; they do not address the Committee or participate in the hearing.
• Students or parties may consult their advisor during the hearing.
• A brief recess may be requested to speak privately with an advisor, inside or outside the hearing room.

While efforts are made to coordinate with all participants, scheduling prioritizes the availability of:

• The student
• The Appeals Committee
• The primary representative of the involved parties

It is the responsibility of the student and the involved parties to ensure their witnesses and advisors are available at the scheduled time.

Yes. The entire Graduate Appeals process is considered confidential.

• All documents, conversations, and identities involved in the appeal must be treated confidentially, to the extent permitted by law.

Committee member identities are not disclosed to the student or involved parties.