A to Z Index | Directories

Undergraduate Suspension Appeal

Suspension Posted	Appeal Application Deadline	Appeal Decision Posted
May 2009	May 17, 2009	May 21, 2009
December 2009	January 4, 2010	January 7, 2010
May 2010	May 18, 2010	May 20, 2010

Last Name:*

First Name:*

M.I.

Address:

City:*

State:*

zip:*

Day Phone:

midas:*

Advisor Name:

Major (intended or declared):*

Today's Date

NOTE: Appeals Committee makes decisions immediately after the deadline. No late submissions are accepted. The suspension appeal decisions will be posted on LEO Online as well as mailed/emailed to the student.

According to page 65 of the Undergraduate Catalog, the Suspension Appeal process is provided for students who can provide valid documentation of extenuating circumstances which contributed to their suspension. Only students with extenuating circumstances (death in family, medical complications or chronic conditions, personal or family emergency, overwhelming work schedules, dorm mate conflict, relationship conflict or other uncontrollable circumstances) will be accepted for review by the Appeals Committee. In addition, students must provide a plan for how the extraordinary event(s) have been resolved and provide proof to the Appeals Committee that further difficulties will not occur if the student is allowed to continue coursework in the next semester.

If you plan to appeal, gather any other documentation that you believe will help your case, e.g., memo from a doctor, disability test results, medical or psychological evaluation, etc. Include only essential materials, please.

Students will be evaluated upon the following rubric of items:

Student has demonstrated GPA improvements
Realistic plan for improvement provided
Challenges cited related to time of poor GPA
Challenges cited have appropriate documentation provided
Is the student changing majors?
Does the student have a history of withdraws?
Has the student used all 5 grade forgiveness opportunities?
Has the student been suspended before?
Has the student had an appeal granted before?
Did the student participate in a success program?
Are there any letters of support from ODU staff/faculty?

Appeal Application Checklist:

Suspension appeal form with all appropriate blanks completed.
A carefully thought out and composed letter written by the student describing his/her situation.
Supporting documents and/or letters of support.
Present a plan of action for subsequent enrollment, should appeal be granted.

FORMAL LETTER. A complete appeal includes this form with all appropriate blanks completeand a carefully thought out and composed formal letter describing your situation.Please type your formal letter in the space below. Providing false information isa violation of the Old Dominion University's Honor Code.

Further documentation

WHO REVIEWS MY APPEAL?
The Suspension Appeal Committee is comprised of a faculty representative from each academic college. Appeal committee member names are not released; appeal decisions are communicated to the student via ODU email and the permanent address listed on LEO. Please be sure to check ODU email and update all addresses in LEO.

SUBMISSION OF FALSE INFORMATION IS A VIOLATION OF OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY'S HONOR CODE.

Guidelines for Filing a Suspension Appeal

Discuss your academic situation with your advisor
Be specific as to the cause of your academic difficulty. Give clear examples as to why you feel you did not perform to your fullest potential and explain each example.
Provide supporting documents or letters from others that will validate your reasons for poor performance.
Conclude your appeal letter with a clear and realistic plan for overcoming academic difficulty and reaching graduation. If you participated in a student success program offered through the University, include information about the program and how it helped you.
Keep in mind that suspension occurs after at least one semester of academic warning and another semester of academic probation, so documentation and explanations should cover more than one semester.

Recommendations

This is the only contact a student has with the committee, so it is critical that this statement be well thought out and well written. Although a student may handwrite the statement, typewritten documents are easier for the committee members to read and review.
The statement should include only relevant information regarding the circumstances of the suspension or dismissal.
Supporting documents and all other pertinent information should be included with a student's letter and appeal form. If the student is submitting an appeal form online, then all supporting documentation must be either faxed or hand delivered by the deadline.
It is not sufficient for a student to say, "I know I can do better." If expected improved performance is part of a student's petition, the student must provide a strong rationale for the probability of this improvement.
Successful statements are typically one page in length but no more than two.
If applicable, the student should submit supportive information concerning the conditions or situations leading to his/her suspension. Such information should clearly show that the student has resolved all pertinent challenges. Statements or letters from doctors, counselors, ecclesiastical leaders, employers, advisors, faculty, etc., will be helpful only if they verify that the student has resolved the condition that led to the suspension or has the condition under control such that it will no longer affect academic performance in the next semester of enrollment.