Academic Dismissal Appeal Procedure

If dismissed for academic deficiency, students may appeal for reinstatement. Appeals must be made in writing to the Chair of the Graduate Education Council, and must be submitted within ten working days following notification of dismissal. Students will be notified in writing of the decision of the Council.

  1. A student’s written appeal to the Council must include: the student’s name/Identification Number/program; a discussion of the circumstances contributing to the academic deficiency; and permission for Graduate Education Council to review academic records.

  2. The Graduate Council will consider the appeal at its next scheduled meeting. If the student is dismissed as a result of Spring grades, please note that the Graduate Education Council may not hear the appeal until late September. If the appeal is approved, the student may need to wait until the following Spring term to re-enroll in classes.

  3. In its written response to the student, the Council will outline the conditions and rationale of its action:

    1. if the appeal is granted, Council will outline conditions of reinstatement and time frame for program continuation/ completion

    2. if the appeal is denied, the student is administratively withdrawn from the program; he/she may not re-apply to the same program; and cannot apply for re-admission to another program for 12 months.

  4. A second dismissal for academic deficiency is not subject to appeal.

  5. Evaluation of academic standing will take place after each semester/session.

The decision of the Graduate Education Council is final.

Appeals for Academic Dismissal should be mailed to:

Chair, Graduate Education Council
Graduate School
Worcester State University
486 Chandler Street
Worcester, MA 01602