Composition and Jurisdiction of the University Appeals Board
The jurisdiction of the Appeals Board is based on authority conferred by the University Senate Rules and the UK Code of Student Conduct. The Appeals Board is authorized to adopt Procedural Rules related to conducting its activities and this has been done.
The President of the University appoints the members, with the student members being recommended by the legislative branch of the Student Government Association. The Appeals Board members represent a variety of colleges and departments and are to be “broadly representative of the University community.”
The Hearing Officer, or Chair, is appointed by the President of the University for a three-year term. The Hearing Officer may be reappointed, and the term of appointment begins on September 1, and ends on August 31. The Hearing Officer shall be a person with training in the law.
Under the Student Code of Conduct, the University Appeals Board has authority to hear appeals of certain grievances. In those cases, the opening statement is made by a representative of the University to explain the matter as well as prior administrative decisions and actions. For more information on appeals for violations of the Student Code of Conduct, please contact the Hearing Officer for the University Appeals Board.
Under the University Senate Rules, the University Appeals Board has authority to hear appeals that are academic in substance. The most common bases for appeal to the Appeals Board are allegations of violations of a student's academic rights and allegations of cheating or plagiarism.
For appeals under the University Senate Rules, a quorum for each hearing is eight members, excluding the University Hearing Officer, and not less than five shall be faculty members. The Hearing Officer has no authority to cast a tie breaking vote.
If the case is an allegation of an academic offense, the Academic Ombud must forward the case to the Appeals Board. If the case is based on other factual situations, the Academic Ombud may conclude the case lacks merit. When that happens, the student will be notified of that decision and given instructions on how to appeal the Ombud’s decision directly to the University Appeals Board. In such circumstances, the student has 30 days to appeal the Ombud’s no-merit determination. The University Appeals Board will then address the issue of whether the case should be heard.