Hearing Appeal Process

Eligibility to Appeal - To be eligible to appeal you must meet the following deadlines/requirements.  Both Complainants and Respondents can submit an appeal if the following grounds have been met. 

•  Formal Resolution - Only outcomes from the formal resolution process (administrative hearings or panel hearings) are eligible to appeal.  Informal resolutions are not eligible for appeal, but do have the option to request formal resolution.
• Grounds for Appeal - The appeal may be based only on one or more of the following grounds: 
       - The procedures set forth in the Community Standards were not followed 
       - The sanctions imposed were excessively harsh or lenient for the violation  
       - New or relevant information, not available at the time of the hearing, has arisen
• Appeal Letter - You must submit your appeal letter within three business days from the date of your outcome letter.  Appeals submitted after 4:00 PM on the third business day will not be accepted. Appeal letters should contain three parts: 1) the grounds for appeal as outlined above, 2) the sanctions or sanctions you are appealing and 3) the rationale for grounds for appeal and sanctions appealing.  Click here to access a sample appeal letter.   

Appeal Process - Appeals must be in writing and submitted to the Dean of Students Office. The appeal shall consist of a plain, concise and complete written statement on the grounds for the appeal (outlined above). The Assistant Dean of Students will determine whether one or more grounds for appeal have been met. If grounds have been met, the Dean of Students, or his designee, will hear the appeal for administrative hearings, or chair the panel for panel hearings.

The appeals panel shall consider the merits of an appeal only on the basis of the information provided in the written request for appeal, the report of the hearing officer or panel, information obtained during individual meetings with the respondent, original hearing officer or panel, and victim, and, if necessary , the hearing audio recording. In cases where the sanction alters the status of the student or organization, the panel may request to meet with the student or organization. Any decision of the appeals panel shall be made by majority vote. The appeals panel must be persuaded to act by clear and convincing reasons. If an appeal is heard, the appeal officer or panel can alter finding of responsibility as well as sanctions.  It is important to note that the appeal process can remove or add sanctions.  All decisions of appeal panels are final with the exception of expulsion, where a second appeal can be made to the President. See the Community Standards for more details on the appeal process. 

 Writing an Appeal Letter -  Letters of Appeal should be addressed to Elizabeth Farner, Assistant Dean of Students, and must be delivered to the Dean of Students Office or emailed to conduct@dickinson.edu.  There is no single way to write a letter of appeal.  The following suggestions may be of assistance in writing an appeal. 

• Your letter should be concise with your points made clearly and briefly
• Your letter should draw direct connection to the ground(s) for appeal you have selected
•    Your letter should specifically state the sanction or sanctions you are appealing based on the ground(s) for appeal
• You can identify any additional information you deem appropriate
• Propose an alternative outcome

Statements of Support - Often students ask if they can submit statements of support for their appeal from supportive individuals.  Students are welcome to do so, but we encourage students to limit the number of statments to 2 or 3 at maximum. Statements of support are not required for the appeal process. 

The Conduct Process  |  Appeal Process

Student Conduct Frequently Asked Questions

Please contact us at 717-245-1676 or at conduct@dickinson.edu or stop by the Dean of Students Office in the Holland Union Building if you have additional questions.

Elizabeth Farner

Assistant Dean of Students