The Appeals Policy and Procedure covered herein apply to students registered in courses in any non-degree Marine Institute program. Students enrolled in the degree-level courses should consult the Memorial University Calendar, Section 6.15 Appeal of Decisions for regulations governing undergraduate, or Section 4.6 Appeal of Decisions for graduate degree students.

1.   Every student has the right to appeal the application of Marine Institute Academic Policies and Regulations.

• Students enrolled in Post-graduate Certificate and Advanced Diploma programs will submit their appeal to the Marine Institute Graduate Studies Committee

• Students enrolled in Diploma of Technology, Technician Diploma, and Technical Certificate programs will submit their appeal to the Marine Institute Undergraduate Studies Committee.

2.   Appeals can be made on decisions related, but not limited to, academic decisions relating to supplementary exams, continuance, academic discipline, suspension and expulsion.

3.   The Appeals Policy described herein does NOT apply to individual grades, tests, or other assessed work that are components of a final course grade. Students have an opportunity under Section 6.4 – Examination Re-Reads to contest grades immediately upon the release of final grades. Dissatisfaction with grades is not sufficient grounds for an appeal.

4.   The responsibility for making an appeal before the Marine Institute Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee rests with the student.

5.   Student appeals should be directed in writing to the Registrar at MIRegistrar@mi.mun.ca who will direct all appeals to Marine Institute Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee.

6.   The principles of natural justice shall be applied to the appeals processes and decisions. These principles include, but are not limited to, such practices as all parties to the appeal receiving timely and adequate notice, all parties to the appeal having the opportunity to submit arguments and supporting documentation and all parties to the appeal being made aware of the evidence considered by the committee. No person shall sit in judgment on an appeal if that person has been previously involved in a decision-making process related to the matter under appeal or if that person has any conflict of interest, bias or reasonable apprehension of bias.

7.   Reasons for initiating an appeal before the Marine Institute Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee include the following:

• medical problems
• bereavement
• other acceptable cause

8.   Students should prepare as strong a case as possible. It is therefore recommended that students seek advice when preparing their appeal. Such advice can be obtained from a variety of sources:

a.   The Office of the Registrar for the appropriate regulations and appeal procedures.

b.   An advisor or facilitator to assist in preparing their appeals, such as:

• faculty member
• a counselor
• designated faculty, who have made themselves familiar with the appeals process and who are willing to undertake the role of student advisor or facilitator
• the Marine Institute Student Union (MISU)
• the International Student Coordinator

9.   The deadline to submit an appeal concerning supplementary and deferred examinations, as well as continuance in a program must be received by the MI Registrar’s office no later than the end of the second day of classes in the semester following the one in which the student was registered for the course in question, or program in the case of continuance.

10.   A student who is ineligible to register for courses officially but who wishes to attend classes, laboratories, or other educational activities while an appeal is in progress can do so only with the written permission of the academic units offering the courses. Such permission shall not be unreasonably withheld.

11.   When an appeal is denied by the Marine Institute Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee the student shall be advised in writing of the reasons for the decision within two (2) business days of the decision being rendered and should consult Section 9.3 below if they wish to appeal the decision of the Committee.

1.   A student submitting an appeal must present to the committee a personal letter including reasons for the appeal. Students must present independent evidence to corroborate statements made in the letter of appeal. Preferably, this evidence will come from a professional, such as a doctor, a counselor, a lawyer, or a professor. However, letters from other knowledgeable parties may be acceptable.

2.   The student must clearly and fully provide the following information in Letters of Appeal:

• name,
• current address and telephone number,
• Marine Institute e-mail address,
• student ID number,
• the decision being appealed,
• the grounds of appeal, and
• the resolution being sought.

3.   In cases where an appeal is made on medical grounds, medical notes must be sufficiently specific to allow appropriate consideration of the student’s case. The note must also clearly state that, in the opinion of the doctor, the problem was serious enough to have interfered with the student’s work. The Institute requires that all medical notes be on letterhead, be signed by the physician and include details on the following:

• confirmation of the specific dates on which the student visited the doctor.
• the degree to which the illness (or treatment, in the case of medication, for example) is likely to have affected the student’s ability to study, attend classes, or sit for examinations.
• the length of time over which the student’s ability was likely hampered by the medical condition (e.g. recurring and a more adverse effect on studies than a single episode of back pain requiring bed rest for a week.)
• the fitness of the student to resume studies (it is in the student’s best interest not to return to their studies prematurely.) The Institute respects the privacy of all students and, therefore, the confidentiality of all material contained in medical notes.

4.   Students claiming bereavement as grounds for an appeal must provide proof of death and evidence of a close personal relationship between themselves and the deceased.

5.   The members of the Marine Institute Undergraduate and Graduate Studies Committees do require information about the reasons for the appeal to make their decisions. However, the committee also recognizes the student’s rights to confidentiality. A student may discuss the reasons for their appeal with the Institute counselor, who, with the student’s permission and provided sufficient reasons exist, may then write a letter to the committee confirming that there were sufficient grounds for an appeal without disclosing the special personal and confidential details of the case.

1.   In cases where a student wishes to appeal a decision of the Marine Institute Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee, the appeal shall be directed to the Executive Committee of Academic Council at  MIRegistrar@mi.mun.ca.

2.   In all cases, written appeals to the Executive Committee of Academic Council must be made no later than two weeks after the decision of the Marine Institute Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee is made known to the student. Failure to do so will result in the forfeiture of the right to appeal.

3.   Such appeals will only be heard in the following instances:

• additional documentation or evidence is provided that the Marine Institute Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee did not possess when rendering their decision, or
• a procedural error was made by the Marine Institute Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee, or
• documentation or evidence supplied by the student shows the decision by the Marine Institute Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee is not accurate or not reasonable.

4.   The Executive Committee shall determine if there are sufficient grounds to overturn the previous decision of the Marine Institute Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee.

5.   Decisions of the Executive Committee of Marine Institute Academic Council are final and within the Marine Institute there is no further appeal.