Student Appeals

If you are a student seeking to appeal a course grade, follow these steps:

1. Initial Appeal to the Instructor

   • Submit a written appeal to your course instructor within 30 days of the grade being posted.

   • Clearly state what you are appealing and provide specific details or evidence supporting your claim.

   • Course grade appeals are typically based on claims of unfair or inequitable treatment, conflicts between the grade and syllabus policy, or related concerns.

   • The instructor will review your appeal and provide a response.

2. Appeal to the Associate Dean

   • If you are not satisfied with the instructor's decision, you may submit a written appeal to Dr. Brenda Petersen, Associate Dean of Nursing at brenda.petersen@maine.edu.

   • Note: Dr. Petersen will not review appeals unless you have first appealed to the instructor. If you have not done so, she will redirect you to Step 1.

3. Further Appeals

   • If you wish to appeal beyond Dr. Petersen’s decision, she will provide guidance on the next steps and appropriate contacts.

If you are a student appealing dismissal from the nursing major or a course progression policy follow these steps:

1. Submit Your Appeal

   • Appeals must be submitted within 30 days of the progression letter being emailed to you.

   • Complete the UGAA Appeal Form, which provides space for you to type or paste your appeal letter.

   • It is recommended that you draft your letter in a separate document before submitting it in the form.

2. Review and Decision Process

   • The UGAA Committee will review your appeal and send a decision via email.

   • Since the committee meets once per month, it may take several weeks to receive a response.

Writing Your Appeal Letter

To strengthen your appeal, consider the following guidelines:

• 1. It is strongly recommended that you meet with your nursing faculty advisor before submitting your appeal.

  2. Proofread your letter to eliminate grammatical errors and typos.

  3. Include the Following in Your Letter:

     • The Specific Policy Being Appealed - Clearly state the policy you are appealing. Example: “I am writing to request permission to take Course XYZ while retaking Course ABC.”

     • Reason for the Appeal - Explain why you are appealing and present compelling reasons why the committee should consider an exception.

     • Plan for Overcoming Challenges - Describe how you will address the issues that led to the progression concern.

     • Strategies for Academic Success - Outline the specific strategies you will use to succeed in the program, especially given the rigorous nursing coursework.

Students who wish to request a cohort or campus change (e.g., Portland to Lewiston or vice versa) must submit the UGAA Appeal Form.

The form includes a space to type or paste your appeal letter. To ensure clarity and ease of submission, consider drafting your letter in a separate document before pasting it into the form.

Students who are not admitted to the School of Nursing and want to appeal that decision should contact the Director of the Office of Admissions, Britney Mitchell, britney.walker@maine.edu. 

If a student wishes to appeal any of the criteria for the 32-credit change of major to nursing process, they should follow these instructions.

1. Discuss the appeal with their professional academic advisor.

2. Submit the UGAA Appeal Form.

   • Note that the form will provide space for you to type, or paste in the content of your appeal letter.  You may want to draft the letter in a document so that you can more easily paste it into the form.