How to Appeal
It is your right to appeal if you disagree with the charge and/or the recommended penalty. After meeting with the AIO, you can appeal by submitting the Academic Integrity Violation Appeal Form to AIO@tntech.edu within five business days after meeting with the AIO. If you do not email the appeal form within those five business days without extenuating circumstances, you cannot appeal. If you appeal, there will be an appeal hearing within eight business days after you submit your appeal form.
Here are helpful hints for filling out the appeal form:
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- You can fill out most of the form on a computer. However, you must print it out and sign it by hand.
- Use the original charging document you received to complete the course prefix, course #, section number, and the date the instructor discovered the potential violation.
- If your original charging document has a university-level penalty of academic integrity
suspension or academic integrity expulsion, you must complete the information in the
dotted rectangle.
- As per Policy 112, Tennessee state law grants you the right to choose a UAPA hearing if your recommended penalty includes Academic Integrity Suspension or Academic Integrity Expulsion.
- A UAPA hearing is much more formal, similar to a courtroom with lawyers.
- If you choose to have a UAPA hearing, you must check the first box to opt in. Then, sign and submit the form. The Tennessee Tech process ends, and the UAPA process begins.
- If you choose not to have a UAPA hearing and want your appeal heard by the University Academic Integrity Committee, you must check the second box to voluntarily opt out. Then, continue completing the form.
- You choose what you are appealing.
- The original charging document lists your recommended penalties on the second page.
- You have a class-level penalty; you may or may not have a university-level recommended penalty.
- Describe why you are appealing.
- You get an opportunity to speak at the appeal hearing, but the hearing committee also receives this documentation.
- It's important to be specific about why the committee should support your appeal.
- You can attach additional pages as needed.
- Don't forget to sign the appeal form before you scan it (not take a picture). You can use the printers in the library to scan the completed, signed document. Then, email it to AIO@tntech.edu from your @tntech.edu email address.
When you met with the AIO, you should have reviewed the appeal form already. However, feel free to schedule another AIO meeting or email AIO@tntech.edu for help completing the appeal form. Be sure to plan in advance for getting the AIO's help so you can still meet your appeal form deadline.
Be sure to review the Procedures Overview and the Student Procedures & Deadlines for information about the rest of the process.
