At its February 10, 2017, meeting, the College Senate voted to approve recommendations for two new DOPS policies on appeal processes for denial of undergraduate and graduate admission and to forward those recommendations to the president for consideration and action.
Appeal Process for Denial of Undergraduate Admission
New DOPS Policy – I:01:07 (proposed number)
Introduced at the December 2016 Senate Meeting
by the Standards for Students Committee
WHEREAS, a DOPS policy statement outlining the appeal process for denial of undergraduate admission does not exist; and
WHEREAS, the Admissions Office drafted a policy outlining an appeal process for applicants denied undergraduate admission; and
WHEREAS, codifying an appeals process that notes the reasons applicants may appeal and the procedure that must be followed for the appeal will assist the college in ensuring the equitable treatment of all applicants requesting an appeal of the decision to deny admission to Buffalo State;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT Buffalo State College adopt the following policy outlining the appeals process for applicants denied undergraduate admission:
Appeal Process for Denial of Undergraduate Admission
Undergraduate admission appeals will be considered based on significant new information and/or fair implementation of Buffalo State and academic program admission policies. A written appeal is to be submitted to the director of undergraduate admissions within 45 calendar days after the date of the notice denying admission.
The director of undergraduate admissions or his or her designee will review all relevant documentation and make a final decision. Every reasonable effort will be made to respond to the applicant within 30 calendar days of the receipt of the applicant's initial written appeal for reconsideration. If the final decision grants acceptance, admission will be effective for the next semester unless the final decision is made before the end of the current semester’s registration period.
Reconsideration and Appeal Processes for Denial of Graduate Admission
New DOPS Policy – I:01:08 (proposed number)
Introduced at the December 2016 Senate Meeting
by the Standards for Students Committee
WHEREAS, a DOPS policy statement outlining the appeal process for denial of graduate admission does not exist; and
WHEREAS, the Graduate Advisory Committee drafted a policy outlining an appeal process for applicants denied graduate admission and referred it to the College Senate for review and action; and
WHEREAS, codifying an appeals process that notes the reasons applicants may appeal and the procedure that must be followed for the appeal will assist the college in ensuring the equitable treatment of all applicants requesting an appeal of the decision to deny admission to Buffalo State,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT Buffalo State College adopt the following policy outlining the appeals process for applicants denied graduate admission:
Reconsideration and Appeal Processes for Denial of Graduate Admission
Applicants to graduate programs who have been denied admission should first contact the intended academic program or department directly if they wish to inquire as to the basis for the original decision or to request reconsideration. A written request for reconsideration must be received by the graduate program within 14 calendar days of denial. Evaluating the admissibility of applicants to its program is solely the responsibility of the admitting graduate program, and it will issue its reconsideration decision within 14 calendar days of receiving the reconsideration request from the applicant.
Applicants who wish to appeal an admission denial after they have requested reconsideration from the graduate program may submit a written appeal, which must include a statement of the basis for the appeal. The appeal is to be submitted to the dean of the Graduate School within 45 calendar days after the date of the initial notice denying admission. Graduate admission appeals will be considered in terms of fair implementation of Buffalo State and program admission policies and only if based on appropriate cause, such as (a) procedural error or (b) judgments based on criteria other than those specified by Buffalo State. Disagreements over evaluation of academic quality or program fit will not be considered as an appropriate basis for such appeals. The dean of the Graduate School will review all relevant documentation submitted by the applicant and graduate program and, in consultation with the dean of the academic school to which the applicant applied, will render a final admission decision. Every reasonable effort will be made to transmit a decision to the applicant within 90 calendar days of the receipt of the student’s initial written appeal to the dean of the Graduate School. In reporting the final decision of the dean of the Graduate School to the applicant, the dean of the academic school, and the graduate program, the basis of the decision will be included. If the final decision grants admission to the graduate program, admission will be effective for the next semester unless the final decision is made before the end of the current semester’s registration period.
I hereby approve the new DOPS policy for appeal processes for denial of undergraduate and graduate admissions recommended by the College Senate. I charge the provost with responsibility for overseeing the implementation of these new policies so that they can be applied during this spring 2017 semester.
