Certain situations may warrant a formal request for an exception to established university policies regarding your degree or program of study. In these instances, it is important to follow the proper workflow and protocols in submitting your request.
Graduate Student Academic Exception Request and Appeal Procedures
The Office of Graduate Education understands that students may occasionally need an exception to university policy during their academic journey. For graduate students that wish to seek an exception to an academic policy, which always precedes a graduate academic appeal, all requests must begin within the student’s department/academic program. A request for exception to academic policy does not guarantee the request will be granted. A request for exception is not the process for grade appeals, course enrollment adjustments, or to alter an Honor Committee decision.
All Academic Exception Requests (AERs) must first:
- Begin with the student's academic unit,
- Receive approval from the academic unit
- Receive approval from the college or school according to the college or school's policy exception review process.
Your school will have specific academic exception request submission guidelines publicly available.
Review your academic unit’s and college/school’s specific procedures for seeking an Academic Exception Request (AER).
Contact Your College/School for Assistance with AER procedures
Antonin Scalia Law School
Law School Academic Regulations - Policy AR-3-10.2
Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution
College of Education and Human Development
College of Engineering and Computing
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
College of Visual and Performing Arts
Additional Approvals from the Associate Provost for Graduate Education
Some academic exception requests require additional approval by the Associate Provost for Graduate Education or their designee. These requests will be forwarded by the college or school following their internal approvals process.
| Requests requiring approval from the Associate Provost for Graduate Education: |
|---|
| Acceptance of more than 24 credits of 998 or 999 in one degree. |
| Posthumous award of a degree. |
| Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Transition form when attempting to file after graduation from the bachelor’s degree program; when student misses the deadline to turn in the transition form by last day to add in final term; take less than 18 credits in master’s degree status; and/or taking less than half of the total credits earned for the master’s at Mason. |
| Continuous Enrollment Waiver Request in thesis or dissertation; for 998 or 999 when a student hasn’t enrolled for a semester or more after advancement towards candidacy. |
| Extension of Incomplete when requests for extension are beyond the last day of classes of the semester following that in which the course was taught (summers excepted). |
| Retroactive Graduation when the term and any academic action taken is after the 6-week deadline for the graduation term being requested. |
| Termination Appeal when a college/school approves a student’s request for exception from the college/school’s termination eligibility policy. |
| Extension of Time Limit to Complete Degree when requests are made for an extension of more than one year, or for an extension request after an initial extension has been granted. Note: Subsequent requests for an extension must be based on different circumstances than prior extensions. |
| Voluntary Resignation when requests for resignation are for a term of more than one year prior to a request. |
Considerations
The factors the APGE, or designee, may consider when reviewing an AER for approval include, but are not limited to, the following:
- The college or school's decision or position
- The student's academic history at Mason
- Compelling unforeseen circumstances that prompted the student's request
The APGE, or designee, will contact the college/school or student if additional information is required.
Appealing the Denial of an Academic Exception Request
If an Academic Exception Request (AER) is denied, the student has the option to appeal that decision within five (5) business days of receiving the adverse decision notification.
Only one level of appeal is permitted (i.e., the student may not appeal the appellate decision of the Associate Provost for Graduate Education (APGE)).
Requests Denied by the College/School
If the student’s AER was denied by the college or school, the student may appeal that decision to the APGE, or designee.
In the appeal, the burden rests on the student to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that:
- There were material and substantial procedural irregularities during the college/school’s review process (i.e., the college/school deviated from its documented academic policy exception review procedures in a material and substantial manner during the review of the request);
- New and material information arose after the college/school’s review that was not available for presentation to the college/school prior to the issuance of the decision; or
- The decision maker was biased, which had a material impact on the decision. Discontentment or disagreement with the decision of the college/school is not a valid basis for an appeal.
If the APGE, or designee, affirms the decision of the college/school, that decision is final. If the APGE, or designee, first determines that there is clear and convincing evidence of one of the three aforementioned grounds, the APGE, or designee, will then proceed to consider the policy exception request in its entirety.
The factors the APGE, or designee, may consider when reviewing the request for approval include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) the position of the unit;
(2) the student’s academic history at Mason; and
(3) whether there were compelling, unforeseen circumstances that prompted the student’s request.
The APGE, or designee, will contact the college/school or student if additional information is required. The APGE, or designee, may grant or deny the policy exception request. The APGE, or designee, decision is final with no further option for appeal.
The APGE, or designee, shall communicate any appeal and AER decisions before that office to the student, the college/school, and the Office of the University Registrar. The college/school shall remain responsible for communicating any other academic policy decisions, including academic program termination, to the student.
Submission of the appeal must be made within five business days of notification of denial by the college/school (see below for process for submitting an appeal). The APGE, or designee, may extend this deadline at their discretion for extenuating circumstances. If no appeal is made, the college/school’s decision is final.
Requests Denied by the APGE or Designee
Note: This section applies only to AERs that require an additional approval by the APGE, or designee, as described above.
If a student’s AER is approved by the college/school, but the APGE, or designee, does not approve it, the student may appeal that decision to the Graduate Academic Appeals Committee (GAAC), a subcommittee of Graduate Council that consists of a minimum of five members of the graduate faculty, appointed by the Council Chair.
In the appeal, the burden rests on the student to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that:
- There were material and substantial procedural irregularities during the APGE, or designee’s, review process (i.e., the APGE, or designee, deviated from that office’s documented academic policy exception review procedures in a material and substantial manner during the review of the request); and/or
- New and material information arose after the APGE, or designee, review that was not available for presentation to APGE, or designee, prior to the issuance of the adverse decision; and/or
- The decision maker was biased, which had a material impact on the decision. Discontentment or disagreement with the decision of the APGE, or designee, is not a valid basis for an appeal.
The GAAC does not hear appeals-of-appeals decided by the APGE, or designee. The committee considers only appeals of denials of the requisite additional approval of certain AERs by the APGE, or designee.
If the GAAC determines there is clear and convincing evidence of one or more of the three aforementioned grounds, only then will the GAAC proceed to consider the AER in its entirety using the criteria.
The factors the GAAC may consider when reviewing the request for approval include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) the position of the unit;
(2) the student’s academic history at Mason; and
(3) whether there were compelling, unforeseen circumstances that prompted the student’s request.
The GAAC may grant or deny the AER. A minimum of three GAAC members are required to consider an appeal and a majority vote is required for any decision. The GAAC decision is final.
The GAAC shall communicate any appeal decision before it to the student, the APGE/designee, the college/school, and the Office of the University Registrar. The college/school shall remain responsible for communicating any other academic policy decisions, including academic program termination, to the student.
Submission of the appeal must be made within five business days of notification of denial by the APGE, or designee (see below for process for submitting an appeal). The GAAC may extend this deadline at its discretion for extenuating circumstances. If no appeal is made, the APGE, or designee’s, decision is final.
Process for Submitting an Appeal
Eligible graduate students who wish to appeal an adverse decision to the APGE or the GAAC, as applicable, must submit documentation supporting their case within five (5) business days from receiving the adverse decision. Please follow the below steps.
- If you wish to appeal an adverse Time Limit Extension (TLE), please return to the denial email you received and click on the green button at the bottom of the page that says “Would you like to submit an appeal” to submit your appeal application.
- If you wish to appeal any other exception request denials, please submit your appeal application to geappeal@gmu.edu.
The information must include:
- A letter explaining the circumstances of the student’s case, which of the three bases for an appeal the student is asserting, and why the appeal should be granted.
- Any supporting documentation that substantiates what is asserted in the letter including any new and material information that could not have been submitted before the issuance of the earlier adverse decision for the student, if that is a basis for the student’s appeal.
Note: Documents should be submitted in pdf format unless directed otherwise. No original documents should be submitted, and no documents will be returned to the student. We are unable to make copies for the student either for submission or for return.
All information the student feels is necessary to understand the case and make a decision must be included at the time of submission. Subsequent information will not be considered unless it has been requested by the reviewing entity.
Questions should be submitted to the Director of Graduate Academic and Student Affairs via email to geappeal@gmu.edu.
Complaints Not Related to Academic Exceptions or Appeals
To report a complaint not related to graduate student academic policy and related procedures, a graduate student can choose from the following two options:
- Seeking an informal resolution: email provgrad@gmu.edu.
- Filing a formal written complaint: visit https://complaints.gmu.edu and select “Discrimination and Title IX” or “Other Written Complaints” as applicable.
In either case, a member of our staff will contact you to obtain any additional information that is needed to provide guidance for a resolution.
Students can also visit (https://complaints.gmu.edu) for student self-advocacy resources to help resolve an issue.