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Academic appeals under review

By Rosanne Van Vierzen

Ryerson’s appeals process is undergoing reconstruction.

After students and faculty lodged numerous complaints over the way academic appeals are handled, administration decided to create a committee to review the process which hasn’t been changed since 1983.

“The process is probably being reviewed because I bitched about it enough,” said Jim Dianda, chair of the committee and head of the philosophy department.

The appeals process allows students to challenge their final course grades and involves up to three stages.

While Dianda will not say what changes will be proposed, the committee — comprised of four students and four faculty members — has looked at the way appeals are received and the time it takes to reach a final decision.

Ryerson’s ombudsperson Liz Hoffman said two of the biggest gripes she hears from students is the appeals process is too confusing and the school doesn’t’ respond within the 10-day period promised.

“I’m concerned about what the students want,” Hoffman said. “I sit in on the committee meetings to hear and react to the changes.”

Besides being a complex process, Dianda believes students aren’t getting the information they need on how and when to appeal a grade or academic standing. He believes their lack of understanding ahs led to more appeals being processed than necessary.

“Students don’t get the right kind of information concerning how one appeals,” Dianda said. “Ryerson doesn’t lay out that information properly.”

The eight-member review committee has been meeting since last winter and plan to present its recommendations to academic council in March.

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