The Academic Standing Appeals Committee will evaluate petitions for exemptions to academic regulations in the area of, withdrawals, retention, dismissals, grade changes, and other matters of academic standing. The results of this work will be sent to the Provost and Registrar. 

What is NOT appropriate for Appeal to the University Academic Appeals Committee:

  • Academic grievances concerning the grade itself. Consult the academic catalog for the appropriate grade appeal.
  • Issues related to financial aid and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Please link to SAP website.
  • Requesting removal of W’s from the record.
  • Graduation requirements
  • Admissions appeals

Information related to financial aid and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeals are found at the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.

Graduate students cannot appeal Dismissal Suspension through this process. Contact Nikki Palamiotis for next steps.

Appeal Deadline Dates

It is the responsibility of the student to submit a complete Academic Standing Appeal packet to the Office of the Registrar by the posted deadline. Packets received after the posted deadline will be deferred to the next appeal meeting.

All appeals must be submitted by NOON of the deadline: The committee meetings are scheduled:
Friday, October 4, 2024 Friday, October 18, 2024, 10:00am
Wednesday, December 18, 2024 Friday, January 3, 2025, 10:00am & Friday, January 10, 2025, 9:00am (January 10 withdrawal appeals ONLY this date)
Friday, February 14, 2025 Friday, February 28, 2025, 9:00am
Thursday, May 15, 2025                    Friday, May 23, 2025, 10:00am & Friday, May 30, 2025, 10:00am (May 30 withdrawal appeals ONLY this date)
Friday, June 20, 2025 Monday, July 7, 2025, 10:00am
Friday, August 1, 2025 Friday, August 8, 2025, 2:00pm & Friday, August 15, 2025, 10:00am (August 15 withdrawal appeals ONLY this date)
Friday, September 19, 2025 Friday, October 3, 2025, 10:00am

Incomplete, illegible or handwritten appeal packets will not be addressed by the Academic Standing Appeal Committee.  Students will be notified of missing or incomplete appeal packets by email. Appeals deemed incomplete will require resubmission of a completed appeal form. 

The appeal decision will be emailed two to three business days after the committee reviews and votes on the appeal. Your KSU email is the address in which you will be notified regarding your appeal. If you do not have an active KSU email account, you may provide an alternate email address. 

Inquiries should be directed to academicappeal@kennesaw.edu.

Required Documentation 

Documentation must be uploaded in a PDF format. 

Personal Statement:
In addition to completing the appeal form, a student is required to write a personal statement of the hardship. The statement is a narrative to explain and convey the non-academic emergency or hardship to the Academic Standing Committee.  It is essential that accurate details about the circumstances surrounding the hardship are included such as dates of the emergency and an account of how the situation specifically prevented the student from completing the course work.

Medical (e.g. physical or psychological emergencies or birth of a child):
Typed correspondence on office letterhead from a physician, psychologist, psychiatrist, or any licensed healthcare professional should be submitted as part of your documentation.  The letter should include the dates for which you were under the doctor’s care, a statement of how your illness/condition interfered with the completion of your coursework and the name, title, and signature of that individual.  Notes on prescription pads, appointment slips, and/or medical consultation forms are not acceptable in lieu of a doctor’s letter.  Regarding the birth of a child, a copy of the child's birth certificate and a written statement from a medical professional confirming the extenuating circumstances caused by the birth of the child.

Personal (e.g., death in the family, family crisis, etc.):
All family emergencies require official and/or notarized forms, documents or correspondence from a state agency, a governmental entity or reputable business.  For example, death of a close family relative requires a death certificate. In cases of divorce, attach supporting court documents and a written statement from a counselor, pastor, employer, instructor, attorney or adviser confirming the extenuating circumstances.

Financial (e.g., loss of sole-supporting job, head of household challenges, mandatory job changes):
Financial emergencies require the student’s employer or supervisor to document the mandatory change(s), the date of the change, and the organizational representative who can verify the circumstances of the job change, preferably a human resource professional. 

Withdrawal Appeal

This appeal can be submitted by both undergraduate and graduate students.

Students may appeal for a hardship withdrawal when non-academic emergency situations occur which prevent them from completing their course work (e.g. severe medical problems, traumatic events or circumstances) causing a student to miss numerous classes.  A student who feels an "F" (for non-attendance) or "WF" (for failure to withdraw properly) was unjustly assigned may appeal to the Academic Standing Committee to request the grade be changed to a "W".

Typically, non-academic hardships tend to fall into one of three categories: medical, personal, and financial.  Partial withdrawals are rarely granted unless there is a compelling reason for such requests.  If a student is requesting a partial withdrawal, a clearly outlined explanation as to how and/or why the non-academic emergency impacted only a portion of the studies must be stated and documented. Example of partial withdrawal: Student has four classes where they have failed two and received passing grades for the other two. 

Hardship withdrawals are subject to the following restrictions: Students are not eligible for hardship withdrawals in a course in which they have completed the course requirements (e.g. taking the final exam or submitting the final project).

In general, the Academic Standing Committee will not consider requests for grade changes beyond one year from the end of the semester in which the grade was assigned. Petitions for a grade change will not be accepted after the date of graduation.

The Academic Standing Committee can only review circumstances related to grade assignments for withdrawals. All other grade appeals must be handled according to the procedures outlined in the Kennesaw State catalog.

Withdrawal Appeal Instructions

The following documentation must be gathered and saved as individual PDF documents before beginning the online appeal form. 

  1. Instructions on how to complete the DocuSign Instructor Form for each class you are appealing are below.  If the instructor is no longer at KSU, contact the Department Chair and ask for assistance. Contact information can be found in the Campus Directory. The completed instructor form must be attached to the appeal form.  Incomplete instructor forms will not be reviewed.

    • Open the form and enter your name and KSU email address and also the instructor’s name and KSU email address. Do not use the D2L email of the instructor. Click “Begin Signing” and enter all  required student information, sign, and click “Finish.”
    • When the instructor has signed, you will receive a notification email from DocuSign. Open and click on VIEW COMPLETED DOCUMENT. Download and save as a PDF to your computer.
    • Upload the PDF copy to the Withdrawal Appeal Form where indicated.
    • Do not upload an unsigned and/or incomplete instructor form to the appeals form.

  2. Gather all required documents:

    • A typed personal statement limited to one page explaining the non-academic situation. This should provide sufficient information to the Academic Standing Committee in order to make a decision regarding your withdrawal appeal. Be sure to include any and all dates that relate to the hardship.
    • Official documentation that supports your personal statement (see Documentation Requirements).
    • For partial appeal requests, include justification and documentation of why only the identified courses were impacted.

  3. Submit the completed Withdrawal Appeal Form attaching all required documentation. 

Dismissal Suspension Appeal

This appeal form is to be used if you are appealing your suspension due to academic dismissal. If your academic dismissal was due to extenuating non-academic circumstances, you may be eligible to appeal to the Academic Standing Committee to waive this suspension. This form is for undergraduates only. Graduate students must appeal through the Office of Graduate Admissions.

First Dismissal Suspension Appeal

First dismissal suspension appeals are only reviewed at the appeals meeting held at the end of the term you were dismissed.  If approved, your one-term suspension is waived and you are allowed to readmit for the next semester. If you are unsure if you should submit a first dismissal suspension appeal, please contact academicappeal@kennesaw.edu.

Second Dismissal Suspension Appeal

Second and third dismissal suspension appeals may be reviewed at any appeals meeting.

In the case of a second dismissal, if the student has not been enrolled for three or more semesters, they just need to reapply.

Dismissal Appeal Instructions

The following documentation must be gathered and saved as individual PDF documents before beginning the online appeal form.

  1. A typed personal statement limited to one page explaining the non-academic situation. This should provide sufficient information to the Academic Standing Committee in order to make a decision regarding your appeal to readmit. Be sure to include any and all dates that relate to the hardship.
  2. Official documentation that supports your personal statement. See documentation requirements on the main Appeals webpage.
  3. A typed Plan of Action for Academic Success. Describe what has changed in your situation that will assist you in achieving academic success in the future. Detail your plan for the courses and steps you will take to ensure your success. You must meet with an academic advisor to develop an academic plan. The advisor signature must be on the plan. If you need assistance contacting an academic advisor, please go to the Academic Advising website to see steps to contact an advisor. 
  4. Submit the completed Dismissal Appeal form attaching all required documentation.
  5. Please note that if your appeal is approved and you are readmitted this does not impact your financial aid status.  You must follow-up with financial aid to submit an SAP Appeal to receive financial aid.
  6. Students needing readmission should complete the readmission application.

Academic Appeal FAQs

 

  • A student on academic probation will be dismissed for any one of the following reasons:

    He/she fails to maintain a 2.00 grade point average for courses attempted in any semester.
    He/she fails to remove himself/herself from academic probation after completing three semesters of attendance.
    A student who is dismissed is not in good academic standing at KSU and is not eligible for immediate readmission.

  • A: The suspension is waived and you will have to readmit for the term in which the committee approved.  The Registrar’s Office will contact you and tell you how to proceed. 
  • A: Academic Standing Appeals are for students to appeal dismissal suspension for non-academic, personal hardships that have impacted the student's studies. Undergraduate students submit appeals to the Academic Standing Committee through the Registrar’s Office.  There is a separate process for graduate students through the Office of Graduate Admissions.
  • A: No, you are eligible to return when you complete your suspension and submit a readmit application by the deadline.  See Admissions Deadlines
  • A: An approved appeal only waives the suspension and allows the student to return the approved semester. The academic standing of dismissal will always remain on the student’s record.
  • A: An appeal for a first dismissal suspension must be submitted by the appeal deadline for the appeals meeting held immediately after the term ends; i.e., if you were dismissed after the spring semester, you must submit your appeal for the meeting that is typically held at the end of May.
  • A: You should follow up with the department, i.e., the Chair, and ask for assistance
  • A: You should follow up with the department, i.e., the Chair, and ask for assistance.