A student wishing to appeal the outcome of a conduct hearing should submit the conduct appeal form on Maxient within two business days of the issuance of the outcome letter. The student will receive confirmation of receipt of the form from an appeals officer at their Sarah Lawrence e-mail address, typically within two business days of submission. The appeals officer is a hearing officer who is not the issuing officer, and who serves in a professional capacity at the College above the level of the issuing officer.
The appeals officer will consider whether the conduct process procedures were followed properly. The appeals officer may also consider new information that was not available at the time the decision was made, if the appeals officer determines that such information is relevant to the case and was truly not available at the time the decision was made. Information that the student chose not to present to the hearing officer at the time of their hearing does not constitute new information. Sanctions resulting from failure to comply with a sanction may not be appealed.
An appeal is not a new hearing, and the student is not present for the appeal. The appeals officer will consider the written appeal statement and the case record only in determining the outcome of an appeal. The appeals officer will communicate the decision to the student in writing once a decision has been reached, generally within five business days. However, unavoidable delays in the processing of an appeal, including the complexity of the case, may require additional time for review.
During the consideration of an appeal, sanctions assessed by the hearing officer will remain in effect. The appeal period/process begins when the appeals officer confirms receipt of the conduct appeals form. If a student has an additional violation of community standards or College policy while an appeal is being reviewed, the student’s prior conduct sanctions and record, including those being appealed, will be considered in responding to the new violation(s).
Only one appeal per incident is permitted, and the decision of the appeals officer is final. No further appeals are permitted. Questions about an appeal should be directed to the appropriate appeals officer.
Record Retention
In accordance with the College’s record retention policy, written records of conduct cases will be maintained for seven years. Written records of cases including suspension or expulsion will be maintained in the student’s permanent record.