Appeals

Students have the option to appeal to the Faculty Council disciplinary case decisions of the Administrative Board or Honor Council, where the sanction has been a requirement to withdraw or probation for more than one term. Students may appeal because:

  1. the Administrative Board or Honor Council, as appropriate, made a procedural error that may change the outcome of the decision; or
  2. based upon a review of the annual disciplinary statistics of the Board or Council, as appropriate, the sanction imposed was inconsistent with the Board’s or Council’s usual practices and inappropriate.

All appeals need to be filed with the Secretary of the Faculty within one week of the disciplinary decision of the Administrative Board or the Honor Council.  For disciplinary cases in which a student requests reconsideration but also wishes to appeal, appeals must be filed with the Secretary of the Faculty within one week of the decision regarding reconsideration. In cases in which a student does not request a reconsideration but wishes to appeal, appeals must be filed with the Secretary of the Faculty within one week of the disciplinary decision of the Administrative Board. A student may not seek reconsideration following the filing of an appeal.

Such appeals are first screened by the Docket Committee, a group of three elected representatives of the Faculty Council. Once a student has been awarded a degree from Harvard College the option to have the Board or Council reconsider a decision or to appeal to the Faculty Council is closed. Further information about the appeals process can be obtained from the Secretary of the Faculty, at secfas@fas.harvard.edu or by calling 617-495-3613.

In keeping with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a student with a disability who believes that the Administrative Board or Honor Council did not properly consider any claims pertaining to their disability may seek further review from the Director of University Disability Services, including in disciplinary case decisions. For information on grievance procedures, visit the Harvard University Disability Services website.