The College of Arts & Sciences Office of the Dean and the College's Faculty Committee on Academic Appeals (FCAA) provide four appeal options to its Undergraduate students. Please review the appeal descriptions of each below to determine if you are eligible. Should you determine you are eligible, please know all appeals must be submitted by the student directly. Appeals submitted by parents/guardians, doctors, attorneys, etc. will not be accepted. Appeals must be submitted prior to conferral of degree as transcripts will not be altered after this date. The student maintains full responsibility for the impact of any appeal decision, especially as it relates to their billing, financial aid, visa status, degree progress and graduation. Appeals will be reviewed by the FCAA and the University Registrar or their appropriate designee(s). A final determination will be provided to the student within 30 business days.
- The Residency Requirement Appeal should be submitted when the student has appropriate justification and/or documentation to support taking courses outside of the University of Miami after they have successfully completed 75 credits at UM as the University requires the final 45 credits to be completed in residence. Examples of appropriate justification include but are not limited to course offerings, etc.
- The Second Language Appeal should be submitted when the student has appropriate documentation to support attending a secondary high school full-time in which the primary language of instruction was a language other than English. For example, a student would qualify if they attended a high school where all subjects were taught in a non-English language and could provide transcript and diploma documents.
- The Retroactive Withdraw without a W Appeal, which when successful will result in the removal of a course from the academic transcript, should be submitted when the student can provide documentation of an extreme, unforeseen circumstance or medical emergency which prevented them from withdrawing by the posted academic calendar deadline of that term. The date to withdraw from a course without a W, which changes each term, can be found in the Academic Calendar and must align with the required documentation submitted by the student in order to be eligible for review. For example, if a student were hospitalized the day before the last day to withdraw without a W and subsequently could not drop the course, they would qualify for FCAA review through submission of the appeal and dated documentation. Consequently, a student would likely not qualify for this appeal if they experienced a hospitalization and were discharged a month prior to the start of the academic term, however, chose to remain enrolled beyond the posted deadline. To avoid delays, please review the Academic Calendar prior to appeal submission to determine if your dated documentation would make you eligible for this appeal. You may find you do not qualify or that it is more appropriate for you to appeal for Retroactive Withdraw with a W. A rationale and supporting documentation are required for all appeal submissions, please know appeals will not be reviewed without these files.
- The Retroactive Withdraw with a W Appeal, which when successful will result in the posting of a W as the course grade on the academic transcript, should be submitted when the student can provide documentation of an extreme, unforeseen circumstance or medical emergency which prevented them from withdrawing by the posted academic calendar deadline of that term. The date to withdraw from a course with a W, which changes each term, can be found in the Academic Calendar and must align with the required documentation submitted by the student in order to be eligible for review. For example, if a student were hospitalized the day before the last day to withdraw with a W and subsequently could not drop the course, they would qualify for review through submission of the appeal and dated documentation. Consequently, a student would likely not qualify for this appeal if they experienced a hospitalization and were discharged a month prior to the posted deadline, however, chose to remain enrolled beyond the posted deadline. To avoid delays, please review the Academic Calendar prior to appeal submission to determine if your dated documentation would make you eligible for this appeal. You may find you do not qualify or that it may be more appropriate to appeal for Retroactive Withdrawal without a W. A rationale and supporting documentation is required for all appeal submission, appeals will not be reviewed without these files.
