Appeal Process

Initial Teacher Preparation

Appeal Process – Failure to Complete Field Experience 

The evaluation of the quality of a teacher candidate’s performance in a field experience is the prerogative of the university and clinical supervisors working in collaboration to guide the teacher candidate’s development in meeting standards and expectations of the program and teaching profession.    If a teacher candidate does not agree with the outcome of the intervention process, the candidate may initiate an appeal process.  It is the candidate’s responsibility to begin this process within three business days of the intervention meeting.  The stages of the appeal process are as follows:

Stage One:  A teacher candidate must submit a written appeal via email to the university supervisor providing additional information and documentation to support the request that the decision be reviewed.  The university supervisor in collaboration with the program coordinator will review the written appeal and provide the candidate with a written response within five business days.  Teacher candidates are strongly encouraged to keep a copy of the written appeal for their records.

Stage Two:  If the teacher candidate is not satisfied after the review by the university supervisor, the candidate must submit a copy of the written appeal to the department chair within three business days of the decision from the university supervisor.  At this stage, the candidate must include all written communication and intervention documentation for the chair to review.  The chair will consult with the instructor and other persons who have relevant information.

Stage Three:   If all efforts to resolve the appeal at the departmental level are unsuccessful, the teacher candidate must submit the written appeal, all communication from the university supervisor and department chair, and all intervention documents to the associate dean for initial educator preparation and assessment within three business days.  The associate dean will examine the appeal and all documents provided by the teacher candidate.  In an attempt to resolve the appeal, the associate dean may consult with the student, university supervisor, department chair, and director of field experiences.  The associate dean will provide the candidate with a written response within five business days.

Stage Four:   If all efforts to resolve the appeal at the associate dean level are unsuccessful, the teacher candidate must submit the written appeal, all communication from the university supervisor, department chair, associate dean, and all intervention documents to the dean of college within three business days.  The dean will examine the appeal and all documents provided by the teacher candidate.  In an attempt to resolve the appeal, the dean may consult with the student, university supervisor, department chair, associate dean, and director of field experiences.  The dean will provide the candidate with a written response within five business days.

Stage Five: If all efforts to resolve the appeal at the college level are unsuccessful, the teacher candidate may submit the written appeal to the Provost.  The Provost will examine the appeal and other pertinent materials submitted by the student.  The Provost will render a final university decision.

Last updated: 3/26/2021