Appeal Procedure

Mediation

At the discretion of the Chattahoochee Technical College President, CTC may adopt a mediation procedure to be utilized prior to the appeals set forth herein. Mediation may never be used in cases of alleged sexual misconduct.

Hearing/Appeals Procedure

1. A student who wishes to appeal a disciplinary decision by the Student Disciplinary Officer regarding an assigned sanction of restitution, reprimand, restriction, disciplinary probation, or failing or lowered grade must file a written notice of appeal through the college president's office for review by the Hearing Body within five business days of notification of the decision. The person filing the initial complaint against the student must be notified of the hearing date.
2. If the Student Disciplinary Officer recommended a sanction of disciplinary suspension, disciplinary expulsion, interim disciplinary suspension, or system-wide expulsion, the matter will be referred to the Hearing Body by the vice president for Student Affairs. The student need not file a written notice of his or her desire to appear before the Hearing Body. The person filing the initial complaint shall also be given notification of the hearing.
3. The student will then have the right to appear in a hearing before a Hearing Body assigned by the college President or his/her designee within 10 business days to present evidence and/or testimony. If the student has been placed on an interim disciplinary suspension, the hearing must be held as soon as possible, preferably within five days. The student has the right to be assisted by any single advisor he/she chooses, at his/her own expense. The student is responsible for presenting his/her own case and, therefore, advisors are not permitted to speak or to participate directly in any hearing before a Hearing Body. The Hearing Body may consist of a single person or a group of people drawn from CTC's college community. There shall be a single official record, such as a tape recording, of all hearings before the Hearing Body. The official record shall be the property of Chattahoochee Technical College. The standard of proof in all hearings shall be a preponderance of the evidence. The chairperson of the Hearing Body shall notify the technical college president and the vice president for Student Affairs in writing of the Hearing Body's decision. The college President or his/her designee will notify the student in writing of the Hearing Body's decision.
4. If the student appeared before the Hearing Body to appeal the Student Disciplinary Officer’s sanction of restitution, reprimand, restriction, disciplinary probation, or failing or lowered grade, the Hearing Body's decision regarding the appeal is final. A copy of the Hearing Body's written decision will be provided to both the student and the person who filed the original complaint.
5. If the student appeared before the Hearing Body after the Student Disciplinary Officer recommended disciplinary suspension, disciplinary expulsion, interim disciplinary suspension, or system-wide expulsion, the student shall have the opportunity to appeal directly to CTC's college President.
6. If entitled to an appeal to the college president, the student shall have 5 business days after receiving written notification of the Hearing Body's decision to request in writing an appeal. The student shall ensure that all relevant information is included with this request. The person who filed the original complaint shall be notified of the student's appeal.
7. The President of Chattahoochee Technical College or his/her designee's review shall be in writing and shall only consider evidence currently in the record, new facts not brought up in earlier stages of the appeal shall not be considered. The college President or his/her designee shall deliver the decision to the student and the person who filed the original complaint within 10 business days. The decision of the college President or his/her designee shall be final and binding.