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Appealing a Decision of Probation, Suspension, or Dismissal
Students who have been placed on probation, suspended, or dismissed from the Conservatory have the right to appeal the decision by following this procedure:

1. Appeal of the action is made to the Dean of the Conservatory. Appeal of any action must be made, in writing using the Appeals Form, within 7 calendar days of the action taken.

2. The Dean appoints a review committee to hear the appeal. The three-person committee will be comprised of three members of the faculty and/or staff not directly involved in the student’s infractions leading to probation, dismissal, etc. The committee shall be chaired by the Dean.

3. The student may select a maximum of 2 advocates to speak on his/her behalf (but not as members of the review committee) at the review hearing.

4. The Dean sets the day and time of the appeal review hearing.

5. At the appeal review hearing, the Dean provides the committee with a summary of the circumstances leading to the action taken by the school. The student presents his/her case, the documentation and arguments to the committee. The committee may ask questions of the student at this time. The student’s advocates will speak at this meeting.

6. After the case has been presented, the student will be dismissed from the meeting, allowing the committee an opportunity to question the advocates if desired. The advocates will be excused after any questions by the committee.

7. The committee will then consider the case and, if necessary, may request additional information from the student or other parties.

8. The committee will make a recommendation to the Dean of an outcome. The Dean will then make a ruling in the case. Once that decision is made, the student is notified by the Dean. Every effort will be made to notify the student within 24 hours of the hearing, but in some cases more time may be needed.

9. If the outcome does not overturn the probation, dismissal, etc. the student may appeal the decision to the Provost of the School within 72 hours. The Provost’s decision in this appeal will be final.

Student Grievances

A grievance is a complaint that a student makes arising out of a decision or action taken by a faculty or staff member in the course of his or her official duty which, in the student’s opinion, a) is in violation of written campus policies or procedures; or b) constitutes arbitrary, capricious, or unequal application of written campus policies or procedures.

Whenever possible, the student is encouraged to self-advocate through the appropriate channels beginning with direct and open communication with all parties involved. If, for any reason, a student does not feel comfortable in communicating a grievance with any party involved, a confidential grievance may be filled through the form below.

The school strongly believes that grievances should be resolved promptly. There will be no retaliation against a student for presenting a grievance, and all parties shall proceed toward resolution of the grievance in a spirit of mutual cooperation. Once decisions are made, students have the right to appeal. While the school agrees not to retaliate against a student for filing a grievance or an appeal, it is understood that students shall not file grievances or appeals frivolously, nor take the lack of retaliation as permission to abuse or harass members of the Colburn community.

Procedure

• A student who wishes to file a formal grievance must complete and submit the Grievance Form (found below) and supporting material to the Dean of the Conservatory. In circumstances when the grievance involves the Dean, the form and supporting material will be forwarded to the Provost.
• The Dean, in consultation with faculty and the appropriate parties shall review the grievance within 10 business days, meeting with all parties involved as appropriate to the complaint.
• All complaints will remain as confidential as possible, consistent with the conduct of an effective investigation.
• The Dean shall determine how to move forward depending on the nature of the grievance. When necessary, this step may include creating a special review panel, consisting of multiple member of the community. Pursuant to a resolution of the grievance, the Dean may review of documentation, witness testimony, etc., as appropriate.
• The Dean, in consultation with the parties involved, shall make a decision as to the required action, and shall communicate the decision to the student and other parties involved.
• If the student wishes to appeal further, he/she must appeal in writing to the Provost, stating the grounds for appeal and including any further information related to the appeal.
• The Provost’s decision shall be in writing and will be final.

Student Rights

Students enrolled at the Colburn School have the following rights as part of the contract of their enrollment:

• Students have the right to equal treatment, without regard for race, color, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, ethnic origin, or religious belief.
• Students have the right to an environment free from discrimination and harassment.
• Students have the right to expect academic and musical evaluation free from prejudice or capriciousness.
• Students have the right to file grievances when they feel circumstances require such action.
• Students have the right to free inquiry, expression, and association.
• Students have the right to a secure environment at all times. The Colburn School reserves the right to withdraw the privilege of enrollment from any student whose conduct is detrimental to the academic environment or to the well-being of other students, faculty or staff members, the Colburn community, or physical facilities.
• Students have the rights provided in the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA); these include rights against improper disclosure of information, and freedom of access to their personal records.