UNMC College of Medicine (COM) students appealing academic probation or dismissal, imposed by the Student Evaluation Committee (SEC) shall proceed as follows:
Grounds for appeals are instances in which probation or dismissal was imposed in a manner that:
- the student believes was prejudiced or capricious
- the student believes was contrary to COM/UNMC policies or procedures
If a student believes that there are grounds for appeal (as noted above) of academic probation or dismissal, a written appeal must be made to the Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs within 5 calendar days (excluding UNMC-sanctioned student breaks and holidays) of receiving notification of academic probation or dismissal from the SEC.
After submission of the appeal, an academic probation/dismissal Appeal Board for the COM will be convened.
Academic Probation/Dismissal Appeal Board Membership
The Board will be appointed and convened by the Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs.
The Board shall consist of four (4) COM faculty members and one (1) medical student, all with equal voting status. The Board shall not include current members of the student evaluation committee (SEC), COM faculty who have direct oversight or involvement in the student’s performance assessment and evaluation, or other individuals who might have a conflict of interest as outlined in the COM Conflict of Interest Policy. Each member of the Board and the student will be asked to sign a formal document stating that they have no real or known potential conflict of interest with the student or members of the Board, respectively.
The members of the Board shall select one of the members as Chairperson. The Chairperson shall, in all cases, vote as a member of the Board. The Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs or designee shall function as secretary to the Board. The secretary shall keep minutes of the Board’s proceedings and does not have a vote.
Academic Probation/Dismissal Appeal Board Process
All steps and the appeal process will follow the UNMC Appeals of Academic Evaluations Guidelines.
The Board will be convened at a predetermined me and place.
The student requesting an appeal will be given notice of the time and place of the meeting, its membership, and the procedures to be followed.
An appearance by the student before the Board is not mandatory. The decision of the Board is independent of the student appearing before the body. The purpose of providing the student with access to the Board is to guarantee that all the information required is provided and to reassure the student that the Board’s actions will be careful and deliberate.
- Any student who accepts the calendar invitation to appear before the Board is expected to attend at the notified scheduled time and place.
- If extenuating circumstances arise, preventing the student from appearing at the scheduled time and place, the student must contact the Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs as soon as possible so that efforts can be made to reschedule their appearance before the Board.
- If a student does not communicate in advance of the start scheduled time, the Board will proceed.
- If extenuating circumstances arise, preventing the student from appearing at the scheduled time and place, the student must contact the Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs as soon as possible so that efforts can be made to reschedule their appearance before the Board.
- Any student who declines the calendar invitation to appear before the Board may submit a written statement at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting time. This must be submitted to the Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs to be reviewed by the Board to clarify other information not already expressed in the initial submission.
Declining an invitation to appear before the Board or failure to appear before the Board at the scheduled time are not grounds for an appeal of the Board’s decision.
An advisor of choice may accompany the student when appearing before the Board. The advisor's name must be provided to the Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs at least one week before the meeting date and time. The role of the advisor shall be limited to aiding the student; the advisor may not participate in the proceedings.
In addition, legal counsel may also accompany the student. The name and contact information for the legal counsel must be provided to the Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs at least one week before the meeting date and time. The role of student’s legal counsel shall be limited to aiding the student. In the instance where legal counsel will accompany the student, the University's legal counsel will be present to advise the Board on procedural and other matters.
Although it will not be necessary to provide a verbatim transcript of statements before the Board, either the student or the Board chairperson may request that the proceedings be audio recorded.
Requests by students for an audio recording of a meeting must be made at least one week before the meeting date and me. If the Board chairperson requests an audio recording of a meeting, the student shall be notified prior to the meeting. If a request for an audio recording of the meeting is made, the secretary shall arrange for an audio recording of the student’s statements and the statements of any other witnesses (e.g., SEC chairperson). Deliberations of the Board will not be audio recorded. The student shall have access to the audio recording.
The student must show by preponderance of the evidence that the initial academic probation or dismissal imposed by the SEC was decided in a manner that was prejudiced, capricious, or contrary to COM/UNMC policies or procedures.
After consideration of all the presented written and/or oral statements, the Board shall decide by anonymous ballot either to recommend sustaining the academic probation or dismissal imposed by the SEC, its abrogation, or modification. The recommendation of the Board, which will be based solely on the information presented and discussion at the meeting and restricted to a matter of process, shall be presented to the Dean of the COM. The Dean of the COM will make the final decision.
In cases in which a student is reinstated, a program of remediation or repetition to meet academic expectations shall be developed. The program may come from a recommendation of the Board and may become part of the action recommended to the Dean. Additional COM input may be provided by the Office of Student Affairs (OASA), Office of Medical Education (OME), and/or SEC. The remediation program is not appealable.
Approved by the Curriculum Committee: July 28, 2026