Overview
This article provides clear, transparent guidance on how the Office of the Provost receives and handles academic appeals. The goal of this outline is straightforward:
- For students to understand the process, what the Provost needs to make fair and well-informed decisions on appeals, and when it is appropriate to bring a matter to the Office of the Provost.
- For faculty and staff to understand their roles in that process and how to effectively support students through it.
This communication reflects the Provost’s commitment to ensuring that every student who comes to the Office of the Provost (OTP) is treated consistently, with care, and with the full weight of the information available. Fairness requires process. Process requires that each level of the appeals structure be honored before a matter reaches my desk.
I. The Appeals Hierarchy
The Office of the Provost (OTP) is the final level of appeal for academic matters at Morehouse College. OTP does not serve as the first point of contact for student appeals, nor as a shortcut around prior decision-making. When a student brings a matter to OTP, we are reviewing an appeal of a decision that has already been made, not making an initial determination.
The appeals process is structured as follows:
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Level
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Decision-Maker
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Level 1
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Instructor, Faculty Advisor, or Staff
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Level 2
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Department Chair or Program Director
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Level 3
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Division Dean
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Level 4
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Associate Provost for Academic Success
Dr. Melvin Foster
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Level 5 (Final)
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Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. Kendrick Brown
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Students who contact OTP before completing the steps at prior levels will be directed back to the appropriate level. This is not a procedural inconvenience; it ensures that every decision is grounded in the perspective of the people closest to the academic matter at hand and that OTP’s decisions are based on a complete record. The Appendix to this document identifies the Department Chair, Program Director, and Division Dean responsible for each academic unit, so that students, faculty, and staff can navigate these levels without uncertainty.
Note: A small number of academic units have modified escalation paths that differ from the standard five-level structure above. These differences occur when units report to centers rather than academic divisions, or when administrative circumstances require a different routing. Modified paths are noted clearly in the Appendix.
II Guidance for Students
Before Contacting the Provost
Before submitting an appeal to the Provost, a student must have already:
- Addressed the matter with the relevant instructor, faculty advisor, or staff.
- Escalated the matter to the relevant Department Chair or Program Director if the first-level conversation did not resolve it.
- Brought the matter to the Division Dean if the department-level conversation did not resolve it.
- Received a formal decision from the Associate Provost for Academic Success (Dr. Melvin Foster) on the specific issue being appealed.
Appeals to the Provost are reviews of prior decisions, not initial requests. If you have not received a written decision from Dr. Foster, your appeal is not yet ready for Provost review.
What to Submit with Your Appeal
When you contact OTP, please provide the following in writing:
- A clear statement of the decision you are appealing and the date that the decision was communicated to you.
- A brief explanation of why you believe the prior decision should be reconsidered, including any information or evidence that was not available to prior decision-makers.
- Copies of any written communications you have received from prior levels of the process, including email correspondence and formal letters.
- Supporting documentation relevant to your situation, including medical documentation, third-party letters, enrollment confirmations, or departmental approvals. Documentation should be current, specific, and verifiable.
- A realistic, specific plan for completing any outstanding academic requirements, with timelines.
The Provost cannot make a fair decision without a complete record. Appeals that arrive without supporting documentation or without evidence of prior-level review will be returned to the student with a request to complete the process.
What the Provost Weighs in Making Decisions
The Provost evaluates each appeal on its individual merits. The factors considered include:
- The nature and degree of the outstanding academic requirement.
- Whether the student has a credible, documented, and realistic path to completing that requirement.
- Whether circumstances contributed to the student's situation that prior decision-makers did not have access to or could not fully weigh.
- Institutional fairness: Whether granting the appeal would be appropriate to extend consistently to all students in comparable situations.
The presence of extenuating circumstances is a factor in the review, but it does not automatically result in a different outcome. The College's academic requirements exist to uphold the meaning of a Morehouse degree. Decisions are guided by both compassion and a responsibility to protect the integrity of that standard for every member of our community.
III. Guidance for Faculty and Staff
Your Role in the Process
Faculty and staff are often the first people a student contacts when navigating an academic difficulty. Your role in the appeals process is consequential.
When a student raises a concern that may eventually require formal review, please:
- Engage with the student's concern directly and document the outcome of that conversation in writing, including the date and substance of what was discussed.
- Refer students clearly to the appropriate next level if the matter cannot be resolved at your level and inform the student of that referral in writing.
- Avoid making commitments on behalf of other offices, including OTP. If a student asks what the Provost will decide, the appropriate response is that you cannot speak for OTP and that the student is welcome to go through the appeal process.
- Respond promptly if contacted by Dr. Foster or Dr. Brown for information about a student in your course or program. Timely documentation from faculty and staff is often essential to making a fair decision.
Documentation That Supports the Process
When OTP reaches out for your confirmation or perspective on a student's case, the following documentation is most useful:
- Written confirmation of the specific outstanding requirement and what the student needs to do to complete it.
- Your professional judgment on whether the student's proposed completion plan is academically appropriate and realistic.
- Any relevant context about the student's performance or participation in your course or program that bears on the appeal.
Faculty are not expected to advocate for a particular outcome. Instead, you are asked only to provide factual, timely documentation that allows OTP to make decisions that are grounded in the academic record.
IV. Commencement Participation Appeals
The following section addresses a time-specific appeal category that arises each Spring. The process described in Sections I through III governs all appeals throughout the academic year. Commencement participation appeals follow those same principles, with the additional considerations noted here.
Participation vs. Degree Conferral
Participation in Commencement is not the same as the conferral of a degree. A student may, in limited circumstances, be permitted to participate in the ceremony while completing remaining requirements, with the understanding that the degree will be conferred only upon satisfying all requirements. These determinations are made carefully and on a case-by-case basis.
General Standard for Commencement Participation Exceptions
Students who have one outstanding requirement, a documented and approved plan for completing it, and confirmation from the relevant faculty member or department chair/program director that completion is feasible over the Summer immediately following Commencement are the most likely candidates for a conditional approval. Students with two or more outstanding requirements fall outside this threshold in most cases.
Crown Forum
Crown Forum is a multi-semester sequence woven into the Morehouse experience from the first year of enrollment. The expectation to complete it is communicated and reinforced consistently throughout a student's academic career. An outstanding Crown Forum requirement is not treated as a technicality; it is treated as an incomplete foundational element of a Morehouse degree.
Timeline
The Commencement participation appeal window opens and closes on dates communicated by Dr. Foster's office at the start of each Spring semester. Students should not wait until close to the ceremony to initiate this process. Appeals submitted without complete documentation will be returned, which will delay any decision. Faculty and staff asked to provide documentation in connection with a Commencement appeal should respond within two business days.
V. General Process Expectations
The following expectations apply to all academic appeals throughout the year, not only those related to Commencement:
- Appeals submitted without complete documentation will be returned to the student with a request to complete the record before a decision is made.
- This office communicates decisions in writing. Verbal or informal communications from any other party do not constitute a decision from OTP.
- Faculty and staff asked to provide confirmation or documentation in connection with an appeal should respond within two business days of the request.
- Students should initiate appeals at the appropriate level as promptly as possible after becoming aware of the issue. Delays in initiating the process do not create grounds for expedited or exceptional review.
VI. Questions and Concerns
Questions about the appeals process may be directed to Ms. Lesley Mackinson (Executive Assistant to the Provost) in OTP. Students who are uncertain which level of the process applies to their situation are encouraged to contact OTP as a first step. A complete directory of academic administrators is provided in the Appendix to this document.
The Office of the Provost is committed to making this process as clear, fair, and accessible as possible. Hopefully, this communication serves that goal.
APPENDIX: Directory of Academic Administrators
Click here to view a listing of Morehouse College Academic Administrators.