Should the aggrieved student believe that the student's rights were abridged at the departmental level, the student may file an appeal with the Dean of the Graduate School. In a statement to the Dean, the aggrieved student must clearly state the substance of the appeal. The Dean of the Graduate School shall take all reasonable and proper actions to resolve the question or refer it directly to the Graduate Appeals Committee for its review. As a standing committee of the Commission on Graduate and Professional Studies and Policies, this committee will consist of three faculty members and one graduate student. For each appeal the dean shall appoint to the committee one additional faculty member knowledgeable in the academic area of the appeal.
The review by the Graduate Appeals Committee will have available to it all pertinent information in the student’s record in the university and (a) the department’s policy statement concerning its degree expectations, (b) a summary of the department’s  action on the appeal, and (c) copies of the student’s statement to the Dean of the Graduate School recording the student’s view of alleged irregularities (i.e., the basis for university appeal).
The Graduate Appeals Committee may hold a formal hearing on grievance appeals referred to it by the Dean of the Graduate School. The hearing will be conducted with the following procedural safeguards:
1. All parties to the dispute will be notified of the time and place of the hearing at least 48 hours in advance;
2. The aggrieved student will be permitted, if the student chooses, to invite a member of the faculty or student body to represent him/her in the hearing;
3. All parties in the dispute will be given full opportunity to testify and to present such evidence or witnesses as seem relevant;
4. All matters on which the finding will be based must be introduced into evidence at the hearing.

The Graduate Student Appeals Committee will make a recommendation to the Dean of the Graduate School, which will be acted upon by the Dean of the Graduate School in consultation with the Provost. The Dean will convey the committee’s recommendation and the final disposition of the matter to all concerned parties.