Content
Grade and Policy Appeals, and Incidents of Academic Dishonesty in Department of Biological Systems Engineering courses are to be handled using the following framework:
Student Appeals of Biological Systems Engineering (BSE) Department Policies and Course Grades
A student wishing to appeal an AGEN, BSEN, ENSC, AGST, CASNR or COE academic policy must first request a decision from their academic adviser. If a satisfactory solution is not achieved with the adviser, the student may request a decision from the BSE Department Academic Exceptions and Professional Admission Committee and then the Department Head (in that order). If a satisfactory solution is not achieved at the department level, the student may appeal his or her case through the appropriate College Dean’s Office.
In the event of a dispute involving AGEN, BSEN, ENSC, or AGST course grades, the student must first appeal to the instructor and, if resolution with the instructor is not achieved, then and only then, an appeal may be made to the Department Exceptions Committee. If the latter appeal fails, then an appeal to the Department Head in writing may be made. If a satisfactory solution is not achieved at the department level, the student may appeal their case through the appropriate appeal process of the cognizant College using that body’s process. Students appealing either a policy decision or course grade must do so within one semester following the decision or grade unless there are extenuating circumstances.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty can involve cheating; fabrication or falsification of information; plagiarism; destroying, defacing, stealing, or making inaccessible library or other academic resource material; complicity in the academic dishonesty of others; falsifying grade reports; or misrepresenting illness, injury, accident, etc., to avoid or delay an examination or the timely submission of academic work. Consequences of academic dishonesty in AGEN, BSEN, AGST courses, depending on the degree of severity as interpreted by an instructor, may range from a warning to assigning an F for the course. The instructor might also choose to assign a zero or partial credit for a specific assignment, quiz, examination or laboratory report in which dishonesty was involved. Before imposing an academic sanction the instructor shall first attempt to discuss the matter with the student. In all cases the instructor must document the instance(s) of student activity which constitutes academic dishonesty. If the sanction you impose might affect the student’s grade, you must submit an Academic Integrity Report Documentation must be kept by the instructor for a minimum of one year and must be made available to appropriate department, college, and UNL authorities if cases of academic dishonesty result in disciplinary hearings and/or appeals at those levels. If a student facing sanctions due to academic dishonesty in a BSE Department course wishes to appeal such a sanction, the following process must be followed.
First, an appeal must be made to the primary instructor of the course. If this appeal does not bring resolution, an appeal may be directed (in writing) to the Department Academic Exceptions and Professional Admission Committee. If this appeal fails, an appeal to the Department Head in writing may be made. If a satisfactory solution is not achieved at the department level, the student may then appeal through the appropriate CASNR, COE, or UNL appeal process, subject to the protocols of those bodies.
Framework approved by BSE Curriculum Committee 3/25/2013; BSE Faculty 5/16/2013; updated to reflect new major name (AGST) in 2023.