Administrative Appeals

Administrative Appeals Committee

The purpose of the Administrative Appeals Committee is to review student written appeals of administrative decisions related to residency status, fee refunds or assessments, calendar deadlines, and other relevant student-administrative decisions, including Medical Withdrawals. A student may request and be considered for a medical withdrawal from courses in a semester/term when a serious medical condition (physical or psychological) prevents the student from continuing their classes after the "last day to drop courses without evaluation" as outlined in the bulletin of a term, and grades of incompletes or other arrangements with instructors are not feasible. Appeals must be submitted within one year from the end of the academic term that is in question. (For example, if a student wishes to appeal an issue from Fall 2024, the student has until the end of Fall 2025 to submit an appeal for review).

The Committee is comprised of representatives from across the University. Appeals should be regarded as professional communication between the student and the Committee.

This Committee does not oversee Financial Aid Appeals, Housing and Residence Life contract cancellations, Meal Plan contract cancellation, or USI Deaconess Clinic health plan cancellations, please visit the respective sites for that information.

Administrative Appeals:

To request an exception to a policy, the student must complete the University Appeal Form and submit the necessary supporting documentation. In the University Appeal Form, the student will be asked to include a detailed narrative describing why they feel an exception to the University policy should be made. The student should clearly state the reasons for requesting an appeal and why they believe the Committee should review their case.

Appeal forms should be typed or printed legibility to ensure proper handling and either signed by the student or sent from their USI email address. The University Appeal Form, any necessary documentation, or questions can be submitted to:

Mail: University of Southern Indiana, ATTN: Administrative Appeals & Medical Withdrawals Coordinator ED 1136, 8600 University Blvd., Evansville, IN 47712
Email: usi.appeals@usi.edu
Fax: 812-461-5367

Medical Withdrawals:

Students who wish to withdraw from courses prior to the "last day to drop courses without evaluation" should follow the normal Add/Drop or Withdrawal process through the Registrar's Office. Courses meeting less than the full term have different schedule revision, refund, and drop/withdrawal dates. Contact the Registrar's Office for these dates.

A student seeking to withdraw from the current semester/term after the last day to drop without evaluation, because of a serious medical condition, must complete the procedure outlined below:
To request a Medical Withdrawal, the student AND a licensed health care provider must complete the University Appeal Form and submit the necessary supporting documentation. The need for a medical withdrawal must be substantiated by a letter from the licensed healthcare provider on their letterhead and "wet" signed explaining how the medical condition impacts the student’s ability to complete the academic term. By seeking withdrawal because of serious medical reasons, the student consents to the release of individually identifiable health information and other medical records and information governed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA") to the Administrative Appeals committee, Registrar's Office, Dean of Students Office, and any other University personnel involved in the process of reviewing the student's request for withdrawal.

Official appeal forms should be typed or printed legibility to ensure proper handling and either signed by the student or sent from their USI email address. The University Appeal Form, any necessary documentation, or questions can be submitted to:

Mail: University of Southern Indiana, ATTN: Administrative Appeals & Medical Withdrawals Coordinator ED 1136, 8600 University Blvd., Evansville, IN 47712
Email: usi.appeals@usi.edu
Fax: 812-461-5367

Appeal and Medical Withdrawal Procedures:

When the University Appeal form and any required supporting documentation has been received by the Administrative Appeals and Medical Withdrawals Committee, the course instructors for each course for which an Administrative Appeal or Medical Withdrawal is requested will be contacted. Each course instructor will be given the opportunity to provide input in response to the student's withdrawal request. If, for some reason, a course instructor is unavailable to respond to a request, the chair of that academic department will be asked to respond on the instructor's behalf. The Dean of Students Office will also be informed of the request and asked to provide relevant information. If the Medical Withdrawal is granted, "W" grades will be recorded for each course that has been previously graded.

Tuition Refunds
Fall & Spring Deadlines/Percentage Refunds
When a medical withdrawal is approved, students are entitled to the following refund policy during the Fall and Spring semesters: 

1. When the last date of attendance falls within week 1 through week 3 of the semester, 100% of tuition and course fees charged is refund.
2. When the last date of attendance falls within week 4 through week 6 of the semester, 75% of tuition and course fees charged is refund.
3. When the last date of attendance falls within week 7 through week 9 of the semester, 50% of tuition and course fees charged is refund.
4. When the last date of attendance falls within week 10 through week 12 of the semester, 25% of tuition and course fees charged is refund.
5. When the last date of attendance falls after week 12 of the semester, no refund is issued.

Summer Deadlines and Fall/Spring Part of Term/Refund Percentages
When a medical withdrawal is approved, students are entitled to the following refund policy during the Summer semester. Additionally, Fall/Spring part of term courses follow this refund schedule.

1. When the last date of attendance falls within the first 20% or less for that course, 100% of tuition and course fees charged is refund.
2. When the last date of attendance falls within dates that correspond to 20.1% to 40% for that course, 75% of tuition and course fees charged is refund.
3. When the last date of attendance falls within dates that correspond to 40.1% to 60% for that course, 50% of tuition and course fees charged is refund.
4. When the last date of attendance falls within dates that correspond to 60.1% to 80% for that course, 25% of tuition and course fees charged is refund.
5. When the last date of attendance falls within a date that corresponds to 80.1% or more for that course, no refund is issued.

The date used to determine the refund percentage will be the last date of attendance. If the student did not cease attendance in all courses simultaneously, the university will use the most recent date of attendance for any course to calculate the refund percentage for all courses. If the last date of attendance is not available, the date of withdrawal will be used as a replacement.

Courses with part of term codes OL1, OL2, OL3, OL4, OL5 and OL6 are special part of term courses. Therefore, these programs are evaluated differently than above schedules. For more specific refund information on these special part of term courses, refer to the Registrar’s website.

Calendar of Administrative Appeals and Medical Withdrawal Meetings

The committee meets on the second Wednesday of the month (except for January 2025), to review and hear submitted appeals. Upcoming meetings, and the corresponding deadline for submitting appeal documentation, are scheduled as follows (all dates are subject to change):

            *The Committee will be voting electronically for these meetings

Returning to Campus
When a medical withdrawal is approved, an administrative hold is placed on the student's record to prevent registration for future terms until the student has been released from the licensed healthcare provider. The licensed healthcare provider treating the student while on leave must complete the Release to Return to the University Following Medical Withdrawal form verifying that the student's condition has improved to the point where the student is cleared to return. This form, once completed in full, should be returned to the Registrar's Office. In certain cases, students returning from a medical withdrawal will also be asked to meet with Dean of Students Office to ensure that there is adequate support as they transition back to USI.

Second Appeal Info:
If a student chooses to appeal an Administrative Appeal denial, a second appeal must be submitted within 90 days from the date posted on the initial denial letter. Additional documentation should also be provided along the subsequent appeal.

Information about contacting other offices:
If a student lives in University Housing, he/she should contact the Housing and Residence Life Office (812-468-2000) to discuss appropriate next steps. If a student has a meal plan, he/she should contact Dining Services (UC lower level) to cancel the plan. If a student owes money to the University, the student should settle his/her account at the Bursar's Office (Orr Center lower level). 

Where to send questions:
Please send any questions regarding the Administrative Appeals process to the Administrative Appeals Committee by email usi.appeals@usi.edu or phone 812-464-1875.