Application Appeal Process Policy

Effective Date: 04/24/25
Last Updated: 04/24/25

1. Purpose

NARIX has adopted an appeal process to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability in our application decisions. This process provides applicants who receive a rejection with an opportunity to request a review of their case.

2. Eligibility for Appeal

Applicants may file an appeal if:

  • They have received a rejection letter for the upcoming event that was based on their answers and not because of an incomplete form.

  • They believe their rejection was based on a misunderstanding or a lack of context.

  • Their appeal is submitted within seven (7) days of receiving the rejection letter.

3. Appeal Process Overview

  1. Rejection Notification

    • Applicants receive an email outlining the general reason for their rejection.

    • The email includes a link to the appeal form and details on the appeal process.

  2. Submission of Appeal

    • The appeal form must be completed and submitted within seven (7) days of receiving the rejection email.

  3. Review Process

    • An appointed Steering Committee member will handle the appeal review.

    • Appeals will be reviewed based on the original application and any new information provided.

    • If necessary, an additional discussion with the applicant may be scheduled.

  4. Decision and Communication

    • The Steering Committee will issue a final decision within ten (10) days of receiving the appeal.

    • The decision will be communicated to the applicant as soon as possible.

    • If an appeal is successful, the applicant will be added to the lottery pool.

4. Future Considerations

As the Steering Committee Emeritus group grows, the Steering Committee will reconsider who is responsible for reviewing appeal applications to ensure continued fairness and efficiency.

5. Finality of Decisions

  • The appeal process provides an opportunity for reconsideration but does not guarantee an overturned decision.

  • The decision made after an appeal review is final.

6. Contact Information

For any questions regarding the appeal process, applicants may contact narix@narix.org.

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Policy

Considering that:

  • NARIX is an organization that fights against pedestal culture, which means, among other things, implementing mechanisms to prevent abuse of power;

  • NARIX’s core values are community and collaboration, accountability and transparency, accessibility and inclusion;

  • The process of reviewing applications for the event will be shared and discussed only among the Steering Committee members–i.e. six (6) volunteers as of the date of adoption of this document–for personal data safety and confidentiality reasons, among others;

  • Said members of the Steering Committee are human and therefore unable to completely disregard their personal and cultural biases and be completely impartial, and acknowledging that working closely together on a regular basis carries the risk of reducing the diversity of viewpoints;

  • The application process and the questions contained in the form are imperfect and subject to constant challenge by the community;

  • Answering essay questions may be more difficult for some individuals than for others, and that some responses may be misunderstood or misinterpreted, even after rewording;

NARIX commits to providing an appeal process for anyone who has received a rejection letter and feels the decision is unjustified. The appeal process is structured as follows:

  1. Anyone who has received a rejection letter to an upcoming event may appeal that decision, provided the rejection was not based on an incomplete form or failure to respond to a followup email asking for clarification/reformulation and that the appeal is made personally by the individual and relates solely to the event for which the application was denied. 

  2. The denial email will state the general reasons for the decision, mention the possibility of filing an appeal, and provide links to the explanation of the appeal process and the appeal form itself.

  3. The appealing party must complete the appeal form within seven (7) days of receiving the denial email.

  4. Once the appeal is submitted, a member of the Steering Committee will be assigned to review the case.

  • The Steering Committee reviewer will receive the applicant’s original submission and the appeal form.

  • If necessary, a 30–40 minute one-on-one conversation will be scheduled with the applicant to discuss their appeal in more detail.

  • The Steering Committee reviewer may ask clarifying questions and will consider all provided context in the spirit of fairness, curiosity, and open-mindedness.

  • After the conversation (if held), the Steering Committee reviewer will make a final decision:

    • If they determine that the appeal has merit, the decision may be overturned and the applicant will be accepted.

    • If they uphold the original decision, the rejection stands.

All decisions will be communicated to the applicant within ten (10) days of their appeal submission.

Once all appeals have been addressed, the Steering Committee will proceed with the lottery process.

Note:

As the Steering Committee Emeritus group grows, the Steering Committee will reconsider who is responsible for reviewing appeal applications in future cycles to ensure continued fairness, accountability, and a diversity of perspectives.

*Appeal Form Example*

Request for Application Review:

  1. Please explain, if necessary, why you believe your initial answers may have been misunderstood or incomplete.

  2. How do you feel you will contribute to the goals of this event?

  3. Would you like to add any details or elements you didn’t mention before?