Procedure for Filing the Initial Appeal to CFRE International
Initial Appeal
A request for review and consideration must be submitted in writing to CFRE International within seven (7) days of notification of application ineligibility or test administration. The request and any relevant information supporting such request must be sent by a form of delivery which ensures a return receipt. The request must state the reasons why the decision is being contested.
President and CEO Action
The CFRE International President and CEO will review and act on a properly filed request for review within thirty (30) days of receipt of the request. The President and CEO will review the request for appeal and any relevant information in accordance with these procedures. He or she shall recuse themselves from the appeal consideration if there is any reason for which impartiality might reasonably be questioned or there is actual or apparent conflict of interest. In this case, the appeal is then reviewed by the Appeals Board.
Notification of Appellant
The Appellant will be notified in writing of the decision of the President and CEO within thirty (30) days following the date of receipt of the request for appeal. Notification will be sent by a form of delivery which ensures a return receipt.
The initial response will be one of the following:
- Appeal Denied, along with an explanation for the denial and/or information on an alternate course of action where applicable. The denial will include information on appellant’s further recourse if appellant wishes to pursue the appeal.
- Appeal Approved
- Appeal Forwarded to the Appeals Board
- Appeal Delayed to provide time to gather further information. Within 30 calendar days appellant will be sent either a Denial or Appeal Forwarded notification.
If, for any reason, the above deadlines are not met, the appellant must receive a progress report of the status of their appeal.
The Appellant may stop the appeal procedure at this point or may choose to appeal further. If no further appeal is initiated, the action of the President and CEO becomes final.
Filing a Second Appeal to the Appeal and Grievance Committee
The Appellant may appeal the determination of the President and CEO by filing a second appeal with the CFRE Appeal Board. The request for appeal must be submitted to the CFRE Appeal Board within thirty (30) days following the date on which the adverse decision of the President and CEO was received by the Appellant. It must be sent in writing by a form of delivery which ensures a return receipt. The appeal request must state the reasons why the appellant is contesting the decision. No new information or materials may be submitted at this time. Only materials submitted to or considered during the initial review of the appeal shall be considered by the Appeal Board in ruling upon the appeal.
Committee Action
The Appeal Board will review and act on a properly filed request for the second appeal within ninety (90) days. Members of the Appeals Panel shall recuse themselves from the appeal consideration if there is any reason for which impartiality might reasonably be questioned or there is an actual or apparent conflict of interest.
The Appeal Board may conduct its review by teleconference. The appeal shall not include a hearing or any similar trial-type proceeding. The Appeal Board may decide to uphold the original decision on the appeal, or may take other appropriate action with regard to the appellant’s request. The decision of the Appeal Board is final and may not be appealed.
The second level response will be one of:
- Appeal Denied
- Appeal Approved
- Appeal Delayed to provide time to gather further information. Within 30 calendar days, the appellant shall be sent either a Denial or Appeal Forwarded notification
If, for any reason, the above deadlines are not met, the appellant must receive a progress report of the status of their appeal.
Notification of Final Decision to Appellant
Upon any decision becoming final, the appellant shall be notified in writing within thirty (30) days by a form of delivery which ensures a return receipt.
If, for any reason, the above deadlines are not met, the appellant must receive a progress report of the status of their appeal.
Exceptions to the Right of Appeal
- Failure of the certification examination may not be appealed.
- Eligibility requirements may not be appealed. This policy provides for appeal only of the interpretation of the eligibility requirements in individual applicant’s circumstances.
- Testing conditions may not be appealed if the appellant has not lodged a complaint with the testing centre before leaving, or contacted the testing agency or CFRE on the same day the test occurred.
- Lapsed certificants may not appeal to have their CFRE certification reinstated without completing the initial certification process.
Impact of Appeal Determination
Should the Appeal Board grant an appeal on an issue that impacts the eligibility status or examination scores of other candidates, a review or rescoring of all those potentially impacted shall automatically be conducted. The Certification Manager or their assignee shall notify the individuals of the review or rescoring and final decision within 60 days of the decision.
