Policies and Procedures

Students are responsible for reading the Grade Appeal policy and procedures and for complying with all procedures and established deadlines.  Students may not use this appeal process for final grades assigned for academic dishonesty and academic integrity violations.

Grounds for Appeal:

The purpose of the grade appeal procedure is to allow students to appeal a final course grade under the following circumstances.  An appeal will be limited to review of the process by which the grade was reached and not the judgment of the faculty member.

The student has grounds for appealing a final grade if:

• A mathematical error in calculation of the grade or clerical error in recording of the grade remains uncorrected.
• A substantial departure from accepted academic norms occurred, demonstrating that the person responsible did not actually exercise professional judgment.
• A grade assignment was based on factors unrelated to academic performance or quality of work in the course.
• A grade assignment for a particular student was a result of requirements that were more demanding than those applied to other students in the same course.
• A grade assignment was a result of a substantial departure from the faculty member’s criteria established in the course syllabus or the assignment sheet.

Calculation of Time Periods:

For the purpose of this policy and procedure, the term “days” will refer to any business day the College is open.

Appeal Process:

Step 1: Informal Resolution

• The student must contact the instructor within 10 days from the date the final grade was due to request a meeting to review the grade.
• During the meeting, the instructor will explain the grading criteria and calculations used to determine the final course grade.
• If the conference does not result in a mutually agreeable resolution, the student must submit a written request for an informal review of the grade to the instructor’s dean. This request must be submitted within 10 days of the meeting with the faculty member.
• If the faculty member is unavailable to meet, the student must submit a written request for an informal review of the grade to the instructor’s dean within 20 days from the date the grade was due. The student must include documentation of the student’s attempts to contact the faculty member during the initial 10 days from the date the grade was due.
• The dean will review the student’s documentation and discuss the issue with the instructor in an attempt to resolve the concern informally.
• If no resolution is reached during the informal review, the student may proceed to submit a formal grade appeal request.

Step 2: Formal Grade Appeal Request

• If the informal resolution process does not resolve the concern, the student must contact the Registrar to request the Student Grade Appeal Request Form.
• The student must return the completed form to the Registrar no later than 30 days after the final grade was due.
• The form must include the following items:
  • Confirmation of communication and attempted informal resolution with both the instructor and the dean.
  • A detailed explanation of the grounds for the appeal.
  • Supporting documentation, such as graded materials or other evidence.

Step 3: Review by Registrar

• The Registrar will review the submitted Student Grade Appeal Request Form to determine if the appeal meets the criteria to proceed.
• This review will include verifying:
  • Completion of all required informal resolution steps with both the instructor and the dean.
  • Submission of all required documentation, including the appeal form, a detailed explanation of the grounds for the appeal, and any supporting materials.
  • Adherence to established deadlines in the grade appeal process, including submission of the form, within the required timeframe.
• The Registrar must complete the review and notify the student in writing of the determination within 5 days of receiving the completed appeal form.
  • If the appeal meets the criteria, the Registrar will advance the case to the Grade Appeal Committee for review.
  • If the appeal does not meet the criteria, the Registrar’s written notification will outline the reasons why the appeal cannot move forward.

Step 4: Grade Appeal Committee Hearing

• The Registrar will convene the Grade Appeal Committee within 30 calendar days of receiving the formal grade appeal request.
• The student and instructor will be notified of the hearing date, time, and location by the Registrar.
• Both the student and the instructor may present documentation during the hearing to support their positions. The student and faculty member must be advised of his or her right to be accompanied by an individual (who may be an attorney but may not participate in the hearing except as an advisor).   
• The committee will hear from the student and faculty member separately, with the option to hear from them together, and then request that the student and faculty member leave the hearing.  
• The committee will review the evidence and documentation provided, determine if grounds for an appeal have been established and then discuss the appeal. If additional information is needed from either student or faculty member, the discussion will be tabled, and the Registrar will contact the student or faculty member to obtain the information.   
• Once the committee has reached a decision, the Registrar will record the findings of the Grade Appeal Committee and make a written report of the Grade Appeal Committee’s recommendation to the Vice President of Instructional Services within 5 days of the hearing.
• Considerations:  
  • The committee hearing shall remain confidential to protect the privacy of all parties involved.  
  • All relevant records and pertinent information will be made available to both the student and the instructor to ensure transparency.  
  • The student may choose to discontinue the grade appeal process at any time without penalty.  
  • No reprisals or adverse actions will be taken against any student who elects to pursue a grade appeal.

Step 5: Final Determination by Vice President of Instructional Services

• The Vice President of Instructional Services will make the final determination on whether to accept, modify, or reject the recommendation of the Grade Appeal Committee.
• The decision will be based on whether the Grade Appeal Committee’s recommendation is reasonable and supported by the evidence presented by both the student and the instructor.
• If there is evidence that the grade appeal procedures were not followed correctly, the Vice President of Instruction Services may issue a decision that differs from the committee’s recommendation.
• The Vice President of Instructional Services will notify the Registrar of their final decision within 10 days of receiving the Grade Appeal Committee’s recommendation.
• The Registrar will then notify both the student and the instructor of the final decision in writing within 10 days of receiving the Vice President’s determination.
• Outcomes:
  • If the grade is upheld, no further action is taken.
  • If the grade is to be reevaluated, the Vice President of Instructional Services will oversee the necessary steps to implement the reevaluation and ensure any resulting changes are applied.

Composition of Committee:

The Grade Appeal Committee will consist of the following members:

• Instructional Services Dean or Associate Dean:
  • Must represent an academic area other than the area under appeal.
• Three (3) Full-Time Faculty Members:
  • Faculty must not include the instructor whose grade is under appeal.
• Representation must include:
  • One (1) from Arts and Sciences.
  • One (1) from Career and Technical Education.
  • One (1) from Nursing or Allied Health (preferably from the same department or a related field).
• One (1) Student Peer:
  • Appointed by the Vice President of Student Services.
• Registrar:
  • Facilitates the process and implements procedures as a non-voting member of the committee.

The committee members will serve on the committee for (2) two-year terms.  Committee members selected will hold no bias toward the student or instructor involved nor have any other interest in the appeal.

If there is evidence that the Grade Appeal procedures were not followed correctly the Vice President of Instructional Services may have a finding that differs from the recommendation of the committee.  

The Vice President of Instructional Services will notify the Registrar within ten (10) days of reaching a determination. The Registrar will notify both the student and instructor in writing of the final decision within ten (10) days of receiving such decision. If the grade stands, no further action is taken.  If the final decision is to reevaluate the grade, the Vice President of Instructional Services will take the necessary steps to pursue a course of action and to effectuate any resulting changes.

Replaces Grade Appeals Procedure IA-15P; 5.92

Approved October 21, 2010; July 23, 2018