Policies

Grade Grievance Procedure

Persons Affected

Faculty, Staff, Students

Policy Statement

The following procedures serve as a structured mechanism to allow a group of faculty and students within the college community to review a given situation and to arrive at a fair and equitable resolution of the dispute. All official communications about grade appeals are to be sent to students by certified mail with a return receipt or by another written or electronic method for which delivery confirmation is available.

Procedures

Step 1: A student who contests a grade recorded on the transcript must first discuss the grade with the instructor. This step must be initiated no later than 30 calendar days from the beginning of the academic semester following receipt of the grade. All grade grievances must be based solely on requirements listed on the instructor’s syllabus, or the most recent college catalog, or a grade calculation (math) error.

Step 2: If no mutually satisfactory agreement can be reached with the instructor:

• The student should submit to the instructor’s department chairperson* or designated representative, a written statement of the grievances, within seven (7) calendar days of the completion of Step 1. Before any review can be undertaken by the department chairperson, the student shall submit records of evaluations, tests, term papers, projects, and/or any other information from which judgments can be or were made. It is expected that in support of this process, the instructor will provide copies of all appropriate materials.
• The chairperson shall, within fourteen (14) calendar days of the submission of the grievance, communicate with each party to discuss the problem and collect evidence.
• The chairperson shall submit a written recommendation to both parties within seven (7) calendar days. Copies of such recommendation shall be maintained by the chairperson.
• If the chairperson is party to the grievance, the highest ranking senior member of the department shall act in the chairperson’s stead.

*Note: The role of the department chairperson may be superseded by a departmental review committee if the department deems it desirable.

Step 3: If no mutually satisfactory agreement has been reached at the completion of the Step 2 process, either party may submit a written statement of appeal with supportive information to the chairperson of the Admissions and Academic Standards Committee. Such appeal must be submitted within fourteen (14) calendar days after receipt of the decision of the department chairperson or representative.

Within twenty-one (21) calendar days after receipt of the written appeal, the chairperson of the Admissions and Academic Standards Committee shall convene and chair a campus appeals committee.

• The Campus Appeals Committee shall consist of:
  1. The chairperson of the Admissions and Academic Standards Committee, or a member of that committee assigned by the chairperson.
  2. The chairperson of the Faculty Executive Committee, or a member of that committee assigned by the chairperson.
  3. An academic dean, assigned by the Provost, from a school other than that in which the grievance occurred.
  4. The chairperson of the appropriate student governing body of SGA or a member of that body assigned by the chairperson.
• No member of the committee shall be a member of the department in which the grievance occurred.
• The department chairperson or representative shall make available to members of the Campus Appeals Committee all information relating to the grievance.
• The Campus Appeals Committee shall attempt to ascertain all pertinent information. Either party may request or be requested to appear before the committee.
• The committee shall present its written recommendations to each party of the grievance within fourteen (14) calendar days of the completion of the review These recommendations could include:
  1. No change in the original grade.
  2. A request for the instructor to reevaluate the original grade. If a reevaluation is requested, the instructor shall have fourteen (14) calendar days to submit a response to the committee.
  3. Credit-by-Examination with fee waived.

Step 4: If the instructor’s response or reevaluation is contrary to the consensus of the Campus Appeals Committee, the Committee shall refer the issue to the Admissions and Academic Standards Committee for review with their recommendation whether and how the grade should be revised. The AAS Committee, after review, may authorize that the student’s grade be changed. The Committee will determine the final grade to be assigned, after a majority vote of the Committee, at the next scheduled AAS Committee meeting. This decision will be final. Any member of the Campus Appeals Committee that is part of AAS Committee should be excused from the discussion and the voting process. The AAS Committee will inform all parties of the disposition of the case, including the student, in writing.

A written record of the appeal, the Committee’s recommendations, and the disposition of the case, shall be kept on file in the Office of the Provost, the Dean of the School in which the grievance occurred, and the academic department.

Responsible Office

Office of the Provost