Grade Appeal Process for End-of-Term Grades
The grade appeal process will follow the procedures of the unit in which the student earned the grade, not the major to which the student belongs.
General Overview
The grade appeal process applies to all students and is a review mechanism for end-of-term grades only. This process should only be utilized when a student believes a grade is incorrect and the burden of proof always falls on the student. A student must first attempt to solve the grade issue with the faculty member. If there is no resolution, a student can then ask for a review by the faculty member’s supervisor. If the disputed grade is not resolved at the second level, then the third and final level is a Unit Level Committee or the Dean. Students can consult with the Dean of Students in assistance in preparing a grade appeal.
Deadlines
An appeal must be initiated no more than four weeks after the end of the fall, spring, or summer semester in which the grade was assigned. The total review process from faculty to supervisor to appeals committee should take no more than 30 days.
Level 1: Course Instructor
Because of the seriousness of a grade dispute, there is an expectation that the student and faculty will have met as a condition of further review. Therefore, the student should first make an appointment with the faculty member to discuss the matter. [Note: if the faculty member is physically not on campus, the student should consult with the Chair/Dean/Director on how to proceed.] An email exchange between faculty member and student does not meet the requirement of a first-level review.
If there is no satisfactory resolution, the student can request a second-level review.
Level 2: Supervisor
If the student feels that the matter has not been resolved after the meeting with the faculty member, then the student can request a second level review. The student’s appeal to the second level must be writing and must include information on the dates/times of the initial meeting with the faculty member to ensure that the first level meeting requirement has been met. The second level of appeal is the following person for each school or division:
- Allied Health: the Chair
- Business: the Assistant Dean
- Education: the Dean is the 2nd and final level of appeal
- Humanities and Social Sciences: the Chair of the relevant department
- Nursing: the Assistant Dean
- Sciences: the Dean is the 2nd level of appeal
There is an expectation that most grade disputes will be handled at the first or second level and will not result in appeals to the third level.
Level 3: Unit Level committee or the Dean
If the student feels that the matter has not been resolved at the second level, a student can request a third level review. The request for review must be in writing, stating that the grade dispute was not resolved at the second level, plus it must include sufficient information and facts to demonstrate that the third level review is warranted. It should be submitted to the Dean. This is the last level of review and the decision is final.
For Business, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Nursing – the Dean is the final level of appeal. For Allied Health and Sciences, please see below
The Division Allied Health Sciences Grade Appeal Committee will be composed of three faculty members from the Division of Allied Health Sciences. The faculty members will be appointed at the AHS Division’s Dean’s/Chair’s discretion. The Division Allied Health Sciences Grade Appeal Committee will send the student a written response to the grade appeal in writing within two weeks (14 days) of the hearing. This will be the final appeal.
For the School of Sciences, if the student is not satisfied with the Dean’s decision (finding), the student should request (within two weeks) in writing, to the Dean, to have a hearing with the School of Sciences Grade Appeal Committee. The request for review must be in writing, stating that the grade dispute was not resolved at the second level, plus it must include sufficient information and facts to demonstrate that the third level of review is warranted. The Dean should set up a grade appeal hearing within two weeks of receiving the request for a hearing. The School of Sciences Grade Appeal Committee should include three faculty members from the School. A faculty member cannot serve if he or she is involved in the appeal process. The School of Sciences Grade Appeal Committee should send the student a response to the grade appeal in writing within two weeks of the hearing and copy the Dean and the faculty member involved. This will be the final appeal.