304.50 GRADE
APPEAL
POLICY
PROCEDURE
The
Grade Appeal Procedure is the method by which a student may challenge a
grade issued by an instructor at
1. The student
must contact the instructor after the grade is issued to discuss a change in
the grade. This contact should occur as soon as possible, but no later than the
second week of the term following receipt of the disputed grade. If a student
is unable to contact the instructor, the appropriate Department Chair should be
asked for assistance. Under extenuating
circumstances and with supporting documentation, exceptions may be made by the
Dean of Academic Services.
2. If the
student disputes the instructor's decision, the student may then initiate the
appeal process by obtaining a Student Grade
Appeal Statement Form from the appropriate Department Chair. The student must
complete this form according to the directions and provide the necessary
documentation and pertinent information. The student should return the complete
packet to the Department Chair within one week.
3. Upon
receipt of the student's request for a Grade Appeal Form, the Department Chair
will have the instructor complete the Instructor Grade Appeal Statement Form.
This form must be returned to the Department Chair within one week of
notification.
4. The
Department Chair will render a decision regarding the grade appeal. Prior to making a decision, the Department Chair may
schedule a meeting with the student and/or
the instructor. After making a decision, the Department Chair will notify in writing both the instructor and the student.
5. Either
the instructor or the student may appeal the decision of the Department Chair. This appeal must be made in
writing, directed to the Dean of Academic Services
and delivered within five (5) working
days from the receipt of the Department
Chair's decision.
6. The
Dean of Academic Services will determine the validity of the grade appeal. If the Dean of Academic Services rules that
the issue is not a valid grade appeal issue,
the appeal goes no further. If the Dean
of Academic Services rules that the issue
is valid, then the grade appeal procedure will continue according to the following steps. The decision of the Dean
of Academic Services regarding continuation
of the grade appeal procedure is final.
7. The
Dean of Academic Services shall appoint a Grade Appeal Committee comprised of:
Voting Members (Five
Members):
(1) A Committee Chairperson appointed by the
Dean of Academic Services.
(2) The Campus Dean of Student Services or
his/her designee.
(3) A faculty member appointed by the Department Chair to
represent the department/discipline involved in the appeal.
(4) A faculty member appointed by the Campus Dean of Academic
Services. This person should be from an academic division/discipline other than
the division/discipline in which the appeal is made. The selection will be from
a pool of faculty, each member elected by and representing a department on
campus.
(5) A student representative from the Campus Student Government
Association. (Note: If the appealing
party holds an SGA office, then the committee member will be from a campus
other than the one on which the appealing party holds office.)
Non-Voting
Members (Two Members):
(1) The student making or involved in the appeal may choose
someone (faculty/staff) from the college to represent them on the Grade Appeal
Committee.
(2) The faculty making or involved in the appeal may choose
someone (faculty/staff) from the college to represent them on the Grade Appeal
Committee.
8.
Recognizing that the Grade
Appeal Committee is an in-house procedure, and not a court of law, no legal
counsel or any other person may be present besides the student, the instructor,
and appointed members of the Committee. Exceptions to this would be granted by
the Dean of Academic Services and only for the following reasons: (1) students with disabilities requiring some
highly extraordinary assistance that could not be routinely provided by the
Chair or another member of the Committee; and (2) a student whose first
language is not English and whose English is not sufficiently fluent so as to
allow him/her to represent himself/herself adequately at a Committee
hearing. In these cases, the appointment
will be left to the discretion of the Dean of Academic Services.
9. After receiving the student's or instructor's
written appeal, the Dean of Academic Services will schedule a meeting of the Grade
Appeal Committee. It is the intent of
the College to process all grade appeals in a timely manner. Grade appeals will be processed no later than
the end of the term in which the appeal was filed.
a. The Committee examines written materials
presented by both the student and the instructor. The Voting Committee Members
will also discuss the case with both the instructor and the student. During this discussion, the Non-Voting
Committee members will advise and consult with the individual they
represent. The Committee may call other
witnesses. The student and instructor have
the right to be present at all
meetings where evidence is presented. The
Committee chair will be responsible for
recording the session.
b. The Voting Committee Members will meet
privately to confer and arrive at a decision.
Every effort should be made to reach a consensus finding. If not, then a private ballot shall be taken
with the chair of the committee voting only in the event of a tie vote. This decision is reported to the Dean of
Academic Services who presents the findings and the decision to the student,
instructor and Department Chair. The
Dean of Academic Services will
implement the decision of the Grade Appeal Committee unless one of the parties
wishes to appeal the grade appeal procedure.
c. The Committee maintains and forwards
informal minutes of all proceedings to the Dean of Academic Services. These
shall be available to the Discipline Dean, the Vice President for Educational
Affairs and the President.
10. If the parties are not satisfied with the
procedure followed by the Grade Appeal Committee,
they may appeal, in writing, within five (5)
working days to the Vice President
for Educational Affairs. The Vice President for Educational Affairs will determine if
the grade appeal procedure was followed appropriately. The Vice President
for Educational Affairs may at his/her discretion return the grade appeal to the committee for
further consideration.
The decision of the Vice President is final.
Approved CAB
Revised by Academic Affairs Policy
Council
Approved by College Advisory Board
Revised
by the Academic Affairs Policy Council
CAB revisions
AAPC
review
AAPC review
CAB revisions 04/04
Academic Affairs Advisory Council
(AAAC) review 1/05
AAAC review 2/15/05
AAAC
review
AAAC review and approval
Approved by President’s Advisory Board
Editorial change
GRADE APPEAL
STATEMENT
DEPARTMENT
CHAIR
Appeal Information
Student’s Name________________________Student/SS#_________________________
Student Address: _________________________________________________________
Name of
Course_________________________Course ID_______ - _______ - ______
Semester (Check) _____Fall ____Spring _____Summer
Instructor’s
Name________________________________________________________
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT CHAIR’S DECISION
Upon a review of the statements
submitted by the student and the instructor, I have decided to:
_____ Recommend that the grade issued to the student
remain as recorded.
_____ Recommend a change of grade from______to______.
_____ Other (attach further explanation)
Date decision
made:_____________________________________________________
Department Chair’s
Signature:_____________________________________________
Date Form Mailed/Given to
Student:________________________________________
Date Form Mailed/Given to
Instructor:______________________________________
Please Note: The student and/or the instructor may appeal this decision by
filing a copy of his/her appeal statement, a copy of the Department Chair’s
decision and a written request for review by the Grade Appeal committee within five (5) working days of
receipt of this form to the appropriate Dean of Academic Services. If neither party files an appeal within the
five working day limit, this decision will become final.
GRADE APPEAL
FORM
INSTRUCTOR'S
STATEMENT
THIS FORM MUST BE COMPLETED AND
RETURNED TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT CHAIR AFTER THE STUDENT HAS TALKED TO THE INSTRUCTOR. THIS FORM WILL BE
SENT TO THE INSTRUCTOR BY THE DEPARTMENT CHAIR AFTER A STUDENT OBTAINS AND
FILLS OUT A STUDENT'S GRADE APPEAL FORM STATEMENT.
Instructor
Information
Instructor’s
Name_________________________
Address__________________________City____________State______
Zip_________
Phone #: Home( )__________________Work( )___________________
Course
Information
Course
Title_____________________________________________________________
Course
ID#_______ - _______ - _______
Student’s
Name_____________________
Semester
(Check) _____Fall _____Spring _____Summer
Information
Regarding Grade
Number of
class/clinical lab meetings per week__________________
Number of
Student Absences__________Number of Times Student was Late______
Date when
disputed grade was first discussed with student_____________________
Please write a
brief description of this meeting or conversation. (attach to this form)
Relate any
discussions with the student held prior to the granting of the grade in
dispute. (attach to this form)
Attach a copy of
the syllabus and of all pertinent materials such as:
1. Syllabus and other course materials.
2. All tests, term paper requirements,
assignments, etc.
3. Any other materials or information.
Materials
should include grading policy and any anecdotal notes as evidence of the
student’s performance, especially in laboratory or clinical courses.
Faculty should
retain copies of all information that is filed with this statement.
Date this
statement is received by the Department Chair____________________
Department
Chair’s Signature_____________________________________________