Grades are assigned by the course instructor. Students may appeal a final grade only in the cases where they are alleging a serious computational error in the grade or in cases where they allege unfair treatment in the application of a course policy or procedure.
When a student wishes to appeal a grade, final or part of a semester's work, he or she must follow the appeal procedures for grades, and those involved in the appeal may recommend only the following actions:
- The assigned grade may be supported.
- The faculty member may be asked to reconsider the grade in question.
Grade Appeal Procedure
Step 1
- If a student wishes to appeal a grade, he or she must make an appointment and meet with the faculty member within ten working days. To appeal final grades or grades assigned in the last week of the semester, the student must make an appointment and meet with the faculty member at a formal meeting during the first week of the next regular semester unless arrangements can be made to meet prior to that time.
- If no agreement can be reached, the student may file an appeal with the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs and proceed to Step 2.
View the Appeal of Grades form here.
Note: a working day is defined as any day when a full schedule of classes is in session (this excludes Saturdays and Sundays).
Step 2
- Within three working days of the meeting with the faculty member, the student may request in writing that the appropriate dean should call the meeting within five working days to include the student, faculty member, and program director, if any.
- After this meeting, the dean will send all parties involved a written recommendation within three working days.
- Students who do not agree with the recommendation in Step 2 may appeal to the Academic Appeals Committee within three working days. This appeal must be submitted, in writing, to the Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs.
Step 3
- Students initiate appeals to the Academic Appeals Committee (within three days of notification of outcome of Step 2) by requesting a hearing through the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. A hearing will be scheduled as quickly as possible, and all parties to the appeal will be informed of the date, time, and place of the meeting. It is the responsibility of the student and the person(s) whose decision(s) is (are) being appealed to provide the committee with evidence, documentary or otherwise. The appellant may be accompanied by a college friend.
- Having heard the cases of appellant and objects of appeal, the committee will deliberate in private and recommend a decision to the Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, whose decision will be final unless different from the recommendation of the committee; in such cases the student may appeal to the President, whose decision is final.
- The Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs will communicate in writing a decision on the appeal no later than three working days after the hearing.
