Procedure for Appeal of Grades

There will be a standing University committee, the purpose of which is to address requests for revision of academic grade(s) after preliminary means of appeal have been exhausted. This does not apply to students enrolled in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, the School of Podiatric Medicine in which the dean has final authority on grade appeals.

The standing committee known as the Committee on Grades will consist of three faculty members and two students, one undergraduate and one graduate. The committee members will be proposed annually by the Academic Affairs Council and be approved by the Provost. One of the faculty members on the committee will be named chair by the Provost. An alternate faculty and student member will also be appointed following the above procedure, and will serve in case of illness or in case a member is party to an appeal. The committee will establish its internal decision-making procedure which will be made public. The committee is free to seek the advice of others when it feels it lacks the expertise in a particular academic area.

The faculty member responsible for the course is the only person who may make a grade change. When a student appeals a grade, the student will provide the faculty member with a copy of all petitions.

A challenge to a grade received in a course, comprehensive examination, thesis, or other graduation requirement will be considered only when the student alleges that the grade received reflects other than appropriate academic criteria, that is, achievement and proficiency in the subject matter as stated in the course syllabus.

A student wishing to challenge a grade will proceed in the following manner:

If the student’s school has a grade appeal procedure, such procedure will be followed and all such remedies must be exhausted prior to filing a petition. In the event that the grievance is not settled at the school level, the student may file the Grade Appeal Form with the Chair of the Committee on Grades, whereupon the procedure set forth will apply. The student must file the form no later than five calendar days after the final decision of the student’s school.
If the student’s school has no grade appeal procedure, the following will apply:
1. If the grade challenged is in a course, the student will first discuss the matter with the faculty member teaching the course in an effort to resolve the grievance informally. If the grievance is not settled, the student may then file the Grade Appeal Form with the chair of the department who will seek an informal reconciliation (If there is no chair, then the form should be filed with the Program Director). The form must be filed no later than 120 calendar days after the date on which the grade was due in the Registrar’s office.
2. If the grade is received in a comprehensive examination or on a thesis, the student may file the Grade Appeal Form with the chair of the department who will seek an informal reconciliation. The form must be filed no later than five calendar days after the grade is received. If reconciliation is not achieved at the departmental level, the student may file the Grade Appeal Form with the dean of the school. The form must be filed no later than five calendar days after receiving the department chair’s decision in the case. The dean will make an informal investigation, hearing both the student and the faculty member, and attempt an informal reconciliation. The dean will render a decision within forty-five calendar days and inform the student and faculty member in writing.
Except in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and the School of Podiatric Medicine, if the student wishes to appeal the decision of the dean, he or she may file the Grade Appeal Form with the Chair of the Committee on Grades. The form must be filed no later than five calendar days after the student is notified of the dean’s decision. The Committee on Grades will make a formal investigation, hearing both the student and faculty member. The Committee will reach a decision within thirty calendar days and notify the student, the faculty member, and the Provost in writing. The decision will be either that the grade will stand, or that the faculty member should change the grade as recommended by the committee. If the faculty member disagrees with the recommended change, he or she will promptly inform the committee chair of that decision. The committee chair will then notify the Registrar, through the Provost, that the grade will not affect the student’s grade point average, cause the course to be repeated, or prevent continuation in the University.
The student and/or the faculty member may appeal the decision of the Committee on Grades by sending the Grade Appeal Form to the Provost no later than five calendar days after notification of the Committee’s decision. The decision of the Provost is the final University appeal. The Provost will make a decision within forty-five calendar days and inform the student and faculty member in writing. In instances where the Provost recommends a grade change and the faculty member does not follow the recommendation, the Provost will inform the Registrar that the grade will not affect the student’s grade point average, cause the course to be repeated, or prevent continuation in the University.