Grounds for Filing a Final Grade Appeal
The grade appeal procedure is not to be used to review the judgment of an instructor in assessing the quality of a student’s work. Possible grounds for an appeal include the following:
- An obvious error in the calculation of the grade.
- The assignment of a grade to a particular student by application of more exacting requirements than were applied to other students in the course.
- The assignment of a grade to a particular student on some basis other than the performance in the course.
- The assignment of a grade by a substantial departure from the instructor’s previously identified standards as outlined on the syllabus or as posted electronically.
For the student who is dissatisfied with a grade and with reason to believe the grade issued is incorrect, the following appeal procedure is provided by the Office of Graduate Studies and the University.
Note: In terms of documentation, process, and the burden of proof, the burden is on the student to present evidence and to follow through with the steps in a timely way. Email shall be the official means of notification, documenting dates, and presenting evidence. It may also be the means by which a signed and scanned letter is attached and transmitted. Failure to check email or having technical issues related to email are not regarded as acceptable interruptions in the calendar of the Grade Appeal process as identified by the number of working days noted in bold and by the University officials to whom these processes have been assigned for review. For any of these steps, a graduate student may be asked to print out an email or other document, then sign it, scan it, and mail it by either attachment, regular mail, or certified mail.
Level 1: Within ten (10) working days after the Registrar has posted the final grade, the student shall confer with the instructor who issued the grade and shall outline the reasons why he or she believes the grade is incorrect. (If the faculty member is unavailable, the student shall contact the Graduate Program Coordinator, the Department Chairperson, or the Dean of Graduate Studies within this same time period.) Following the student-faculty conference and with ten (10) working days the instructor shall advise the student by email of the outcome of the course grade review and shall process a grade change if appropriate.
Level 2: If the student still considers the grade to be incorrect, the student may formally appeal the grade within ten (10) working days after the email date of the faculty response letter from Level 1. The student may request by email that the Graduate Program Coordinator and Department Chairperson review all the data from Level 1 and any additional information deemed pertinent by the student and/or faculty member and make a decision regarding the appeal. The Graduate Program Coordinator and Department Chairperson must respond by email to the student involved, the faculty member, and the Dean of Graduate Studies within ten (10) working days regarding the chair’s decision on the appeal.
Level 3: The student may continue the appeals process by requesting by email that the Dean of Graduate Studies review all data from Levels 1 and 2 and any additional information received from the student, faculty member, Graduate Program Coordinator, and Department Chairperson and make a decision on the appeal. This level of appeal must be initiated by the student within ten (10) working days of the date of the chair’s decision from Level 2, which shall be communicated by email. Within ten (10) working days from the initiation of Level 3, the Dean of Graduate Studies must inform by email the student, faculty member, Graduate Program Coordinator, and Department Chairperson of the decision regarding the appeal.
Level 4: If the student is still dissatisfied, he or she may continue the appeals process from Level 3 within ten (10) working days of receiving the decision from the Dean of Graduate Studies by requesting of the Dean that he or she appoint a Hearing Panel of a non-voting chair from the faculty membership of the Graduate Studies Council and, in consultation with the Student Conduct Officer, three students who may or may not be graduate students. The chair shall convene the panel and issue its report in the form of a signed letter. The Hearing Panel shall call a hearing within ten (10) working days of receiving the written request from the Dean. The student, faculty member, Graduate Program Coordinator, Department Chairperson, and the Dean of Graduate Studies shall be informed by letter within five (5) working days of the decision of the Hearing Panel.
Level 5: If the student is not satisfied by the decision of the Hearing Panel, the student may appeal within ten (10) working days of the date of the letter in Level 4 to the Office of the Provost, who shall appoint a representative to ascertain that all steps have been followed. The Provost, or representative thereof, shall prepare a summary for the President’s review, who shall issue a final decision within thirty (30) working days, which shall be considered final.