Grade Appeals

Grading is the prerogative of the instructor. In the case of a disputed grade, an undergraduate student must:

1. First contact the instructor and request reconsideration.
2. If the student wishes to continue the grade appeal following a meeting with the instructor, he or she must file a written appeal with the professor’s department chairperson. Written notification must be received no later than the completion of the seventh week of the term following the semester in which the grade was awarded.
   1. If the contested grade was awarded in the fall semester or winter session, this appeal procedure must be initiated no later than the end of the seventh week of the following spring semester.
   2. If the contested grade was awarded for the spring semester, intersession or summer session, this appeal procedure must be initiated no later than the end of the seventh week of the following fall semester.
3. Students who are dissatisfied with the chairperson’s evaluation and wish to appeal their decision must put a request in writing to the dean (or dean's designee) of the instructor’s college within one week of the chairperson’s decision. The dean (or designee) will review the appeal and other pertinent materials and render a decision regarding the grade under appeal.
   1. This decision will be final except in case of a verifiable error in procedure, only supportable by documentary evidence. In this case, the student may present the documentation of specific errors in the grade appeal procedures that denied him/her a reasonable opportunity to participate in the process to the Academic Appeals Committee. The procedural error must be specifically stated in the request to the Academic Appeals Committee.

Please note that disputing general fairness and/or dislike of the grade are not acceptable grounds for a request to the Academic Appeals Committee. The Academic Appeals Committee will determine the sufficiency of any review request based on these criteria. If it is determined, there are not sufficient grounds for a review, the review request will be dismissed and the student notified. If it is determined that sufficient grounds are stated, the Academic Appeals Committee will meet and review the grade appeal procedures specific to the case.

No course grades will be subject to change after final graduation certification.

See the Office of Graduate and Continuing Studies section of this catalog for the policy on academic appeals for graduate students.