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Grade Appeal Process


A grade appeal must adhere to the following process:

  1. The student shall seek a conference with the instructor awarding the grade as soon as possible but not later than the end of the sixth week of the following semester. The instructor shall reevaluate the student’s performance and explain the grade awarded. If a change of grade is warranted, the instructor will submit a Change of Grade form to the Academic Department Chairperson and School Dean for their signatures. The form then will be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar by the School Dean. If the instructor concerned is not on campus during the semester or the student is not satisfied with the outcome of the conference in Step 1, the student may file a departmental grade appeal petition with the Chairperson of the Department in which the course was offered. Such an appeal should be made no later than two weeks after the meeting described in Step 1. If Step 1 is not possible (due to the instructor’s absence, for instance), then an appeal must be made no later than the end of the sixth week of the semester following the award of the grade. The petition should state all reasons for and providing all material in support of the grade change. In the absence of specific reasons and supporting materials, such requests will not be accepted.

  2. The Chairperson of the Department in consultation with the Departmental Committee on Academic Standards and Regulations shall review the request for change of grade. If the discipline in which the course was offered has a coordinator, this person should serve as a member of the Committee provided he/she is not the professor who awarded the grade. The Committee will review all pertinent material (including a summary of the discussion in (1), if applicable) and will notify the instructor concerned of its decision. The Chairperson must notify the student regarding the result of the appeal no later than thirty (30) days after the written request was submitted by the student.

  3. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of (2), s/he may submit a Grade Appeal form available in the Student Advocacy and Support Services Center) to the Collegewide Committee on Academic Standards and Regulations. The student must provide all relevant materials in support of this appeal. The Committee on Academic Standards and Regulations will review the necessary material(s), including the summary of the discussions in (1) and (2) and shall make a final decision. The coordinator of the Committee will notify the student of the results of the petition and appeal.