If the informal efforts of the student and faculty member have not produced a satisfactory resolution, a formal appeal is in order. The student should initiate a written appeal before the last day of classes of the semester following the semester in which the grade was issued. After this deadline, the appeals will not be considered. The following procedures should be followed for formally appealing a grade:
- The student should first contact the instructor and request verification of the grade and how it was determined.
- If the student does not receive satisfaction from the instructor, the student may confer with the program coordinator and the faculty member in an attempt to reach closure. If the appeal is resolved at this point, a “memorandum of record” should be prepared by the program coordinator and retained on file.
- If closure is not reached, the student may file a formal grade appeal to the appropriate Dean. This must be done in writing and dated prior to the one-semester time limit. The appeal must state the name of the course, the reasons for the request, the dates involved, and the name of the instructor who issued the grade, including all previous attempts to resolve the situation.
The Dean will assign an Ad Hoc Grade Appeals Committee for deliberation. The Department Chair or the Program Coordinator will Chair the Committee. The Committee shall consist of two full-time faculty members, one faculty member from the discipline one faculty member from outside the Division, and a Student Services designee. The Committee will review the student’s appeal letter, transcript, instructor’s roll book, tests, papers, reports, projects, and any other documentation as appropriate. A vote will be taken by the committee to attempt a resolution. If no resolution is achieved, a formal hearing will be scheduled where the student and faculty member will be requested to present their sides of the matter. After deliberating, the Committee will make a recommendation to the appropriate Dean to either support the grade as awarded or to change the grade. The Dean will notify the student of the decision and/or action within 3-5 days following the hearing.