Procedure for Appealing a Course Grade

To begin an appeal the student must first request a meeting with the faculty member(s) (or, if unavailable, department chair or program head) to discuss the situation within the time frame outlined above. Because it is the responsibility of the student to demonstrate that the appeal has merit, the student should bring to this meeting any work from the course the student has in his/her/their possession for the faculty member(s) (or department chair/program head) to review. At the meeting the faculty member(s) (or department chair/program head) will:

1. Review any graded work that the student brings to discuss.
2. Show the student any of the student’s work that remains in the faculty member(s)'s possession (e.g., papers, final examinations and projects).
3. Explain how the student’s grade was determined based on the standards set forth at the beginning of the class and listed in the course syllabus.
4. Re-calculate the numerical computation of the grade, if any, to determine if there has been a clerical error.

If the student wishes to continue the appeal following this meeting, the student must file a written appeal with the faculty member(s)'s department chair/program head by the end of the fourth week of the semester, or by April 15^th in the case of the appeal of a winter term grade.

If the faculty member(s) is/are unavailable and is/are being represented by the department chair/program head, unreturned graded work may not be available. The burden of retaining and submitting to the department chair/program head the student's copies of previously submitted work rests with the student, who testifies that the work has not been altered or augmented in any way since the original submission.

The student will submit to the department chair/program head the “Student Grade Appeal Statement”  form together with copies of the course syllabus, tests, assignments, and relevant work in the student’s possession.

The department chair/program head will notify the faculty member(s) involved within two (2) business days, and the faculty member(s) will file the “Faculty Grade Appeal Statement”  form with the department chair/program head within seven (7) days, or by April 22^nd for a winter term grade, together with copies of the syllabus, assignments, and any of the student’s work that remains in the faculty member('s) possession. For co-taught courses, only one Faculty Grade Appeal Statement is submitted; depending on the circumstances of the case, the form may carry one signature or multiple signatures.

The department chair/program head, following consultation with the relevant dean or deans, will render a decision in writing regarding the grade appeal within seven (7) days of receipt of the Faculty Grade Appeal Statement, or by April 29 in the appeal of a winter term grade.

If the department chair or program head is the/a faculty member involved, the written appeal will go to the associate chair (for larger departments with associate chairs) or to the dean of the college or school housing the department of the faculty member's (primary) appointment, who will assume the role of the department chair/program head in the process.

If the student wishes to appeal the department chair’s/program head's decision (or the decision of an associate chair or dean assuming the role of the department chair/program head) to the final hearing body, the student must put that request in writing to the dean within seven (7) days. 

The dean, or a designee, will notify and forward all documentation to the Chair of the Grade Appeals Hearing Committee. Recognizing that coordinating student and faculty members' schedules can be challenging, the committee ordinarily should meet no later than the end of the eighth week of the semester, or by May 13 for a winter term grade appeal. For expedited cases involving seniors intending to graduate, or potential academic probation or suspension, the committee may meet earlier.