Introduction
The grade appeal system affords recourse to a student who has evidence or believes that evidence exists to show that an inappropriate grade has been assigned as a result of clerical error, personal bias, or arbitrary grading. Grades (for an entire course, assignment, or unit) given by a faculty member (or faculty members, for co-taught courses) after the student is found responsible for an Honor Code violation through the University Honor System may not be appealed.
Keeping in mind that the appeal of a course grade should be attended to as soon as possible, the student must contact the faculty member(s) involved within the first two (2) weeks of the start of fall semester for the appeal of a spring semester or a summer term grade and within the first two (2) weeks of the spring semester for the appeal of a fall semester grade. In the case of a winter term grade, the appeal must be made no later than April 1st of the year in which the course was completed.
In the case of a grade that would affect a senior intending to graduate or that would result in academic probation or suspension, the student should contact the faculty member(s) as soon as possible after the grade is posted, in which case the procedure may be expedited.
If the individual faculty member who taught the course is not available (for example, is on leave or sabbatical, or no longer employed by the university), the appeal should be made to the chair of the faculty member's department.
The language in the process attempts to address the most common instructional arrangements. The standard language refers to disciplinary courses taught by faculty in departments with a chair reporting to a dean.
The policy also recognizes the following cases of interdisciplinary courses: for COR prefix courses, appeals should be made to the Elon Core Curriculum Director; for GBL courses, appeals should be made to the Assistant Dean of Global Education; and for other courses carrying an interdisciplinary program prefix, appeals should be made to the program coordinator. (Hereafter, the term "program head" applies in all of these cases).
If a student is unsure to whom an appeal should be made after contacting the faculty member(s), the academic advisor or department chair/program head can offer guidance.
For some less common instructional arrangements, the standard language in this procedure does not anticipate every consideration: for example, for co-taught courses where faculty members are in different departments or schools, or for courses taught by staff with faculty rank who do not report to a department chair or dean.
In co-taught courses, the appropriate process may depend on whether particular work in question was graded by one or more than one of the faculty members.
Where necessary, the Chair of the Grade Appeals Hearing Committee will determine the appropriate adaptation(s) of the process.