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Grade Appeal Procedure
The Grade Appeal Procedure strives to resolve a disagreement between student and instructor concerning the assignment of a grade in an expeditious and collegial manner. The intent is to allow for the informal discussion of differences of opinion, and for a formal resolution process only when necessary. In all instances, students who believe that an appropriate grade has not been assigned must first seek to resolve the matter informally with the instructor. If the matter cannot be resolved informally, the student must request a formal review.
The instructor of record has the sole responsibility for determining all course grades. At the beginning of the course, the instructor will inform the students of course requirements and grading policies. The instructor shall exercise professional judgment in applying those policies and assigning grades.
All grades are final and may only be appealed on the following grounds:
- An instructor(s) made an error in calculating the original grade or a similar occurrence.
- A grading decision was made on some basis other than performance and other than as a penalty for academic misconduct.
- A grading decision was based on standards unreasonably different from those that were applied to other students.
- A grading decision was based on a substantial, unreasonable, or unannounced departure from previously articulated standards.
Resolving disputes about a grading policy and/or a specific assignment grade
If the student has a question about a grading policy and/or a specific assignment grade in the course:
- The student will raise the question while enrolled in the course or within 10 calendar days of the final academic calendar day of the semester the student took the course. The student should set up a meeting with the instructor about the concern.
If the instructor does not respond within 10 calendar days of receiving the complaint (at most 20 calendar days from the final academic calendar day of the semester in question) or is no longer employed by the college, the student should assume this means that the instructor is denying the informal appeal and, if they wish, the student may proceed with a written appeal to the Department Chair/Director. If the instructor is the Chair/Director they should forward the grade challenge to the dean and they should alert the student of this fact.
- If unable to resolve the question or objection with the instructor, the student should prepare a written appeal of the grade received in the course and send it to the relevant department Chair/Director by using the Student Grade Appeal Form. This appeal must define the basis for the grade change in relation to one of the four grounds articulated above, present all relevant evidence supporting the student’s case, and should describe the outcome of the meeting with the instructor, if applicable.
- The student should send the written material and any supporting documentation to the department chair/director and request an appointment to discuss the matter. This should occur within 30 calendar days of the final academic calendar day of the semester the student took the course.
If the instructor of record is the department chair/director, the formal appeal will be routed to the academic dean overseeing that area. If the student needs assistance locating the department chair/director or academic dean, the student should visit the Dean of Students’ office. The department chair/director will review the appeal and discuss the issue with the student and/or instructor before rendering a decision on the appeal. The decision to be rendered will be either:
- the original grading decision is upheld,
- sufficient evidence exists to indicate a grade has been assigned unfairly.
The department chair/director will render a decision within 10 calendar days of receiving the appeal in writing (within 40 calendar days of the final academic calendar day).
The department chair/director should communicate their decision to the student and instructor. If the department chair/director rules that sufficient evidence exists to change the grade, they should direct the instructor to change the grade, or in a case where the instructor cannot be reached change the grade themselves.
- If the student is unsatisfied with the decision of the department chair/director, the student should notify the department chair/director and the chair/director will pass the appeal onto an a panel made up of two department chairs/directors and a dean within 5 calendar days after the student has notified the chair/director that they wish to appeal the decision.
The department chair/director will also submit a written document to the panel explaining their decision.
- The panel will meet and render a verdict concerning the grade no later than 70 calendar days from the final academic calendar day of the course grade in question. The panel may choose to meet with the student who filed the appeal, the instructor of the course who assigned the grade, and/or the chair who considered the initial appeal.
The final decision rendered will be either:
- the original grading decision is upheld, or
- sufficient evidence exists to indicate a grade has been assigned unfairly.
In the latter case, the panel will assign the student a new grade for the course. The panel’s decision is final. The decision and supporting documentation will be delivered to the area dean, the student, the instructor, and the instructor’s Department Chair no later than 25 calendar days following the panel’s receipt of the grade appeal.
The timeline, but not the process, outlined above may be modified upon mutual agreement of the student, the department chair/director, and the appeal panel.