Grade Reporting and Appeals

Grade Reporting

The Registrar’s Office must receive grades from instructors no later than the date published annually in the Academic Calendar.

If grades are not received on time by the registrar, an NR (No Report) will be entered on the student’s transcript.  Students who receive NR for their grade should contact their instructor.

When there is a clerical or computation error, faculty may make grade changes up to two terms (fall, spring, summer) following completion of a course.

Grade Appeals Process

In general, grades represent the faculty member’s professional judgment of a student’s performance in a course and, as such, are final.  However, students have the right to ask a faculty member for an explanation of any grade received and may appeal a grade when they perceive that a final grade was biased, arbitrary or capricious.  In those instances, students must follow the Grade Appeal Process outlined below.

General Principles

  1. Students are encouraged to seek advice in matters of concern about grades from their faculty or academic advisor.
  2. Grade appeals can be made only in instances where procedural issues or biased, arbitrary or capricious grading are in question, specifically any one of the following:
    1. An obvious error in calculation.
    2. The instructor has applied more exacting standards to the particular student.
    3. The grade was given on some other basis than performance in the course.
    4. The grade represents a substantial departure from the instructor’s announced standards.

Process

Grade appeals may not be made more than two terms after course completion.

  1. The student should attempt informal resolution of grade concerns with the instructor. Typically, this step is all that is necessary to resolve any disagreements.  This step is only to be waived if the student believes she or he cannot meet with the instructor.
  2. In the event that informal resolution is not satisfactory to the student, the student has the burden of proof to show that the grade was based on factors listed in General Principles (2) above. The student submits a "Student Grade Change" form (located in e-trieve) for a grade appeal to the Registrar’s Office within six weeks of the official posting of the grades by the Registrar’s Office. The student must include evidence pertinent to the General Principles (2) above in support of the grade appeal request.
  3. The Registrar’s Office provides copies of the appeal to the program director (or the school dean if the program director is the instructor) and the instructor.  Within 15 days, the instructor responds in writing to the program director (or school dean), explaining the basis for the grade. Please note that days during the faculty off-contract periods (e.g. summer) are not counted.
  4. Within three weeks of the grade appeal request, the program director (or school dean) appoints a grade appeals panel consisting of three faculty members.  The panel will reach a decision to either uphold the grade or change it.  This decision is sent to the Registrar’s Office which then informs the program director (or school dean) the instructor, and the student.  The panel’s decision is binding.

Incomplete Grade

Students must arrange for an Incomplete with their instructor and dean, complete the Incomplete Grade Request form and submit it to the Registrar’s Office.