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 the Registrar’s Office does not receive a grade on time, 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 computational error, faculty may make grade changes up to two terms (fall, spring, summer) following the completion of the section.

Grade Appeals

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 may submit a grade appeal to the Registrar's Office within six weeks of the official posting of the grade.

Grade Appeals 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.

Grade Appeals Process

  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 he or she 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 at least one of the factors listed in General Principles (2) above. The student submits a Student Grade Change form within six weeks of the official posting of the grade to the Registrar’s Office. The student must include evidence pertinent to the General Principles (2) above in support of the grade appeal request for the appeal to be considered for review.
  3. The form then routes to the instructor. Within 15 days, the instructor responds in writing, explaining the basis for the grade, and indicates whether he or she approves or declines the grade appeal. Please note that days during the faculty off-contract periods (e.g. summer) are not counted.
  4. The form then routes to the Registrar’s Office. The Registrar’s Office provides copies of the appeal and evidence to the department chair (or the school dean if the department chair is the instructor).
  5. Within three weeks of being notified of the grade appeal, the department chair (or school dean) appoints a grade appeals panel consisting of three faculty members (not including themself). The panel will reach a decision to either uphold the grade or change it. The department chair (or school dean) notifies the Registrar’s Office of the panel’s decision, and the Registrar’s Office communicates the panel’s decision to the student, instructor, and department chair (or school dean). The panel’s decision is binding, and the student can make no additional grade appeals for that section.

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.