Student Handbook
Grade Complaint Procedure
It is the responsibility of the instructor, exercising sound academic
discretion, to evaluate the performance of each student taking his or her class.
Nevertheless, a student who believes that he or she has received an incorrect or unfair
grade may request reconsideration of that grade using this procedure. This policy does not
apply to grades given for alleged academic dishonesty or for unsafe clinical practice.
Academic dishonesty shall be treated as a violation of the Student Code of Conduct and
shall be determined under the Code of Conduct rules. Unsafe clinical practice shall be
handled by the procedures established by the relevant Divisions. In the case that the
instructor is no longer at the institution, the responsibility for representing the
original instructor's interests rests with the Division chair or his/her designee.
| 1. |
No later than one full semester after receiving the grade in question, if
the student feels he or she has received an incorrect or unfair grade, the student should
contact the instructor giving such grade and attempt to resolve the disagreement over the
grade with that faculty member. If the student and faculty member resolve that
disagreement to their mutual satisfaction no further proceedings are necessary. |
| 2. |
If the student and faculty member are unable to resolve the disagreement
to their mutual satisfaction within the time provided below or in the event the student is
unable to discuss his or her complaint regarding the grade with the instructor within said
time period, then the student may file a written request for reconsideration of the grade
with the Division Chair. Any written request for reconsideration directed to the Division
Chair must be delivered to the Division Chair within thirty (30) days after the first day
of the semester following the semester for which the grade was given; provided that if the
grade was given during or for the spring semester, the written request for reconsideration
must be filed with the Division Chair within thirty (30) days after the first day of the
next following fall semester. |
| 3. |
When the Division Chair receives a timely request for reconsideration of
the grade, he or she will meet with the student and the faculty member and will make such
investigation as he or she deems appropriate. In the event the Division Chair is able to
mediate a resolution of the disagreement which is satisfactory to both the student and the
instructor, that resolution will be implemented and no further proceedings will be
necessary. If, however, the Division Chair is unsuccessful in resolving the dispute to the
mutual satisfaction of the student and the instructor within 10 days, the Division Chair
shall give written notice that he or she is unable to resolve the dispute to both the
student and to the instructor ("Notice of Impasse"). |
| 4. |
If the Division Chair is unable to resolve the dispute to the mutual
satisfaction of the student and instructor and if the student remains dissatisfied with
the decision of the instructor, the student may request reconsideration of the grade. The
request must be submitted to the Division chair within 10 days after written Notice of
Impasse is given to the student. An ad hoc committee of faculty members in the challenged
instructor’s discipline or closely allied fields will be appointed by the Division
Chair to review the grade. |
| 5. |
The ad hoc committee will hear the student's appeal and the faculty
member's rebuttal within 30 days of the student’s request. The student shall be
entitled to be accompanied by an advisor, who may advise the student during the hearing
but shall not be entitled to actively participate in the hearing. The hearing shall be
closed unless both parties agree that it should be open. At the hearing, the student shall
have the burden to prove, by clear and convincing evidence, that the decision of the
instructor to award the grade was arbitrary, capricious or grossly unreasonable. The ad
hoc committee will either sustain the grade given by the faculty member or, it will
determine the grade that should have been awarded. The Division Chair will provide the
instructor with a copy of the determination and will ask the instructor to implement it.
If the instructor declines to implement the committee’s determination, the Division
Chair will then change the grade, pending any appeal as outlined below, notifying the
instructor and student of this action. |
| 6. |
If a change in grade is not recommended and the student remains
unsatisfied, he or she may request the Hearing Board of the Faculty Senate to review the
proceedings regarding due process. The Hearing Board may not overturn the academic
judgment of the ad hoc committee; they may only ensure that the student has received a
fair hearing. |
| 7. |
If a change in grade is recommended, and the instructor is unsatisfied
with the ad hoc committee determination, he or she may request the Hearing Board of the
Faculty Senate to review the proceedings regarding due process. The Hearing Board may not
overturn the academic judgment of the ad hoc committee; they may only ensure that the
faculty member has received a fair hearing. |
| 8. |
If the Hearing Board determines that a fair hearing was not provided, they
will return the matter to the Division Chair, who will constitute a different ad hoc
committee to reevaluate the grade. |
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