2021-2022 Traditional Undergraduate Student Handbook

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Grade Appeal Policy

Students may appeal grades that they believe were awarded in error or unfairly. It is the student’s responsibility to support his or her claim and only final grades in a course may be appealed. Various approaches to grading are valid and grade appeals only apply to errors and unfair practices, not grading methods within professional standards.  

For the purposes of this policy, grades awarded “unfairly” are defined as:

  • Inaccurate assessment of the quality of work, as determined by assignment descriptions, grading rubrics, and other available objective criteria.
  • Inconsistent grading methods as compared with standards used for other students in the same course, section, and term.
  • Practices that do not align with the mission or policies of the College.

If a graduating student is appealing a grade, his or her degree will be placed on hold until the appeal process is complete. The student may request an official letter from the Registrar stating the completion of graduation requirements for the purposes of employment or graduate school admission until the matter is resolved. Grades may not be changed after a student has graduated. This policy does not pertain to poor or failing grades related to academic dishonesty (See Academic Integrity Policy).

Grade Appeal Procedure 

  1. Students must first seek to resolve the matter with his or her professor according to the Matthew 18 Principle before submitting a grade appeal.
  2. If the matter remains unresolved, the student should submit a written appeal to the Registrar within one additional program term length after the last day of the term in which the grade was  assigned. Students must provide a rationale, with available evidence, supporting how their grade was a result of an error or unfair practice. If an appeal is based on a claim of unfair practices,  students must cite at least one of the definitions of “unfair” as stated in this policy. Late appeals will be considered at the discretion of the department chair and/or site director only when  extenuating circumstances exist.
  3. The Registrar will convene the Appeals Committee to review the appeal. The committee will consider if the student has produced convincing evidence of an error or unfair practices by the  professor in assigning the final grade.
    1. If the Appeals Committee determines that a grade change is not justified, the Registrar will report this finding to the student and the professor. The original grade will stand, and the decision of the committee will be final. This decision cannot be appealed further by the student.
    2. If the Appeals Committee determines that a grade change is justified, the Registrar will first report the initial decision to the professor and the Department Chair/Site Director.
      1. If the professor disagrees with the decision, he or she will be given an opportunity to submit a final written explanation to the Appeals Committee for the original grade.
        1. If, after reviewing the professor’s explanation, the committee determines that the original grade is justified, the Registrar will report this finding to the professor and to the  student. The original grade will stand, and the decision of the committee will be final. This decision cannot be appealed further by the student.
        2.  If, after reviewing the professor’s explanation, the committee upholds the initial decision to justify a grade change, the Registrar will make the grade change and report the  decision to the professor and student. The decision will be final.
      2. If the professor chooses not to provide further explanation to justify the original grade or does not send it to the Registrar within ten (10) business days, the Registrar will reach out to the Department Chair/Site Director for approval to change the grade and inform the student.