Grade Discrepancies

Any grade that has been submitted to the Registrar by an instructor is considered final. Grades may not be changed by allowing a student to do additional work (e.g. retaking exams, rewriting papers, extra credit projects, or other assignments not outlined in the course syllabus); by any change in course requirements that did not apply to all students enrolled in that particular class; or for any purpose other than (1) to correct a demonstrated error in calculation or recording; (2) pursuant to a confirmed finding of academic integrity violation (see Academic Standards and Expectations of Educational Integrity), or (3) pursuant to a decision in a student academic grievance.

If a student wishes to appeal a grade that the student believes has been erroneously or unjustly determined, the student must try to resolve the issue through informal discussions with the instructor. If no mutually satisfactory resolution is reached and the student wishes to pursue the appeal the student must adhere to the following procedure:

  1. No later than 14 days into the semester immediately following the semester for which the grade report in question was recorded, the student must send to the course instructor a written request for a change in the grade. The written communication must contain specific details about the graded work (such as grades received on exams, projects, and papers) and must describe the specifics of the potential grade discrepancy. The course instructor must respond within 14 days of receiving the letter to questions raised by the student and correct any grade found to be erroneous or unjust. If the instructor believes that the grade should remain as previously recorded, the response to the student must be a written one. If the instructor is the department chair, the appeal process continues with Step 3.
  2. Within 14 days of the date on which the response was written, the student may appeal the decision by notifying the instructor’s department chair. The department chair will promptly (within 14 days) confer with the student, the course instructor, and such others as may be helpful. The department chair will then consider all materials and conversations to determine whether the criteria designated in the syllabus or announced in the course were used for determining the grade. The department chair will render a decision that will be transmitted in writing to the student and to the course instructor .
  3. Within 14 days of the date on which the chair’s response was written, the student or the instructor may appeal the decision by notifying the Academic Standards Committee (ASC). The ASC will promptly (within 14 days) confer with the student, the course instructor, and such others as may be helpful. The ASC will then consider all materials and conversations to determine whether the criteria designated in the syllabus or announced in the course were used for determining the grades and whether procedures specified were followed in the appeal stages and render a decision transmitted in writing to the student and to the course instructor .
  4. The student may (within 14 days of the decision by the ASC) make a final appeal of a grade to the Provost and Dean of Faculty

If in any of the appeal stages, the course instructor or department chair does not respond to the formal request in the time specified, the student may immediately take the next step in the procedure. If at any point, the student does not challenge the grade within the deadline specified, the grade will remain as recorded.