Student Appeal of Grade

Administrative Procedure No. 4030

A student who believes a final grade in a course was incorrectly administered may
appeal that grade.

DEFINITION: Working Day means any day, excluding Saturday and Sunday, on which the College is
open for business, even if classes are not in session.

Procedure for student appeal of a final grade:

• Step 1: The student must meet with the instructor who assigned the final grade and attempt
  to resolve the matter. The initial meeting with the instructor should occur as soon
  as possible and must occur within 90 calendar days after the final grade in question
  was placed on the student’s permanent record. The student may obtain help in establishing
  an appointment with the instructor from the appropriate academic division office.

  If the instructor is no longer available, the student must meet with the appropriate
  Department Director, Department Chair, or Program Director, who will act on behalf
  of the instructor.

• Step 2: Within ten (10) Working Days following the meeting with the instructor, if the student
  continues to believe the final grade is incorrect, the student may submit a fully
  completed “Student Appeal of a Grade” form to the appropriate academic Division office.

  The appeal must contain the student’s name, student identification number, current
  address, and telephone number; the instructor’s name; the course number, section number,
  and semester involved; the specific issue in question; the student’s position on the
  issue; and pertinent documentation relating to the issue.

  The Division Dean will request relevant information from the instructor and arrange
  a meeting with the student. The instructor may be present during the meeting. After
  meeting with the student and reviewing the appeal and any other available information,
  the Division Dean will make a recommendation to the instructor.

  Within ten (10) Working Days of the Division’s receipt of the Student Appeal of Grade
  form, the Division Dean will notify the student in writing by certified mail of the
  instructor’s decision.

• Step 3: If the student continues to believe the final grade is incorrect, the student may
  appeal the instructor’s decision by requesting an appeal hearing before a Grade Appeal
  Committee. The student’s appeal must be in writing directed to the Associate Vice
  President for Academic Affairs and must be received by the Associate Vice President
  for Academic Affairs within five (5) Working Days of the student’s receipt of written
  notification from the Division Dean. If the student fails to submit the written request
  for an appeal hearing within this five (5) Working Day time period, the student loses
  all rights to appeal the instructor’s decision.
• Step 4: Within ten (10) Working Days of Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs’ receipt
  of the student’s request for an appeal hearing, the Grade Appeal Committee shall be
  activated.
  The Grade Appeal Committee will be composed of six (6) faculty, one from each of the
  academic divisions, who have been elected by the faculty in the respective divisions,
  not to include the instructor involved in the case. The Grade Appeal Committee will
  also include three (3) students selected by the Vice President for Student Affairs.
• Step 5: The hearing to consider the appeal of the student will be scheduled for a date not
  more than 15 WorkingDays from the date the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
  receives the student’s request for an appeal hearing. If, during the Summer Session,
  the Vice President for Academic Affairs determines that there are insufficient faculty
  for an appeal hearing, this time frame may be extended to September 1. All Grade Appeal
  Committee Hearings will be closed meetings.
• Step 6: At the hearing, the Committee shall evaluate the request and allow the student and
  the instructor to present their positions and any supporting information. The student
  and the instructor shall have no more than one hour each to present their positions
  and any supporting information or evidence. The student shall present first, followed
  by the instructor. The student shall then have 15 minutes to rebut the instructor’s
  evidence. The burden of proving that the assigned final grade is incorrect rests at
  all times with the student. Neither the student nor the instructor shall be represented
  by an attorney at the hearing.
• Step 7: The Grade Appeal Committee shall consider all information and documents presented
  by the student and the instructor, and the recommendation of the relevant Division
  Dean. The Grade Appeal Committee may also consider other documents the Committee deems
  relevant to the proceedings, and the instructor and the relevant Division Dean shall
  provide the Committee access to such documents.

Committee Determination

At the end of the Grade Appeal hearing, the Committee will meet privately to discuss
the case and make a determination. If the Committee determines by unanimous vote that
it is highly probable that the assigned final grade is incorrect, then the final grade
will be changed. If the vote is not unanimous, the assigned final grade will stand.
The Committee will provide its determination in writing (not electronically) to The
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs within three (3) working days of the
Committee’s reaching its determination. The Associate Vice President for Academic
Affairs will notify the instructor and student by certified mail of the Committee’s
determination within five (5) working days of the Associate Vice President’s receipt
of that determination.

Administrative Action

The Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs shall be responsible for the administrative
action required to make any necessary final grade changes on the student’s record
resulting from the Committee’s determination.

Record Retention

A record of the Committee’s results and supporting documents submitted by all involved
parties will be archived in the Vice President for Academic Affairs’ office indefinitely.