Student Grade Grievance—Policy and Procedure
A student’s dissatisfaction with a course grade is, in general, not sufficient grounds for warranting a grievance, convening a committee, or meriting a hearing.
Grounds for a grievance exist upon presentation of written documented evidence indicating:
- The process determining the grade differs from that outlined in the course syllabus; or
- The process determining the grade was not presented in writing to the students; or
- Discriminatory treatment.
A documented grievance associated with a grade must be presented within six (6) months after the original grade was issued.
If basis of a grade grievance is that the student was subjected to harassment or discrimination, the process will follow the university’s Anti-Discrimination and Harassment Policy. It is not the function of the Grade Grievance process to evaluate claims of discrimination or harassment. Please contact Renee Garcia-Prajer who will then evaluate whether the grade grievance should be paused until the allegations of discrimination and harassment are investigated.
For all other claims, the procedure for a documented grievance is as follows:
- The student is expected to resolve the issue at hand with the faculty member.
- If the solution as provided by the faculty member is unacceptable to the student, the student may present the case in writing with supporting evidence to the department chair of the faculty member involved. The department chair will then make a judgment, after consultation with the faculty member and the student, in an attempt to bring the matter to resolution.
- If the department chairperson is unable to bring the matter to resolution or the judgment is unacceptable to the student, the student may present a formal appeal in writing to the dean of the college in which the course was taken or to his/her designee.
- If the dean of the college or his/her designee finds that the appeal has merit, he/she will convene a grievance committee. This committee will consist of only faculty members: one faculty member selected by the student, one faculty member selected by the faculty member concerned, and one faculty member selected by the dean of the college or his/her designee. The chair of the faculty member against whom the grievance is filed is not eligible to serve on the Grade Grievance Committee. After reviewing all documented evidence, the grievance committee will then propose a solution, supported by a rationale in writing, that the grade either stands or should be changed by the faculty member. If the faculty member is unavailable to change the grade, the department chair shall serve in lieu of the unavailable faculty member.
In the extraordinary circumstances in which the faculty member does not accept the recommendation of the Grade Grievance Committee to change the grade after the Grade Grievance Committee ascertains that one or more grounds for a grievance outlined above has been substantiated, then the issue shall return to the Grade Grievance Committee, which will make the final grade decision to be implemented by the department chair. This step concludes the process.