Appeal of Grades

Grade appeals should not be made frivolously but in good faith. Appropriate grounds for grade appeals include situations in which the grade given is alleged to be inconsistent with the course syllabus or in which inappropriate professional conduct or unfairness have influenced the grade.

In order to appeal a grade a student must be prepared to document performance on all coursework and explain why the student's grade is not consistent with the course expectations expressed in the syllabus. To submit an appeal, a student should follow the steps below (if resolution is not achieved, a student should proceed to the next step):

1. Student communicates with faculty member to discuss rationale for grade change.

The student wishing to appeal a course grade must communicate with the faculty member within three (3) weeks following the final grade deadline for the given semester. If resolution is not made after communicating with the faculty member, the student may elect to pursue a formal appeal.

2. Student submits appeal form to the Academic Affairs Office.

The student wishing to pursue an appeal must do so within ten (10) business days of communicating with the faculty member. The form for appeal is available here.

3. The Executive Dean discusses the appeal with the faculty member and student.

If the Executive Dean requests additional information from the student, it must be received within ten (10) business days.  Once all necessary information has been collected, a decision is rendered by the Executive Dean (or delegate) and communicated in to the faculty member and the student. A copy is kept in the academic affairs office and sent, along with the original Academic Appeal Form, to the registrar's office to be kept with the student's official academic record.

4. The Executive Dean's decision may be appealed to the Academic Appeals Board.

If the student is not satisfied with the decision of the Executive Dean, a hearing by the Academic Appeals Board may be requested. To request a hearing, the student must submit a written appeal to the Academic Appeals Board within ten (10) working days after receipt of the written decision from the Executive Dean.

5. The Academic Appeals Board decides whether or not to hear the appeal.

If the board meets to consider the appeal, the decision of the board is submitted in writing to the Vice President for Academic Operations, Executive Dean, faculty member, and the student. A copy of the decision will also be forwarded to the registrar's office to be kept with the student's official academic record. 

The decision made by the Academic Appeals Board is final.