Grade Appeal Process

Student Appeal

Students who think that a final grade was issued erroneously may file a grade appeal to the departmental grade appeals committee by submitting the form to the Registrar’s Office. Although students are not required to communicate with their professor in order to file the appeal, students are strongly encouraged to communicate with the professor of the course about the reason(s) the student thinks the grade is incorrect. If the professor decides to change the grade, the student may then withdraw the appeal at that time. The Appeal of Grade form for courses taken in spring or summer must be filed with the Registrar's Office by the twenty-fifth day of the subsequent fall semester; the Appeal of Grade form for courses taken in the fall or winter must be filed by the twenty-fifth day of the subsequent spring semester.  Students may not appeal the decision of the department committee because the grade appeal process is the final option for students who are not able to remedy the situation with the professor.

Department Grade Appeals Committee

The request shall be reviewed by the departmental grade appeals committee. The departmental committee has 30 calendar days to review the matter and make a recommendation about the student's final course grade to the faculty member. For interdisciplinary programs, grade appeals will go to the department grade appeals committee of the academic department who hired the faculty member.

Faculty Review

The faculty member, upon receipt of the committee’s recommendation, must render a judgment within 14 calendar days and communicate in writing to the Office of the Registrar his or her decision to either sustain the grade or submit a grade change. The department grade appeals committee may refer cases to the College-Wide Grade Appeals Committee.  The college-wide committee may be used to review cases where the department grade appeals committee recommendation has not been acted upon by the faculty member. 

College-Wide Grade Appeals Committee

If the departmental grade appeals committee fails to make a recommendation to the faculty member within 30 calendar days, the grade appeal will be sent to the college-wide grade appeals committee. The departmental grade appeals committee may also refer a case to the college-wide appeals committee if the departmental committee's recommendation if not acted upon.  The college-wide grade appeals committee shall have 30 calendar days to make a recommendation to the faculty member about the course grade. The faculty member’s responsibilities and responses are the same as above. The college-wide grade appeals committee shall comprise five tenured members of the faculty, who shall be nominated by the Faculty Senate and elected by the College Council. The committee shall elect a chair from its own membership.

Extraordinary Circumstances

In truly exceptional circumstances a grade change may be authorized by someone other than the faculty member who taught the course. If either the departmental or college-wide grade appeal committee determines that truly exceptional circumstances are involved, the chair of the respective committee shall forward the information and related documents to the chair of the academic department that owns the course. The chair of the department, in consultation with the department grade appeals committee, shall review the case and if the department chair together with the grade appeals committee determines that a grade change is necessary and appropriate, it shall render its decision and change the student’s grade by the process and deadline established for the faculty member above.

Such grade changes are expected to be rare. No change in grade may be authorized except by the faculty member teaching the course or by the department chair in consultation with the department grade appeals committee. Each fall, a report will be furnished to the Academic Standards Subcommittee of UCASC as to the number of grade changes made through this process during the previous academic year.

Applicability to Undergraduate and Graduate Students

The processes described in this policy shall apply to only courses in the undergraduate program because only the undergraduate program has departmental grade appeals committees.