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Faculty Handbook

Appendix IX—Grade Challenge

Procedure for Students Who Challenge aSemester Grade

I. Academic Appeals Committee

The Academic Appeals Committee will hear appeals involving disputes over final course grades. Appeals will be heard when the student alleges that an arbitrary, capricious or prejudiced grade assignment has occurred.

The committee will consist of:

  1. The provost/vice president for academic affairs, chair.
  2. Two faculty at-large appointed by the provost/vice president for academic affairs for one academic-year appointment.
  3. Two full-time students at-large appointed by the vice president for student affairs for one academic-year appointment.
  4. One faculty member from the challenging student’s major or, in the case of there being no major, the closest related field in which the course challenged was offered. The faculty member will be appointed by the Faculty Senate president for the duration of the challenge.
  5. One full-time student majoring in the academic area in which the course challenged was offered. The student will be appointed by the student government president for the duration of the challenge.

II. Appeals Procedures

  1. Before a grade challenge hearing can be scheduled before the committee, the student must make the initial appeal to the instructor; or if the instructor is no longer with the University, the student must appeal to the head of the department that offered the course. If no resolution is possible, the student may appeal to the head of the department that offered the course and then to the dean of the college in which the course was offered. If at this point the problem has not been resolved to the satisfaction of the student, the student may file an appeal with the Academic Appeals Committee.
  2. A student desiring a hearing before the Academic Appeals Committee must file a written request for an appeal hearing with the dean of the college in which the course was offered. The appeal will then be forwarded by the dean to the provost/vice president for academic affairs. Any academic appeal must be filed by October 1 if the grade being challenged was given during the spring semester or a summer session. The deadline to challenge a grade given during the fall semester is March 1. The act of filing the written request is construed as authorizing all committee members to have access to all records, including academic, civil and medical records that may have a bearing on deliberations.
  3. The written request for an appeal hearing should be accompanied by all evidence and supporting documents that will be introduced at the hearing, including short statements summarizing the testimony that may be presented by witnesses. The request for appeal should also be accompanied by a statement outlining the student’s justification for the appeal. The faculty member reserves the right to provide evidence and give his/her justification for giving the grade but cannot be required to do so in either case.
  4. The provost/vice president for academic affairs, after receiving all the required documentation and materials, shall set the hearing for the earliest possible date and inform the student and the instructor of the time and place for the hearing. Failure of the student to appear without justifiable cause terminates the right to appeal. The instructor and/or his/her department head shall be present if deemed necessary by the chair. However, the instructor reserves the right to be present.
  5. The provost/vice president for academic affairs as chair of the Academic Appeals Committee shall sit as a hearing officer and shall not take part in the vote or otherwise participate in the deliberations of the committee, except to cast a tie-breaking vote. It shall be the duty of the committee to rule on procedural matters and admissibility of evidence. The committee may deny the admission of any evidence that did not accompany the student’s request for a hearing.
  6. The burden of proof shall be upon the student to prove his/her case by a preponderance of evidence.
  7. The student and the instructor shall have the right to have counsel present, to present such witnesses and documentary evidence as may be pertinent and to cross-examine witnesses.
  8. All parties shall be afforded the opportunity for reasonable oral argument.
  9. Upon request, sufficiently in advance by either party, the chair shall cause testimony presented at the hearing to be recorded. A copy of the recording may be obtained from the chair at the expense of the requesting party.
  10. Immediately after hearing an appeal, the committee will go into closed session to deliberate. The student and the instructor will be informed of the committee’s decision orally at conclusion of the deliberations. A formal letter to all interested parties, with a copy to the University president, will confirm the committee’s decision.
  11. If the committee finds that due to an arbitrary, capricious or prejudiced action, a student received an unearned grade, the committee will recommend to the instructor that the grade be changed.
  12. If the instructor refuses to change the grade, the provost/vice president for academic affairs will direct the registrar to change the grade.
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