Grade Appeals

Grades earned by a student reflect the quality of his/her academic performance, as judged by the instructor of the course and pursuant to the requirements set forth in the course syllabus; the course instructor has sole responsibility for determining all academic grades.

Though rare, a student may feel that his/her work has been graded unfairly, or that his/her grade is based on some standard other than academic performance in the course in question. In such cases, the Grade Appeal Procedure offers the student a vehicle by which to seek clarification and/or resolution.

Grades entered on a student’s transcript (except for the INC grade) are considered permanent; consequently, students who wish to appeal a grade must make their request within 30 business days of final grade submission. As a first step, students are required to make his/her appeal to the faculty member for whose course the grade was earned. Should a disagreement remain unresolved at this level, the student may seek redress with the Chairperson of the Department or Division through which the course was offered. Further appeals may be made to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and may be referred to the Academic Review Committee. A detailed description of additional steps in the grade appeals process, if needed, may be found on the College’s web site.

Barring instructor error, grade appeals are entertained in cases where unusual or extenuating circumstances apply. In any case students may not request to appeal a grade beyond 30 business days after the original grade was received.