First Level of the Formal Appeals Process: Appeal to the Department-Program Grade Appeals Committee
4. First Level of the Formal Appeals Process: Appeal to the department/program grade appeals committee.
4.1. Should consultation fail to resolve the appeal and should the student choose to continue the process, the student must ask the chair to forward the appeal to the department/program grade appeals committee. The student must make this request in writing by the last day of instruction of the regular semester immediately following the semester or special session in which the course was completed.
- 4.1.1. The department/program chair shall forward the appeal to the department/program grade appeals committee within ten (10) instructional days and may include a written recommendation based upon the first, consultative step in the process (outlined in 3.4., above). The chair must also inform the instructor immediately that the formal grade appeals process has been initiated and must give copies of all materials forwarded to the grade appeals committee to the instructor and to the student.
- 4.1.2. The instructor may submit a written response to the student's appeal and a rationale to be considered by the grade appeals committee. The department/program chair must also provide a copy of the response and rationale to the student.
- 4.1.3. The student may terminate the appeal at any point by submitting a written request to withdraw the appeal.
4.2. The department/program grade appeals committee shall consider the appeal, adhering to the principles and guidelines of paragraphs 1.1., 1.10., 2.9., 2.10., and 2.11., above. A department/program grade appeals committee shall reach its decision within 40 instructional days after it receives the appeal.
4.3. If the appeal is granted by the committee, the committee will then determine a grade for the student based upon the evidence included in the appeal file (e.g., exams, papers, and assignments). The committee shall communicate its decision and rationale as specified in paragraph 2.12., above and shall also provide a copy to the department/program chair.
- 4.3.1. If both the student and instructor accept the committee's decision, the instructor will then have ten (10) instructional days to initiate the grade change by signing the grade change form and forwarding it to the department/program chair, at which point the grade appeal process is over.
- 4.3.2. If the student accepts the decision of the committee but, within ten (10) instructional days of the receipt of the committee's decision, the instructor does not either file a grade change or file an appeal of the committee's finding, the grade appeal committee chair shall sign the grade change form in the place of the instructor and forward it to the department/program chair. If the department/program chair does not sign the form within ten (10) instructional days of notification, the chair of the department/program grade appeal committee will sign in lieu of the department/program chair and then the college dean will authorize the grade change.
4.3.3. If, within ten (10) instructional days, either the instructor or the student files in writing an appeal of the department/program committee's finding, the committee chair shall, within ten (10) instructional days, forward the file (including the committee's decision and rationale) to the college grade appeals committee.
4.4. If the department/program grade appeals committee rejects the appeal, it shall communicate its decision and its rationale as provided in paragraph 2.12., above, and provide a copy also to the department/program chair.
- 4.4.1. If, within ten (10) instructional days, the student does not request further review of the appeal, the grade appeal process is terminated.
- 4.4.2. If, within ten (10) instructional days, the student communicates in writing her/his wish to continue the appeal process, the committee chair shall, within ten (10) instructional days, forward the file (including the committee's decision and rationale) to the college grade appeals committee.
