Grade Appeal Process
It is up to each instructor to determine the criteria by which students will be graded. Grading can be a subjective process in which knowledge of class material and the quality of work are both factored into the grade. To facilitate the success of all students, it is appropriate that they be clearly informed about the number of graded assignments and the weight attached to each assignment. If more specific criteria for grades can be explained, it is appropriate that such explanations are included in the syllabus or other course materials. It is also appropriate for students to be informed if class attendance and participation will be calculated in the final grade. Faculty may provide work for extra credit but are under no obligation to do so.
Standard Procedure for Appeals of Grades and Sanctions
It is understood that students may have questions about their grades. Most can easily be answered through consultation with the instructor. In the event that a student feels he/she has been treated unfairly, in that an instructor has deviated from his/her prescribed formula for grading in an arbitrary or punitive manner, the student may appeal the final course grade.
The following timetable and grade appeal process shall be used whenever the student disagrees with a final course grade assigned, except in cases that involve the determination of guilt for an act of academic misconduct that was reported through the Academic Misconduct Notification Form (available to instructors via WebAdvisor).
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Step |
Process |
Timeline |
Process Notes |
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Step 1
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Initial Consultation with Instructor
Appeals cannot normally be made unless a student has first discussed his/her concerns with the instructor and provided objective evidence of being treated unfairly (the instructor has deviated from his/her prescribed formula for grading in an arbitrary or punitive manner).
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3 Business Days |
This conference should take place within three business days of the student being notified of the final course grade that has been or will be assigned.
Students are responsible for reviewing their final posted grades and scheduling a conference with their instructor.
The conference with the instructor can be virtual or in-person.
The conference should take place within three business days unless unforeseen and
extenuating circumstances beyond the student's control warrant an extension. The student must be able to document such extenuating circumstances if requested by the instructor.
If the university is closed for holiday break within this three-day window, the student and instructor must meet to confer no later than three business days after the beginning of the following semester.
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Step 2 |
Student Concerns Remain Unresolved After Conference with Instructor
If the concerns remain unresolved after the conference with the instructor, the student must inform the instructor in writing within three business days of the conference that he/she is dissatisfied with the results of the conference.
The student must write a formal letter that clearly outlines the objective evidence demonstrating that the instructor acted unfairly/deviated from his/her prescribed formula for grading in an arbitrary or punitive manner.
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3 Business days |
The formal appeal letter written by the student will clearly outline evidence of unfair treatment by the instructor.
The student letter, once submitted, must remain unchanged throughout the grade appeal process.
The student provides the letter to the instructor. |
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Step 3 |
Instructor Reviews the Student Letter and Decides if final grade is upheld |
3 Business days |
The instructor reviews the student's formal appeal letter and supporting evidence to determine if the grade is upheld.
If the grade is upheld, the instructor notifies the student in writing (email) within 3 business days and instructs the student to forward the appeal letter to the Division Chair/College Dean
The Instructor Inputs their final grade. |
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Step 4 |
Student Sends the Formal Letter to the Division Chair/College Dean |
3 Business days |
If the academic unit in which the course is taught is not part of a division, or if the instructor in question is also the Division Chair, the student should direct the appeal to the College Dean. In the case that the grade in question was assigned by an adjunct member of the faculty, the appeal must also be made directly to the appropriate Division Chair or College Dean.
The instructor may submit a formal written response to the student鈥檚 appeal letter to the Division Chair/Dean. The student must also receive a copy of this response.
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Step 5 |
Student Meets with Division Chair/College Dean |
5 Business days |
The Division Chair/College Dean shall confer jointly (one meeting with all parties) with both the student and the instructor within five business days of receiving the written appeal letter from the student and written response from the instructor.
The meeting can be held in-person or virtual at the discretion of the Division Chair/College Dean.
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Step 6 |
Formation of Appeals Review Committee
If the issue is unresolved after the Division Chair/College Dean meeting, an appeals review committee is formed within 5 business days. |
5 Business days |
If the student's concern is still unresolved after the conference with the Division Chair/Dean and instructor, or if the instructor disagrees with the decision of the Division Chair/Dean, the Division Chair/Dean will form an appeals review committee.
The appeals committee will consist of:
Four faculty members from within the Division/College (tenured, if possible) and one faculty member (tenured, if possible) from the Committee on Academic Standards, who comes from outside the Division/College,
This ensures that both the student and faculty member are fairly treated.
Both the student formal appeal letter and instructor formal written response must be provided to the committee at the time the committee is formed.
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Step 7 |
Appeals Review Committee Reviews the Case
Within ten business days, the committee must review the case via a face-to-face meeting and issue its final recommendation |
10 Business days |
The student must receive written notice of the time and date that the committee will meet and must be informed that he/she has the opportunity to appear at this meeting and to speak on his/her own behalf.
The instructor must also be informed of this meeting, and may also opt to appear before the review committee.
If both the instructor and the student opt to meet with the committee, the committee must ensure that the instructor and the student appear separately.
No 鈥渘ew鈥� evidence/documentation is to be submitted to the committee by either the student or the instructor.
The committee may either recommend the grade remain unchanged from the instructor's decision or recommend the grade be changed to a value the committee deems appropriate for the case.
In cases where the committee rules that the student should receive a penalty resulting in a grade of "F" for a course, the student may not withdraw or be withdrawn from the course at any time.
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Step 8 |
Final Recommendation Issued
The Appeals Review Committee recommendation must be issued in writing with an explanation of the rationale to the: 路 Chief Academic Officer 路 Division Chair/College Dean 路 Instructor Student |
5 Business days |
It is the responsibility of the Chief Academic Officer to see that the recommendation is carried out.
If the process is not resolved by the end of the semester or term, it will resume at the same stage at the start of the next semester.
Depending on the outcome of the final recommendation, the instructor will either leave the original grade or complete a Grade Change Form as appropriate.
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Step 9 |
Chief Academic Officer
If the Division or College does not follow the procedures outlined above, then the student or instructor may appeal directly to the Chief Academic Officer. |
3 Business days |
This appeal must be in writing and must clearly demonstrate how the procedures contained in this Grade Appeal Process were violated.
The Chief Academic Officer will determine whether proper procedures have followed.
In the event that the procedures have not been followed, any recommendation or decision may be declared null and void and sent back to the Division or College for reexamination.
The final disposition of the case must be reported to both the instructor and the student prior to the issuance of the grade. |
Academic Integrity and Misconduct Process
Academic misconduct must be reported through the Academic Misconduct Notification Form (available to instructors via WebAdvisor) and the policies and procedures outlined in the 鈥淎cademic Integrity and Misconduct鈥� section of this catalog will apply.
Any cases involving alleged acts of academic misconduct that have not been reported through this form are to be governed by the procedures listed below. Students who have admitted academic misconduct, or who have been found guilty of committing academic misconduct by an Academic Integrity Council hearing panel, will need to follow the entire process below if they feel the instructor's penalty for the misconduct was not assessed and applied in accordance with the instructor's stated syllabus policies and therefore lowered their final grade unfairly.
In the event that an instructor has penalized a student in some way for an act of academic misconduct, but failed to report the incident through the Academic Misconduct Notification Form (required in JU鈥檚 Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy), the student may challenge this penalty by reporting this violation of university policy to the instructor鈥檚 dean within 30 days after the final course grade has been issued. If the instructor鈥檚 dean is able to verify that no Academic Misconduct Notification Form was filed at the time the incident occurred, such penalties are to be automatically reversed.