A student who believes that an error or a palpable injustice has occurred in assigning a grade may request a change of grade, except when that grade was the result of academic misconduct. All grade appeals involving cases of academic misconduct must be pursued solely through the Academic Misconduct Appeals Process. Cases of simple error should be corrected at the instructor or chairperson stage of this process.
During any of the following procedures, the student or the faculty member may be accompanied to the meeting by a member of the college community as an observer and/or advocate. At any point, the instructor may choose to change the grade, or the student may choose to withdraw the appeal. No change of grade without the written consent of the instructor may be made prior to the hearing by the Grades Appeal Committee (see section 8 below).
At any step evidence to justify changing or not changing the grade may consist of attendance records; the instructor's statement of course policies and objectives distributed on the first day of class; graded examinations and/or other assignments such as written papers; creative projects; standardized tests designed to show knowledge and/or skill in the questioned area; or additional assignments, which may be made by any of the people who are being asked to change the grade.
A student who believes a grade involved an error or a palpable injustice shall consult with the instructor of the course within three weeks after receipt of the grade or within three weeks of the first day of classes in the following semester. When a grade has been granted after the beginning of the semester (i.e., an Incomplete changed to a letter grade), the conference with the instructor shall occur within three weeks after the student receives the grade. If the deadline for initiating the grade change appeal has passed because of the student's physical and/or mental incapacity, the student may ask to have the deadline waived by petitioning (as appropriate) either the vice president of Student Affairs or the dean of Continuing Education, who, after investigation, may recommend to the appropriate academic dean that the deadline be waived. Upon written approval from the academic dean, the student may appeal to the instructor and follow the normal sequence thereafter.
If, after the consultation with the instructor, the student continues to believe that an error or palpable injustice has occurred and has not been remedied, the student shall, within two weeks, file with the chairperson of the department granting credit for the course a Grade Re-evaluation Request Form (the form can be accessed by using the Grade Re-Evaluation Request Form).
Within two weeks of receipt of the Grade Re-evaluation Request Form, the chairperson will convene and preside over a meeting between the instructor and the student. If the chairperson is the instructor who originally granted the grade, or is unavailable during the time period of the request, the meeting will be convened by another department member, selected at the beginning of each academic year as the alternate convener for a departmental level Grad Re-evaluation Request. The chairperson (or alternate) shall send a decision to the student within one week of the meeting.
If further appeal is sought by the student after this decision, the student shall appeal in writing within one week to the dean of the school concerned. The dean will request the chair to forward the re-evaluation form and any appended materials and will, as appropriate, either meet with the student and instructor and/or convene the Grade Appeals Committee within two weeks of receipt of the student's request. The committee shall consist of the dean of the school concerned (or designee); one teaching faculty person chosen by the University Senate for a three-year term, and one student in good academic standing chosen by Student Senate for a one-year term; and alternates for the latter two. The committee has the right to review materials, conduct investigations, and hold hearings as appropriate. Should the Grade Appeals Committee decide that a palpable injustice has occurred, it shall have the power to adjust the student's grade. After the hearing, the dean shall send the committee's decision to the student, instructor, and chairperson within one week.
If the instructor is deceased or cannot be located, the student may submit the Grade Re-evaluation Form to the chairperson who may deny the student's appeal, recommend a grade change to the dean in cases where error has occurred, or, if a palpable injustice may have occurred, ask the appropriate dean to convene the Grade Appeals Committee. The student, if not satisfied with the chairperson's decision, may ask the dean to convene the committee. The normal timelines for an appeal shall be followed.
No grade change involving instructor error or a palpable injustice shall be made at Eastern Connecticut State University except those made following the procedures stated above.
