Students who can demonstrate their final grade in a course does not accurately reflect their academic performance may appeal the grade. If a student disputes the final grade he or she receives and wishes to appeal the grade, the following steps must be taken:
- The student must discuss the facts of the case and basis of the dispute with the faculty member. Every effort must be made to resolve the dispute at this stage.
- If no satisfactory resolution is possible, the student submits a written petition describing the facts of the case and basis of the dispute to the faculty member’s supervising dean. In programs with external accreditation requiring review by a program chair, the petition for a course with that program’s course code prefix (e.g. NUR) is first submitted to that program chair. In the absence of a satisfactory resolution, it may then be similarly submitted to the faculty member’s supervising dean.
- This petition must be submitted no later than three weeks after the beginning of the following session (i.e., the following fall or spring semester for four-year undergraduate programs). Petitions received after this deadline will not be considered. The chair/dean may ask for documentation to support the student’s claims. The chair/dean meets with the faculty member and others, as necessary, to investigate the dispute and makes a written determination with copies to the student, the faculty member, and the student’s academic advisor.
- If the student disputes the findings, the student may appeal to the Academic Vice President via a written petition describing the facts of the case and basis of the dispute, including all pertinent documentation. Students may request a meeting with the Academic Vice President at this time of the appeal process. Copies of the petition should be provided to the faculty member and the appropriate chair/dean. The Academic Vice President renders the final decision. This decision is communicated to the student, the faculty member, the chair/dean, and the academic advisor.
- The Academic Vice President reviews the student documentation and may consult with the appropriate members of the appeal process to review the facts of the investigation. If a conflict of interest among the parties to whom the appeal is addressed occurs, then additional steps may be enacted. These include:
- If the disputed grade was given by a faculty member who is also the dean, the faculty member, in consultation with the student, will select another faculty member from within the same school, to whom the student submits a written petition.
- All grade appeal documentation will be retained on file in under the direction of the Academic Vice President.