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POLICY AND PROCEDURES ON ASSIGNMENT OF GRADES

Faculty members’ rights and responsibility to evaluate their students’ academic performance are

some of the most strongly held values in the University. Faculty are accorded much latitude and

freedom in setting standards, establishing expectations, evaluating performance, and assigning

grades.

1. Reporting Course Grades

A. Reporting under Normal Circumstances

Policy – Course grades are to be assigned by the instructor of record.

Procedure – The instructor will complete the final grade rosters in the manner

prescribed by the established deadlines.

B. Reporting under Extraordinary Circumstances

Policy – The department chair will assign grades in consultation with their

school/college dean and Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs only if:

1) The instructor is unable to assign a grade due to the following:

a) death

b) incapacitating illness

c) refusal

d) some other extraordinarily unusual circumstance

2) The instructor assigned an unwarranted grade while in an impaired

physical and/or emotional state.

Procedure – The department chair will instruct the Director of Admissions,

Records and Evaluations to record the grade(s) accordingly after having consulted

with at least two tenured faculty members in the discipline, the school/college

dean, and the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs.

If a department chair, by following University policy and procedure, determines that a student cheated or plagiarized

in a class, they may request the Student Records Office, using the “Grade Correction Request Form,” to change the

assigned grade to an “F” or authorize the Instructor to assign an “F” grade if one had not yet been assigned (See

“Policy on Cheating and Plagiarism,” APM 235).

Exception: to submit a final letter grade for Thesis 299 and Project 298, or to report the completion of the

Comprehensive Examination for the master’s degree, complete a “Clearance for the Master’s Degree” form and

return it to the Division of Graduate Studies. The Graduate Office will notify the Office of Admissions, Records and

Evaluations of the grade reported.

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2. Correcting Course Grades

Policy – Grade corrections require the instructor to certify that an error was made in

computing or recording the grade. In the event an instructor is not available to correct

a grade, the department chair is authorized to take appropriate action. In doing so,

the chair must stipulate that there is sufficient evidence in the instructor’s grade book

to indicate the grade was incorrectly assigned or that the instructor has authorized the

correction by telephone, letter, etc. No grade correction can be made if more than

three (3) years have passed since the initial grade was awarded.

Procedure – The instructor or department chair concerned submits a “Grade

Correction Request Form” to the registrar with copies sent to the student and

department chair. As appropriate, copies also are sent to the Office of Graduate

Studies.

FAIRNESS IN GRADING/EQUITY

Once the semester (or course) has concluded, students shall NOT be assigned additional work

or be allowed to revise previous assignments in order to improve a final grade.

RECORD KEEPING

1) Faculty members shall maintain a complete record (i.e., a grade book or equivalent) of

the various scores and marks used to determine student grades. This record shall

be retained for at least five (5) years and must be given to the department chairman

if the faculty member will be away from the University for the purposes such as

sabbatical leave or retirement. All materials are not returned to students shall be

retained by faculty members for one (1) semester. Course grades are reported

according to the Policy and Procedure on Assignment of Grades.

GRADING DATA

Each semester, the University shall provide the department chairpersons with data on

grading for the University, the colleges/schools, the departments, and their respective

faculty. In turn, department chairpersons shall provide their faculty with grade distributions

(within categories of courses) for their own departments.

GRADING PRACTICES

All department chairpersons shall review, on an annual basis, grading practices of individual

faculty members. Grading practices that appear inappropriate shall be discussed by chairpersons

with the faculty members concerned.

APPEAL RIGHTS

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Students who believe they have been evaluated incorrectly and/or unfairly should first request a

review by the instructor and the department chair before appealing to the Student Academic

Petitions Committee according to procedures established in the Policy and Procedures for

Reviewing and Appealing an Assigned Grade.

POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR REVIEWING AND APPEALING AN ASSIGNED GRADE

Policy – Students are responsible for maintaining standards of academic performance

established by their professors and for conducting themselves in the classroom in accordance

with established procedures and generally accepted standards of social behavior. Students, on

the other hand, have the right to an orderly review and if necessary appeal of an evaluation that

allegedly is:

(a) not “ made fairly and equitably without prejudice

or capriciousness,” or

(b) an inconsistent application of syllabus statements on course requirements and/or

grading system, or

erroneous

(See University Academic Policy Manual 241 on “Policy on Course Syllabi)

Three basic principles govern that assertion:

1. The right of the instructor to make a final judgment relative to a student’s academic

evaluation. It is presumed that the instructor’s assigned grade is correct; therefore, the

burden of proof rests upon the student to show cause.

2. The right of the student to have a review of the specific course evaluation by the instructor

and/or appropriate University official(s).

3. Redress shall be limited to the removal of the harmful effects of the academic evaluation

in question.

Procedure – A student must adhere to the following procedure if they believe an evaluation by

a faculty member was not made in a manner consistent with the above policy.

1. Within 15 working days

after the next semester’s classes begin, the student must consult

with the instructor concerned and make every effort to resolve the issue. The instructor

must give the student an answer in writing explaining how the grade was earned within

An Advisor in the Office of Advising Services will be available upon request to provide assistance to a student

seeking review or appealing an assigned grade, including explaining the process and preparing a written statement.

A student should not contact the Student Academic Petitions Committee, SAPC Chair or members prior to submitting

the written statement of appeal. 4 Prejudice includes use of age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, political preference,

race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation in assigning a grade. 5 If the student alleges an instructor falsely accused

them of cheating or plagiarism, the burden of proof rests upon the instructor, and resolution of this matter shall occur

pursuant to the University’s “Policy on Cheating and Plagiarism.” (See Academic Policy Manual 235.)

If the student or instructor alleges these procedures have not been followed correctly, they should appeal to the

Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs immediately. The faculty member should appeal via the

school/college dean, and the student via the Office of Advising Services.

For all deadlines stated in this policy exceptions may be made by the SAPC for extenuating circumstances.

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five (5) working days of the student’s inquiry.

If consultation with the faculty member does

not occur within 15 days after the beginning of the next semester’s classes, the student

may request the Student Academic Petitions Committee (SAPC) for an extension upon a

sufficient show of cause. Except for cause, the extension must be requested within the

first five (5) weeks of class.

2. If the issue is not resolved through consultation with the instructor, the student must

immediately consult with the chair of the appropriate academic department in accordance

with that department’s established procedures. The department chair shall discuss the

student’s allegation(s) with the instructor and possibly the school/college dean, as

appropriate, and give the student an answer in writing within 10 working days.

If the

instructor also is the department chair, then the student should contact the school/college

dean directly who shall consult with the department chair about the allegation.

3. If the student still believes that their request for review has not been satisfactorily handled,

they may pursue the appeal by requesting the SAPC

to review the issue. To make such

an appeal, the student must submit a written statement setting forth all pertinent facts

relating to the issue within five (5) working days after receiving the department chair’s

response (i.e., no later than 35 working days – approximately seven (7) weeks after the

beginning of classes). If the student appeals to the SAPC, it is understood that the burden

of proof rests with the student and that a copy of the written statement of protest will be

sent to the faculty member concerned.

4. When a formal appeal has been filed with the SAPC, the following action will be taken:

a. A memorandum will be sent to the instructor concerned, including a copy of the

student’s statement, requesting the instructor to reply in writing to the specific

charge(s) of the student and to include the instructor’s rationale for the evaluation

of the student presenting the complaint. A copy of this correspondence is sent to

the department chair and school/college dean for their information and/or

commentary.

b. The instructor concerned is responsible for complying with the above request by

SAPC within 15 working days after receiving the request.

c. At its next meeting, the SAPC will review the student’s statement, the instructor’s

response, and other evidence, as appropriate, and render a decision. The SAPC’s

decision usually will be rendered within 10 working days after receipt of the

instructor’s response.

This section is written on the assumption that the instructor, when originally contacted, maintains the grade was

not assigned erroneously.

The period from the time the student seeks review by the instructor until the department chair announces their

decision should be no longer than 15 working days. If it appears to the student that this deadline will not be met, they

should immediately contact the Office of Advising Services which will notify the SAPC Chair in order to assure a

timely procedure.

See APM 243 Policies and Procedures for Student Academic Petitions Committee.

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5. Once the SAPC completes deliberation and reaches a decision, the SAPC will render its

judgment and rationale in writing to the student, instructor, department chair, and the

school/college dean within 10 working days. If the SAPC finds in favor of the student, it

will recommend

to the instructor that the grade be changed.

6. If the instructor of record does not carry out the SAPC’s recommendation within 10 working

days of written notification, the SAPC shall notify in writing the Provost/Vice President for

Academic Affairs. An instructor’s refusal to change the grade will automatically be

interpreted to be an appeal of the decision.

7. If the student or instructor disagrees with the SAPC’s decision, they may appeal directly

to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs in writing within 10 working days, stating

the rationale for the appeal. The Provost/Vice President will either deny the appeal, or

appoint an objective ad hoc committee of three (3) tenured faculty in the discipline to

review the case and render a decision

within one (1) calendar month. The decision will

be final and cannot be appealed further on campus.

8. If the decision of the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs or the ad hoc committee

necessitates a change of grade for the course, the Director of Admissions, Records and

Evaluations shall be notified in writing by the Provost/Vice President that the student’s

academic record/transcript be changed to reflect that decision. The instructor cannot

block or appeal such official action on campus.

____________________________________________

Recommended by the Academic Senate Approved by the President

October 1994 11/94; December 14, 2004

April 10, 2023 April 13, 2023

In the case of a grade protest the SAPC is a recommending body only; it does not have the authority to change a

grade. Similarly, the department chair and school/college dean do not have such authority.

The ad hoc committee has the authority to raise or lower the assigned grade or to leave it unchanged.