The student s inquiry to the instructor should occur as soon as possible after the formal grade report is received. If the student is unable to resolve the grievance through consultation with the instructor, a written request for review of the course grade may be submitted to the Chair of the Department or the Director of the interdisciplinary degree program in which the course was taught. Requests for review must be submitted within the first four weeks of the next regular academic semester. Requests for review submitted after the deadline will be heard only in exceptional cases as determined by the Dean of the college in which the appealed course grade occurred. To initiate a grade review, the student should forward a written request for review of a final course grade to the Department Chair or Program Director in whose unit the course was offered.
Students requesting a final course grade review assume the burden of proof.
The written request for review of a final course grade shall be accompanied by any evidence the student believes supports the conclusion that the grade was impermissibly or arbitrarily assigned. Evidence might include papers, tests, syllabi, or written documentation from witnesses. The student must demonstrate that the instructor applied irrelevant or impermissible criteria in evaluating the student's academic performance, that the instructor failed to follow his or her course evaluation standards, or that the course grade was assigned as the result of a clear and material mistake in calculating or recording grades. That the student disagrees with the assigned grade does not constitute a basis for a review. Students can obtain advice and assistance from the Dean of Students on how to request a grade review.