As a part of our SACS re-accreditation efforts, it was brought up that although there is a Final Grade Appeal Process listed in the undergraduate catalog, the graduate catalog does not address a final grade appeal process.

In reviewing the language of the undergraduate Final Grade Appeal Process, there's nothing in the verbiage that appears to differentiate between undergraduate and graduate students.

This proposal is to include the existing Final Grade Appeal Process in the undergraduate catalog into the graduate catalog, or have the Graduate Advisory Council initiate a new graduate Final Grade Appeal Process to be considered.

Below is the Final Grade Appeal Process verbiage from the undergraduate catalog. A PDF version is also attached:

Final Grade Appeals Process from the Undergraduate Catalog

The faculty member is the sole determiner of the grade awarded in a course and is responsible for the justification of the grade. Students are entitled to an appropriate grade review on request, and students who question the grade received are referred directly to the faculty member for review. Should a student wish to continue further grade review, the following process should be followed.

1. The student should submit the Final Grade Appeal form indicating the nature of the complaint to the department chair in the department where the course is housed and request a review of the assigned grade, indicating that an initial review has been performed by the faculty member issuing the grade. The Final Grade Appeals form is available on the VPAA website.

2. Should the student, after consultation with the department chair, wish to continue further review of the grade, he/she should indicate this on the Final Grade Appeal form and contact the dean of the college where the course is housed and request a review of the assigned grade. The Final Grade Appeal form should be forwarded to the dean by the department chair.

3. At either the department chair and/or dean level the faculty member may be asked to reevaluate the assigned grade.

4. If the student wishes to appeal further, i.e., to the VPAA, in these rare and unusual circumstances the student shall indicate his/her decision on the Final Grade Appeal form. The Final Grade Appeal form will be forwarded to the VPAA by the dean. The VPAA will determine if the evidence is strong enough to warrant further review, i.e., the burden of proof is on the student to make a strong case that merits committee review. In this case the appeal shall be forwarded to the university Grievance Committee (appointed by the President annually). Any members of the department where the grade appeal resides would be excused from this review. The Grievance Committee will make a recommendation to the VPAA.

5. Following the decision, the student and the faculty member shall be notified and provided a rationale for the decision.

6. All grade appeals shall be initiated no later than six weeks after the term in which the grade was issued.