STUDENTS

Grade Appeal

The faculty is responsible for assessing the academic quality of a student’s work and the assignment of grades. If a student believes their course grade was assigned in error, they may appeal it. The result of any grade appeal would need to raise the students’ grade to a passing percentage, and the student must have evidence that assignments and exams were completed and submitted (it is preferred that all assignments and exams are completed and submitted, prior to the onset of appeal process).

A student must file a grade appeal no later than 5 business days after the start of the next term (after the final grade due date). The grade appeal process will be completed within 45 days of the submission of the form to the instructor unless both parties agree in writing to extend the deadline.

Students must contact their instructor to start the course grade appeal process and are responsible for providing fact-based evidence to support their appeal. Upon receiving the Grade Appeal form from the student, the instructor has 3 business days to provide a written response with supporting documentation.

The Appeal Process

1. In writing (using the Grade Appeal form), the student will submit a request to appeal a final course grade with their instructor.
   
   
2. The student will confer with the instructor, with the goal of either accepting the assigned grade as accurate, or adjusting the final course grade, if the grade assignment was not correct. If a resolution is reached, it will be documented in writing and the grade appeal process will end.
   
   
3. If the student and instructor are unable to reach a resolution, the student may appeal and confer with the Division Chair. The instructor will provide the Division Chair, all necessary class documents related to the grade assignment in dispute (including, but not limited to, the syllabus, attendance log, assignments, grading criteria, and grades earned). The faculty member will confer with the Division Chair to provide an evidence-based accounting of the facts of the grade dispute.
   
   
4. The student will confer with the Division Chair and provide evidence related to their grade appeal. The Division Chair will review all pertinent data related to the final grade appeal and will prepare a written response documenting the grade appeal decision. If the student is unable to reach a satisfactory resolution with the Division Chair, the student may appeal to the Grade Appeal Committee (GAC). The Division Chair and the student will provide all evidence to GAC.
   
   
5. The GAC is composed of the Division Chairs not involved with the grade appeal, and a member of the Faculty Alliance Executive Board. The Committee will review all pertinent data related to the final grade appeal, and will prepare a written response documenting their decision. Both the student and the instructor will be active participants in the grade appeal process, and will be available to the GAC to provide any additionally requested evidence or to answer questions.
   
   If the decision of the GAC is unsatisfactory to the student, the student may appeal to the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA). The GAC and the student will provide all evidence to the VPAA.
   
   
6. The student will appeal and confer with the VPAA. Both the student and the instructor will be active participants in the grade appeal process, and will be available to the VPAA to provide any additionally requested evidence or to answer questions. The VPAA will review all pertinent data related to the grade appeal, and will prepare a written response documenting their grade appeal decision. The decision of the VPAA is final and there is no further appeal process.
   
   
7. Any act of retaliation or discrimination against any student who has filed a grade appeal, or and CCC personnel who participated in any grade appeal hearing or assessment, is prohibited.

 

Revised: September 2021