Grade Appeals

A graduate student dissatisfied with his/her course grade should first discuss the situation with the instructor who assigned the grade. If the student is still not satisfied that the grade is fair, he/she should then consult the Graduate Program Adviser for the department in which the course was offered. The Graduate Program Adviser will then attempt to resolve the disagreement.

If the student is still dissatisfied, or if the program adviser was the instructor who assigned the grade originally, the student should appeal in writing to the department chair. If the chair is the instructor of the course in question, the senior member of the department Personnel and Budget Committee will act for the chair.

The chair will appoint a Graduate Grade Appeal Committee consisting of three faculty members from the department, all of whom have taught graduate courses. The Graduate Program Adviser may not serve on this committee.

The committee will examine all materials relevant to the appeal, submitted by both the instructor and the student, and will prepare a written report of its findings, either sustaining the original grade or recommending a change.

The chair will notify the student, the instructor, and the Office of Graduate Studies of the Committee's decision. If the Committee recommends a grade change, the chair will forward that recommendation (A-1) with the decision.

Grade appeals must be initiated in the semester following the entry of a permanent grade, and no grades can be changed after the date of graduation. The decision of the Graduate Grade Appeal Committee is binding on all parties.