Student Formal Grade Appeal Process

St. Clair County Community College Policy and Procedure

Name:                         Formal Grade Appeal Process
Original Date:             8/29/2016
Revised Date:              10/1/24
Initiator/Author:          Director of Academic Support and Student Conduct

Students who have completed the student complaint procedure (Instructor, Department Chair and Chief Academic Officer) regarding a grade received in class, or a final grade received may be eligible to enact the Formal Grade Appeal process, as described below:

Eligibility:

The student first must complete the Student Complaint Procedure – Grades process, to exhaust all options and attempts for resolving their grade concerns. If the student remains dissatisfied after completing the process in its entirety (Meeting and/or speaking with all designated representatives, completing all reasonable actions requested by the designated representatives, working cooperatively in seeking resolution with all designated representatives, and allowing each representative an appropriate time to attempt resolution regarding the grade concern), the student may request the Formal Grade Appeal Process with the Student Conduct Designee on the following basis:

1 – The student is requesting the Formal Grade Appeal Process based on at least one of the following grounds, as determined by the Designee:

A. The grade is allegedly based on an error in calculation.

B. The grade assigned allegedly did not follow the grading criteria in the course syllabus.

*It shall be the responsibility of the student to prove that the grade is incorrect or unjustified based on this criterion.

2 – The Student Conduct Designee can confirm over email, that all designated representatives have met with the student and were unable to attempt resolution regarding the grade concerns, as per the conditions listed above.

Any appeal for a change of grade on an individual course assignment, quiz or test must be initiated in the semester during which the student is enrolled in the course, starting via the Student Complaint Policy and Procedure – Grades process. Appeals of a final grade for the semester must be initiated before the last day of classes of the subsequent semester with the option of excluding summer semester, via starting the Student Complaint Policy and Procedure – Grades process.  The college will not conduct Formal Grade Appeal Processes during final exam week, or during college breaks, as per the SC4 academic calendar. 

Process:

1. After completing the Student Complaint Policy and Procedure – Grades process, (Instructor,   Department Chair, and Chief Academic Officer) the student may request a Formal Grade Appeal  by emailing the Student Conduct Designee the below information. Note: The same information provided in the formal grade appeal request, if eligible, will be the exact same information provided to the Grade Appeal Committee. Thus, students should submit their formal grade appeal request, as if providing their appeal directly to the Grade Appeal Committee, with clear and concise explanations to support their appeal.

Information to be included on the Formal Grade Appeal Request form:

1. The Grade the student is appealing, and details regarding the assignment/class grade.
   1. Is the student appealing an individual grade on an assignment, quiz, or test?
   1. Is the student appealing a final course grade posted for the whole class?

• The eligible reason why the student is submitting request for a formal grade appeal:
  • The grade is allegedly based on an error in calculation.
  • The grade assigned allegedly did not follow the grading criteria in the course syllabus.

• Sufficient evidence that supports and proves the student’s claim (Copies of graded homework, quizzes, tests, projects, course syllabus, emails, posted grades in the grading book/Canvas, etc.)
  • Reminder: It shall be the responsibility of the student to prove that the grade is incorrect or unjustified based on this criterion, including the acquirement/procurement of sufficient evidence.
  • Claims without adequate supporting evidence will not be considered.

• Explanation how the provided evidence either proves:
  • The grade is allegedly based on an error in calculation and/or
  • The grade assigned allegedly did not follow the grading criteria in the course syllabus.

• The change in grade the student is requesting.

• Explanation/justification/rationale of why the student is requesting the change in grade they are requesting.

• Provide the individual dates in which student met with the appropriate designees through Student Complaint Policy and Procedure – Grades process (Instructor, Department Chair and Chief Academic Officer).

1. When did the student meet and attempt grade resolution with the instructor?
   1. When did the student meet and attempt grade resolution with the Department Chair?
   1. When did the student meet and attempt grade resolution with the Chief Academic Officer?

• The Student Conduct designee will then review the formal grade appeal request form and determine if the student is eligible. The Student Conduct designee will enact and confirm the following:

1. Did the student provide all information required for a Formal Grade Appeal request, listed above?
   1. If not, the Formal Grade Appeal Request will be discarded, and feedback will be sent back to the student. The student may gather all information and resubmit within the eligible timeline.

• Is the appeal request based on at least one of the following eligible reasons?
  • The grade is allegedly based on an error in calculation.
  • The grade assigned allegedly did not follow the grading criteria in the course syllabus.

• Does the evidence provided by the student, adequately and sufficiently show clear and direct support for the grade appeal reason?
  • Formal Grade Appeal requests without supporting evidence that clearly shows the grade appeal reason is valid, will not be considered.

• The Student Conduct designee will email all designees from the Student Complaint Policy and Procedure – Grades process (Instructor, Department Chair, and Chief Academic Officer), and confirm the following from each designee’s perspective:
  • Did the student meet with the designee regarding a grade appeal?
  • When did the student and designee initially meet?
  • Did the student meet with designee in person or over the phone/virtually with direct verbal communication regarding the grade appeal topic?
  • Did the student complete all reasonable actions requested by the designee to attempt grade resolution?
  • Did the student work cooperatively with designee in seeking resolution?
  • Did the student allow designee an appropriate amount of time to attempt resolution regarding the grade concern?

If any designee states the student did not meet any of the above criteria, the formal grade appeal request will be discarded, and the student will be required to return to the designee and complete all adequate steps of the Student Complaint Policy and Procedure – Grades process, before resuming eligibility for a Formal Grade Appeal process.  If discarded for this reason, the college will not consider this as the student’s first attempt at a Grade Appeal request.

• Was the Student Complaint Policy and Procedure – Grades process (Instructor, Department Chair, Chief Academic Officer), enacted within the eligible timeline?
  • Any appeal for a change of grade on an individual course assignment, quiz or test must be initiated in the semester during which the student is enrolled in the course, starting via the Student Complaint Policy and Procedure – Grades process.
  • Grade appeals of a final grade for the semester must be initiated before the last day of classes of the subsequent semester with the option of excluding summer semester, via starting the Student Complaint Policy and Procedure – Grades process. 

The Student Conduct designee will decide if the student is eligible for the Formal Grade Appeal Process.

If determined the student is not eligible based on their submitted request, the Student Conduct designee will notify the student via email, with reasoning why the student is not eligible. The student may take the feedback and complete actions needed, to become eligible, and resubmit a Formal Grade Appeal request with any newly acquired documentation. A student may submit a Formal Grade Appeal request for a specific grade up to three (3) times total, and within sixty (60) calendar days of the first appeal submitted (With the exception of appeals denied for not first completing all steps in the Student Complaint Policy and Procedure – Grades process. Fourth Formal Grade Appeals or additional Formal Grade appeals submitted sixty-one (61) calendar days after the submission of the first, for the same grade appeal, will not be considered.

If determined the student is eligible based on their submitted request, the Student Conduct Designee will take the following actions:

1. The Student Conduct Designee will share the Formal Grade Appeal Request, and all supporting evidence provided by the student, to the instructor via email.

• The instructor will be provided a chance to formulate a response and documentation to the Formal Grade Appeal request and send back to the Student Conduct Designee, to also be submitted to the Grade Appeal Committee.
  • The instructor may choose not to submit a response.
  • If the instructor does not submit a response, after notification of the request, within an appropriate timeline, the Grade Appeal Committee meeting may continue to take place without the instructor’s response.
  • A copy of the instructor’s response will be provided to the student over email, prior to the meeting occurring.
  • No further documentation will be considered by the Grade Appeal Committee.
  • If the instructor is no longer employed by the college, and is non-responsive, the Department Chair of the former instructor’s department may fill in for this process.

• The Student Conduct Designee will assemble a Grade Appeal Committee to review the Formal Grade Appeal request and Instructor’s response. The Grade Appeal Committee will consist of three voting members, selected by the Student Conduct Designee.
  • One Student (Not from the same class as the student with an appeal).
  • One Department Chair (Not from the same department as the instructor)
  • One Staff member from the college, that does not have a direct personal or working relationship with the student.

• The Student Conduct Designee will select a witness to also attend the Grade Appeal Committee meeting to observe and ensure compliance within this procedure. The witness will not participate in discussion. The witness will be selected by the Student Conduct Designee and will be a staff member of SC4.

• The Student Conduct Designee, Grade Appeal Committee, and witness will meet privately to conduct the Grade Appeal Meeting.
  • The Student Conduct Designee will start with the following:
    • Conduct introductions of the committee members, witness and self.
    • Explain the following procedures to the Committee.
    • Facilitate the voting process.
    • Explain no input, context, or guidance will be provided by the Student Conduct Designee or the appointed witness regarding voting, or the grade appeal itself.
    • Explain this grade appeal is a confidential matter and should not be discussed outside of the meeting.
  • The Grade Appeal Committee will be provided with copies of all documentation for review, as exactly provided by the student and instructor.
  • The Student Conduct Designee will present the Formal Grade Appeal request and documentation exactly as it was submitted by the student.
  • The Student Conduct Designee will present the instructor’s response and documentation exactly as it was submitted.
  • The Grade Appeal Committee can then review and discuss the Formal Grade Appeal based on the documentation provided, and only the documentation provided.

Decision 1:

• The individual Grade Appeal Committee members will then vote one of two ways:
  • The Committee may vote to decline the Formal Grade Appeal request, and the originally assigned grade will remain.
  • The Committee may vote to approve the Formal Grade Appeal request and agree to change the grade.  
  • Secret Ballot voting must be unanimous to approve the grade change.
  • The Student Conduct Designee will collect the votes and review the decision, as also confirmed by the assigned witness.

1. If any votes were submitted to deny the Formal Grade Appeal request, the grade will remain as is, and the meeting will conclude.
   1. If the votes all approve the Formal Grade Appeal request, the meeting will continue into Decision 2:

Decision 2:

• The Grade Appeal Committee will then vote on the next decision one of two ways:
  • The committee may vote to provide the student with the grade change they requested.
  • The committee may vote to determine a modified grade to assign the student.
  • Secret Ballot voting must be unanimous in order to approve changing the grade to the student’s requested grade change.
  • The Student Conduct Designee will collect the votes and review the decision, as also confirmed by the assigned witness.
  • If all votes approve assigning the student based on their requested grade change, the grade will be changed as requested, and the meeting will conclude.
  • If any votes choose to have the committee determine the new modified grade, the committee must come to a unanimous decision on the newly assigned grade and the meeting will continue into Decision 3:

Decision 3:

• The Grade Appeal Committee will continue to discuss and determine an appropriate final grade change for the grade specifically appealed.  (If a student is appealing a grade change for a test, the Grade Appeal committee can only change the grade of the test, and the final grade will be adjusted accordingly. If the student is appealing the final letter grade of a class, the grade appeal committee can only change the final grade of the class).
  • The decision must be unanimous.
  • Once confirmed, the committee will inform the Student Conduct Designee, and the witness.
  • The meeting will then conclude.

Conclusion:

The Grade Appeal Committee’s decision shall be rendered within five (5) college working days of the conclusion of the meeting and shall be in writing. Both the student and instructor will be notified by email. The Grade Appeal Hearing Committee’s decision is final. There shall be no further appeals regarding the challenged Grade Appeal grade.

All materials/documentation from the Grade Appeal Committee meeting are to be returned to the Student Conduct Designee after deliberations are completed. The Student Conduct designee shall be responsible for storage of these confidential records.

1. Notification of Hearing Outcome

The Student Conduct Designee shall provide an email relating the Grade Appeal Hearing Committee’s decision to all parties concerned (Student and Instructor) within five (5) college working days of the conclusion of the hearing.

• Decision Implementation

If there is a decision to change a grade, this change shall then be implemented by the Student Conduct Designee, or Chief Academic Officer and the Registrar within five (5) college days of the conclusion of the hearing with entry into the data system as soon as possible.