Policies & Procedures
Undergraduate Policies
Course Grade Appeals
The purpose of the course grade appeal is to provide recourse to a student who has evidence or believes that evidence exists to show that an inappropriate grade has been assigned. Faculty have the authority and responsibility to fairly judge the quality of student work in the courses they teach, including written, examination, clinical, and laboratory performance. The purpose of the policy on student grade appeals is to provide a system that affords recourse to a student who has evidence or believes that evidence exists to show that an inappropriate grade has been assigned as a result of prejudice, caprice, or other improper conditions such as mechanical error, or assignment of a grade inconsistent with those assigned to other students. The grade appeals procedure is designed to protect students from grade assignments that are inconsistent with policy followed in assigning grades to others in the course.
School of Nursing Policy AFS-18 outlines the Course Grade Appeal process and the appropriate procedural steps therein. A grade will not be raised because a faculty member graded tests, projects, or assignments very severely, providing the faculty member applied the same rigorous standards to all students. Nor will proof that a faculty member has been antagonistic toward the student be sufficient cause to raise agrade unless evidence exists that such antagonism did in fact result in a lower grade. The grounds for appeal are limited.
Appeal Protocol Levels:
- Primary Level: Should a student have a concern about a course grade the student should first seek an appointment to discuss the grade with the course faculty member. The student should contact the faculty member in this case within 5 working days of receipt of the grade. A working day includes Monday – Friday excluding university holidays or other days that the university is closed for any reason. The grade may be received through a formal notification of the grade as may occur at the end of a clinical course, or through the grade posted on One.IU, which ever comes first. The faculty member shall meet with the student promptly to discuss the concern.
- Intermediate Level: Following this meeting, if the student continues to believe that an inappropriate grade has been assigned, the student should promptly seek an appointment with the Director of Academic Programs, who will meet with the student, consider evidence in the matter, and draw a conclusion which shall be communicated to the faculty member and student.
- Final Level: Following this meeting, if the student continues to believe that an inappropriate grade has been assigned, the student should promptly seek an appointment with the Associate Dean. The Associate Dean shall meet with the student, consider the matter fully, and provide a written summary of the final findings to the student, copied to the faculty, and administrator.
Please refer to School of Nursing Policy AFS-18
