School of Education Academic Standards (Appeals) Committee
Students who wish to appeal decisions concerning admission to teacher education, retention in teacher education, seek a waiver for a requirement in a specific program, or appeal a grade in an initial teacher education course, must follow this appeals process:
- Students should submit all appeals to the School of Education Academic Standards Committee by letter or email to the Assistant Dean for Program Assessment in the School of Education.
- Students will be given an opportunity to meet with the committee to present their request.
- Students will be notified via university e-mail of the committee's decision within 48 hours of meeting with the committee for most requests except grade appeals which often take longer.
Students should contact the Assistant Dean for Assessment in the School of Education for information about filing an appeal. This committee only hears requests for grade changes for education courses in initial teacher education programs. Grade change appeals for courses other than those in the initial teacher education programs are heard by the Grievance Committee.
Before initiating a grade appeal, students must ensure their appeal is based on valid grounds. Acceptable grounds for appealing a grade typically include:
- Clerical or Calculation Errors: Mistakes in grade calculations or data entry.
- Inconsistency with Grading Policy: Deviations from the grading criteria or policies specified in the course syllabus.
- Arbitrary or Capricious Grading: A claim that the grade was assigned in an irrational or inconsistent manner without regard for established criteria.
- Failure to Follow Grading Criteria: When the instructor does not adhere to the grading rubric or evaluation criteria outlined in the syllabus or course materials.
- Vague or Ambiguous Instructions: The syllabus contains unclear or imprecise directives regarding assignments, assessments, or grading expectations.
- Inconsistent Evaluative Standards: The grading standards or expectations stated in the syllabus were applied unevenly or changed without explanation.
- Discrepancies Between Syllabus and Online Platform: The content, deadlines, or requirements listed on the Canvas learning platform did not align with the syllabus, leading to confusion or misinterpretation.
- Abrupt Changes to Deadlines or Expectations: Deadlines or expectations for assignments were altered without adequate notice or communication to the entire learning community.
Note: Appeals based solely on dissatisfaction with a grade or a desire for a higher grade without valid reason are not considered grounds for an appeal.
School of Education Student Grievance Hearing Committee The purpose of the School of Education at IU Indianapolis Student Grievance Hearing Committee, (hereafter “Grievance Committee”) is to provide a formal hearing for any student who believes that their rights, as defined in Part I of Indiana University’s Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct , have been violated by a member of the faculty or administration.
Overview
The Grievance Committee will hold a formal meeting to consider any grievance brought to the committee. If the Grievance Committee determines it should hear the case, then a formal hearing is held. The Grievance Committee then votes on the case and forwards its recommendation for action to the Dean of the School of Education, who makes final determination of the resolution based on the grievance. Should the student wish to grieve further, the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct provides an avenue through the Dean of the Faculties.
Grievance Jurisdiction
The Grievance Committee only hears specific grievances under Violations of “Student Rights” as defined in Part I of the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct. These include:
• A. Pursuit of Education
• D. Access to records and facilities
• E. Freedom of association, expression, advocacy and publication
Grievance Committee
The Grievance Committee is composed of a total of 8 members, including four faculty and one staff member from the School of Education and one representative of its student body. There are also two faculty alternates as part of the Grievance Committee. Each hearing will be comprised of a minimum of five committee members. These five members are chosen from the Grievance Committee by its chairperson based on availability. The chair will also appoint a presiding officer who will perform the duties of leading, having oversight regarding how time is used by the different parties in the deliberation of the hearing, and preparing a written report based on the deliberations. A quorum consisting of four faculty or three faculty and the staff member, along with the representative of the student body must always be present when a formal grievance hearing is conducted.
Procedures followed by the Grievance Committee
The Grievance Committee follows the procedures in the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct: Procedures for the IU Indianapolis Campus document with the following additions:
1. The School of Education Dean designates the IU Indianapolis SOE Associate Dean for Academic Affairs as the ex-officio member of the committee for student hearings.
2. The presiding officer and committee members in every hearing will be identified by the committee chair on the basis of availability.
3. The Grievance Committee will have five weeks to accomplish all the tasks of the student grievance process.
4. The presiding officer will submit the committee’s conclusions and recommendations to the School of Education Dean following the directives in the Student Code of Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct document.
5. The School of Education Dean can accept, modify, or reject the committee’s conclusions and recommendations following the directives in the Student Code of Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct document.
6. Either party, the student and the person who is the target of the grievance, may appeal the final decision made by the Dean of the School of Education, to the Dean of Faculties office as indicated in the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, IV.B.5.b. In the event of special circumstances, a faculty member or administrative staff member may submit an appeal on a student’s behalf to the Dean of Faculties.
Steps of the student grievance process
Before beginning the student grievance process, the committee strongly recommends students to seek resources available through student affairs, specifically Student Advocacy. Seeking counsel provided by the campus will support clarification of policies and procedures and explain student options.
In all but the most unusual circumstances, a case should not be brought to the Grievance Committee until normal avenues of resolution have been exhausted. Grievances will only be accepted for consideration with evidence of reasonable attempts to resolve the problem. Ideally these attempts will involve a meeting between the student and faculty member, instructor, or administrator. If the problem cannot be resolved satisfactorily, the student should submit a formal complaint by filling out the Student Grievance form with supporting documentation and email it to the SOE Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
