IUPUI Bulletins » Schools » education » Policies & Procedures » Appeals and Grievances

 

School of Education Academic Standards (Appeals) Committee

Students who wish to appeal decisions concerning admission to teacher education or retention in teacher education, or who seek a waiver for a requirement in a specific program, must follow this appeals process:
  1. 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.
  2. Students will be given an opportunity to meet with the committee to present their request.
  3. Students will be notified via university e-mail of the committee's decision within 48 hours of meeting with the committee for most requests. 
Students should contact the Assistant Dean for Assessment in the School of Education for information about filing an appeal.   This committee does not hear requests for grade changes.  

Grievance Hearing Committee (currently under revision - April 2021)
The purpose of the School of Education's Grievance Hearing Committee is to provide a five-member hearing board for any student who believes that his/her 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. After considering the appeal during a formal hearing, the hearing board votes in private and forwards its recommendation for action to the dean of the School of Education, who makes final disposition of the appeal in the School of Education. Should the student wish to appeal further, the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct provides an avenue through the Dean of Students (see below for details).

Grievance Jurisdiction
The Grievance Hearing Committee hears cases in the following categories:

  • Violations of Individual Rights and Academic Affairs, as defined in Parts I. A and B of the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct. These include:
    • Individual Rights (I. A.1-5)
    • Citizenship Rights
    • Discrimination
    • Sexual Harassment
    • Harassment Based on Sexual Orientation
    • Racial Harassment
  • Academic Affairs (I.B.1-5)
  • Provision of advising for academic planning
  • Classes conducted in accordance with the Indiana University Code of Academic Ethics
  • Freedom to raise issues and express ideas or opinions relevant to classroom work
  • Sensitivity by faculty to student personal or political beliefs, and protection of privacy of student information
  • Ethical behavior of faculty in relationships with students
  • Academic misconduct, as defined in the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct (Part III.A.). This includes:
    • cheating
    • fabrication
    • plagiarism
    • interference
    • violation of course rules
    • facilitating academic dishonest
  • Grades in a course
  • Terms and conditions of associate instructor and graduate assistant appointments

The Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct distinguishes between personal misconduct and academic misconduct. Appeals regarding personal misconduct are not within the jurisdiction of the IUPUI Grievance Hearing Committee and are handled by the Dean of Students according to the Code (VI.D).

*  If a student has a concern about the quality of teaching or a grade in a course in which he or she is enrolled in the School of Education, the student should follow this process:

  • Discuss those concerns with the instructor. If that discussion does not resolve the students concerns, the student should:
  • Schedule a meeting with the appropriate program coordinator
  • If deemed necessary, submit a grievance to the School of Education Grievance Committee.

Grade Replacement Policy: Policy and Procedure on Course Reenrollment and Recalculation of Student Grade Point Average

The University Faculty Council has stated that any undergraduate who has retaken a course previously failed shall have only the second grade in that course counted in the determination of the overall grade point average by the Office of Records and Admissions. The student’s transcript shall record both grades. Any grade point average calculated in accord with this policy shall be marked replaced denoting that a grade has been replaced by the grade in the course when taken subsequently.

The policy can take effect only if the course was taken at IUPUI and repeated after the beginning of the academic year 1976-77. The IUPUI School of Education grade replacement policy has been revised, effective fall 1996. The new policy allows approved undergraduate students seeking their first degree to repeat a maximum of 15 credit hours subject to school/division approval. Students may not replace grades in any EDUC course. Students in education must submit a grade replacement form before the policy can take effect. These forms are available from the Office of Student Support and Diversity located in room 3131 in the Education/Social Work Building.

Determination of GPA
The School of Education uses the overall IU grade point average (GPA) indicated on the transcript for all audits, including those for admission to the Teacher Education Programs, probation and dismissal, and graduation.

Note: Only credit hours are transferred to Indiana University from schools outside of the IU system. Grades made in courses taken at other universities will be used to compute GPAs for purposes of admission to the teacher education programs when students are transferring in more than 27 credit hours.

Grade Change Appeal
Students wishing to appeal a grade in any course offered by the School of Education should follow the grievance policy within one semester of receiving the grade.

Students wishing to have a grade changed to a "W" after a semester has passed should follow the IUPUI grade appeal procedure as outlined in this bulletin. Grade appeal forms are available online from registrar.iupui.edu.  These grade petitions in undergraduate courses will not be considered for concluded courses older than 5 years. Exceptions will only be considered if an extremely serious and documented circumstance (e.g., coma, unmanageable schizophrenia, etc.) literally prevented the student from filing the petition within the 5-year period.

A students request to have a grade in a course offered by the School of Education changed from a grade of F to Withdrawn (W) will be granted only if one or more of the following conditions exists:

  1. The student has provided official documentation of a medical emergency that prevented the student from attending and officially withdrawing from the course.
  2. The student was a first-semester freshman and never attended the class.

If a student feels there were other extenuating circumstances that prevented him or her from attending and/or officially withdrawing from the course, he or she may write a letter of appeal to the School of Education.   Any available official documentation pertaining to the extenuating circumstances should be included with the letter of appeal.

Good Standing
A student is determined to be in good standing in the School of Education when the undergraduate grade point average (GPA) meets or surpasses the minimum 2.50 standard, has grades of C or higher in all professional (block) education courses, and when the student has no pending issues with the school or university.

Bulletin Designation
Students must meet requirements for graduation as stated by the school in the IUPUI Campus Bulletin at the time of initial enrollment, or as set forth in any subsequent bulletin. Students are expected to meet requirements of a single bulletin for graduation but must meet the state licensure requirements in place at the time of completion of the program.