Grade Appeal Procedure

Underlying Principles

1. This procedure outlines appeals for final grades in credit-bearing courses. Non-credit and College Now courses are excluded from this procedure.
2. Students should initially make every effort to resolve questions about grades with the faculty member and the Division Dean for the course. A formal grade appeal through the Grade Appeal Procedure should be considered a last resort.
3. Lane Community College presumes that the instructor of record's judgment is definitive and that the final grades given are accurate.
4. A grade appeal will only be pursued if there is a valid basis and substantial evidence of an error or manifest injustice in grading. The student making the appeal is responsible for developing and presenting the appeal.
5. If the instructor no longer works at the College or is unavailable (e.g., on leave), the Division Dean shall appoint a faculty designee to represent the instructor throughout the process.
6. No person or entity other than the original faculty member, a faculty designee, or the Grade Appeal Committee (GAC) may change a final grade.
7. The Chair of the GAC communicates on behalf of the GAC and is responsible for informing the Registrar, the student, and the instructor of any grade change.
8. All timeframes described in this process occur within the regular academic calendar, which excludes the summer term. Students should be aware that appeals made during the summer may need to be addressed in the fall term due to faculty not being available.
9. All efforts should be made to expedite the grade appeal processes at the informal and formal levels.

Criteria for a Grade Appeal

A grade appeal will only be pursued if there is a valid basis and substantial evidence of an error or manifest injustice in grading alleged to be caused by unfair treatment such as arbitrariness, actions of a capricious nature, and/or error. Examples that may justify a grade change may include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Unfair and unequal application of grading standards.
2. Unfair or unannounced alteration of assignments, grading criteria, or computational processes from the instructor’s previously articulated standards.
3. Computation dispute about the calculation of a final grade.
4. Sanctions for academic dishonesty without an admission or finding of academic dishonesty.

Process for Grade Appeal

Step 1: Informal Appeal to the Instructor and Dean

1. Students must initiate a grade appeal with the course instructor within 15 business days of grade publication to the student. The student is responsible for arranging to meet or communicate remotely with the instructor about their concerns. The student’s appeal must address the “Criteria for a Grade Appeal” which are listed above. There is no required form for students to complete for an informal grade appeal.
2. The faculty member is responsible for providing a substantive response to the student, which may involve meeting with the student, within 15 business days of the student's notification. If the student accepts the outcome of this exchange, the matter will be considered resolved.
3. If the student disagrees with the faculty member (or if the faculty is not responsive), they may discuss the problem with the appropriate Dean/Director within 15 business days of receiving the faculty member’s determination or 15 business days after sending their original inquiry to the faculty member, if the faculty member is unresponsive.
4. The appropriate Dean/Director (herein referred to as Dean) is defined as the Dean of the Division or Department where the course is housed.
5. The Dean shall attempt to bring the matter to a mutually agreed resolution in consultation with the instructor and the student within 15 business days of their discussion with the student.
6. If a mutually agreed-upon resolution is not reached, the instructor shall either a) affirm or b) change the appealed grade within 5 days of reaching an impasse. Within this time frame, the instructor must communicate their decision and rationale in writing to the student and Dean.

Step 2: Formal Grade Appeal to the Grade Appeal Committee (GAC)

The GAC shall adjudicate the grade appeal in a neutral, fair, and impartial manner, established per the Grade Appeal Policy. Although the GAC is encouraged to conclude its work no later than 90 calendar days from the initial submission of the formal grade appeal, it may extend the time frame by an additional 90 calendar days by communicating this adjustment to the student by email.

1. If the student disagrees with the faculty member’s decision at the outcome of the informal appeal, the student may file a formal appeal to the GAC.
   1. The student is responsible for submitting all written materials directly to the GAC through the Formal Grade Appeal Submission Form
   2. The GAC advises students to submit all relevant information, including but not limited to the following: relevant communications, rubrics, syllabi, assignments, record of grades, etc.
   3. The GAC will ensure that students and faculty receive notification of receipt when a formal grade appeal is submitted.
   4. If the student has not initiated the informal process, the GAC will advise the student of this necessary step.
2. Upon receiving and reviewing all relevant and substantive materials, the GAC is charged with determining whether clear and convincing evidence of unfair treatment, such as arbitrariness, actions of a capricious nature, and/or error, might justify changing the grade.
   1. In an effort to adjudicate the case in a natural, fair and impartial manner, the Chair of the Grade Appeal Committee may consult the faculty member or Dean.
   2. If the GAC determines that additional documentation is necessary to adjudicate the case in a neutral, fair, and impartial manner, the Chair of the GAC may request additional information from relevant parties ( e.g.. student, faculty member or Dean).
   3. The GAC may call a meeting with the Dean, student and faculty member per its discretion and in the event that doing so would be helpful to adjudicate the case in a neutral,fair and impartial manner.
   4. Should a meeting be called, students have a right for a representative of their choice to accompany them. This is not a legal process. Students are expected to speak and advocate for themselves; the representative may not speak for the student.
   5. The GAC encourages all parties to attend, but neither the faculty member or student are required to do so.
3. After reviewing all evidence, the GAC makes a ruling based on a majority vote. In the event of a tie vote, the original grade will stand. If the GAC determines that no compelling reason exists for changing the grade, the GAC chair will report its conclusion in writing to the student, instructor, and Dean within 5 business days of the ruling, and the matter is closed. The GAC’s decision is final.
4. If the GAC determines compelling reasons exist for changing the grade, within 5 business days of the ruling, the GAC Chair will provide the instructor with a written explanation of its rationale for the grade change and the updated grade, with a copy to the student and the Dean. The GAC Chair will formally request the Registrar to change the grade, and the matter is closed. The GAC’s decision is final.
5. The Office of the Registrar will maintain official records of formal grade appeal rulings.