Definitions

Grade appeal: a formal process through which a student can appeal through his/her course instructor and the college’s administrative leadership the student’s final grade in a course. A final course grade appeal must be based on at least one of the following claims:

• Capricious action on the part of the faculty member that affects the student’s final grade; a capricious action is defined as one made on a whim or without justifiable reasons.
• Prejudicial treatment of the student by the faculty member with respect to the application of the course syllabus, thereby affecting the student’s final grade; prejudicial treatment is defined as treating the student lodging the final grade appeal differently from other students in the course with respect to the instructor’s application of the course syllabus.
• Erroneous judgment of the faculty with regard to the correct answer for exam item(s). A claim of erroneous judgment means that the student is able to produce evidence (from textbooks, class notes provided directly from the faculty, or other valid materials) to substantiate that a different answer other than that keyed is a correct response.
• A documented error in calculating the student’s final grade.
• Extenuating circumstance(s) that significantly impacted the student’s performance and grade in a course.

Student: any person who is officially registered at the College during the specific academic semester or term in which the grade complaint arises.