Policy and Procedures on Assignment of Grades
Faculty members’ rights and responsibility to evaluate their students’ academic performance are some of the most strongly held values in the University. Faculty are accorded much latitude and freedom in setting standards, establishing expectations, evaluating performance, and assigning grades.
- Reporting Course Grades
- Reporting under Normal Circumstances
- Policy – Course grades are to be assigned by the instructor of record.1
- Procedure – The instructor will complete the final grade rosters in the manner prescribed by the established deadlines.2
- Reporting under Extraordinary Circumstances
- Policy – The department chair will assign grades in consultation with their school/college
dean and Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs only if:
- The instructor is unable to assign a grade due to the following:
- death
- incapacitating illness
- refusal
- some other extraordinarily unusual circumstance
- The instructor assigned an unwarranted grade while in an impaired physical and/or emotional state.
- The instructor is unable to assign a grade due to the following:
- Policy – The department chair will assign grades in consultation with their school/college
dean and Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs only if:
- Reporting under Normal Circumstances
- Correcting Course Grades
- Policy – Grade corrections require the instructor to certify that an error was made
in computing or recording the grade. In the event an instructor is not available to
correct a grade, the department chair is authorized to take appropriate action. In
doing so, the chair must stipulate that there is sufficient evidence in the instructor’s
grade book to indicate the grade was incorrectly assigned or that the instructor has
authorized the correction by telephone, letter, etc. No grade correction can be made
if more than three (3) years have passed since the initial grade was awarded.
Procedure – The instructor or department chair concerned submits a “Grade Correction Request Form” to the registrar with copies sent to the student and department chair. As appropriate, copies also are sent to the Office of Graduate Studies.
- Policy – Grade corrections require the instructor to certify that an error was made
in computing or recording the grade. In the event an instructor is not available to
correct a grade, the department chair is authorized to take appropriate action. In
doing so, the chair must stipulate that there is sufficient evidence in the instructor’s
grade book to indicate the grade was incorrectly assigned or that the instructor has
authorized the correction by telephone, letter, etc. No grade correction can be made
if more than three (3) years have passed since the initial grade was awarded.
FAIRNESS IN GRADING/EQUITY
Once the semester (or course) has concluded, students shall NOT be assigned additional work or be allowed to revise previous assignments in order to improve a final grade.
RECORD KEEPING
- Faculty members shall maintain a complete record (i.e., a grade book or equivalent) of the various scores and marks used to determine student grades. This record shall be retained for at least five (5) years and must be given to the department chairman if the faculty member will be away from the University for the purposes such as sabbatical leave or retirement. All materials are not returned to students shall be retained by faculty members for one (1) semester. Course grades are reported according to the Policy and Procedure on Assignment of Grades.
GRADING DATA
Each semester, the University shall provide the department chairpersons with data on grading for the University, the colleges/schools, the departments, and their respective faculty. In turn, department chairpersons shall provide their faculty with grade distributions (within categories of courses) for their own departments.
GRADING PRACTICES
All department chairpersons shall review, on an annual basis, grading practices of individual faculty members. Grading practices that appear inappropriate shall be discussed by chairpersons with the faculty members concerned.
APPEAL RIGHTS
Students who believe they have been evaluated incorrectly and/or unfairly should first request a review by the instructor and the department chair before appealing to the Student Academic Petitions Committee according to procedures established in the Policy and Procedures for Reviewing and Appealing an Assigned Grade.
POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR REVIEWING AND APPEALING AN ASSIGNED GRADE3
Policy – Students are responsible for maintaining standards of academic performance established by their professors and for conducting themselves in the classroom in accordance with established procedures and generally accepted standards of social behavior. Students, on the other hand, have the right to an orderly review and if necessary appeal of an evaluation that allegedly is:
- not “ made fairly and equitably without prejudice 4 or capriciousness,” or
- an inconsistent application of syllabus statements on course requirements and/or grading system, or
- out of compliance with the University’s official grading policy, or (d) otherwise erroneous (See University Academic Policy Manual 241 on “Policy on Course Syllabi)
Three basic principles govern that assertion:
- The right of the instructor to make a final judgment relative to a student’s academic evaluation. It is presumed that the instructor’s assigned grade is correct; therefore, the burden of proof rests upon the student to show cause.5
- The right of the student to have a review of the specific course evaluation by the instructor and/or appropriate University official(s).
- Redress shall be limited to the removal of the harmful effects of the academic evaluation in question.
Procedure – A student must adhere to the following procedure if they believe an evaluation by a faculty member was not made in a manner consistent with the above policy.4
Within 15 working days5 after the next semester’s classes begin, the student must consult with the instructor concerned and make every effort to resolve the issue. The instructor must give the student an answer in writing explaining how the grade was earned within
3 An Advisor in the Office of Advising Services will be available upon request to provide assistance to a student seeking review or appealing an assigned grade, including explaining the process and preparing a written statement. A student should not contact the Student Academic Petitions Committee, SAPC Chair or members prior to submitting the written statement of appeal. 4 Prejudice includes use of age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, political preference, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation in assigning a grade. 5 If the student alleges an instructor falsely accused them of cheating or plagiarism, the burden of proof rests upon the instructor, and resolution of this matter shall occur pursuant to the University’s “Policy on Cheating and Plagiarism.” (See Academic Policy Manual 235.)
4 If the student or instructor alleges these procedures have not been followed correctly, they should appeal to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs immediately. The faculty member should appeal via the school/college dean, and the student via the Office of Advising Services.
5 For all deadlines stated in this policy exceptions may be made by the SAPC for extenuating circumstances.
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