Grade Appeals

The instructor has the jurisdiction in determining and assigning grades at the end of the semester. The criteria for assigning grades must be stated in the course syllabus and communicated to students at the beginning of the course. Students have the right to appeal a final grade that they believe was not consistent with grading polices stated in the syllabus and/or different from those applied to other students in the same course. Before appealing, the student must meet with the instructor to discuss his or her dissatisfaction with the grade. This process must be initiated within 30 days of the start of the new semester. If the grade dispute is not settled at this level, the student and instructor will confer with the program director. If the issue is still not resolved, the student may initiate a formal grade appeal in writing to the Dean of Graduate Studies. The appeal must be submitted within 10 working days of the decision being sent by the program director. The appeal must contain reasons why the student believes the grade should be changed. The Dean of Graduate Studies will chair a committee composed of three program directors (or an appointed substitute) from the graduate programs other than the student's own to serve on a Graduate Appeal committee. The dean will not vote except in the case of a tie. The decision of the committee is final. The Dean will notify the student of the final disposition of the appeal. 

Dismissal Appeals

A student has the right to appeal a dismissal from the graduate program for academic reasons by submitting an appeal in writing to the Dean of Graduate Studies within 10 working days of the decision being sent by the program director. The appeal must include reasons the student believes they should be reinstated and a plan for future success. The decision on the student’s status will be made by the Dean of Graduate Studies in consultation with the Graduate Appeals committee based on the information provided by the student and the Director of the relevant graduate program. The Dean of Graduate Studies will notify the student of the decision. The decision of the Dean of Graduate Studies is final. 

In cases of dismissal for non-academic reasons, refer to the Code of Student Conduct.