Grade Appeal Process

1. Alleged prejudice on the part of the instructor that impacts the student's final course grade.
2. Alleged failure to follow the final grading procedure established in the course syllabus impacts student's final course grades.
3. Alleged erroneous application of established grading procedures on individual assignments that impacts student's final course grade.
4. Alleged significant departure from the instructor's, department's, program 's, college's or university's announced standards as stated in the course syllabus, catalog description and/or other written materials.
5. Alleged inconsistencies with University or program policy, or alleged arbitrary application of evaluation/performance standards, that results in program dismissal.

Note: If a student wishes to appeal a course grade, it is recommended that he or she remain in the course and complete all assignments until a final decision has been rendered. An academic grievance for grade appeal may be filed only in cases where the student wishes to contest a final course grade (i.e., grade-related grievances will not be accepted for individual assignments or midterm grades).

For the purpose of this procedure, "days" means academic/working days, not calendar days. Dates of classes not being in session will not count toward the timeline.

"Semester" means fall and spring semester. Summer and winter sessions are not considered in the timeline.

The student should discuss any complaint with the instructor involved. If the complaint is not resolved at the instructor level, or if the student feels it is not practical to contact the instructor, the student may present the complaint to the department chair to which the instructor is assigned.

The deadline for a student to take the complaint to the faculty member is the 10th day of the beginning of the following semester.

If the student is not enrolled in the subsequent semester, a letter of inquiry should be mailed to the instructor and the instructor's department chair/associate dean by the 10th day of the beginning of the following semester.

The instructor must respond in writing to the student within five days of the initial contact concerning the complaint.

Upon receipt of an unacceptable response from the instructor or if the instructor does not respond within five days, the student has ten days to file a formal academic grievance.

The student will be required to complete an Academic Grievance form. Paper copies also can be obtained in the Office of the Provost. The completed Academic Grievance form, and any supporting documentation, should be submitted to the instructor's department chair/associate dean.

Go to the Academic Grievance form

Upon receipt of the completed Academic Grievance form, the department chair/associate dean will:

Request a written response from the instructor addressing the issues raised by the student and

Schedule a meeting within 5 days after the official paperwork is filed in the department chair's/associate dean’s office.

The instructor, the student filing the grievance, the department chair/associate dean, and the dean of the responsible college will be in attendance. The student may have his or her academic advisor or a faculty member of the student's choice present.

It will be the purpose of the department chair/associate dean and the respective college dean to review the grievance and attempt to mediate a settlement. The department chair/associate dean and the college dean's recommended solution is to be considered by both the faculty member and the student as a recommendation and not as a decision that is binding.

Within 5 days after this meeting, records of the meeting, including all documentation submitted by the student and the recommendation by the department chair/associate dean and college dean, will be sent to the Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Education & Student Success and to all parties present at the meeting.

If the outcome is not acceptable to the student, the student may appeal to the Academic Standards and Appeals Committee.

The student must petition a hearing before this committee within five days following the meeting with the instructor, college dean, and department chair/associate dean.

Requests must be in writing to the Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Education & Student Success.

Requests for appeal may be submitted by:

• electronic mail from the student’s official MSU email address to ap@moreheadstate.edu. Requests submitted from any other email address will not be accepted.
• paper requests may be submitted to the Office of the Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Education & Student Success.

Upon receipt of the student’s petition for a hearing, the Associate Vice President of Undergraduate Education & Student Success will submit the records of all action to date to the Academic Standards and Appeals Committee.

Within ten days following the student’s notification of the request for appeal, the Academic Standards and Appeals Committee will meet and review the data and previous recommendations.

The committee may request additional information and/or the parties involved to appear before the committee.

The Academic Standards and Appeals Committee decision will be sent to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, with a copy being sent as a matter of record to the Associate Vice President of Undergraduate Education & Student Success, student, faculty member, department chair/associate dean, and the faculty member's college dean. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs are responsible for enforcing the committee's decision. The committee's decision is final.

It is understood that anyone may appeal to the President of the University when due process has been violated or when individual rights are disregarded.