Series: 300 Students
Section: Academic Policies
Cross-Reference: Grade Review and Appeal Policy 314.08
Applicability: This Operating Procedure applies to all Johnson County Community College (“JCCC” or the “College”) students enrolled in credit courses.
Purpose: The purpose of this Operating Procedure is to establish procedures to implement the Student Grade Review and Appeal Policy 314.08.
Definitions:
“Faculty Member,” for the purposes of this Operating Procedure, means the Faculty Member responsible for issuing the Grade for the credit course in which a student is enrolled.
“Administrator,” for the purposes of this Operating Procedure, means the dean of the division through which the course is offered or to whom the Faculty Member reports; if the course is offered by a department with admission requirements, the director of the department; or designee of either.
“Grade” means the final grade issued for a credit course.
Procedures:
I. Grounds for Grade Review and Appeal
No grade review will be considered if the reason for the request is that a student is generally dissatisfied with a grade or disagrees with a Faculty Member’s professional judgment of a student’s performance. The grounds for grade review must include corroborating evidence of at least one of the following:
- The Faculty Member inaccurately calculated the student’s Grade.
- The Faculty Member determined a Grade using a process different from that identified in the original course syllabus or in a syllabus that the Faculty Member modified and then communicated the modification to students. The means of communication is within the discretion of the Faculty Member.
- The Faculty Member applied an inconsistent grading standard among students within the course.
- The Faculty Member violated a written agreement with the student.
- The Faculty Member violated an institutional policy in assigning course work, administering exams, applying attendance policies, or in assigning grades.
The only ground for a Grade Review Appeal is that the student believes that the final determination was reached without following this Operating Procedure.
II. Deadlines for Grade Review and Appeal
A. Informal Grade Review: A student must request informal grade review with the Faculty Member within forty-five (45) calendar days of the College’s release of the Grade to the student, prior to initiating formal grade review. Informal grade review should be requested as soon as possible because formal grade review, if desired, must also be initiated within the same forty-five (45) calendar days of the College’s release of the Grade to the student.
B. Formal Grade Review: If a student is not satisfied with the results of the informal grade review or is unable to contact the Faculty Member due to the Faculty Member’s absence, the student may initiate formal grade review by submitting a Student Grade Review Petition Form within forty-five (45) calendar days of the College’s release of the Grade to the student.
C. Grade Review Appeal: A student must initiate a Grade Review Appeal within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date of the Administrator’s written response from the formal grade review.
D. Extensions: Due dates may be extended for either party by the Vice President of Academic Affairs (“VPAA”) or designee, if the party make a request and provides an acceptable reason for the extension. The request for an extension must be made prior to the expiration of the specified deadline(s). Even if an extension is granted, eligibility for next-level courses will be based on the issued Grade, until the final decision under this Operating Procedure has been issued.
III. Grade Review and Appeal Process
A. Informal Grade Review
A student must first attempt an informal grade review with the Faculty Member.
Step 1: Address with Faculty Member
A Grade concern is best resolved if addressed early; therefore, the student should communicate with the Faculty Member as soon as possible after the College’s release of the Grade to the student. The student must present verbal or written information to the Faculty Member specifying the grounds that the student believes would support a Grade change.
The informal grade review should be completed promptly, so the student does not miss any subsequent deadlines, such as the deadline to initiate formal grade review. If the student is unable to contact the Faculty Member because of the Faculty Member’s absence, the student should document the attempt to communicate and proceed with the formal grade review below.
Step 2: Grade Review by Faculty Member
The Faculty Member will consider the information the student has presented and provide a written response to the student’s JCCC-provided email address within seven (7) calendar days.
If the Faculty Member determines that a Grade change is appropriate, the Faculty Member must file a change of grade form with the College Registrar in a timely manner.
If the Faculty Member determines that the student has not presented appropriate grounds for a grade review or that the student’s Grade should not be changed, the Faculty Member will notify the student at the JCCC-provided email address. The student may file a Student Grade Review Petition Form with appropriate documentation, as set forth below.
B. Formal Grade Review
If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of the informal grade review or if the student is unable to contact the Faculty Member because of the Faculty Member’s absence, the student may file a Student Grade Review Petition Form.
Step 1: Student Submission of Completed Student Grade Review Petition Form and Written Documentation
The student must submit a completed Formal JCCC Student Grade Review Petition Form (“Petition”) and written documentation substantiating the grounds for a grade review within forty-five (45) calendar days of the College’s release of the Grade to the student. This Petition must be submitted to the Administrator and may be delivered in person, by email, or via U.S. Mail.
In addition to the Petition, the student must attach written documentation substantiating the grounds for grade review, including:
- Explanation of circumstances and how the Petition meets the grounds for review;
- Documentation that the informal grade review with the Faculty Member has occurred (if contact with the Faculty Member was not possible, explain or document attempts to contact the Faculty Member);
- The course syllabus;
- Any related communication (papers, emails, texts) with the Faculty Member (if applicable);
- The assignment, exam, or project in question (if applicable);
- The relevant institutional policy (if applicable); and
- Other relevant supporting documentation with an explanation of the relevance and importance of the material to the grade issue.
Step 2: Administrator Review
Upon receipt of a Petition and written documentation in the appropriate office, the Administrator will communicate or meet with the student and the Faculty Member (separately or together, in Administrator’s discretion) to review the matter.
Following review of the Petition, the Administrator will send a written response to the student at the JCCC-provided email address and to the Faculty Member. This written response will typically be provided within fourteen (14) calendar days following the Administrator’s receipt of the student’s Petition and written documentation. If a change of Grade is deemed appropriate, the Faculty Member or the Administrator will file a written change of Grade with the College Registrar in a timely manner.
C. Grade Review Appeal
The student may appeal the Administrator’s decision related to the formal grade review on procedural concerns only, where the student believes that the final determination was reached without following this Operating Procedure. In such case, the student may send a written request to the VPAA or designee for a Grade Review Appeal, citing the procedural concerns. This request must be sent to the VPAA or designee within fourteen (14) calendar days of the date of the Administrator’s written response to the student’s Petition.
Step 1: Resubmission of Formal Student Grade Review Petition and Attachments
If a student submits a written request to the VPAA or designee for evaluation of the student’s Petition and written documentation, the VPAA or designee will request a complete copy of the Petition and documentation from the Administrator who conducted the formal grade review. The student may supply a copy of this material and any additional documentation if desired.
The written appeal to the VPAA or designee may be delivered in person to the office of the VPAA or designee, by email or via U.S. Mail to the campus address of the VPAA or designee.
Step 2: Review of Appeal by Vice President of Academic Affairs
Upon receipt of the student’s Petition and documentation, the VPAA or designee will review the information submitted to determine if the Grade Review Appeal meets the criteria for appeal.
These criteria are met if it is determined that: i) the grounds for grade review as presented meet the requirements set forth above under Section I, Grounds for Grade Review and Appeal, and ii) the student has properly followed the deadlines and procedures set forth above under Section II, Grade Review and Appeal Deadlines, and Section III, Grade Review and Appeal Process.
If the VPAA or designee concludes that the request for a Grade Review Appeal does not meet the criteria for an appeal as described in this Operating Procedure, the VPAA or designee will advise the student in an email to the student’s JCCC-provided email address within fourteen (14) calendar days of receipt of the student’s written appeal to the VPAA or designee. The student’s grade appeal rights end at this point.
If the VPAA or designee determines that the request for a Grade Review Appeal meets the criteria for a grade appeal as stated in this Operation Procedure, the VPAA or designee will review relevant documentation and meet or communicate with the student, the Faculty Member and the Administrator (separately or together, in the VPAA’s or designee’s discretion).
At the conclusion of the VPAA’s or designee’s review, the VPAA or designee will send written notification of the decision to the email accounts of the Faculty Member, the Administrator and the student at the JCCC-provided email address within fourteen (14) calendar days of the date of appeal.
If the VPAA’s or designee’s review supports changing the Grade, the VPAA or designee will coordinate with the Faculty Member and the Administrator for the filing of a written change of Grade with the College Registrar.
IV. Appeal Determination
The decision of the VPAA or designee shall be final for both the student and the Faculty Member.
Signature on File in Policy Office
President
Revised: 01/26/2016, 05/21/2019, 11/20/2025