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Grade Review and Appeal Operating Procedure 314.08

Grade Review and Appeal Operating Procedure 314.08
Johnson County Community College
Series: 300 Students
Section: Academic Policies

Cross-Reference: Grade Review and Appeal Policy 314.08

The following Operating Procedure is established in accordance with the Student Grade Review and Appeal Policy 314.08.

I. Grade Review and Appeal Definitions

  • Informal Grade Review is the first level of review a student may seek in an attempt to resolve a final grade issue for a credit course directly with the Faculty Member.
  • Formal Student Grade Review Petition is the second level of review conducted by the Administrator if a student is not satisfied with the outcome of the Informal Grade Review or is unable to contact the Faculty Member because of the Faculty Member’s absence. 
  • Grade Review Appeal is the third level of review conducted by the Vice President, Academic Affairs (“VPAA”) or as delegated to the Associate Vice President, Instruction or other designee, if a student is not satisfied with the outcome of the Formal Student Grade Review Petition. 
  • Faculty Member is the Faculty Member responsible for issuing the grade for the credit course in which a student is enrolled.
  • Administrator is the Dean of the Division or the Director of a Department with admission requirements (or a designee) through which the course at issue is offered and/or the Dean/Director (or a designee) to whom the Faculty Member reports. 

II. Grounds for a Grade Review Petition and Appeal

A grade review, informal or formal, will not 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 a grade review must include corroborating evidence of at least one of the following.

  1. The Faculty Member inaccurately calculated the student’s grade.
  2. 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 has modified and communicated the modification to students. The Faculty Member determines the means of such communication.
  3. The Faculty Member applied an inconsistent grading standard within the course.
  4. The Faculty Member violated a written agreement with the student.
  5. The Faculty Member violated an institutional policy in assigning course work, administering exams and/or in assigning grades.

III. Grade Review and Appeal Procedure and Deadlines

  • Informal and/or Formal Grade Review: A student must request an Informal Grade Review with the Faculty Member prior to initiating a Formal Student Grade Review Petition. If a student is not satisfied with the results of the Informal Grade Review or the Faculty Member is absent, the student may initiate a Formal Student Grade Review Petition (PDF) within forty-five (45) calendar days of the College’s release of a final credit course grade to the student.
  • Grade Review Appeal: A student may appeal Administrator’s decision related to the Formal Student Grade Review Petition process on procedural concerns only, where it is believed that the final determination was reached without following this Operating Procedure. In such case, any Grade Review Appeal must be initiated within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date of the Administrator’s written response to the student.

    The intent of this Operating Procedure is to provide for the prompt review of a student’s request for review of a final grade for a credit course. Due dates may be extended for either party by approval of the VPAA or designee, if an acceptable reason is provided for the delay. However, current grades are used for determination of eligibility for next level courses, until the final decision under this Operating Procedure has been issued. The request for an extension must be made prior to the expiration of the specified deadline(s).

IV. Grade Review Petition Process

A. Informal Grade Review.

A student must first attempt an Informal Grade Review with the Faculty Member.

Step 1: Address with Faculty Member.

The student must address the final grade concern directly with the 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 final course grade to the student. The Informal Grade Review should also be completed early, so the student does not miss any subsequent deadlines, such as the deadline to petition for Formal Grade Review. If unable to contact the Faculty Member, a student should proceed to Formal Student Grade Review Petition below.

The student must present verbal or written information to the Faculty Member specifying the grounds that the student believes would support a grade change (see Grounds for Grade Review Petition and Appeal above).

Step 2: Grade Review by Faculty Member.

The Faculty Member will consider the information the student has presented and within seven (7) calendar days provide a written response to the student’s JCCC-provided student email account.

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 the grounds for a student’s grade appeal are not appropriate or that a student’s grade should not be changed, the Faculty Member should notify the student at the JCCC-provided email address, and the student may file a Formal Student Grade Review Petition with appropriate documentation, as set forth below.

B. Formal Student Grade Review Petition Process.


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 Formal Student Grade Review Petition.

Step 1: Student submission of completed Formal Student Grade Review Petition Form and written documentation.

The student must submit a completed Formal 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 final credit course 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);
  • Assignment/exam/project in question (if applicable);
  • 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 and/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. At this step, only the Faculty Member or the Administrator may file a written change of grade with the College Registrar, if deemed appropriate.

C. Grade Review Appeal Process.

The student may appeal the Administrator’s decision related to the Formal Student Grade Review Petition process on procedural concerns only, where it is believed 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 Formal Student Grade Review 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 Grounds for Grade Review Petition and Appeal and ii) the student has properly followed the Grade Review and Appeal Procedure and Deadlines set forth in this Operating Procedure.

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 student email account 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 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 finding support changing a grade, the VPAA or designee will coordinate with the Faculty Member and the Administrator the filing of a written change of grade with the College Registrar.

V. 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

Date of Adoption: 08/18/2011
Revised: 01/26/2016, 05/21/2019