EIU Grade Appeal

Grade Appeal

Eastern Illinois University faculty members are responsible for assigning appropriate grades. The university will not review the judgment of a faculty member in assessing the quality of students' work. If, however, a student believes that a faculty member improperly assigned a semester grade due to one or more of the Grounds for Grade Appeal, as described below, the student may appeal the grade by following the procedures described in the Grade Appeal Policy. Students are responsible for reading the Grade Appeal Policy and for complying with all procedures and meeting the deadlines established in the policy. All grade appeals are handled individually.

Grounds for Grade Appeal

The procedures described in the Grade Appeal Policy are available only for appeal of a semester or term grade based on one or more of the following reasons:

1. A mathematical error in calculation of the grade or clerical error in recording of the grade that remains uncorrected;
2. The assignment of a grade to a particular student by application of more exacting requirements than were applied to other students in the course;
3. The assignment of a grade to a particular student on some basis other than performance in the course;
4. The assignment of a grade by a substantial departure from the faculty member's previously announced standards.

Step 1: Informal Conference with Faculty Member

Before initiating a formal grade appeal, a student who believes that a semester or term grade was improperly assigned must confer promptly with the faculty member who assigned the grade. If the conference does not result in a mutually agreeable resolution, the student may request formal review of the grade as described in Step 2, Formal Grade Appeal Request, below.

If the faculty member who assigned the grade is not available -- because of sabbatical, resignation, reassignment or other reason -- the student should contact the chair of the department in which the course was offered. (Go to the list of departments and chairs.) If the chair determines the faculty member is not available for informal conference, the chair will authorize the student to proceed with the formal grade appeal.

Step 2: Formal Grade Appeal Request

A student may request a grade appeal only by completing all of the following steps:

1. Complete a Grade Appeal Request using Form 1
2. Make copies of any relevant support materials; and
3. Submit hard copies (paper documents) of the completed "Grade Appeal Request" and support materials to the chair of the department in which the course was offered. (Go to list of departments and chairs.)

Deadline for Grade Appeal Request

The "Grade Appeal Request" and support materials must be received by the department chair no later than the following:

• For a course taken in the fall semester, the Grade Appeal Request must be received no later than the Midterm Day of the following spring term.
• For a course taken in the spring semester or summer term, the Grade Appeal Request must be received no later than the Midterm Day of the following fall term.

If no mutually agreeable decision is reached at the end of Step 2, the student may request Review by the University Grade Appeal Committee (UGAC).