Published: Friday, 24 January 2020
One of the many duties of student government is to appoint student representatives to committees of importance to the student body. Each college has a committee that is responsible for reviewing students’ complaints about "unfair" grading in particular classes, and the ASI judicial branch is tasked with representing students on these committees. For some, the process can be a bit complicated, which is why the justices also aim to provide resources and information to students about how to best navigate an appeal.
The first phase of the grade appeal process is an informal initiation of the grade appeal. Following this informal phase, there are three formal phases:
- Appeal to the Department-Program Grade Appeals Committee
- Appeal to the College Grade Appeals Committee
- Appeal to the University Grade Appeals Committee
Make an appointment with ASI Justice
Please note the following important facts about the appeals process:
- The burden of proof rests upon the student submitting the appeal
- Students may appeal only final grades
- Students must initiate an appeal within 40 regular semester instructional days of the termination of the course
- All grade appeal information, whether written or oral, is confidential
- Students may seek the assistance of an advisor in the preparation of the appeal file
- The original appeal file will be kept by the college involved for five years and a duplicate set will be kept by the Academic Senate
The Grade Appeal Process
If the appeal is, or is accompanied by, an allegation of unlawful discrimination as defined by federal and state laws, the student has the right to access the university's internal unlawful discrimination process and the processes available through the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights and the California Fair Employment and Housing Commission. However, grades may be changed only through the grade appeal process.
More information on the policy can be found on the grade appeals general information website here.
