Appeal and Change of Final Grade

 

Policy Statement

Assignment of a final course grade represents the instructor’s evaluation of the student’s academic performance in a course as described in the course syllabi. Instructors report final course grades to the Office of Records and Testing electronically using Southeastern’s Enrollment Management System. Whether due to a clerical or computational error, the removal of an I grade, or the result of a student appeal, there are times when the final course grade reported to the Office of Records and Testing needs to be changed.

 

Purpose of Policy

This policy is designed to 1) provide the course instructor a process for changing a final grade that was reported incorrectly and 2) provide Southeastern students with a clearly defined process for appealing the assignment of a final course grade that he/she feels was awarded incorrectly or unfairly.

 

Applicability

This policy applies to final course grades in all undergraduate and graduate courses.

 

Policy Procedure

Change of Final Grade. After a final course grade is recorded in the Office of Records and Testing, a change of grade must be approved in sequence by the instructor, the instructor’s department head, and the academic dean of the college in which the course is offered. The online grade change request can be initiated through the instructor’s LeoNet Self Service. Only one electronic grade change request can be submitted on a student per course. A second grade change request would have to be completed on paper. If needed, a paper copy Change of Grade Form is available to the instructor in the Office of Records and Testing. No student is ever to be in possession of a Change of Grade Form.

 

Student Appeal of Final Grade. In the event of a contested final course grade, a student’s written appeal of the grade must be submitted to the instructor within thirty (30) calendar days of final grades for the term being due, as reported in the current Catalog. A letter of appeal and all materials to be considered should be provided to the instructor. The instructor will render a decision in writing within ten (10) working days or as soon thereafter as practical. If the appeal is not resolved with the instructor, within ten (10) working days, the student may submit a written appeal of the problem to the faculty member’s department head, with a copy of all materials previously submitted to the instructor, with the instructor’s decision. Likewise, if the department head’s decision is in favor of the student, the faculty member may submit a written appeal to the department’s academic dean within ten (10) working days. The department head will render a decision within ten (10) working days or as soon thereafter as practical. If the appeal is not resolved with the department head, within ten (10) working days, the student may appeal to the department’s academic dean by submitting a written appeal and copies of materials previously submitted to the department head. The dean’s decision will be rendered within ten (10) working days or as soon thereafter as practical. The academic dean’s decision is final.  (In the event the instructor is not available, the department head of the course may serve as proxy and work with the student to resolve the appeal.)