Grade appeal process available to students

Senior Lee Chandler could not believe what he saw when he checked his final grades last fall. The grade report said he had a B in one of his environmental science classes but he felt like he had earned an A in the class. Chandler decided to appeal the grade.Many Eastern students are not aware there is a process to appeal a final grade if a student believes he or she did not get the appropriate grade.

There are three steps to appealing a grade. The first step is to meet with the class instructor and get an explanation as to why the grade desired was not received.

Most grade disputes are minor mistakes and are settled at this point. If a mistake is found, the professor sends a paper to the Office of the Registrar, and the grade is changed.

If the student is not satisfied with the instructor's explanation, a meeting is held with the instructor, student and the department chairperson. The chairperson acts as a neutral third party in the dispute.

"I got a B in one of my ES classes and I thought I deserved an A, so I wrote a letter and appealed, and I won. I felt like I had a good case," Chandler said.

If the student is still not satisfied after meeting with the chairperson he or she must write to the department's Academic Practices Committee and request a hearing of the case.

The committee consists of two professors and a student representative. The student representative's vote is just as important as the professors' because a simple majority rules in the dispute.

The committee hears a presentation from both sides and then meets to make a decision. Both sides are notified of the decision, which is binding.

Formal appeals are uncommon in most departments at Eastern as most disputes are handled satisfactorily in the meeting of the student, instructor and chairperson.

The English and math departments have had no appeals in the last year. The department of anthropology, sociology and social work has had only one appeal in the past two years.

Noemi Lane, a junior majoring in nursing, appealed the grade she received in CHE 105. "I appealed the grade but didn't go through the entire process. I just went to the instructor and the department chairman," she said. Unlike Chandler, she did not get her grade changed.

Chemistry and astronomy professor Jerry Cook said, "I've been here since 1983 and we've had maybe three appeals. As long as you are up front with the student about what you expect and let them know where they stand, you hardly ever need it."

English Department Chairman Charles Sweet thinks there is a way for Eastern to have even fewer appeals in the future. "I would like to see EKU have all faculty do an end semester report. We already have a mid-semester policy. The last class we hand students a paper and say here is your grade going into the final, and here is how much your final can affect your grade," he said.

Chandler is happy with the present system.

"The process works," he said. "You might not win, but at least you have a chance to present your case."

Reach Bob at
bobby_flynn2@eku.edu