1. A student should try to resolve any academic problem or problem with grading with the instructor of his/her course before appealing the Department.

2. The Department shall designate a person or persons to receive grade and absence appeals and other academic grievances from students. These persons shall not be major departmental administrators or untenured faculty members. When the Department Chair is contacted by a student concerning information on grade appeals, the Chair will maintain a stance of complete impartiality, and notify the student that she/he has the right to have the matter investigated by the designated person or persons.

3. The role of the designated person(s) is to hear complaints, gather information, talk with both students and faculty, mediate disputes when possible, and/or identify appropriate channels for solving problems (whether within or outside the department)

4. If the matter is not then mediated, the student shall state the full particulars of the appeal in writing and submit them to a standing committee composed of the Graduate Advisor and Undergraduate Advisor. In the event that the Undergraduate Advisor or Graduate Advisor is the instructor of the course in which the appeal is being made, the other committee member will select a replacement to serve on the committee. Notes shall be kept on proceedings at this level.

5. If the matter is not resolved at the departmental level, the student is free, to pursue the case in the College of Arts and Sciences academic arbitration board, or, if the student making the appeal is a graduate student, the student may appeal to the Graduate College .

6. The department and college procedures will include a consideration of all of the facts in the case. If at either level the facts are deemed to support the student's appeal, moral suasion may be brought to bear on the faculty member. If, on the other hand, either committee regards the findings as not supporting the appeal, that decision should be transmitted unequivocally to the student. However, the sole responsibility and authority for determining a grade rests with the faculty member who assigned the grade.

7. Grade changes can be made by a letter to the college from the instructor and either department or college committee.

8. The appeal procedure must be started by the end of the fifth week of the academic term following the issuance of the grade, with the exception of the Spring semester, which must be appealed by the end of the fifth week of the Fall semester. All actions for grade changes must be completed by the end of the next semester, except for the Spring semester, when action must be completed by the end of the following semester.