At the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, it is expected that instructors will evaluate students regularly and consistently by criteria and guidelines presented to students at the beginning of each grading period. If a student has reason to believe the grade is incorrect the student may act on that by taking the following steps in chronological order. A complaint which is timely filed under any other student complaint procedure and then referred for processing under these procedures, shall be considered to have met the deadline for filing as a grade appeal.

1. INFORMAL PROCESS:
1. Consult the instructor whose grade is being appealed. This consultation must take place within 7 calendar days of start of classes after the grading period in question.
2. If the student/instructor conference is unsatisfactory or if the instructor is unwilling or unable to participate, within 7 calendar days the student may schedule a conference with the chair of the department in which the course was offered.
3. After hearing the student's appeal, the chair will attempt to resolve the problem within 7 calendar days.
4. If this resolution is unsatisfactory, the student may then, within 7 calendar days after receiving the chairperson's response, submit a written appeal to the Department's Grade Appeals Committee through the chairperson. This will initiate the Formal Appeal Process.
2. FORMAL APPEAL PROCESS:
1. The appeal must be in writing and signed by the student.
2. The Department Grade Appeals Committee will:
1. convene to examine the appeal, the response and render its conclusion, in writing, to the chair, student and instructor, within 14 calendar days of receipt of the appeal.
2. While the Grade Appeals Committee cannot require the instructor to change a student's grade, the Committee can recommend such a change to the instructor and to the dean of the college in which the course if offered.
3. Should the student wish to appeal beyond the department, the student may submit the Committee findings and the basis for the further appeal to the dean of the college in which the course was offered, within 7 calendar days of presentation of Committee findings. The dean will review the student's appeal and the findings of the Committee, and recommend appropriate action to the department and the instructor within 14 days of receipt of the appeal.
4. If this action is unsatisfactory to the student, a final appeal may be made to the Provost/Vice Chancellor within 7 calendar days who will determine whether a change in grade is to be made within 14 days of receipt of the appeal. The Provost/Vice Chancellor is the only individual authorized to change a student grade without the instructor's permission. However, the Provost/Vice Chancellor may change a grade only when the faculty department committee and the dean support such a change.

Web Development Team-UW Whitewater For comments: webmaster@uww.edu. Last Web revision on October 6, 1997 by cl. URL: http://www.uww.edu/uwwhdbk/0043j.htm