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24 Saville Avenue
Quincy, MA 02169
617.984.1700

150 Newport Ave Ext.
Quincy, MA 02171

36 Cordage Park
Suite #228
Plymouth, MA 02360
508.747.0400

Policy 5 - 14: FINAL GRADE APPEAL PROCESS

A registered student who believes that he/she has received a final grade, in accordance with published Quincy College grading criteria, which is not justified, may apply to an Academic Review Committee for evaluation of his/her final grade. The purpose of the final grade appeal process is to eliminate the inappropriate use of the student grievance procedure for grade disputes. A disputed grade does not constitute violation of a student’s rights and is therefore not subject to the student grievance procedure.

Basic Assumption
Each faculty member clearly states his/her grading policy on the course syllabus. Grading is at the discretion of the individual faculty member in accordance with the faculty member’s grading policy and applicable College policies. An Academic Review Committee may review the grading policy of a faculty member to determine: a) if the faculty member's grading policy is academically sound; b) if the process used by the faculty member to arrive at the student's final grade is fair and academically sound; c) the justification for the student's final grade. If the Committee determines, by a majority vote, and after making written findings that the grade as originally determined by the faculty member is not justified, then it may change the final grade to the grade that the majority of the Committee determines to be appropriate. Further, the Committee may, also upon majority vote and after having made written findings, recommend to the faculty member a re-evaluation of his/her grading policy.

Academic Review Committee
The Vice President of Academic Affairs selects a committee of five (5) members and three (3) alternates from the following groups: teaching faculty, Deans, and the Plymouth campus. One member will be a member of the Quincy Education Association. Appointments to the Committee shall be made no later than the start date of an academic year and shall last for one (1) academic year. No member of the Committee shall serve for more than two (2) consecutive academic years. If the grade appeal process involves a committee member, that member must be absent him/herself from the committee and its deliberations for that grade appeal only, and be replaced by an alternate member. The Vice President shall ask an alternate to serve on the committee in the absence of a committee member. At the first meeting in September, the committee will elect a chair and a vice-chair. The term of each shall be for one academic year, with the Chair being ineligible for service as Chair in the next succeeding year. The Vice-Chair shall chair Committee meetings in the absence of the Chair. The Committee will determine the schedule of meetings at the first meeting in September. The schedule will be posted and distributed to all academic divisions. Following each committee meeting, the decision(s) rendered will be forwarded to the Vice President of Academic Affairs no later than three (3) business days following the Committee's meeting. The Vice President will notify the student, the affected faculty member, and the College President of the Committee's decision.

Procedure
It is recommended that the student attempt to resolve the final grade dispute with the faculty member with whom the dispute exists before requesting a hearing by the Academic Review Committee. The request for a hearing must take place within 30 days of issuance of final grades by the Enrollment Services Office. Click here for the Request for Grade Correction Form which is available in Enrollment Services.

1. If the student is unable to resolve the final grade with the faculty member, the student may
appeal to the Academic Review Committee through the Vice President of Academic Affairs. In order for the final grade appeal to be heard by the Academic Review Committee, the student must submit the following:

• a letter addressed to the Chair of the Academic Review Committee which states the reasons
  why the student feels that the final grade is not justified;
• a copy of the course syllabus outlining the grading and attendance policies;
• a record of all test grades received in the course;
• copies of all available graded assignments, laboratory assignments, or other work assigned
  by the faculty member during the course;
• copies of any papers submitted during the course that affected the final grade (term papers,
  research papers, care plans, etc.).

2. The Chair of the Academic Review Committee will request that the faculty member submit the
following documents:

• a copy of the course syllabus outlining the grading and attendance policies;
• class, clinical and/or laboratory attendance record;
• list of all grades earned by the student while enrolled in the course;
• copies of any available grade assignments, papers, tests, quizzes, or other materials that the student completed while enrolled in the course.

3. The inability of the student to provide documents, and/or of the faculty member to provide documents, shall not serve as a bar to the Committee hearing the student's appeal and rendering a decision on the student's appeal.

4. Following the receipt of ALL available documents identified in steps 1 and 2 above, the Chair of the Academic Review Committee will place the student’s grade dispute on the agenda of the next regularly scheduled Academic Review Committee meeting. In the event that waiting for the next, regularly scheduled Committee meeting may jeopardize the student's continued education at Quincy College, opportunities for transfer to a four year institution, or employment opportunities, the Chair will schedule a meeting sufficiently prior to the next scheduled meeting to adequately accommodate those student issues. The faculty member and the student will be invited to attend. Both the student and the faculty member may offer testimony, may bring witnesses, and both will have the opportunity to question witnesses.

5. The Academic Review Committee will forward a written decision, including the basis for the decision, the names and titles of those present, a list of documents presented, and a numerical record of the Committee's vote, to the Vice President of Academic Affairs within three (3) business days following the Committee's decision. Those Committee members who disagree with the decision of the majority of the Committee, and who vote in the minority, may submit to the Vice President a written report indicating the bases for their disagreement.

6. The Vice President of Academic Affairs will, in writing, inform the student, the faculty member, and the College President of the Committee's decision within three (3) business days following receipt of the decision from the Chair of the Academic Review Committee.

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