Grade Appeal Process

Grade Appeal Process

At CBC, we want you to be successful in all of your courses. Part of that success comes from understanding CBC's academic policies and practices, which can be found in the Washington Administrative Code (WAC), the CBC Catalog, and the course syllabi. In addition, you are expected to meet the standards of academic performance established by each faculty member, which are found in your course syllabi or addenda.

Your final course grade reflects the faculty member's professional judgment of your performance based on these standards. You are also protected from evaluations that are arbitrary, prejudiced or capricious.



What do you do if you feel the final grade you received is incorrect? The first step is to read and understand the complete Grade Appeal Process outlined in the CBC Catalog. This will provide all the information you need to initiate a grade appeal.

Some important points are listed here:

• 1. Gather Your Evidence

  You must provide evidence of the error. Examples include assignments with grades, email or other correspondence with the faculty, syllabus and rubrics.

• 2. Don't Wait!

  Grade appeals must be initiated within the first 20 calendar days of the succeeding quarter. If you want to appeal a final grade issued in Fall quarter, you have until 20 days into Winter quarter to do this.

• 3. Not for Individual Assignment Grades

  Questions about grades or grading criteria should be raised as assignments are graded and returned to you. You cannot appeal a final grade by contesting the grades on individual assignments after the fact or by objecting to the published grading standards after the course has ended.

  Grade appeals may involve final examinations, term papers or other end-of-course assignments that are graded and returned to students in the last week of classes or after the last day of class, for which, as a result of timing, the student does not have time to seek clarification or redress before the term ends.

• 4. Not for Other Complaints

  You cannot use the Grade Appeal Process as a means of voicing non-specific or unsubstantiated complaints about grades, grading policies or grading standards. If you have a complaint that does not fall under the Grade Appeal Process, please view the Formal Student Complaint Process page for more information.

• 5. Initiate the Appeal

  1. Gather your evidence.
  2. Arrange a meeting with the faculty member to explain your basis for appeal and provide your evidence. If the faculty member is unavailable or no longer employed with CBC, arrange a meeting with the dean of the School.

• 6. Faculty Responsibilities

  1. If you have evidence of an error, the faculty member will meet with you within the first 30 days of the quarter succeeding the term in which the grade was assigned.
  2. The faculty member will review the evidence and discuss the basis of your appeal; if an error is verified, they will recalculate your grade as appropriate.
  3. If the recalculation results in a different grade, the faculty member will submit a grade change eform to correct the grade.
  4. At their discretion, the faculty member may resolve a grade issue informally in discussion with you.

• 7. Appealing the Faculty Decision

  After this process is followed, you may request a meeting with the dean of the School. The dean will gather and review all relevant information including meeting with the faculty member. The decision made by the dean will be considered final.