By Associated Students Inc. passed a resolution on April 30 in a unanimous vote to standardize the current grade appeal policy, improving and simplifying the process for students.
The resolution would make the listed acceptable reasons for a grade appeal request more streamlined and comprehensive.
Quinn Bentley, ASI Senator for the College of Business, proposed changes to make the grade appeal policy process consistent across all colleges. These changes will focus on improving and tracking students’ experiences to better respond to their appeals.
ASI Executive Vice President Chair Matt Melendrez worked with Bentley to create the resolution after seeing the discrepancies with the different colleges and inconsistencies within the same colleges.
“Quinn showed me some really interesting statistics and it’s a very low chance that students actually get their grade appealed through the process,” Melendrez said.
According to the Academic Senate, the current grade appeal policy only lists arbitrary, capricious, and prejudicial behavior as valid grounds for a grade appeal. The resolution will add “neglect” to the policy, defined as a failure to provide adequate attention, feedback, or support to students.
“When I brought up this resolution to folks, one of the things I quickly realized was that it was a bigger issue that has been persistent throughout the years, it’s a big issue and gotten to a point where nobody has solved it,” Bentley said. “I created a survey that I sent out to 89 department chairs and 32 of them responded, which was enough to prove that even within the same colleges, departments within the same college may have different approaches to starting a grade appeal.”
The policy changes include a standardized appeals process for all departments, adjusting the policy to include and define neglect, establishing data collection tracking the reason, process, outcome, and justification for grade appeal requests and allowing ASI and Academic Senate to examine the collected data about their work.
“I feel that we want to make sure that students are supported,” ASI Senator for the College of Education Johnathon Davis said. “I hope that it’s not viewed as something that is a ‘I got you’ or to put someone in a peculiar situation, but to better understand the student’s voice and the student’s actions…and it also brings transparency from the institution itself.”
The Academic Senate last changed the grade appeal policy in October 2011. Melendrez said that ASI and the Academic Senate will continue to discuss finalizing the incorporation of the new resolution.
“Making sure that students are represented in the decision-making process as well when it comes to reforming these policies is a win-win situation for everyone. It’s easier for faculty to standardize the grade appeal process and the process [is] easier for students,” Melendrez said.
