Grade Appeal Procedure
Faculty members have a professional obligation to evaluate the progress and/or performance in each course. Student progress and/or performance should be evaluated solely on the academic objectives of the course.
Students are responsible for maintaining standards of academic performance established for each course in which they are enrolled. Lack of success in meeting the academic grading standards established by the instructor shall not constitute a case for appeal.
A student who feels that the instructor has graded on the basis of personal opinions or other matters unrelated to the established academic standards is encouraged to consult with the instructor in the hope that a satisfactory solution can be achieved.
If the student still feels the instructor is biased or capricious in his/her academic evaluation, the student shall have the right to make written appeal of the grade within one calendar year from the last day of finals in the trimester during which the grade in question was assigned. The written appeal shall be submitted to the departmental-level Student Relations Committee through the department chairperson or coordinator. Such a committee shall consist of at least one faculty member and one student who are not directly involved in the case. Northwest Missouri State University faculty maintain records of students' academic performance until such time as the aforementioned window for submitting an appeal has expired.
A departmental-level Student Relations Committee shall convene within a reasonable time following the student’s request for a formal hearing. If the committee feels there is reasonable justification for the student’s appeal, then it shall schedule a formal hearing in which testimony from both the student making the appeal and from the instructor concerned will be considered, along with any supporting evidence. At the conclusion of the hearing, the committee will make its recommendation for the resolution of the difference, and shall notify in writing the student, the instructor, and the department chair or coordinator. The written decision and the signatures of the committee members shall be filed in the department.
If the departmental-level Student Relations Committee supports the student but the instructor refuses to accept the decision of the committee, the student may notify the department chairperson or coordinator of the instructor's refusal. Should the allegation concern the department chairperson, the notification shall be made to the dean of the college or as otherwise designated by the chief academic officer. If the appeal fails, or is not supported by the department chair, the student may then petition the Academic Appeals Committee. The student must make the appeal in writing to the Academic Appeals Committee, through the Office of the University Registrar, within 10 academic days of receiving formal notification from the departmental committee.