II. Applications and Definitions
For purposes of this policy, a course grade is deemed to have been assigned arbitrarily or impermissibly if, by clear and convincing evidence, a student establishes that:
- The course grade was based upon the student’s race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, disabling condition, or other personal characteristics, or for some other arbitrary or personal reason unrelated to the instructor’s exercise of his or her professional academic judgment in the evaluation of the academic performance of the student; or
- The course grade was assigned in a manner not consistent with the standards and procedures for evaluation established by the instructor, usually at the beginning of the course in the course syllabus but supplemented on occasion during the semester in other clearly documented communication directed to the class as a whole; or
- The course grade assigned by the instructor was the result of a clear and material mistake in calculating or recording grades. Individual elements (e.g., assignments, tests, activities, projects) which contribute to a course grade are generally NOT subject to appeal or subsequent review during a grade appeal procedure. However, individual elements may be appealed under these procedures providing ALL of the following conditions are met:
- The student presents compelling evidence that one or more individual elements were graded on arbitrary or impermissible grounds (defined in 1 - 3 above in this section);
- Grounds can be established for determining a professionally sound grade for the appealed element(s); and
- The ensuing grade for each appealed element would have resulted in a different course grade than that assigned by the faculty member.