Grade Appeals

The awarding of grades is the prerogative of the classroom instructor. Faculty members are responsible for informing students of their grading policy. Grades become official when they are reported to the Registrar. If a faculty member discovers incorrectly reported grades, the error should be reported to the Registrar immediately. The appropriate department chair/program director must approve any adjustment of grades.

A student who disagrees with an assigned grade will take the following steps:

Approach the professor and explain the problem.
If the professor and student do not come to an agreement, the student should write a letter to the department chair/program director.
If the department chair/program director mediation does not resolve the issue, the student should file a written appeal to the appropriate academic dean. For this appeal to succeed, new evidence or a different interpretation of existing evidence would need to be presented by the student.
If the dean mediation does not resolve the issue, the student can make a final appeal by filing a written appeal to the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA). The appeal should set forth in detail the basis for the review and should be done by the midterm of the first regular term following the Trine University assignment of the grade. The student is responsible for presenting evidence to support his/her position. The ensuing decision of the VPAA is final. Records of each case shall be maintained in the office of the VPAA.