Grade Appeals

Requirements:

 

The Educational Affairs Petitions Subcommittee considers student grade appeals. Grade appeals must originate with the instructor who assigned the grade. If the instructor will not change the grade, an appeal should be made to the chair of the department in which the course was taken (or in non-departmentalized schools/colleges, in the college/school in which the course was taken). If the matter is not resolved to the student's satisfaction at that level, the petition should then be directed to the college/school in which the department is located. For graduate students, if the matter is not resolved to the student's satisfaction by the college/school, they will appeal any grade in a graduate course from the department or school to the Graduate School. Students may appeal decisions of college or free-standing schools to the Educational Affairs Committee. Appeals will follow the Hearing Procedures described in Section 4.05-02 of the General Academic Policy: Student Appeals.

IMPORTANT:  All grade appeals must be initiated within one calendar year from the end of the term in which the grade was recorded.

Ordinarily, grades are assigned solely at the discretion of the instructor. The petition of the student should state clearly the grade that the student believes should be assigned to the course in question and why that grade is more appropriate than the one that was assigned. A primary criterion for a successful grade appeal is the demonstration either that the grade was the result of a factual error or that it was influenced by improper or unprofessional bias on the part of the instructor.

In all grade appeals, the designated staff member in the OVPI shall request copies of all material reviewed by the college/school committee that reviewed the student’s grade appeal. In addition, the faculty member who assigned the student’s final grade will receive a copy of the student’s letter of appeal and be given the opportunity to provide a response to the appeal for the subcommittee members.

If the faculty member who assigned the student’s grade is no longer employed by UGA or if reasonable attempts to contact him/her are unsuccessful, the copy of the student's letter of appeal will be referred to the department head, who will be given the opportunity to provide a response to the appeal on behalf of the department. If the faculty member has left the university, a copy of the Petitions Subcommittee decision will be mailed to the department head.

Petitions Related to ‘Incomplete’ Grades

Requirements:

A grade of “Incomplete” indicates that a student was doing satisfactory work but, for non-academic reasons beyond his/her control, was unable to meet the full requirements of the course. An Incomplete is not a substitute for a course withdrawal and should not be assigned unless the student has completed a substantial part of the course. If the student does not complete the work within three semesters (including summer), the ‘I’ grade will be changed to the grade F (or U for a course graded S/U).

IMPORTANT: If you receive a grade of “I” (Incomplete), do not register for the course again. A student receiving an ‘I’ should be able to complete the remaining course requirements without having to register for and re-enroll in the course.

There are no extensions for Incomplete grades. If you believe that you have an extenuating circumstance, you may file an appeal with the Educational Affairs Committee. 

Appeals of an extension for incomplete grades are rarely granted unless the student provides documentation of a medical hardship that prevented the completion of course requirements within the time allowed. Students should consult the instructions for Course Withdrawal after Deadline for assistance in submitting an appeal.