Purpose

The purpose of this Final Grade Appeal Policy is to establish a clear, fair, and uniform process by which students may contest the final grade assigned to them for a course or other degree requirement. Final grades reflect exclusively the academic achievements of students and will be changed only in exceptional circumstances and only with the approval of the appropriate academic college/school dean.

General Provisions

All parties to a final grade appeal are expected to be polite and respectful throughout the process.

All documents and proceedings associated with specific final grade appeals shall remain confidential during and after the process. However, by April 30 of each year, the dean of each college/school shall submit a summary report of formal final grade appeals filed in that college/school during the preceding twelve months to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, the President of the Faculty Senate, and the President of the Student Government Association. The report shall list how many formal appeals were received and at what level (as defined later in this document) they were resolved.

Students may contact the Student Government Association or the office of their college/school/program's academic dean for assistance in understanding the appeal process.

The timeline for the entire appeals process in this policy may be shortened by the dean if the new timeline is explicit regarding the time allowed at each level and is agreed to in writing by the student filing the appeal and the faculty member responding to the appeal.

If a student fails to comply with the procedures or meet the deadlines provided in this policy, the student will be informed that the grade appeal process is terminated.

Grounds for Appeal

Grade appeals shall be based on problems of process and not on differences in judgment or opinion concerning academic performance.

The acceptable grounds for a grade appeal are:

  • An error was made in grade computation.
  • The grade assignment was capricious or arbitrary. That is, the grade assigned was based on criteria other than the student's performance in the course; was based on standards different than those applied to other students registered in the same course at the same time; or constitutes a substantial departure from the published or announced grading standards for the course.

This Final Grade Appeal Policy does not address disputed grades resulting from alleged academic integrity violations or complaints of discrimination, which fall under other policies of the university.

  • The University's Academic Integrity Policy is available in the University catalogs.
  • Students who wish to report a violation of TAP 30 can contact the Director of Employee and Labor Relations (Responsible for Coordinating the University's obligations under TAP No. 30: Equal Educational and Employment Opportunity and Human Relations in the Workplace and Classroom) at 412-396-5103.
  • If a student has not been provided accommodations specified as required by the Office for Special Services, she or he should contact the Director, Freshmen Development and Special Services.

Informal Appeal to the Faculty Member

A student who believes that she or he has grounds for an appeal shall first attempt to resolve the issue informally with the professor. If such an attempt at informal resolution fails, the student may wish to file a formal appeal.

First Level: Formal Appeal to the Faculty Member

A student who wishes to file a formal appeal shall do so within 10 business days of the day on which classes start for the fall or spring semester that immediately follows the award of the grade in question. Final grade appeals involving summer courses must be filed within 10 business days of the day on which classes start for the fall semester.

A formal appeal shall be submitted electronically in writing, dated and signed, and headed with the words "Final Grade Appeal." The student should articulate which of the above grounds for appeal is the basis for the appeal. The student may submit evidence and written testimony that directly supports the appeal. Via Duquesne email, the student shall submit one copy of these materials to the faculty member and a second copy to the dean of the college/school/program in which the faculty member holds her or his academic appointment and in which the course was offered. A student who wishes to appear in person for the First Level appeal must state that in writing as part of the appeal submission. In such a case, the faculty member must meet with the student within 5 business days.

Record of a Formal Appeal

Once the student has presented a formal appeal to the faculty member, that document becomes a part of the record of the appeal, which shall be maintained by the dean of the college/school/program in which the faculty member holds her or his academic appointment and in which the course was offered. The student's formal appeal document shall be presented in its original form at all subsequent levels of appeal. Any additional statements by the student or the faculty member, all evidence submitted relevant to the appeal, and all direct and supporting statements also become part of the record of the appeal and shall be produced at each level of appeal.

At each level of appeal, a written dated decision and accompanying rationale for the decision shall be provided to all affected parties (the student, the faculty member, and any person who has rendered a decision at an earlier level).

Right to Appear in Person

A student may choose to present her or his appeal in person at each level of appeal and may have an additional person present as an advisor at each level. However, that person may not serve as the student's representative and has no right to speak or otherwise participate in the appeal process.

A faculty member to whom a student appeal is presented may choose to respond in person to the student's appeal at the Second Level of the process and may have an additional person present as an advisor. However, that person may not serve as the faculty member's representative and has no right to speak or otherwise participate in the appeal process.

Final grade appeals are not akin to legal proceedings and do not involve participation by external legal counsel.

Within 5 business days of receiving the student's formal appeal or meeting with the student in response to their written request to appear in person, the faculty member shall prepare a detailed written decision that is responsive to the student's stated reason(s) for the appeal. This decision shall be emailed to the student at his or her university email address with a copy to the dean of the college/school/program in which the faculty member holds her or his academic appointment and in which the course was offered.

If the student receives no response from the faculty member within the specified timeframe or is dissatisfied with the faculty member's decision, she or he may proceed to the Second Level of appeal.

Second and Final Level: Appeal to the Dean

A student or faculty member who elects to proceed to the Second and Final Level of appeal shall notify in writing the dean of the college/school/program in which the faculty member holds her or his academic appointment and in which the course was offered. A student who wishes to appear in person for the Second Level appeal must state that in writing as part of the appeal submission. The student or faculty member must submit this notification within 5 business days following the faculty member’s written decision regarding the outcome of the First Level of Appeal. Within 5 business days of receiving the student or the faculty member's notification, the dean shall notify the student, the faculty member and the faculty member's department chair, division head or program director that the appeal has proceeded to the Second and Final Level. The dean shall also ensure that all parties understand that they have right to appear in person at this level of appeal.

Within 5 business days after receiving the appeal or following the requested in-person appearance, the dean shall thoroughly review the record of the appeal and email a decision about the appeal to the student and the faculty member at their university email addresses. The dean's decision shall respond to the student's stated reason(s) for the appeal and to the faculty member's response, if one was provided to the student.

The decision of the dean is final.

Final Grade Appeals when the Faculty Member is no longer employed by the University

In rare circumstances, a student may wish to contest her or his grade in a course taught by a faculty member no longer employed by the University. In such circumstances, a grade may be changed by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs upon the recommendation of the appropriate dean and department chair or division head.