Grade Appeal Policy

I. Purpose

This grade appeal procedure establishes a process by which students can contest a final course grade that they believe has been awarded in a manner inconsistent with the College’s policies or that has resulted from instructor calculation errors. All parties involved in a disagreement over the final course grades are expected to engage in the process in good faith.

It is critical that students, faculty members, and administrators diligently monitor the grade entry deadline for each academic period and be prepared to resolve issues swiftly since student progress may be impacted due to delay. Timeliness prevents negative impacts of alleged grading errors and allows faculty members to satisfy their responsibility. BCC’s process for grade appeals can facilitate timely resolution while respecting rights and interests of all parties. 

II. Statement of Grade Appeal and Jurisdiction for Grade Appeals

The evaluation of student performance is based upon the professional judgment of faculty. The grade calculation by the instructor is assumed to be correct, and the student appealing the grade must justify the need for the grade change. To continue in a grade appeal under this procedure, the student has the responsibility of showing that at least one of the following criteria applies to the final course grade:

1. An error was made in grade computation;
2. Standards were used in assigning the grade that differ from those established in course syllabus or College policies; 
3. The instructor departed substantially from their previously articulated, written standards, without notifying students, in determining the grade; or
4. Grade assigned was arbitrary or capricious based on the information in the record.

III. Grade Appeal Process 

Bladen Community College’s normal operating hours and holiday schedules are published in the College Catalog and on the website at bladencc.edu. Routine operating hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 12:30 a.m. 

Here forward, all steps of the appeal process are designed to be conducted within normal and/or College open operating hours. 

Students may see their published grades within 3 days of their last scheduled day of class. 

Step 1. Grade Appeal Initiation 

A grade appeal is initiated when the student requests a faculty member to review the final grade. The student must send a written request from their College email account to the faculty member’s College email account and the faculty member’s department director. The grade appeal process must be initiated within 4 days of the last day of the student’s class. Failure to initiate a grade appeal within 4 days following the last day of the student’s class would be considered a forfeiture of the student’s right to pursue a grade appeal. 

Department directors’ contact information can be found at www.bladencc.edu/about/employee-directory or by calling the Bladen Community College switchboard at 910-879-5500 for more information.

Faculty must inform the department director if they are unable to participate in the grade appeal process. In such cases, the department director may assume the faculty’s responsibilities related to the final grade appeal.

Step 2. Meeting between Student and Faculty

A key step to resolving a final grade concern involves a virtual or face-to-face meeting between the parties within 6 days from the student’s last day of class. 

During the meeting, the student and faculty member will state their position and provide evidence to support the grade appeal. Many cases can be resolved at this stage by mutual listening.

Step 3. Consultation with Department Director/Director’s Supervisor

A. Written Statement of Appeal

If the faculty and student cannot resolve the appeal and the student wishes to pursue the matter further, the student must present a written appeal to the director/supervisor of the department in which the course is offered no later than 2 days from the meeting between the student and faculty. The written grade appeal must include the following:

1. A statement addressing how the appeal meets one or more of the four standards necessary for a grade appeal.
2. A description of the outcome of the initial discussion with the faculty.
3. A statement of what the student considers a fair resolution.
4. Relevant materials the student would like to be reviewed as part of the appeal process.
5. A copy of the course syllabus and assignment descriptions.

B. Review of Appeal Materials

Following the student’s written grade appeal submission to the department director, the director may request additional materials from the student or faculty. 

The department director may share student materials with the faculty to provide the opportunity to evaluate and respond to the appeal in writing. At this time, the faculty member must convey their final decision on the grade appeal in writing via email to the director. 

The department director will provide the student with written notification of the outcome of this step within 2 days from the student’s written grade appeal submission. 

Step 4. Appeal to Grade Appeal Committee

A. Statement of Appeal

If, after the previous outcome, the student wishes to pursue the matter further, the student must request a hearing via email and include a copy of the written appeal record to the Vice President for Instructional Services within 2 days of the department director’s notification outline in section B. 

Within 2 days of the student’s appeal hearing request, the Vice President for Instructional Services will form a grade appeal committee, which shall include three full-time faculty members and the Vice President for Instructional Services or designee. The grade appeal committee may include one faculty member from the department listed in the appeal along with two faculty members from two unrelated departments. The Vice President for Instructional Services or designee is a non-voting committee member and is available for policy or procedure reference and guidance.

The function of the grade appeal committee shall be to evaluate the appeal in terms of the stated grounds for the appeal to ensure all College policies and procedures have been accurately followed.

Prior to the appeal convening, the four-member hearing committee will elect a chair to preside over the meeting, create a summary of the committee’s work, and submit the committee’s final decision.  

B. Grade Appeal Committee Hearing

Within 2 days of the appeal hearing committee appointment, the Vice President for Instructional Services will furnish the committee members with all relevant materials in the case under consideration. 

The hearing, which may be virtual or face-to-face, will be attended by the student, the instructor or director acting on behalf of the instructor, and the committee. The student and the faculty member will be allowed ten minutes each to state their case and respond to questions from the committee. 

The grade appeal committee chair will convene a hearing within 3 days of the committee appointment date. 

*New documentation will not be accepted at this point in the appeal process.

C. Committee Deliberation and Final Decision

At the conclusion of the hearing, the committee will deliberate in closed session.  A majority shall prevail in the committee. 

The committee’s final decision may be to make no change to the assigned grade or to raise the assigned grade, but in no case shall the committee recommend a reduction in the student’s grade. The decision of the grade appeal committee will be final and no further recourse is available. 

The committee shall provide a written report of the proceeding that will reside in the office of the Vice President for Instructional Services.  

D. Notification

The student, faculty member and/or department director will be notified of the appeal outcome via College issued email at the conclusion of the appeal committee hearing by the committee chair.

E. Updating the Academic Record 

If the final decision is to change the student’s grade, the committee chair will notify the department director to immediately initiate the grade change on the student’s official transcript through the change of grade procedure. 

Grade Appeal Quick Reference Guide 

Bladen Community College’s normal operating hours and holiday schedules are published in the College Catalog and on the website at bladencc.edu. Routine operating hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 12:30 a.m. 

All steps of the appeal process are designed to be conducted within normal and/or College open operating hours.

** Failure to initiate a grade appeal within 4 days following the last day of the student’s class would be considered a forfeiture of the student’s right to pursue a grade appeal.