Academic Grievances

Academic Grievances are complaints by students who believe that an instructor has graded them unfairly, resulting in some specific harm related to academic matters. 

Generally, matters of academic judgement (e.g., evaluation of work and grading decisions) are not considered grievances under our policy, except when a grade is determined to be arbitrary or capricious, or if a University policy or state/federal statue has been violated.

The grievance process was created to provide students an orderly process to resolve situations where they feel they have been graded unfairly. The Academic Grievance process is limited to academic coursework.

Students who are interested in pursuing the grievance process must first attempt to resolve the situation with their instructor. If attempts to resolve the situation with their instructor are unsuccessful, students are encouraged to reach out to the department head or chair for assistance before submitting a formal academic grievance.

Situations that fall under one or more of the following:

1. The assignment of a course grade to a student on some basis other than performance in the course, or  
2. the assignment of a course grade to a student by resorting to unreasonable standards different from those which were applied by the same instructor to other students in that course, or  
3. the assignment of a course grade by a substantial, unreasonable and unannounced departure from the instructor’s previously articulated standards.  

When pursuing the academic grievance process, students are required to provide evidence that supports their claim of one or more of the definitions above.

Before requesting a hearing through the formal process, students must attempt to resolve their concern by discussing the situation with your instructor (and in some cases, the department head or chair of the course). For more details on the Informal Resolution process, view our page.

Yes. Students must contact their instructor within 10 business days of receiving a grade they wish to contest. Instructors have no less than 5 business days to respond.

Students who wish to file a formal Academic Grievance must do so within 15 business days of attempting to resolve the situation informally. View the pages on the Informal Resolution process and the Formal Process for more information.

The Academic Grievance process was designed to resolve situations specifically related to academic coursework. If you are unsure if your situation falls under the Academic Grievance policy, please reach out to us at @email.  

Students have the right to discuss their grades with their instructors. You can contact your instructors to discuss your grades, even if your situation does not fall under the grievance policy. Check out our resources on resolving the situation informally for some help with how to approach your instructor. 

If you are finding that your situation is about more than a grade, or if you are experiencing bias or a classroom climate issue in a course, there are resources available to support you: 

• The Ombuds Office is a great place to start when you have a conflict, a sense of unfairness, or a concern to deal with. As a confidential and impartial resource, you are free to discuss your situation openly and work with them to help facilitate a fair resolution of your concerns.  
• The mission of the Equal Opportunity and Access Office is to ensure our campus community is free from harassment and discrimination. Community members can report a concern through their webform, and work with staff to discuss your rights and any supportive measures you may need.   
• The Office of Equity & Inclusion supports our community’s commitment to inclusive excellent in our classrooms, research labs, and campus. Community members can report climate incidents through their online climate incident report, and receive support and resources to navigate the situation. 
• Disability Services  is committed to full and equal access for all students and can help students with disabilities with a wide variety of services. Students who register with Disability Services can meet with an Access Coordinator to get to know their staff and services and examine any access barriers and accommodation eligibility.