Grade Reviews

Procedure for Grade Review Academic evaluation is the purview of the class instructor. Students who do not attend class regularly may be dropped by the class instructor. During the first week of class, regular attendance must be defined in each course syllabus and given out to students. Students may not be dropped due to poor performance alone. Students who have complaints regarding the evaluation of their academic performance should follow this sequence:

The State of California Education Code (Section 76224) states that the "…determination of the student's grade by the instructor in the absence of mistake, fraud, bad faith or incompetence, shall be final."

If a student feels she or he has been assigned a grade based upon mistake, fraud, bad faith or incompetency, not more than 120 days after the last day of the semester or term for which the grade was awarded, the student could initiate step one of the grade review procedure (certain exceptions can apply if extenuating circumstances are documented and approved by the Grade Review Committee (GRC)).

Step 1  Meet with the instructor to explain the situation and see if the problem can be resolved.

Step 2  If step one does not resolve the issue and the student wishes to pursue it further, then the student shall arrange a meeting with the department chair of the faculty person who assigned the grade.

Step 3  If step two does not resolve the issue and the student wishes to pursue it further, then the student shall arrange a meeting with the dean of the faculty person who assigned the grade.

Step 4  If step three does not resolve the issue, then the student may complete an incident report form which will go to the Grade Review Committee (GRC). The GRC shall be composed of the appropriate vice president, (who shall chair the committee), two faculty members (the president and vice president of the Academic Senate or their designees) and the ASBG president or their designee.

The GRC shall hold a hearing within four weeks of receiving a valid request for such from the student, unless the student and/or the faculty member is unavailable due to vacation or other extenuating circumstances. All parties involved will have the right to present oral or written testimony, to have counsel, to have and question witnesses and to hear all testimony. If the principal parties, either the student and/or the faculty member, do not wish to attend all formal hearings, they may waive this right by letter.

The findings of the GRC shall be stated in writing to all participants no later than two weeks from the date of the hearing. A copy of such findings will be forwarded to the superintendent/president.

If the faculty member or the student wishes to appeal the decision, the board of trustees will arrange a hearing within two months of the filing of the appeal. The Board of Trustees can review the record through step four, or grant a hearing de nova (full hearing).

Step 5  Within two weeks after the board hearing, the board will issue its finding. The decision of the board is final.