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2013 - 2014 Catalog [ARCHIVED PUBLICATION]

Academic Appeals

Academic Appeals Procedures

Delgado Community College has established a process for academic challenges and appeals.  

“Academic Challenges” involve the student, instructor and/or the dean of the division in which the course is housed.   Generally, academic challenges are not addressed beyond the division dean level, unless the student chooses to continue to pursue the challenge with the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Students may challenge: 1) the final grade received in a class; and 2) being dropped from a class for excessive absences. 

“Academic Appeals” involve the student, the instructor (if applicable), and the Academic Appeals Committee. Students may appeal: 1) the final grade received in a class for any other basis other than a grade calculation following completion of the challenge procedure; and 2) an academic suspension, which does not go through the challenge process.

Any academic challenge or appeal that is submitted beyond the prescribed deadline will be denied. The procedures for academic challenges and appeals are published in full in the College’s Academic Challenges and Appeals policy. A summary of the procedures follows:

Final Grade Challenges/Appeals

Only final grades may be challenged and/or appealed. The challenge procedure must be completed before any appeal process is initiated, if applicable. Final grade disputes based solely on grade calculations follow the challenge procedure. Upon completion of the challenge procedure the student may appeal to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for review, whose decision is final. In order to change a final grade to a “W,” the final grade challenge and appeal processes must be followed. The procedure for challenging a final grade is as follows. 

Final Grade Challenge Procedure:

  1. Before the end of the regular (fall or spring) semester immediately following the semester/session in which the final grade being challenged was issued, the student completes the Academic Challenge/Appeal Form (Form 1440/003) and presents it to the instructor along with a written statement and/or supporting documentation regarding the final grade dispute. The student discusses the final grade dispute with the instructor and tries to resolve the issue. If the grade is changed, the instructor completes the grade change in accordance with the College’s Grade Change Procedures. If the grade is not changed, the Instructor must sign the form and attach a statement to document this. If the instructor is not available, the appropriate department chair or coordinator may sign the form and attach a statement. 
  2. If the final grade dispute is not resolved in Step #1, the student submits the Academic Challenge/Appeal Form, with the instructor’s signature (or the department chair’s or coordinator’s if the instructor is not available) along with a statement and any supporting documentation to the Division Dean (or his/her designee) of the division in which the course grade is being disputed. The Division Dean will attempt to resolve the final grade dispute through meetings with the student, instructor, and/or department chair or coordinator.
  3. If the deadline to request an academic challenge has expired, the Division Dean will inform the student and the process must stop. The Division Dean will also inform the student if the matter is inappropriate for the academic challenge/appeal process (i.e., midterm grades are not appealable, or another matter handled through another process). The Dean may offer the student other options when appropriate.
  4. If the academic challenge is on the sole basis of a calculation of grades, the Division Dean will ensure that a review is conducted and resolved in the division office. If the recalculation of grades results in a grade change, the division office will complete the grade change in accordance with the College’s Grade Change Procedures. 
  5. If the final grade dispute is not solely based on a calculation of grades and is not resolved in Step #2 and the student wishes to pursue an appeal, the Division Dean submits the student’s written challenge to the Academic Appeals Officer ensuring the student has signed the form to document the request for an appeal and attaching documentation (attendance record, grade book, statements from student and instructor, etc.). The student will be contacted by the Academic Appeals Officer and either be informed that their issue is inappropriate for the academic appeal process or scheduled for a hearing before the committee.
  6.  If a hearing will be granted to the student, it will take place within the regular (fall or spring) semester of filing the appeal. However, if the appeal is filed after midterm of the semester, the hearing will be granted no later than the end of the following semester except for cases of academic suspension, which are granted in the semester of filing the appeal.

Final Grade Appeal Procedure:

  1. If the final grade dispute is recommended for referral to the Academic Appeals Committee, the Committee must:
    1. Recommend to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs a change of grade for the student;
    2. Recommend alternative solutions to resolve the student’s dispute; or
    3. Deny the student’s appeal.
  2. If the appeal is denied, the student may submit in writing to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs an explanation detailing why the appeal should be reviewed. Decisions by the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs are final.

Academic Suspension Appeals

  1. A suspension is for one (1) regular (fall or spring) semester. Only first-time suspensions may be appealed; however, students suspended for a second time at the end of summer session do also have the option to appeal. A student suspended for the first time may enroll, while on suspension, in the coursework specified in the College’s Academic Status policy. To enroll in these courses, the student must meet with an academic advisor.
  2. To appeal the suspension, the suspended student must submit the Academic Challenge/Appeal Form (Form 14440/003) along with the statement to the designated Academic Appeals Officer by the Friday before the first day of registration for the semester of suspension. For academic suspension appeals, the form must only be signed by the student. 
  3. The student will be contacted by the Academic Appeals Officer and scheduled for a hearing before the committee before the start of the semester. The Committee may recommend to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs that the suspension appeal be granted or deny the student’s appeal.
  4. The student will be notified at the hearing of the ruling on the appeal. If the appeal is denied, the student will be advised by the Academic Appeals Officer of his/her option to appeal to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs within 24 hours of notification of the denial. The student may submit in writing to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs an explanation detailing why the appeal should be reviewed. The Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs issues a decision on the appeal in writing to the student within 24 hours of receipt of the appeal. Decisions by the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs are final.

Program Dismissal Challenges/Appeals

To challenge/appeal program dismissals, students must follow the challenge/appeal process outlined above in Final Grade Challenges/Appeals. A program dismissal challenge must be initiated by the student by the first day of registration for the semester/session of dismissal.

Challenges of Drops for Excessive Absences

A student may be dropped by an instructor for excessive absences.

  1. Within one week of attempting to return to class, a student desiring to challenge being dropped from a class for excessive absences must complete the Academic Challenge/Appeal Form (Form 1440/003) and present it to the instructor along with a written statement and/or supporting documentation regarding the absences. The student discusses the excessive absences with the instructor and tries to resolve the issue. If the instructor does not agree to readmit the student, the instructor must sign the form and provide a statement to document this. If the instructor is not available, the appropriate department chair or coordinator may sign the form and submit a statement.
  2. If the matter is not resolved with the instructor, the student submits the Academic Challenge/Appeal Form, with the instructor’s signature and statement (or the department chair’s or coordinator’s if the instructor is not available) along with a statement and any supporting documentation to the Division Dean (or his/her designee) of the division in which the course grade is being disputed. The Division Dean will review the student’s explanation for absences; the instructor’s statement, instructor’s attendance record, grade book and syllabus in order to determine if student will be permanently returned to the course within three days of receiving the student’s challenge. If the Division Dean does not agree to readmit the student, he or she must sign the form and document this.
  3. If the student is not readmitted to the class, the student may challenge the Division Dean’s decision to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. The student submits the Academic Challenge/Appeal Form to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, who has the final decision as to if the student may be readmitted to the class.
  4. A student challenging being dropped for excessive absences is allowed to attend the dropped class in question pending the outcome of the challenge process. However, class attendance, test results or participation in the class in question do not influence the challenge procedure or decision. The student must bring a signed Notification of Excessive Absence Challenge Form (Form 1444/002) to the instructor of the class from which the student was dropped before being readmitted pending approval.       

Deadlines for Challenges/Appeals

Final Grade Challenges/Appeals Deadline

A student must begin the challenge/appeal procedures for final grades before the end of the regular (fall or spring) semester immediately following the semester/session in which the final grade being challenged was issued. 

Academic Suspension Appeal Deadline

A suspension is for one (1) regular (fall or spring) semester. Only first-time suspensions may be appealed; however, students suspended for a second time at the end of a summer session do also have the option to appeal. The suspension appeal procedure must be initiated by the student by the Friday before the first day of registration for the semester/session of suspension.

Program Dismissal Challenge/Appeal Deadline

A program dismissal challenge must be initiated by the student by the first day of registration for the semester/session of dismissal.

Deadline for Challenging/Appealing Drops Due to Excessive Absences

Excessive absence procedures must be initiated in writing within one (1) week of attempting to return to class. The student is allowed to attend the course while challenging the instructor’s drop; however, class attendance, test results, or participation in the class in question do not influence the challenge or appeal procedures or decisions. The student must bring a Notification of Excessive Absence Appeal Form, signed by the division dean, to the instructor of the class from which the student was dropped before being readmitted pending approval.

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