A student who believes that s/he has received an unfair course grade shall use the following procedure (NOTE: Steps 1-3 must be completed within three (3) weeks from and including the first day grades are available to students in the Student Portal to meet the deadline for Step Four (4)):
1. The student shall bring the complaint before the instructor who gave the questionable grade. If the complaint remains unresolved after five business days, the student shall proceed to step two (2). Communication between the student and the instructor must be documented via Brescia University email. This establishes a clear timeline of when the complaint was brought to the instructor’s attention.
2. If a student cannot communicate with the instructor or is dissatisfied with the meeting with the instructor, s/he shall bring the complaint to the Academic Program Director (when applicable) or Chairperson of the appropriate Division/School (when there is no Academic Program Director or if attempted resolution with Program Director fails); if the Academic Program Director is the instructor in question, to the Division/School Chairperson or if the Division/School Chairperson is the instructor in question, to the VPAA/Academic Dean or Associate Dean. If the complaint remains unresolved after five business days, the student shall proceed to step three (3). Communication between the student and the Academic Program Director or Chairperson the appropriate Division/School must be documented via Brescia University email. This establishes a clear timeline of when the complaint was brought to the Academic Program Director’s or Chairperson’s attention.
3. If a student is not satisfied with the results of these steps, s/he shall bring the complaint to the VPAA/Academic Dean or Associate Dean. The VPAA/Academic Dean or Associate Dean will consult all persons involved to determine the present status of the problem and then try to resolve the issue. If the complaint is unresolved after five business days, the student shall proceed to step four (4). Communication between the student and the VPAA/Academic Dean or Associate Dean must be documented via Brescia University email. This establishes a clear timeline of when the complaint was brought to the VPAA/Academic Dean or Associate Dean’s attention.
4. If all attempts to settle the dispute informally fail, students have three (3) weeks from and including the first day grades are available to students in the Student Portal in which to submit a formal grievance by completing the Student Complaint and Grievance form and request a review board hearing to the VPAA/Academic Dean. The VPAA/ Academic Dean shall then form a Review Board and meet within ten business days after the student requests the review board hearing.
5. The VPAA/Academic Dean will appoint a review board consisting of three faculty members from outside the divisions/school in question, whose selection will be subject to approval of the student and the instructor involved, which approval shall not be unreasonably denied by either party. When forming the review board, while not a guarantee, an attempt should be made to select at least one faculty who is representative of the respondent and student experience (for example, consideration will be given to the following categories: on-ground v online, graduate v undergraduate experience).
6. The review board will select a chair for the proceedings from among the three faculty representatives, who will moderate the meetings of the group, vote only in case of a tie, and submit records of the proceedings to the VPAA/Academic Dean.
7. This board will hear both sides of the issue, gather information needed, and vote on the appropriateness of the grade. A simple majority (one over half) will be required to approve/disapprove of the grade.
8. The board may use moral persuasion to have the grade changed. If the instructor refuses, the VPAA/Academic Dean, at the student’s request, will place a memo detailing the resolution of the grade dispute in the student’s permanent file. The memo will be attached to the official transcript when the transcript is distributed if the student requests the attachment at that time.