FAC 657. Guidelines Concerning Disputed Grades

Introduction. The McPherson College Catalog traditionally contains a statement that “all grades are determined by the instructor in charge of the specific course.” The guidelines that follow do not abrogate this basic principle of faculty responsibility. They do provide for an avenue by which students who feel that they have been unjustly evaluated may request review of the evaluation. In keeping with the spirit of the catalog statement, all such review of evaluations should remain solely in the hands of faculty; no student or student group should be involved in review procedure at any stage of its progress. The guidelines for review of disputed grades are as follows:

Step 1. No review procedure may begin until a student concerned about his/her evaluation has discussed this evaluation personally with the instructor who recorded the grade under review. (Note: this step may be waived in cases of permanent absence of the instructor or as otherwise deemed advisable by the Provost and Dean of the Faculty.)

Step 2. When a student, after consultation with the instructor described in Step 1 above, feels a continuing grievance, the Provost and Dean of the Faculty may, if he or she deems this appropriate under the circumstances, confer with student and instructor separately and informally, thus attempting to obtain resolution of the dispute at issue.

Step 3. If resolution is not achieved in Step 2, above, the student, but only with the written permission of the Provost and Dean of Faculty, may appeal to a committee of review established as follows: One member of the faculty of McPherson College selected by the student; one member of the faculty of McPherson College, other than himself, selected by the instructor involved; one member of a faculty, preferably in an academic discipline close to that in which the review is undertaken, appointed either by the Provost and Dean of the Faculty or by the President of the College. The member of the committee thus appointed by the Provost and Dean of the Faculty or President may be from another institution than McPherson College. The appointed committee should examine any written or oral evidence submitted by the principals involved in the review. Following such examination, in closed session, the committee should determine the legitimacy of the student’s grievance; in the event that the grievance is found to be valid, the committee should recommend to the Provost and Dean of the Faculty an alternative grade for record. Decisions of this committee are final and subject to no institutional appeal. The Step 3 procedure described above shall occur only if the Provost and Dean of Faculty deems such procedure appropriate in the particular case, and gives to the aggrieved student written permission to pursue such procedure.