Final Grades Appeal Policy – May 16, 2013
Page 1 of 3
A. PURPOSE
This Policy is intended to guide all processes related to the appeal of final marks in courses which are
assigned a grade. The Policy and all accompanying procedures are based on the premise that students
have the right to fair and equitable procedures for the lodging, hearing, and resolution of matters
involving the academic assessment of final grades.
B. SCOPE
This Policy applies to students registered in any course in which they receive a grade whether that
course has associated credits or not.
This Policy applies to assessment based on the evaluation of academic work.
Allegations of unfair assessment based on non-academic functions are not within the scope of this
Policy.
C. POLICY STATEMENT
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
1.1. Fairness will be applied to all parties in procedures and decisions.
1.2.
Academic decisions should be made as close as possible to the level at which the
academic expertise resides.
1.3.
Students will have the right to consult with the Student’s Association (as applicable) at any
stage of the process.
1.4.
Sound academic decisions will not be set aside based on minor irregularities in procedures.
FINAL GRADE APPEALS POLICY
Policy Type:
Academic
Initially
Approved:
May 16,
2013
Policy
Sponsor:
Provost and
Vice-President,
Academic
Last
Revised:
May 16,
2013
Primary
Contact:
Registrar
& AVP
Enrollment
Management
Review
Scheduled:
April 1, 2026
Approver:
General
Faculties Council
Final Grades Appeal Policy – May 16, 2013
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PROCEDURAL PRINCIPLES
2.1.
The onus is on the student to show that a request for a final grade review has merit.
2.2.
The process for adjudicating a final grade appeal will be conducted in a timely manner.
2.3.
A final grade appeal is solely based on the academic merits of a student’s work.
2.4.
A student must have one additional opportunity for review of a final grade assignment after
consulting with an instructor.
2.5.
A final grade appeal based on academic merit must reside within the department in which
the course is offered.
2.6.
The levels of appeals are sequential.
2.7.
In the spirit of collegiality and co-operation, students are not permitted representation by
legal counsel.
GROUNDS FOR A FINAL GRADE APPEAL
3.1. Level 1: Consultation: Instructor
a. The final grade was not calculated on all of the work completed and as indicated in the
course outline; or
b. There was an arithmetical miscalculation of the final grade.
3.2. Level 2: Final Grade Review: Chair
a. There was an alleged unfair assessment of academic performance.
3.3. Level 3: Final Grade Appeal: Dean
A student can challenge a Level 2 decision on one or more of the following criteria:
a. There is new evidence that was previously unavailable; or
b. There was an alleged procedural error in reaching the decision; or
c. The findings of the previous adjudicator were allegedly not supported by the evidence.
3.4.
A Level 3 appeal is solely based on the process by which a previous decision was reached
and not on academic performance.
3.5.
The decision reached at Level 3 is final.
ACCESS TO EXAMINATIONS
4.1.
Students have the right to supervised access to completed final examination papers which
have been graded provided that the request is made within fifteen (15) business days after
the end of the semester in which the grade was awarded.
Final Grades Appeal Policy – May 16, 2013
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4.2.
Reviewing the final examination with the student is at the sole discretion of the instructor.
4.3.
Graded course work retained by an instructor may be destroyed one year after the end of
the semester in which the work was graded.
COURSE OUTLINES
5.1.
All students must be given access to a course outline no later than the second scheduled
class or the Drop/Add deadline, whichever is earliest.
5.2.
The course outline must include the percentage weight assigned to each component used
to determine the final grade.
5.3.
A final grade appeal cannot be based on a challenge to the weightings assigned to the
different components of the course which comprise the final grade.
D. DEFINITIONS
Final Mark:
Is the result of an assessment of a student’s academic
performance in relation to a set of explicitly stated criteria in a
transparent and open manner. Typically, a student in a course
with a final mark will either pass or fail.
Timely manner:
In the context of this Policy, means that a reasonable person
would agree that all efforts to provide documentation and
render a decision were not unduly or deliberately delayed.
E. REVISION HISTORY
Date
(mm,dd,yyyy)
Description of
Change
Sections
Author
(Position Title)
Approver
(Position Title)
01/29/2020
Editorial
Template Update
Policy Specialist
University
Secretary
02/11/2021
Editorial
Title Updates
University Secretary
University
Secretary