Grade Appeal Policy

Students at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SSPPS) may appeal a grade if the grade was assigned based on nonacademic or academic criteria. The nonacademic criteria includes discrimination on political grounds, or based on a protected trait, including but not limited to a student’s gender, race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability. Academic criteria include objective and subjective grading of student performance on exams, homework and in-class assignments, participation in discussions, attendance, oral presentations and other areas identified in the course syllabus.

Time limits for appeals: Grade appeals, for both didactic (pre-APPE) and APPE, must be made within 30 (thirty) calendar days after the grade has been assigned.

1. First Step: Appeal to the Course Instructor
   
   1. Students must appeal in writing to the Course Instructor within 30 calendar days after the grade has been assigned. In the written appeal, the student should specify the grounds for the appeal.
   2. The Course Instructor should respond in writing to the student within 14 (fourteen) calendar days of receiving the student's written appeal. Possible responses may include:
      
      1. denial of the appeal, or
      2. granting of the appeal, or
      3. granting of the appeal with contingency, as deemed appropriate, or
      4. acknowledging receipt of appeal, with a stated plan for investigation to be concluded no later than 30 calendar days after receipt of the appeal.
2. Final Step: Appeal to a SSPPS Committee The student’s written appeal along with the course instructor’s response will first be submitted by the student to the Office of Student Affairs. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs will determine the appropriate committee to send the appeal: (a) For nonacademic criteria appeals, the appeal will be sent to the Academic Oversight Committee (AOC) with support of factfinding by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs; (b) For academic criteria appeals, the appeal will be sent to an ad hoc committee comprised of one member of the AOC and two members of the Committee on Educational Policy (CEP). The Associate Dean for Student Affairs and the Associate Dean for Pharmacy Education will provide fact-finding support and will serve as ex officio members of this committee.
   1. At its first scheduled meeting following receipt of the appeal, the SSPPS committee will review: a. the written appeal from the student, and b. the written response from the Course Instructor
   2. Written notification of the decision of the SSPPS committee will be transmitted to the student and instructor within 14 (fourteen) calendar days following the meeting where the appeal was discussed. This will constitute the final decision.

Approved: November 6, 2015