Grade Appeals

Great Basin College respects an instructor’s qualifications and upholds the right of an instructor to determine academic standards. With faculty approval, an instructor establishes the scope, objectives, and methodology of the course being taught and is responsible for informing students of the requirements for completion of the course of study in the class. The instructor evaluates student performance according to written grading criteria made available to students at the beginning of the class.

The student is responsible for knowing the grading policy, which may include class attendance requirements, and for meeting the requirements for grades as specified by the instructor’s policy.

Should students have questions about their final grade in a course, the following published procedures shall be followed. The procedures do not apply to cases of grades issued because of academic dishonesty.

Student concerns about instructor conduct or activities unrelated directly to grades should follow the student grievance procedure in the current GBC catalog.

The burden of proof in these procedures rests with the student. Students may consult with the Office of the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs in Berg Hall or their local Center Directors for assistance with the procedures and policies for appeal.

Students appealing their final grade in a course must provide all tests, papers, and other evidence they have to support their appeal. The complaint must be justified based on the grounds for appealing a final course grade stated below.

Grounds for Final Course Grade Appeals

The grade appeal process is intended for final course grades only. Grounds for an appeal are instances where the grading policy, as stated in the course syllabus, was not followed by the course instructor or a clerical error was made in recording grade data.

The following are not grounds for a grade appeal:

• Great Basin College’s grade appeal procedure does not address cases where the final course grade results from academic dishonesty or misconduct. It also does not apply to grade appeals related to discrimination, harassment, or retaliation as per GBC’s Sexual Harassment Policy, which should be directed to the Office of the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs in Berg Hall on the Elko Campus.
• The grade appeal process is not intended to deal with complaints regarding the content of courses or the quality of instruction. These issues should be directed to the department chairperson and/or appropriate dean.
• Only the final course grade submitted by the course instructor at the conclusion of the course can be appealed. Grades on individual course assignments cannot be appealed using this process, although the demonstration of an instructor’s error on the grades for individual assignments may serve as evidence for an appeal of the final course grade.

Procedure to Appeal a Final Course Grade

Failure to initiate the following procedures within 30 calendar days of the end of the semester will result in the forfeiture of the right to challenge a grade.

These are the steps that must be taken:

Step One: The student must first communicate with the instructor in writing or by email to discuss the complaint and attempt a satisfactory resolution. If successful, no further action needs to be taken.

Step Two: If unsuccessful in step one, the student will write a letter to the chair of the instructor’s department (this information is available at the admissions and records office in Elko or from your center) requesting a meeting between the student, the instructor, and the department chair. The department chair will respond within 15 days of receipt of the written request and establish a mutually agreeable date and time for the resolution meeting. After hearing both sides, the department chair will recommend a solution. Acceptance of this solution by both the student and the instructor ends the complaint procedure and no further action will be taken. (Note: In the event that the instructor is also the department chair, the student will write the request for a resolution meeting to the chair of the faculty senate. The senate chair or a designee of the senate chair will fulfill the responsibilities of a department chair as outlined above.)

Step Three: Failure of remedy in step two requires a written complaint to be submitted to the Academic Standards Committee of the faculty senate. This complaint may be submitted by either the student or the instructor if either is not satisfied by the recommended solution of step two (this action must be accomplished within five days of the failure of step two).

• The student must complete a GBC Official Grade Appeal form and all relevant documents and submit them to the Academic Standards Committee Chair.
• A written statement of the facts and circumstances giving rise to the grade appeal must be attached to the Official Grade Appeal form. This statement must be clear, complete, accurate, and truthful, and may not exceed two pages.

Within 15 days of receipt of the written complaint, the academic standards committee will arrange for the student and the instructor to be heard before a full or quorum meeting of the academic standards committee; the chair involved in step two will be in attendance if deemed necessary by the student or the instructor. Within 15 days of this meeting the chair of the academic standards committee will provide a written recommendation to resolve the issue. Copies will be given to the student, the instructor, and the department chair or senate chair designee (as appropriate).

Step Four: If the issue is still unresolved to the satisfaction of either party, a written request of review must be lodged in the Office of the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs within three calendar days of issuance of the academic standards committee’s recommendations. The Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs will, after reviewing the documentation of the previous three steps, issue a written decision which will be the final determination.

Note: During summer months, faculty may not be available to complete the appeal process. The student still must initiate the appeal within 30 calendar days of the end of the semester, but it is possible that an appeal relating to spring semester may not be resolved until fall semester.

For More Information Contact

Great Basin College 
1500 College Parkway 
Elko, Nevada (USA) 89801 

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Why Great Basin College

Great Basin College, "The Gold Standard in the Silver State", offers associate and baccalaureate level education in academic, career and technical fields. Welcoming over 4,000 students annually from all corners of the country, both online and at our various campuses and centers, GBC's presence extends across two time zones and spans more than 86,000 square miles throughout Nevada. A leader in rural higher education, GBC takes pride in developing students who are well-prepared to meet the demands of industry and who contribute to the success and prosperity of the local economy.