Grade Appeal Policy

PURPOSE
To outline grade appeal policies and procedures for courses

AUDIENCE
All medical students, faculty, and staff

LCME STANDARD
11.6: Student Access to Educational Records

POLICY

  1. Please refer to Regulation 70 in the Bylaws and Regulations of the School of Medicine and the Davis Division Regulations A540 and A542 for specifics.
  2. All grades except ‘Incomplete’ or ‘In Progress’ are final when filed by a Course Director (Instructor of Record). The correction of clerical and procedural errors shall be governed by guidelines established by the Davis Division and shall be under the supervision of the Davis Division Grade Changes Committee. No change of grade may be made on the basis of reassessment of the quality of a student’s work or, with the exception of Incomplete or In Progress grades, the completion of additional work.
  3. Students may appeal Y marks, P or F grades in limited circumstances (as outlined in the procedures section). In that event, students must follow the procedure outlined below. Students may not appeal any other grades or marks.

PROCEDURE

Step 1 – Appeal to the Course Director(s)

  1. A student who wishes to appeal a Y mark, P or F grade must submit a Grade Appeal Petition to the Course Director(s) within ten workdays of the date on the email notifying the student of the deficiency or notification of where grades can be found. A student who does not initiate an appeal within the stated time limit waives any right to appeal the grade in question.
  2. The Course Director(s) will decide the most appropriate action to take in considering the student’s appeal, which may include, but is not limited to:
    1. Acting on the appeal directly.
    2. Referring the appeal to a course committee.
    3. Requesting the student meet with the Course Director(s) or course committee.
    4. Requesting input from faculty members involved in the item under appeal.
  3. A student request to appear in person before those considering the grade appeal must be granted. A student may bring a faculty advocate to the grade appeal hearing.
  4. The Course Director shall render a decision regarding the student’s appeal within five workdays after completion of any meetings concerning the appeal and shall complete and send the Grade Appeal Petition according to form directions.
  5. It is recognized that subjectivity is inherent in many evaluations of students that affect their grades. As a general rule, appeals that cite subjectivity or a difference of opinion between the student and evaluator regarding a student’s performance will not be successful.

      Step 2 – Appeal to Committee on Student Promotions

      1. Should the issue fail to be resolved to the student’s satisfaction by the Course Director(s), the student may appeal the decision in writing to the Committee on Student Promotions within ten workdays after the date on the official notification from the Course Director(s). In general, for a successful appeal, the student will need to demonstrate that a decision of the course was:
        1. Arbitrary or capricious.
        2. Made in bad faith.
        3. In violation of the School of Medicine’s M.D. Program Policies.
      2. The Committee on Student Promotions will review the student’s Grade Appeal Petition and will allow the student to appear and/or present new information not previously presented to the Course Director(s). A student may bring a faculty advocate to the grade appeal hearing.
      3. The Committee on Student Promotions shall determine the final grade and send written notification of the decision to the student, the Course Director(s) and the Registrar’s Office within 10 workdays of the appeal meeting.
      4. The decision of the Committee on Student Promotions is final.

      RESPONSIBILITY
      Committee on Student Promotions

      REFERENCES
      The UC Davis School of Medicine Bylaws and Regulations
      Davis Division Regulations on Grading and Grading Changes

      RELATED POLICY/POLICIES
      Grades, Grading and Grade Change Policy
      Incomplete Grade Policy

      POLICY OWNER
      Committee on Student Promotions

      REVIEWED BY
      Committee on Student Promotions*

      REVIEWED DATE and REVIEW CYCLE
      February 2024, 3-year cycle

      * Indicates the Policy Owner