Grades

Grading System

Letter Grades

The following letter grades are used to record student achievement in courses of instruction:

Mid-term Grades

Mid-term grades are issued midway through each term and are not part of the student’s permanent records. Mid-term grades serve as an indication to students of their current academic progress. It is the student’s responsibility to check their mid-term grades on WebAdvisor.

The Student Success Office will attempt to contact students and address issues of coursework below acceptable standards. Students are strongly encouraged to seek help from a College Advisor, Student Success Coach, TRiO Student Support Coach, the instructor, the Tutoring and Learning Centers, or any other person the student feels can assist.

Final Grades

Within one week following the end of each term, final grades are posted to WebAdvisor by the faculty based on a timeline established by the Registrar. Students can access their grades online with WebAdvisor using the student login ID and password. Contact the Registration and Records Office for more information. Once submitted, course grades are considered final and become part of the student’s permanent record.

It is the student’s responsibility to review their grades for accuracy. If there is a question or disagreement with the grade, a student must follow the steps outlined in the Grade Appeal process outlined in the College catalog and online at https://www.southeast.edu/studentconductgradeappeal/ (see also Grade Appeal section).

Grade-Point Average

The grade-point average, commonly referred to as GPA, is a function of the grading system used to determine academic status, including scholastic probation, scholastic honors, and eligibility for graduation (See the Academic Standards of Progress section). Your GPA is calculated by multiplying the grade points earned for each course by the credit hours for the course. The sum total of the grade points earned is then divided by the total number of credits attempted.

Example:

A grade may be removed from the student’s cumulative GPA by one of the following:

• Repeating the course and receiving a higher grade. All courses will appear on the transcript in their respective session. The course with the lower grade will be indicated as a repeated course and will not be included in the cumulative GPA.
• Declaring academic bankruptcy.

Grade Appeal Procedure

The responsibility for evaluating student work and assigning grades lies with the instructor of the course. The grade appeal procedure is to allow only the review of alleged inappropriate final grade as a result of prejudice, capricious grading or other improper conditions such as mechanical error, or assignment of a grade inconsistent with those assigned other students. Disagreement or dissatisfaction with a faculty member’s professional evaluation of coursework is not the basis for a grade appeal.

Capricious Grading Is Defined as Any of the Following:

1. The student’s grade was assigned on the basis of other factors rather than the performance on the assignment or in the course;
2. The student’s work was graded with more demanding standards than were applied to equivalent students in the course;
3. The instructor assigned a grade using standards that were substantially different from those previously announced or stated in the syllabus.

In all cases of a disputed grade, the student has burden of proof that the grade assigned was not appropriate. Successful grade appeals should be based on evidence that the student performed at a level sufficient to warrant a different grade.

When to Appeal a Grade

You may only appeal the final grade for a course and are able to provide evidence that an inappropriate grade was assigned as a result of prejudice, caprice, or other improper conditions such as mechanical error, or assignment of a grade inconsistent with those assigned other students.

When You Should Not Appeal:

• If you feel the course was poorly designed or you received poor instruction - these may be legitimate concerns, but are more appropriately addressed by the Instructional Dean.
• If you feel that students were graded too severely, provided that all the students in the class were graded in the same fashion - these too may be legitimate concerns, but are more appropriately addressed by the Instructional Dean.

Process of Filing a Grade Appeal

To file a Grade Appeal, the following steps must be completed in the order described.

• Step 1: Student must initiate a grade appeal within the first two days of the following term where they received the grade(s) they are disputing. After the final grade is posted, the student must first consult with the course instructor in an effort to provide a satisfactory resolution of the contested grade. If the instructor reviews the grade and finds a mechanical error or agrees the grade is inaccurate, they are free to change the grade as resolved.
• Step 2: If, however, the matter is not resolved in Step 1, the student may present the complaint in writing (e.g. email, written documentation, etc.) to the Division Dean who oversees the program in which the course was offered. This step should be completed as soon as possible and no later than the fourth day of the following term where they received the grade(s) they are disputing. Included in the petition the student should include a completed Grade Appeal Form, along with any additional documentation, instructor response(s), and, if available, the student should provide the instructor’s written explanation for the assigned grade. The Division Dean will attempt to resolve the complaint in consultation with the instructor and the student. The Division Dean will provide a response to the student (e.g. email) before the last day to add classes for the current term has expired.
• Step 3: If the student still contest the grade after the previous steps, the student may present a Formal Grade Appeal form to the Campus Dean of Students or designee who serves as steward of the Grade Appeal Procedure. Copies of written materials and petitions presented at the previous steps, along with any written responses received from the instructor or Division Dean, must be included with the petition at the time of submission. This step must be completed within Five (5) classroom days of the decision made in Step 2.

The Campus Dean of Students or designee, who is Chair of the standing campus Grade Appeal Panel, will forward the formal grade appeal along with the attached materials to the Grade Appeals Panel for review. The Panel members shall review the petition and the attached materials and then respond with their recommendation to the Grade Appeal Panel Chair about whether a hearing is warranted in the case. Copies of the Panel’s decision regarding the hearing shall be sent to the Division Dean. If a majority of the Panel does not vote that the case merits a hearing, the grade stands as issued. If a majority of the Panel votes in favor of a hearing, the Dean of Students or designee will convene and chair a Grade Appeal Hearing Committee. The Committee typically consists of faculty, a member of the student senate and college staff.

If a hearing is convened, first the student and then the instructor will each have the opportunity to present their cases orally and to present any other written materials they deem appropriate. The Grade Appeal Committee members shall have the opportunity to ask questions to both the student and instructor. At the end of the meeting, the student and then the instructor shall be given the opportunity for brief closing statements.

The Chair of the Committee should inform the student, the instructor, and the Division Dean of the Committee’s decision in writing within five (5) days of the hearing. If a majority of the Committee agrees that the grade should be changed, the Chair will notify the appropriate departments to process the grade change. Otherwise, the grade shall remain as recorded. The decision of the Grade Appeals Committee shall be final. When the appeal process concludes, all documentation is forwarded to the campus Dean of Students, who will maintain such documentation in accordance with appropriate retention schedules.

The only option to appeal the final decision of the Grade Appeals Committee comes with any new or additional information that was not available or known at the time of the hearing. This information, and all proceeding information, shall be presented to the Vice President of Instruction for review, determination and final decision.