Grade Appeal Procedure
A student who wishes to appeal a final grade shall proceed as follows:
1. Submit a written request for a grade change along with the rationale for such a request to the
faculty member who assigned the grade. The appeal must be filed by the fourth week of the
following semester (Summer sessions not included).
2.Within two weeks of filing such a request for a grade change by the student, the faculty
member shall respond in writing rendering a decision about the request for change of a grade.
If the student wishes to further challenge the decision of the faculty member as described above,
he/she shall follow the following procedure:
1. A petition for a grade change should be filed, in writing, with the appropriate chairperson
after conferring with the instructor. The petition shall include a description of the student’s
rationale for challenging the recorded grade with supportive documentation.
2. The chairperson shall:
a. Interview the student.
b. Interview the faculty member who assigned the grade.
c. Review written material submitted by the student and faculty member. The chairperson
shall also consult with senior faculty members familiar with the discipline involved with
respect to the graded material under challenge.
d. The chairperson shall render a written recommendation to the student and faculty mem-
ber involved within one month from the date the chairperson received the petition.
3. If the grade was not revised through the above process, the student may further appeal to the
appropriate Divisional Dean. The Dean will review all materials and determine whether or not
a grade change shall be approved, and shall advise the involved student and faculty member
in writing of the decision. The decision of the Divisional Dean shall be final.
Repeating a Course
Students may repeat any college-level course once without specific authorization. To repeat a
college-level course more than once, a student must have the approval of the Dean of Student
Services. Courses in which students have received grades of W, AU, or P are not included in counting
repeated courses.
When a college-level course is repeated, all enrollments in the course are included on the student’s
permanent academic record, but only the highest grade earned at RVCC will be included in the
student’s grade point average (GPA). Developmental courses (course numbers below 100) are not
governed by this policy.
Students receiving financial aid should consult with the Financial Aid office before repeating a course,
since some financial aid programs do not pay for repeated courses.
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