Print Options

Academic and Grade Appeals

Appeals Process

Under the provisions of the Bylaws of the Board of Regents, students may appeal grades or other evaluations of their academic progress that they believe to have been prejudiced or capricious. In those cases in which informal attempts fail to resolve the problem, appeals or complaints must be made in writing to the appropriate individual or group as described below. All participants should act as expeditiously as possible to resolve the matter.

For purposes of considering appeal of grades and other course evaluations, the COPH Curriculum Committee will reconstitute itself as a Faculty-Student Appeals Committee. It will be augmented by an additional student to be recommended by the COPH Student Association. In the absence of a functioning Student Association, the additional student representative would be selected by the Dean of the College of Public Health. In cases of appeals concerning academic matters other than grades, the COPH Curriculum Committee will serve as the Appeals Committee.

In these deliberations, student members of the Curriculum Committee will be voting members of the COPH Faculty-Student Appeals Committee. The COPH Dean will not be present during deliberations of the Faculty-Student Appeals Committee; a Committee member other than the Dean will act as chair. Any member of the Appeals Committee who has a conflict of interest in the case (e.g., same department or program as one of the parties, on the supervisory committee) should be replaced through ad hoc appointment(s) made by the COPH Dean.

Grade Appeals

Students who believe that evaluation of their academic progress in a course has been prejudiced or capricious may appeal that grade or evaluation as follows:

1. Initially, an attempt must be made to resolve the matter through discussion with the instructor of the course for which the grade was received.

2. If the matter is not resolved, the appeal is submitted in writing to the chair of the department in which the course was taken.

3. If the matter is still not resolved, the appeal is submitted in writing to Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs and the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs within two weeks following reporting or posting of the grade. The Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs will submit the appeal to the Faculty-Student Appeals Committee to consider the appeal. This committee may change a student’s evaluation if there is sufficient evidence that the evaluation of a student by a faculty member has been improper. When a student takes a course in a department that is administratively based in another UNMC College or on another University of Nebraska campus, the student must follow the grade appeals procedure for that campus. In cases involving dual-listed courses, appeals should be made through procedures of the academic unit that granted enrollment to the course.

4. The Faculty-Student Appeals Committee will be the final authority in resolution of grade appeals, with the following exception. The student or the faculty member issuing the grade may within ten days submit an appeal in writing to the Dean of the College of Public Health setting forth their reasons for believing they were not accorded a fair hearing. The Dean will review the record and facts of the case and may return the matter to the Committee for reconsideration. The decision of the Dean as to whether the case should be reopened will be final.

Appeal of Matters Other Than Grades

College of Public Health professional program students should use the following procedure for appeals concerning general academic matters, other than grades or other course evaluations (e.g., constitution of programs, suspension, or dismissal).

1. A student who wishes to appeal or register a complaint regarding an official notification should meet with their faculty mentor in an attempt to resolve the conflict.

2. If the matter is not resolved, the appeal or concern may be submitted in writing to the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, with a copy to the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. This written appeal must be presented within thirty days after official notification of an action is received by the student.

3. If the appeal to the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs is denied, within thirty days of receipt of the denial notice a written appeal may be made to the COPH Curriculum Committee. Normally the COPH Curriculum Committee serves as the final appeal committee. If the Committee is unable to resolve the issue, the matter is sent to the COPH Dean who makes the final determination.