Course or Clerkship Final Grade/Narrative Assessments Appeal Policy

School of Medicine Policy Manual  

Upon completion of a course or clerkship, a student may initiate an appeal process for a final grade or narrative assessment if he or she understands the grade was not assigned according to the evaluation criteria stated at the beginning of the course of the narrative assessment is inaccurate. According to the Change of Grade Policy in the Student Catalog 2017-2020, the student may initiate an informal conversation with the course/clerkship coordinator within 30 days (calendar) of receiving the final grade. This procedure should be the initial step the student should follow as part of the appeal process. During the conversation, the faculty member should incorporate a detailed explanation of the evaluation components and the student’s performance in each of them.

If the student is not satisfied with the explanation, he or she may submit a written appeal to the Department Chairperson within one week after the meeting with the coordinator. The letter must include the main reason why the student is not satisfied with the final grade or narrative assessment. After receiving the student’s written claim, the Department Chairperson will have up to one week to respond to the student’s claim and include a copy to the Associate Dean of Medical Education.

The student will have one calendar week after receiving the chairperson’s decision to appeal it in writing to the Associate Dean of Medical Education. After receiving the student appeal, the Associate Dean of Medical Education will have up to one calendar week to issue a written decision to the student and copy the Department Chairperson. The Associate Dean for Medical Education may appoint an ad-hoc committee to evaluate the appeal and submit recommendations. The decision made by the Associate Dean for Medical Education is final.

Effective January 8, 2020

Approved by SOM Executive and Policy Committee on December 17, 2019