TAMIU Student Handbook 2022-2023

Page 23 of 92 Students who believe that they have grounds for challenging faculty decisions regarding academic issues--excepting those pertaining to matters of academic freedom--may appeal using the procedure outlined below. Faculty members are required to report acts of academic violation to their chair, their Dean, the Provost, the Honor Council (through the Office of Student Conduct and Community Engagement), and the Vice President for Student Success. Grade sanctions may be imposed only by faculty members . Academic suspension or expulsion may be imposed only by the Provost. As with disputes about course grades, students may appeal grade sanctions imposed for academic violation only by following the procedure outlined below. Students should not attempt to persuade academic administrators to change a grade; they cannot and will not do it unless a student follows the grade appeal policy below and is successful in persuading either the faculty member for the course or an ad-hoc committee of faculty members that a change is warranted. Student appeals of faculty academic decisions should be completed within 15 University business days after the student’s first meeting with the faculty member to question the faculty member’s decision. 1. The student must first meet with the faculty member and discuss the faculty member’s decision. This meeting should occur as soon as possible after the decision has been made, normally within one week of the student being notified of the decision. The faculty member is expected to listen to the student, provide an explanation for the decision, and change the grade or decision if the student’s argument is persuasive. To change final course grades, a faculty member must submit a “Grade Change Form” and attach an accompanying memorandum justifying the decision to change the grade. The faculty member’s department chair and Dean must approve the change. 2. If the faculty member declines to change the decision or grade, the student may then discuss the matter with the faculty member’s immediate academic supervisor (hereafter, “chair” will be used to mean either the department chair or the immediate academic supervisor). If the chair believes that the student’s position has merit, the chair will discuss the matter with the faculty member. 3. If the student is not satisfied with the chair’s assessment of the issue or if the faculty member declines to change the decision after discussing it with the chair, the student may then request that an ad hoc committee of faculty members review the matter. This committee consists of three tenured faculty members within the same discipline or department, unless circumstances dictate otherwise. If the chair determines that a tenured faculty member cannot be selected from the same discipline or department, then the chair may add a tenured faculty member from a closely related disciplines.