FCC Academic Catalog 2016-2017

2016/2017 fcc catalog

172

www.frederick.edu

• 301.846.2400

Informal Resolution

– Initial meetings

between the parties directly involved in a course

grade or non-grade issue (as described in this

policy and procedure) where there is a good

faith effort to resolve the issue so that initiation

of a formal complaint is not necessary.

Formal Complaint

– When a student believes

that attempts at informal resolution have

been unsuccessful, they may initiate a formal

complaint by following the steps outlined in this

policy and procedure.

College Support Person

– means an

employee of the College chosen to accompany

and assist a student or faculty member through

an appeal hearing before the Student Grievance

Committee. The College Support Person cannot

be a fact witness or provide statements. The

College Support Person is a non-participant

who is present to assist the student or faculty

member by taking notes or providing emotional

support and reassurance.

Preponderance of Evidence

– means

evidence which is of greater weight or more

convincing than the evidence to the contrary;

evidence which shows that something is more

likely than not to be true or 50.1% likely to have

occurred.

Workdays

– Monday through Friday when the

College is officially open for business and does

not include weekends, holidays, or other days

the College is closed.

Responding Party

– The person or office

against whom a complaint is directed.

Secured College Tracking System

– refers

to the official College system used to record and

track reports of complaints.

Student Grievance Committee

– A hearing

panel to whom students may appeal course

grades as described under this procedure. The

Senior Leadership Team (SLT) will appoint an

Associate Vice President from Academic Affairs,

two representatives from the student body,

and two faculty to serve as a Student Grievance

Committee. Student Grievance Committee

members will be trained in appeal hearing

procedures. The academic departments and

the Student Government Association may

recommend individuals to the SLT to be selected

to serve on the Student Grievance Committee.

Senior Leader

– A member of the President’s

Senior Leadership Team, which includes the

Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost, the

Vice President for Learning Support, the Vice

President for Continuing Education & Workforce

Development, the Vice President for Finance and

Human Resources, the Special Assistant to the

President for Institutional Effectiveness, and the

Chief of Operations.

IV. Course Grade Complaints

A. The College relies on, and endorses, the

instructor’s right to pass expert judgment on

all submitted student work. The College also

recognizes the instructor as the sole evaluator of

all work submitted by students for/in a specific

course. Students are expected to work informally

with the instructor to resolve a complaint.

B. After attempting unsuccessfully to resolve

a course grade dispute with an instructor, a

student may file a written complaint regarding

a course grade with the instructor requesting a

reevaluation of the course grade. The student’s

written communication should present any and

all evidence that a substantial error has occurred

in course grading. Substantial evidence of error

is defined as:

1. The assignment of a course grade to a student

on some basis other than performance in the

course; or

2. The assignment of a course grade to a student

by using standards different from those which

were applied by the same instructor to other

students in that course; or

3. The assignment of a course grade by an

unannounced departure from the instructor’s

previously articulated standards as represented

by the syllabus of record.

The student must submit a written complaint

regarding a course grade to the instructor

within fifteen (15) workdays of the official

course grade posting date.

C. Responding Party

After the student presents a written complaint

(email acceptable) to an instructor, it is the

responsibility of the responding party (the

instructor) to provide a written response (email

acceptable) to the student addressing his/

her complaint. The instructor must respond

in writing (email acceptable) to the student’s

complaint within ten (10) workdays and

copy the appropriate Department Chair/

Supervisor. If the student is not satisfied with the

instructor’s written response, or the instructor

did not respond, the student may appeal to

the department chair or supervisor within ten

(10) workdays using the Student Course Grade

Appeal to Department Chair/Supervisor Form

(www.frederick.edu/CourseGradeAppeal-DCS

D. Appeal to Department Chair or Supervisory

Level

The Department Chair/Supervisor will review the

appeal, interview the student and the instructor,

and/or request additional information during this

step. If the Department Chair/Supervisor believes

that there is substantial evidence the grade has

been assigned in error, the Department Chair/

Supervisor will recommend that the instructor

change the grade. If the Department Chair/

Supervisor believes that there is not substantial

evidence and the grade was correctly assigned,

he/she will recommend that the grade stand.

The Department Chair/Supervisor will notify the

student of the recommendation in writing within

ten (10) workdays of receipt of the Student

Course Grade Appeal to Department Chair/

Supervisor Form.

In cases where the instructor is the Department

Chair, the supervisor of the Department Chair

will review the appeal.

E. Appeal to Student Grievance Committee

1. Within five (5) workdays of the response of the

Department Chair/Supervisor, a student may

appeal a course grade to the College Student

Grievance Committee if he/she reasonably

believes that informal resolution with the

instructor was unsuccessful, a formal written

complaint to the instructor did not resolve the

issue, an appeal was made to the Department

Chair/Supervisor, and the course grade issue

was not resolved. The student must submit an

appeal to the Student Grievance Committee

on the Student Course Grade Appeal to the

Student Grievance Committee Form (www.

frederick.edu/CourseGradeAppeal-SGC)

. All

information on the form must be completed.

Incomplete forms will not move forward in

the process. The student must submit the

form to the Department Chair/Supervisor. The

Department Chair/Supervisor signs the form

and submits all materials to the Academic

Affairs Office or to the Office of the Vice

President for Continuing Education & Workforce

Development.

A date for an appeal hearing with the Student

Grievance Committee will be scheduled by the

Academic Affairs Office or the Office of the Vice

President for Continuing Education & Workforce

Development within ten (10) workdays of

receipt of the form. The student will be notified

in a timely manner and given adequate

advance notice. The hearing will be conducted

within thirty (30) workdays of receipt of the

Student Course Grade Appeal to the Student

Grievance Committee Form.

Failure of the student to appear for the appeal

hearing without prior notification or evidence

of extenuating circumstances waives his/her

right for further appeal and the decision by the

Department Chair/Supervisor or supervisor will

stand.