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Birmingham-Southern College Catalog 2017-2018
22
ACADEMIC POLICY AND INFORMATION
calculation or recording of a final grade, he or she should immediately alert the professor.
Beyond such errors, formal appeals of final grades are granted only when there is
clear
and convincing
evidence that the final grade was “arbitrary and capricious, irrational,” or
“made in bad faith” [Susan M. V. New York Law School, 556 N.E. 2nd 1104, 1107
(1990), 76 N.Y. 2nd 241, 557 N.Y.S. 2nd 297]. Students should understand that an
allegation that a final grade was arbitrary and capricious, irrational or made in bad faith is
a
serious
charge and should not be made unadvisedly.
If a student wishes to appeal a final grade, he or she must contact the professor no later
than 30 calendar days after the beginning of the next regular term. If this consultation
fails to resolve the issue, the student may contact the appropriate department chair, who
will then contact the professor concerned. If the complaint remains unsettled, the student
may contact the appropriate area chair next. If the matter is then still unresolved, the
student may file a written appeal with the Provost on a form provided by the Provost’s
Office.
After reviewing the appeal, the Provost, at his or her discretion, may deny the appeal or
may request that the Faculty Advisory Committee select a three-person committee from
the full-time faculty of the College. Two members of this committee must come from the
department involved, and the third will come from outside the department. The
committee will determine its own procedures and review the case with the following
stipulation: the burden of proof for demonstrating a breach of standards rests with the
student, and the student must provide documentation of his or her attempts to resolve the
issue through previous consultations.
When the review is complete, the committee will notify the Provost of its decision. The
Provost will have the final decision in determining whether a change of grade is
necessary. The Provost will inform the student in writing of the decision and send copies
of this same letter to the committee, the faculty member, the appropriate department
chair, and the appropriate area chair. The entire grade appeal process is normally
finalized by the end of the next regular term after the term of the grade under appeal.
Transcripts
Students or alumni requesting transcripts of their academic record should submit a
transcript request to the Office of Academic Records well in advance of the time the
transcript is needed. Request forms and instructions for online requests and electronic
delivery are available on the College’s website. All financial obligations must be
satisfactorily discharged before a transcript is issued.