Coursework Appeals
A student may dispute a grade or appeal a decision of the Faculty on an academic matter, as follows:
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A student who disagrees with their assigned standing is encouraged to first discuss the matter informally with the instructor(s) of the course, when possible. If necessary, the instructor may, at their discretion should they believe the original assigned standing was in error, change the standing by submitting a change to academic record form.
If the matter remains unresolved following the initial conversation with the instructor and the student believes that the instructor’s academic judgment of some or all of the material contributing to the assigned standing is in error, the student may apply for a Review of Assigned Standing (RAS).
The RAS may result in a change in the assigned standing (up or down) or no change and is the final academic judgment of the student’s achievement in the course in the view of the Department or Area under which the course is held.
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A student who feels that procedural errors or irregularities contributed to an inaccurate assigned standing may first appeal to the Dean (or designate -Cat 2) for adjudication by the Committee on Curriculum, Admissions, Standings, and Appeals (CCASA). CCASA has no jurisdiction where the sole question raised in the appeal turns on the exercise of academic judgment. If the student does not accept the decision of CCASA, they may appeal to the Senate Committee on Appeals on Academic Standing.
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In the case of practica, there is no Review of Assigned Standing (RAS).
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A student who feels that procedural errors or irregularities contributed to an inaccurate assigned standing may first appeal to the Associate Dean (Teacher Education) for adjudication by CCASA. CCASA has no jurisdiction where the sole question raised in the appeal turns on the exercise of academic judgment. If the student does not accept the decision of CCASA, they may appeal to the Senate Committee on Appeals on Academic Standing.
These committees render final decisions of the Faculty. If the student believes that there was a procedural error made in deciding their appeal, the student may file an appeal to the Senate Committee on Student Appeals on Academic Standing. The procedures governing this process may be found here.
Procedures for Practicum Appeal:
A statement of appeal should contain each of the following:
- a statement of the decision from which the appeal is being taken,
- a statement of the relief which the appellant seeks,
- a brief chronological statement of the circumstances relating to the appeal,
- copies of any documents which the appellant intends to rely on at the hearing, and
- the names of any witnesses the appellant proposes to call at the hearing (it is the appellant’s responsibility to ensure that such witnesses are present at the hearing).
UBC Calendar Quicklinks:
Procedures for Review of Assigned Standing:
A student who disagrees with their assigned standing as determined by a course instructor (in accordance with the grading scheme indicated in the course syllabus) is encouraged to first discuss the matter informally with the instructor(s) of the course, when possible. Should the instructor believe the original assigned standing was in error, at their discretion, may change the standing by submitting a change to academic record form.
If the matter remains unresolved, it is recommended that the student discuss their concern with the someone in the department in which the course is held, for example, the undergraduate or graduate course coordinator, the program area coordinator, peer academic advisor, or their supervisor, to get a “third party” opinion and/or help on the matter.
If the matter remains unresolved following the initial conversation with the instructor and the student believes that some or all of the material contributing to the assigned standing has been incorrectly evaluated, the student may submit a Request for Review of Assigned Standing according to the University Calendar. The process and requirements to apply for an RAS can be found here. The result of such a review is the final academic evaluation of a student’s performance in a course.
A Review of Assigned Standing is distinct from an Appeal on Academic Standing; the latter addresses procedural errors or irregularities as opposed to errors in assigning standings based upon academic judgment.
Occasionally, students have concerns about their academic standing based on procedural errors or irregularities made by an instructor and would like to request an appeal of this decision. The appeal should be made initially as near the matter of consideration as possible, presumably an instructor, and progress to the course or area coordinator, and then to the head of the department concerned.
Should the matter not be resolved to the student’s satisfaction it can then be taken to the Faculty of Education’s Committee on Curriculum, Admissions, Standings and Appeals (CCASA) for undergraduate course appeals (through the Associate Dean of Teacher Education) who renders a final decision for the Faculty.
Finally, if the student considers that there was a procedural error made in deciding on their appeal at CCASA, the student may file an appeal to the Senate Committee on Student Appeals on Academic Standing. For more information, see the UBC Calendar sections: Senate Appeals on Academic Standing and Procedures Prior to the Hearing.
Procedures for an Academic Standing Appeal:
Students who wish to appeal decisions relating to their academic studies based on procedural errors or irregularities may do so. The informal appeal should be made initially as near the matter of consideration as possible, presumably the instructor, within three weeks after a grade is first available on Workday Student. The student should explain the procedural errors or irregularities that are the basis of this appeal. Should the instructor find that there were procedural errors or irregularities that affected academic standing, the instructor may, at their discretion change the standing by submitting a change to academic record form.
If the matter remains unresolved, the student should discuss the procedural issues of concern along with a summary of the meeting with the instructor, with the course or area coordinator (within two weeks of meeting with the instructor). Should the course or area coordinator find that there were procedural errors or irregularities that affected academic standing, they will approach the instructor to request a change in academic standing for the student. The instructor may, at their discretion change the standing by submitting a change to the academic record form.
If the matter remains unresolved through this informal process, the student should summarize in writing the procedural error or irregularity that is the basis for the appeal, and the process followed and outcome of any effort made to resolve the matter with the instructor and course or area coordinator. If the procedural error or irregularity concerns a grade on an assignment or in a course, the course outline should be provided along with the assignment(s) of concern. This summary and related materials should be submitted to the Head of the department within two weeks of the effort to resolve the matter with the course or area coordinator. The Head will review the information provided and consult with the instructor and others as necessary. The Head will make an initial determination of the merits of the appeal and then meet with the student to discuss it within two weeks of the appeal being submitted. This discussion may include options available to resolve the concern if the appeal is judged to have merit.
If the matter is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction by the Head and the student wishes to pursue the appeal further, they can submit their appeal documents to the Faculty of Education’s Committee on Curriculum, Admissions, Standings and Appeals (CCASA) for undergraduate course appeals (through the Associate Dean of Teacher Education).
Once the Faculty final decision is issued by either CCASA, a student has 10 days after the date of the decision to file an appeal on academic standing to the Senate Committee on Student Appeals on Academic Standing, the senior academic authority in the University. Appeal procedures to Senate can be found at: Academic Standing Appeals Procedure