Policy Number:
S-011		Effective Date:
January 2022		Revision Date:
N/A

The following policy shall be strictly adhered to by all concerned:

  1. Guru Nanak Institute of Global Studies (GNI) has an experienced Faculty and Instructors. The grades reflect the quality of Student work, and the Student’s work must be graded fairly.  
  2. A Student may appeal the final grade for a course if there are grounds to believe that:
    2.1 the course evaluation criteria were changed from the one articulated, 
    2.2 the evaluation standards are substantially unreasonable or different from those applied to other Students; or,
    2.3 the evaluation was determined on some basis other than performance.
  3. Please note that grades related to participation, contribution or oral work are not subject to appeal.
  4. Also, grades based on a breach of academic integrity and misconduct are also not subject to a grade appeal. Please refer to the Academic Integrity and Misconduct Procedures for Students. 

Appeals Process

  1. GNI is committed to the success of our Students. 
  2. Our Faculty/Instructors make extra efforts to ensure evaluation criteria are clearly explained and that Students receive feedback on their grades. 
  3. Before launching a formal appeal, a Student should make every effort to resolve the issue informally with the Instructor(s) involved.
  4. If an informal process does not resolve the issue, and a Student still disagrees with their final grade, they may request a formal review

Formal Review

Step 1

  1. The Student must request that the Instructor (or designate, such as the head of the academic program in the Instructor’s absence) review the assigned grade with the Student before a formal appeal is launched. 
  2. This request must be received by the Instructor, in writing, within five business days of the Student’s grade being posted to their online Statement of Grades. 
  3. The Instructor  must discuss the matter with the Student and confirm his/her/their  decision to the Student, in writing, within five business days after receiving the request for an informal review. 
  4. Should the matter take longer than five business days (for example, due to the time required to co-ordinate a meeting or discussion), the Instructor  is to notify the Student of an extension in writing and specify a date by which this review step will be completed.

Step 2

  1. If the matter is not resolved informally with the Instructor, the Student may request a review by the Program Chair (PC).  
  2. This request must be received by the PC, in writing, within five business days of the Student’s receipt of the Instructor’s written decision, as per Step 1.
  3. The PC must discuss the issue with the Student and Instructor(s) in an attempt to reach resolution. 
  4. The decision of the PC shall normally be given in writing to the Student no later than 10 business days subsequent to receiving the request for an informal review. 
  5. Should the matter take longer than 10 business days, the PC advises the Student in writing that an extension is required. 
  6. Should the PC determine that the final grade should not be changed, an explanation and rationale for the decision are to be provided to the Student.

Step 3

  1. In the event that the matter is not resolved informally with the Instructor  or the PC, the Student may request a review by the Senior Education Administrator (SEA).
  2. The SEA must receive this written request within five business days of the Instructor’s or PC’s written decision, per Step 2.
  3. At this time, the Student must notify the Registrar’s Office of their intent and complete the Grade Appeal Form. The Student can request this from the GNI Registrar’s Office and must submit the completed Grade Appeal Form to the SEA within five business days of PC’s written decision (per Step 2) with a copy to the Registrar’s Office. 
  4. At this point, any changes to the Student’s academic records will be suspended, pending resolution of a formal grade appeal.
  5. The formal Grade Appeal request must clearly state:
    5.1 the Student’s name and Student number;
    5.2 the course, course dates, and grade received;
    5.3 the basis for the appeal;
    5.4 the rationale for the Student’s belief that a better final grade is warranted;
    5.5 the steps that have been taken to resolve the issue per Steps 1 and 2.
  6. All relevant information and documentation should be attached. 
  7. Pleas on compassionate grounds should not form part of the statement.
  8. The SEA or designate must discuss the issue with the Student and the PC and/or Instructor  to reach a resolution. In some cases, the SEA (or designate) may request an independent review by a third party, in which case the Student is to be advised and provided with an estimate of the length of time this process will require, which will not normally exceed one month.
  9. The decision of the SEA shall normally be given in writing to the Student not later than 10 business days after receiving the request for a formal review. 
  10. Should the matter take longer than 10 business days, the SEA is to advise the Student, in writing, that an extension is required. 
  11. The SEA may either:
    11.1 raise the grade, lower the grade, or leave the grade unchanged. The decision of the SEA is final; however, an explanation and rationale for the decision are to be provided to the Student. OR
    11.2. convene a Grade Appeals Committee to review the matter and make a decision.
  12. The Registrar’s Office is to be advised by the SEA of his/her/their decision.

Step 4

  1. If the SEA has decided to convene a Grade Appeals Committee (GAC), a meeting will be assembled when the Student and Instructor  or PC are available. 
  2. In the event of a non-resident Student or Instructor, the committee may, at its discretion, choose to hear the appeal through alternate means such as teleconferencing.
  3. Should either the Student or Instructor  wish to bring a witness(es) or advisor(s) to the hearing, the Chair of the Committee must be informed at least 48 hours in advance. 
  4. In keeping with the principles of due process, both parties will be afforded a reasonable period of time (normally two weeks) and access to relevant information to prepare for the hearing. 
  5. The committee’s deliberations are to be in closed sessions, and those appearing before the committee should consider their participation confidential.
  6. The Grade Appeals Committee shall consider the request for a formal review and consult with anyone it deems necessary, including the use of an independent assessor.
  7. The decision of the Grade Appeals Committee may be to:
    7.1 raise the grade, lower the grade, or leave the grade unchanged; and/or,
    7.2 recommend other appropriate courses of action, given the individual circumstances.
  8. The Chair of the Grade Appeals Committee shall provide the committee’s decision in writing to the Student, the Instructor, the Dean, the Vice President Academic, and the Registrar. 
  9. The Grade Appeals Committee may also, at its discretion, make recommendations to the SEA regarding evaluation standards or grading procedures that may result from the grade appeal process.

Composition of the Grade Appeals Committee

  1. The Grade Appeals Committee consists of a minimum of three members appointed by the SEA and include: 
    1.1 at least one, and preferably two, faculty members (selected from academic programs other than the Student’s);
    1.2 at least one Student from one of the other programs;
    1.3. the Director, Student Affairs (if one designated) and, 
    1.4 if appropriate, one additional member to be appointed by the SEA.
  2. The members of the Grade Appeal Committee will select a chair by majority vote and shall determine its own procedure, having regard to its duty to act fairly toward the Student. Decisions of the Grade Appeal Committee shall be final and not subject to further appeal.