A grade appeal is an attempt to get a higher grade on a course that you’ve completed. If you believe that your earned grade was not reflective of the score of your work, it’s worth submitting an appeal and speaking with your instructor to have the opportunity to present various reasons why they may deserve more credit than what they received.
You can look into studentdisciplinedefense.com to know more details about grade appeal and its procedure. Grade appeals focus on different reasons and are handled differently depending upon the grounds of your appeal. This blog will focus on some of the grounds that you can try to put forth if you have a reason to believe that a grade should be changed.
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An instructor failed to notify students of criteria in regard to grade determination
This is a very common reason for an appeal and one that is easy to prove. If you know that your instructor has not made it clear as to how they will determine your grades, you can use this fact to prove that the grade you received was wrong. You may be able to present evidence or testimonials from peers who were in the same position as you.
An error was made in the calculation of a grade
You can present both physical and electronic evidence to show how a calculation was wrong, how something was overlooked that could have affected the grade, or how another student could have gained more of the same or lower grades than you if the formula had been followed.
The assignment of a grade was imposed for reasons that deviate from the established standards and criteria
This is a more tenuous ground for an appeal. While this ground exists, it’s not very common. The requirements that need to be met in order for this condition to be in place are fairly high. You will have to prove that the grade was imposed for reasons that deviate from what is considered proper and established.
The assignment of a grade was imposed based on components other than the academic performance of a student like personal bias and partiality
The purpose of grades is to measure a student’s achievement. Grades are not supposed to be handed out based on factors that are not academic or related to them, such as political or religious affiliations or preferences.
Should You Hire an Attorney for Grade Appeal?
If you feel that the grade you received was not adequate, you may want to consider hiring an attorney to look into the matter. You should be completely honest with him or her to help identify any evidence that could be used in your appeal. The process will obviously cost a great deal of money and can be misused. However, it is carefully controlled by law and does not always involve frivolous appeals.
The only best thing for you to do is resort to an attorney if you have overwhelming evidence of discrimination based on race, religion, sex, age, disability, or another status. Also, it’s important to note that only certain rights are legally recognized, and if you were denied them based on race, religion, sex, age disability, or another status, you can file a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights. This will give you access to OCR’s process of investigation and filing a case against the university or school.
If you have reason to believe that your grade was not fair, don’t suffer it in silence. Speak with your instructor about it or you can consult an attorney to assist you. An attorney can also investigate the case on your behalf and give you advice. The best thing to do is keep your options open so that nothing is taken from you.
Be careful when bringing this issue up to a professor or instructor. You may be given an earful about the grade you received and the reasons why it was given, but there are different ways you can go about it so that they are not just giving you a redo of what they gave you before. However, it’s important to be respectful and honest without offending them in the process so that they have nothing to hide.
How to Find the Right Attorney for Grade Appeal?
Looking for the right attorney can be a daunting task. You want to find one that has handled similar cases and knows how to handle yours. In fact, you can consider various ways of doing this, such as asking around people you know who have had experience with lawyers in the past. You can also search on the internet for individuals or law firms with a great deal of experience in cases like yours.
When looking for an attorney, you will want to consider their experience and reputation. You will also want to get estimates beforehand so that you know how much you will have to pay in order to win your case. This research can save the time and the cost of your case, as well as help you make an informed decision about whether or not you should hire an attorney in the first place.
Conclusion
Grade appeals can sometimes be complicated and difficult to work out. However, you can use the grounds or reasons outlined in this article in order to find a case that you can win. Just remember that sometimes it’s not worth the hassle and that if your grade is less than what you wanted, there are other things you can do to get back on track, such as taking a harder elective class or even applying for another school.
You can seek the legal assistance of a lawyer to help you file a grade appeal. If you really think that your grade was unfair, you should do it to avoid embarrassment and a bad reputation. One great way to handle this is by speaking with an attorney who will help you put together your case and win your appeal.