Policy on Grade Grievances
Pre-Clerkship Grade Grievance
Students wishing to formally protest a final grade and/or assessment components must e-mail the course/module director (with a copy to the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs (OASA)) within four weeks of the issuance of the final grade, providing the rationale and any supporting documentation for their protest. The course/module director must respond with a decision on whether to modify the final grade and/or assessment components within 10 business days.
If the protest cannot be resolved with the course/module director, the student may appeal by e-mail (with a copy to OASA) to the Vice Dean of Educational Programs, or his/her designee, within four weeks of the course/module director’s response. The Vice Dean of Educational Programs must respond with a decision on whether to modify the final grade and/or assessment components within 10 business days. This determination is final unless compelling evidence suggests discrimination or differential treatment.
If there is evidence that an additional appeal is warranted, the student must submit a request in writing with supporting evidence to the Vice Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs or his/her designee, who, upon receipt of the request, will review the protest and submit a written recommendation to the Dean of the medical school whether to modify the grade and/or assessment components or not within 10 business days. The determination of the Dean or his/her designee is final, and there is no further appeal.
Any revised grades or narrative comments resulting from a successful protest will be reflected in the student’s MSPE.
Clerkship or Career Focus Tracks Course Grade Grievance
Students wishing to formally protest a final grade, assessment components, and/or narrative evaluation comments (i.e., comments to be included in the MSPE) must e-mail the clerkship director with a copy to OASA within four weeks of the issuance of the final grade, providing the rationale and any supporting documentation for their protest. If the evaluation under protest was completed by the clerkship director, the student may instead appeal directly to the department chair of the core clerkship or CFT rotation, who will appoint a faculty member to review the protest. A decision on whether to modify the grade and/or assessment components must be provided within 10 business days.
If the matter cannot be resolved with the clerkship director or chair-appointed reviewer, the student may appeal by e-mail (with a copy to OASA) to the department chair of the core clerkship or CFT rotation, or his/her designee, within 10 business days of the course/module director’s response. The department chair must respond with a decision on whether to modify the final grade and/or assessment components within 10 business days.
This decision is final unless compelling evidence suggests discrimination or differential treatment. If there is evidence that an additional appeal is warranted, the student must submit a request in writing with supporting evidence to the Vice Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs or his/her designee, who, upon receipt of the request, will review the protest and submit a written recommendation on whether to modify the grade and/or assessment components to the Dean of the medical school within 10 business days. The determination of the Dean or his/her designee is final, and there is no further appeal.
Any revised final grades or narrative comments resulting from a successful protest will be reflected in the student’s MSPE.