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Institutional Policy

Student Grade Appeal Policy

Community Wellness Foundations Certificate — Older Adult Focus

Effective Date: Upon Institutional Certification

This policy is provided to every student before the program start date and is available in the Student Handbook and on the institutional Learning Management System (Tutor LMS).

1. Purpose

This policy sets out the process by which a student may appeal a grade received in a course at Seaside Coast College. It is intended to provide a fair, transparent, and timely way for students to have a grade reviewed where there are reasonable grounds to do so. It is established in accordance with the Private Training Act and the Private Training Regulation.

2. Scope

This policy applies to final course grades and to the grades of individual assessments that contribute to a final course grade. A grade appeal is a request to review how a grade was determined; it is not a request to re-mark work simply because a student disagrees with the result. Where a grade results from a finding under the Academic Integrity Policy, that finding is addressed under the Academic Integrity Policy rather than under this policy.

3. Grounds for Appeal

A student may appeal a grade on one or more of the following grounds:

  • a calculation or recording error affected the grade;
  • the assessment was not evaluated in accordance with the criteria or weighting set out in the course outline;
  • the marking criteria were applied to the student in a way that was inconsistent with how they were applied to other students; or
  • the grade was affected by a procedural error or unfairness in the assessment process.

4. Step 1 — Informal Review with the Instructor

Before making a formal appeal, a student is encouraged to discuss the grade with the instructor within five business days of the grade being released. Many concerns — including calculation errors and questions about how an assessment was marked — can be resolved quickly at this stage. Informal review is encouraged but is not required before a formal appeal, and it does not extend the deadline for a formal appeal.

5. Step 2 — Formal Grade Appeal

A student who wishes to make a formal appeal submits a written appeal to the Senior Educational Administrator at lynth@seasidecoastcollege.com within ten business days of the grade being released. The written appeal should identify:

  • the course and the grade being appealed;
  • the ground or grounds for the appeal, with reference to Section 3;
  • any supporting information or documentation; and
  • the outcome the student is requesting.

How the appeal is reviewed

A grade is not reviewed by the person who assigned it. A formal grade appeal is reviewed by the Independent Reviewer, a qualified representative designated by the institution who was not the grader of the work being appealed. The reviewer may:

  • examine the assessment, the marking criteria, and how the grade was calculated;
  • consult the instructor and the student as needed; and
  • where warranted, arrange for the work to be reassessed in accordance with the institution’s Reassessment Policy.

The reviewer provides the student with a written decision, including reasons, normally within fifteen business days of receiving the formal appeal. A reassessment of the work may result in the grade being raised, confirmed, or lowered. The decision states the final grade and the reasons for it.

6. Access to Dispute Resolution

If a student is dissatisfied with the outcome of a formal grade appeal, the student may raise the matter under the institution’s Dispute Resolution Policy. That policy also describes the circumstances in which a student may make a claim to PTIRU.

7. Records

Records related to a grade appeal — including the written appeal, the reviewer’s decision, and any reassessment — are maintained as part of the institution’s student records and are retained in accordance with the institution’s Privacy and Records Policy, which provides for retention of Class A student records for at least eight years.

8. Related Policies

This policy operates alongside the institution’s Reassessment Policy, Academic Integrity Policy, Student Attendance Policy, and Dispute Resolution Policy.

9. Contact and Approval

Seaside Coast College · 3514 Fairmont Road, North Vancouver, BC V7R 2W9

Email: lynth@seasidecoastcollege.com · Website: seasidecoastcollege.com

Approved by: Senior Educational Administrator · Review cycle: Annual