Grade Appeals Process
Contact the Ombuds Office at 310-434-3986 or at ombuds@smc.edu to set up an appointment by the deadline below:
- Fall deadline for a formal grade appeal is April 30. Meet with the Ombudsperson before April 15.
- Winter deadline for a formal grade appeal is May 30. Meet with the Ombudsperson before May 15.
- Spring deadline for a formal grade appeal is October 30. Meet with the Ombudsperson before October 15.
- Summer deadline for a formal grade appeal is November 30. Meet with the Ombudsperson before November 15.
If you decide to file a formal grade appeal, the Ombudsperson will provide you with a signed referral form to file a grade appeal. You will take this form to Admissions & Records where you will be directed to the staff member responsible for managing grade appeals. You will be given a grade appeal packet that will outline the rest of the process.
There will be a petition for grade appeal that you will need to fill out and you must attach a type-written statement of no more than three pages discussing the basis of the appeal (instructor mistake, fraud, incompetence, bad faith) — no other reasons are valid and such appeals will be denied.
- Fall: April 30.
- Winter: May 30.
- Spring: October 30.
- Summer: November 30.
Deadlines will not be extended.
Your grade appeal packet will be reviewed by the Dean of Enrollment Services, the administrator overseeing the grade appeal process. Unless the appeal lacks substantive evidence in support of the appeal, it will be forwarded to the instructor, the department chair, and the Vice President of Academic Affairs for review and comment.
Once these comments are received, the Dean's office will contact you to set up an appointment to review their feedback. You will meet with the Dean and you must decide at this meeting if you still wish to pursue the appeal before the Grade Appeals Committee at a closed hearing. You will also be advised on the structure of the formal grade appeal hearing.
If you decide to pursue a formal appeal with the Grade Appeals Committee, a hearing will be scheduled at the next possible opportunity. The Committee meets 5-6 times during the Fall and Spring semesters only, but there is a heavy caseload. Thus, your hearing may not occur for several months.
The average time for a formal hearing before the Committee is approximately 7 months after the appeal has been filed.
Once the hearing is held, a decision will be sent to you and the professor within 10 school days. If the outcome is in your favor, the final grade may be changed to one determined by the Committee based on the evidence presented. The Committee may also find in the student's favor but may determine a grade change is not warranted.