The School of Medicine is committed to the ideal of academic freedom and so recognizes that the assignment of grades is a faculty responsibility. We also recognize that students have the right to appeal a final grade and the School of Medicine has a responsibility to respond to such an appeal in a judicious and timely manner.

Criteria for Appealing a Grade
A student may appeal a final Block grade on the grounds that:

1. The methods or criteria for evaluating academic or clinical performance, as stated in the Block syllabus or communicated by the faculty at the beginning of the Block, were not applied in determining the final grade, and/or
2. The faculty applied the grading criteria unfairly.

Procedures

1. Any student wishing to appeal a grade must initiate the process within 30 calendar days of receiving the disputed grade. An appeal letter should be sent to the Block Director or Co-Directors identifying the Block and the grade being appealed, stating the reason(s) for the appeal, and specifying the requested change.
2. The Block Director or Co-Directors will meet with the student to discuss the appeal within 15 calendar days of receipt of the appeal letter. Before the meeting, the student should provide the Block Director with copies of all materials pertinent to the appeal, such as the Block syllabus, papers, tests, write-ups, etc.
3. If, after meeting with the student and consulting with faculty responsible for assigning the grade, the Block Director or Co-Directors determine that a change of grade is warranted, then the Block Director or Co-Directors will change the grade in a timely manner. If the Block Director or Co-Directors determine that a change of grade is not warranted, s/he must notify the student within 5 calendar days.
4. The student may appeal the decision of the Block Director or Co-Directors to the Essentials Core Leader or the Clinical Core Leader by forwarding copies of all correspondence related to the appeal to the Core Leader within 7 calendar days of the Block Director’s ruling. The Core Leader, at his/her discretion, may meet with the student, faculty, and/or Block Director, before making a ruling.
5. The student may make a final appeal to the Senior Associate Dean for Education, whose decision is final.