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IU Jacobs School of Music |
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Procedures for Grade Appeals - Jacobs School of Music
Grade appeals from students in the Jacobs School of Music are handled first by the instructor, then by the Associate Dean for Instruction, and then by the School Academic Fairness Committee. There is no further grade appeal either inside or outside the Music School. 1. If a student has a question about a grade received in any music course, the student should first contact the instructor to receive clarification about the reasons for the grade. The student should document attempts to contact the instructor (such as e-mail messages) and should make a note of the date on which such grade clarification was received from the instructor. 2. If the student is not satisfied with the explanation of the grade received from the instructor, a written appeal may be filed with the Associate Dean for Instruction. Guidelines for the appeal are given below: A. The written appeal should be filed within four weeks after the grade is awarded (for regular semester grades, the time is calculated from the day on which that semester’s grades become official, based on the registrar’s calendar). B. Grade appeals are considered only because of demonstrated procedural errors in grading, demonstrated discrimination/bias in grading policies, or documented unusual personal circumstances. Grade appeals which involve faculty judgments about the quality of written work, performance level, or compositional skill will not be considered. C. The written appeal should contain the following information: ___Student name, student ID number, mailing address, telephone, e-mail address ___Student degree and year (e.g. “BM Piano, sophomore”) ___Class in which the grade is being appealed; semester of the class; instructor ___Basis of the appeal: be as
specific as possible and attach all relevant documentation absences, relevant correspondence with the instructor, point totals for the semester) ___Student request for a resolution: (e.g. request for a specific grade change) 3. A grade appeal requesting a withdrawal from only one class during a semester on the basis of illness or other personal circumstances will not be considered. Students who have documented major personal problems should contact the Student Advocates Office, Franklin Hall 206, about a complete withdrawal from classes for a particular semester. 4. When the Associate Dean for Instruction receives the student’s written appeal and attached documentation, the instructor of the course will be contacted for a response to the items described in the basis of the appeal. The Associate Dean will try to achieve resolution between the student and the instructor. The Associate Dean may deny the appeal on the basis of insufficient evidence. 5. If no resolution is possible, and if in the opinion of the Associate Dean there is convincing evidence from both the student and the instructor, the appeal will be referred to the Academic Fairness Committee (see separate guidelines for this committee). The decision of the committee is final and no further appeal is possible. May 2007
Instructors: What you need to know about the process and procedures involving Academic Misconduct 1. If you suspect a student may have committed an act of academic misconduct in one of your courses, then you must meet with him/her concerning the matter. This informal discussion must be private and face to face (i.e., not in the classroom after class, in a hallway, etc.). a. You must let the student know of your allegation and the evidence on which it is based. b. You must give the student an opportunity to respond. c. You must take this response into consideration before reaching a decision on whether or not academic misconduct actually occurred. d. If you have made good faith efforts to schedule such a meeting with the student involved and s/he fails to meet with you, then you should continue the process as outlined below. 2. If you conclude that the student did not commit academic misconduct, then you do not impose an academic sanction and you do not complete a report. 3. If you conclude that the student did commit academic misconduct, then you a. have the right to impose an academic sanction (involving the course assignment/grade, final course grade, etc.). b. must report the misconduct (and any sanction you have imposed as a result of it) in writing within 14 calendar days of your informal conference with the student, and any necessary investigation, to the Dean of Students via the Office of Student Ethics at 705 East 7th Street, 855-5419. That office sends copies of your report to the student, the dean of the school in which the offense occurred, and (if different) the dean of the school in which the student is enrolled. (That office also considers the propriety of additional campuswide disciplinary sanctions since it maintains disciplinary records [as the Registrar maintains academic records].) c. Reporting forms are available on-line at http://dsa.indiana.edu/cjp. Click on “Forms and Docs.” d. You may send a copy of your report if you wish to the director of undergraduate or graduate studies in the Jacobs School of Music, but the Office of Student Ethics automatically sends a copy of the faculty report and all documentation to the associate dean for instruction, who then notifies the undergraduate/graduate office.
4. If the student chooses not to appeal either your misconduct charge or any academic sanction you impose, you have no further role in this process. 5. If the student chooses to appeal your misconduct charge and/or academic sanction, you will be contacted by the associate dean for instruction for further information. 6. If the student’s appeal eventually goes forward to a hearing of the Academic Fairness Committee), you will be informed as to any further steps you will need to take. 7. For complete procedures, please see the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct and the Procedures for Bloomington Campus (available on-line at http://dsa.indiana.edu/Code/index1.html and in hard copy from the Office of Student Ethics and Anti-Harassment Programs). See particularly the Code, Section II, Student Responsibitilies: Academic Responsibilities and Misconduct, for a complete definition of “academic misconduct.” For Processes and Procedures, click on IU Bloomington. The Academic Misconduct procedures start on page 16 with a good summary of the process.
8. A student cannot avoid a low course grade (including an F) given as a result of academic misconduct by withdrawing from the course before the automatic “W” deadline. If academic misconduct is found even in the first week of class, you have the responsibility to file a report and can award the grade of F for the semester.
9. On the final electronic grade roster, you should report F* when the F was awarded because of academic misconduct (if the student’s appeal has been completed) or I* if a case of academic misconduct which you reported is still under appeal. 8 Please contact Gary Potter, Daniel Melamed, or Mary Wennerstrom with questions about the procedures.
Jacobs School of Music Academic Fairness Committee Procedures for Hearings in Cases of Grade Appeal or Academic Misconduct
(based on procedures specified in the Bloomington Campus Procedures of the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, Indiana University [see pages 14-15] and on procedures in the College of Arts and Sciences)
Formal hearings for grade appeal or academic misconduct cases in the Jacobs School of Music will be conducted by the five-member Academic Fairness Committee (AFC) (three faculty, two students). The Associate Dean for Instruction schedules the hearing, receives material from all parties related to the hearing, and attends the hearing (but does not vote). All relevant materials submitted for the hearing will be available to the student, the faculty member, and the committee members before the hearing. All notices regarding the hearing and the materials available shall be made in writing, which may include electronic mail.
One of the tenured faculty members of the committee will be the presiding officer for the hearing. The presiding officer shall maintain order and make all rulings necessary for the fair, orderly, and expeditious conduct of the hearing, and will determine the relevance of information presented. The presiding officer writes the letter summarizing the result of the hearing. All members of the AFC shall be free from conflicts of interest in the case.
Normally all parties must be present in person. The AFC may allow for presence in formal hearings by electronic means, when warranted by special circumstances. The hearing will be closed unless either the student or the faculty member presents convincing reasons to the AFC as to why the hearing should be open.
Both the student and the faculty may be accompanied by an advisor and/or witnesses, if applicable, and if approved ahead of time by the AFC. Only committee members, the student, the faculty member, and witnesses will be allowed to speak at the hearing. If an advisor is present for either the student or faculty or both, the advisor may not speak to address the AFC directly nor answer questions posed by the AFC or the other party involved.
Proceedings before the AFC will be audio recorded. Deliberations will be private and not audio recorded. Decisions of the AFC will be made by majority vote.
The student bringing the appeal presents first to the Academic Fairness Committee in the presence of the faculty member who awarded the grade being appealed, or who levied the charge of academic misconduct and the sanction The faculty member then presents to the Committee in the presence of the student. Student and faculty initial presentations are limited to a “reasonable length,” usually around 5 minutes. Since all parties present have gained a thorough understanding of the issues and details involved through the materials submitted in advance, it is not necessary for the student and faculty presentations to reiterate them. Rather, these presentations should focus on a brief review of the most salient points of the case, point out any perceived discrepancies, and pose any questions to the other party involved.
After both the student and the faculty member have presented, the AFC members ask questions of either party. The student and faculty member may also ask questions of each other. Witnesses may be called to address questions posed to them – either by the person who requested their presence or by members of the AFC or by the other party involved. Their responses are to be brief and directly answer only the question(s) posed.
After all student and faculty member presentations are complete, all AFC questions are answered, and the witnesses have answered questions, the student and the faculty member may each make a brief (around 1-2 minute) summary statement. The audio taping then ceases. The student and faculty member (and those who accompanied them, including any advisors or witnesses) leave the hearing; the Associate Dean for Instruction also leaves the hearing. The AFC members begin their deliberations. The student and faculty are excused at this point, unless one or more members of the AFC ask them to remain available to be recalled for further questioning.
The options for the AFC in the case of grade appeal are:
1) to change the grade given by the faculty to the grade requested by the student. 2) to change the grade given by the faculty to a grade different from the one requested by the student. 3) to uphold the grade given by the faculty and to deny the grade appeal.
The student and faculty will be notified of the AFC’s decision in writing, by a letter from the presiding officer within 14 calendar days after the hearing. Copies of the letter will be sent to the Dean of the Jacobs School of Music, who will be directed to process the grade change (if applicable), and to the Associate Dean for Instruction.
The options for the AFC in the case of academic misconduct are:
1) to overturn the initial charge and sanction (all materials destroyed) 2) to uphold the charge but reduce the sanction (an amended report to be sent to Student Ethics, and the course grade changed [if applicable]) 3) to uphold both the charge and sanction
The student and faculty will be notified of the AFC’s decision in writing, by a letter from the presiding officer within 14 calendar days after the hearing, as specified in the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct (p. 19). Copies of the letter will be sent to the Dean of the Jacobs School of Music, to the Associate Dean for Instruction, to the Dean of Students, and to the Dean of the unit in which the student is enrolled (if different from the Jacobs School).
March 2007 |