Today is the last day to appeal a grade received in a fall 2005 class.

“Most students appeal their grades because they feel like they have been unfairly treated,” said Larry Johannessen, director of undergraduate studies in the English department. “For example, a student might appeal their grades because they had excessive absences and got what he or she thought was an unfair grade.”

The system is set up for the school to maintain academic integrity. However, many NIU students do not take the school up on its offer to appeal grades.

“There are only about four to five students who appeal their grade every semester, but after talking to their professor and me, there is only about one student who actually goes through with the whole process,” said Johannessen.

Some students do not know they have the opportunity to appeal their grades.

“I had absolutely no idea that the school even allowed us to change our grades,” said Bill Laidt, a sophomore accountancy major.

The biggest complaint from students is the length of the appeals process the difficulty in actually achieving a change of grade.

Sometimes the appeals process does work, but it is more on the student to prove they have been treated unfairly in relation to the grade the student received.

“Appeals are not a waste of time; the student just needs to have a really good argument,” Johannessen said. “About 50 percent actually change their grade.”