The first week of summer classes also signifies the beginning of the grade appeals process for some students.

Students have the right to appeal a grade, but there must be reasonable cause, said Terrence Bishop, associate management professor and member of the grade appeals committee.

According to NIU’s Academic Policies and Procedures Manual, a course grade must be based on evidence of the student’s performance; the student must have access to the evidence; the instructor must explain and interpret the evidence to the student; and a single evaluative standard must be applied to all students in a course section.

A student who received a B grade but should have received an A grade according to the syllabus would have reason to appeal a grade, Bishop said. Many cases involve students who receive an D or F and want the professor to raise it to a C, he said.

“Students cannot just say, ‘I don’t like my grade; I will appeal,’” Bishop said. “There must be problems with your grade.”

Bishop said it is best to talk to the professor first and understand what went wrong. Some students first try to talk to the department chair, but the chair will request the student talk to the professor, he said.

Sometimes, a professor is unclear in the syllabus or miscalculates a grade, Bishop said. Other times, professors may have decided to change the weight of the final, which also can impact grades.

According to NIU’s Academic Policies and Procedures Manual, a student must talk with his or her instructor, inform him or her of questions concerning the grade and try to understand the grounds and procedures the instructor has used to determine the grade.

If the student still thinks the grade is unfair, he or she should talk with the chair of the department in which the course is offered.

If neither of these steps resolves the problem, the student may submit a written petition to the Grade Review Board in the department in which the course is offered.

The dean then should notify the student and instructor of the Grade Review Board’s decision and review the case.

Students should know the status of their grades during the semester and not only at the end, Bishop said.