You check your mailbox every day, waiting to see the grades you worked so hard for last semester. But when that report card finally comes, you find that your professor gave you a C instead of the B you rightfully earned.

Students who received last semester’s grades and believe them to be unfair can appeal the grade based on one or more of the following:

* Grade was assigned on some basis other than a student’s performance in the course.

* The grade was assigned on more demanding standards than for other students in the section.

* The instructor deviated drastically from the syllabus after the fourth week of class, and the student followed the original standards.

* The instructor failed to announce his or her standards for grading.

Ombudsman Tim Griffin said he gives advice about grade appeals to 30 or 40 students each semester.

“Usually there is a calculation error lying with either the student or the professor,” Griffin said.

Junior communication major Sparkle Scott said she is all for the appeals process.

“If I felt that I didn’t deserve a grade I was given or that the grade wasn’t fair, I would appeal because I believe in fairness,” Scott said. “First I would meet with the professor and go through all my grades.”

Scott has the right idea. According to http://www.niu.edu/depts/ombud/gradeap.html, the first step toward appealing a grade is to meet with the instructor.

Meeting with an instructor first can alleviate the next three steps in appealing grades, which include talking with the department chairman, submitting a petition and having a dean review the hearing. The deadline to request a grade appeal hearing by submitting a petition is Feb. 9.

Sociology professor George Kourvetaris said if his students would like to discuss their grades, he’d be more than willing.

“I’ve been teaching for 31 years and have only had a couple of students appeal their grades,” Kourvetaris said. “Sometimes, the students would go to the department chair first. However, I prefer students to come to me first so that we can go over their grades together. Professors make mistakes, too.”

Griffin said students can find more information about NIU’s grade appeals process at the NIU Web site.

“I’d encourage all students to keep an open mind, be respectful and approach the situation with a positive attitude because it will help them to be successful,” Griffin said.