Grade Change Committee Guidelines

http://academicsenate.ucdavis.edu/GCC/

PREAMBLE: The Grade Change Committee (hereafter, “the Committee”), reviews all retroactive and grade change requests not unambiguously justified by the Regulations of the Academic Senate and of the Davis Division; the Committee is governed by Davis Division Bylaw 79.  The Committee is dedicated to the academic standards, educational mission, and Principles of Community of UC Davis, and will review all petitions on a case-by-case basis to determine appropriate action.  Petitioners to the Committee should understand that even in cases when the Committee may be sympathetic, the Committee is still required to abide by their own published Guidelines (below) and the Regulations of the Academic Senate.  Approval authority to make certain determinations on the behalf of the Committee is delegated to the Deputy to the Committee in the Office of the University Registrar (hereafter, “Grade Change Deputy”), as noted below.  The Committee reserves the right to determine when a petition warrants an exception to the below Guidelines.

Questions regarding the Committee or the Retroactive/Grade Change process should be directed to the Grade Change Deputy, who may be contacted at GradeChanges@ucdavis.edu.

1. Any retroactive petition must be submitted within 3 academic quarters in residence. Petitions submitted after this time period must explain and document why the retroactive action being sought was delayed.
2. If a petition is denied by the Committee, a student may appeal one time, within one academic quarter of residence, with substantial and new information. A second appeal will ordinarily not be considered by the Committee.
1. Bona fide appeals of final decisions made by the Committee may be referred to the Student Petitions Subcommittee of the Executive Council of the Academic Senate. However, appeals are limited to confirming that the Committee did not act in an arbitrary or capricious manner in making its determination and that the final decision was based on substantial evidence. The Student Petitions Subcommittee will not substitute its judgment on the substantive merits of the case for the judgment of the Committee.
3. After a student is awarded their degree his or her record is closed. The Committee will consider requests only when they concern clerical or procedural error. The Committee will not consider retroactive drops or withdrawals after a degree has been awarded. Petitions made outside of the timeline specified in paragraph 1 will not be considered.
4. Clerical or Procedural Errors. The Grade Change Deputy may approve all petitions that involve clerical or procedural errors. Such petitions must meet all other standards set forth by the Committee and the Academic Senate.
1. "Clerical or Procedural Error” is generally interpreted by the Committee to mean an error made by someone other than the student (e.g. instructor or staff adviser).
5. Petitions to change grade modes retroactively (i.e., to or from P/NP or S/U grading) will not be approved by the Committee except in cases of clerical or procedural error, even if based on student need.
6. All requests for a change of grade involving “Incomplete,” must be accompanied by a copy of the Incomplete form filed with the original grade report or documentation that the Incomplete grade agreement was made during the quarter.
7. If a student petitions to drop or withdraw retroactively because of a disability, the Committee will consider the disability aspect of the petition only if the student has first contacted the Student Disability Center ("SDC," http://sdc.ucdavis.edu) and the SDC has determined that the student has a qualifying disability and is eligible to receive reasonable accommodations. The Committee will consider only the time period (generally, no more than one quarter) before the SDC disability determination. Once SDC has determined that a student is eligible to receive reasonable accommodation, the Committee assumes that such accommodations have been sought by the student and provided through SDC. Retroactive action requested by the student of the Committee is not considered reasonable accommodation. However, the Committee will work with SDC and a student to implement any reasonable accommodations that are necessary to allow the student equitable opportunity to participate in the petition process.
8. The Grade Change Deputy may approve the following petitions to add courses retroactively, without referring the petition to the Committee:
1. If the student was on the waitlist for the course and this can be documented; if the student was issued a Permission-to-Add (“PTA”) number for the course; if it can be reasonably verified that the student intended to add the course to his or her schedule during the quarter. Such petitions must meet all other standards set forth by the Committee and the Academic Senate.
2. For the following courses, even if the conditions above are not met: PE Activity courses (PHE 1 and 6); music rehearsal courses; internship units; and research units. Such petitions must meet all other standards set forth by the Committee and the Academic Senate.
9. Petitions to drop or withdraw retroactively are the most difficult cases for the Committee to evaluate. In general, the Committee will be very reluctant to grant any retroactive action for more than one quarter. All petitions to drop or withdraw retroactively must show evidence that a hardship occurred at a crucial time in the academic calendar (e.g., the week of final examinations), extended over a significant period, or offer sufficient justification as to why action was not taken to drop petitioned course during the quarter. The majority of requests for retroactive drops and withdrawals will offer as justification one of the following reasons:
1. Financial Hardship. Ordinarily the Committee will grant such a petition only if there has been a sudden change in the student’s financial situation during the quarter. The student must provide documentation of the financial hardship, and/or documentation that his or her employer required an increase in work hours.
2. Health problems, including mental illness. These must be well documented. If a student believes that he or she may have a disability and is need of auxiliary aids or services in order to have an equal opportunity to participate in the Committee’s petition process, the student must contact the Student Disability Center in order to determine eligibility for reasonable accommodation. See paragraph 7, above.
3. Family Hardship. The death or severe illness of an immediate family member may be considered grounds for retroactive drop or withdrawal.
4. Problems with drugs, alcohol, or violent behavior. Generally, these are not considered sufficient justification for a retroactive drop or withdrawal.
5. Sexual Trauma. Events such as rape or abortion may justify a retroactive drop or withdrawal.
6. Personal Problems. Breaking up with a romantic partner will not generally be considered sufficient justification for a retroactive drop or withdrawal. Difficulties with landlords or roommates will not generally be considered sufficient justification for a retroactive drop or withdrawal. The Committee will consider legal entanglements or other time consuming procedures that may arise from such problems, but these must be well documented.
7. Academic Need. Retroactive action will not be taken by the Committee for reasons of academic need.
10. Requests to retroactively drop one or two courses, but not the entire quarter, will ordinarily be regarded as “selective” and will not be granted. The Committee will consider the possibility that one particular course was adversely affected more than other courses by situations as described in paragraph 9, but the Committee will require strong evidence.
11. The Committee will not make decisions relating to admission or readmission. Statements regarding these matters should not be made in petitions to the Committee. Students should meet with an Academic Adviser in their College Dean’s Office regarding these matters.
12. If a petition to add a course retroactively is approved by the Committee for a course in the regular quarter or during summer session, the student will be required to pay all necessary fees.
13. For retroactive petitions that concern the Education Abroad Program (EAP), a recommendation from the Committee on International Studies and Exchanges may be sought. In most situations the Grade Change Committee will support those recommendations. Because of the time involved for routing EAP petitions, said petitions are first on the agenda.
14. The Committee will review all retroactive petitions, also including grade changes for UC Davis Extension students enrolled in UC Davis classes. The UC Davis Extension student should provide a copy of her or his Extension transcript along with the petition.
15. Challenging an instructor’s grade. If the Grade Change Committee finds that a clerical or procedural error has resulted in a student receiving an incorrect grade, it may authorize a change even if the faculty member who awarded the grade is opposed, if an appropriate grade can be determined. Generally, the GCC will require the student to have discussed the matter with the faculty member and the department chairperson. The Committee, like the instructor, has no authority to reassess or re-evaluate student work; only if it can be documented that a clerical or procedural error was made will the Committee have authority to alter the grade. The student will be expected to bear the burden of proving that a clerical or procedural error occurred and caused the incorrect grade to be assigned.
16. If a student cites an advising error by a university staff or faculty adviser in his or her petition to the Committee, the student should provide documentation of the advising error with the petition. The Committee cannot make a determination regarding advising errors without appropriate documentation. Even in cases of documented advising errors, the Committee may deem it more appropriate that an exception be made by the adviser than for retroactive action to be taken by the Committee.
17. The Committee reserves the right to deny a petition, even if good cause for granting such a petition exists, if it determines that the petition represents a likely abuse of the retroactive petition process or attempt to circumvent other university rules and procedures.

Revised 6-11-09