Grade changes & Review

The NDSU Office of Registration and Records provides the following guidance on grade changes:

With the exception of Incomplete grades, a course grade issued by an instructor and recorded on an academic record is considered final. For the student who has reason to believe the grade issued is incorrect, the student must initiate a request for a change of a grade with the instructor within fifteen (15) instructional days of the first day of the semester immediately following the semester in which the grade was assigned. For Spring Semester courses, the request may be made within fifteen (15) instructional days of the start of Fall Semester, if the student is not enrolled for the summer term. Grade changes may only be considered for students who have not yet earned a degree.

Requesting a Grade Change:

In the Writing Program, students who notice an error in their final grade must contact the instructor directly to request a grade change within 15 instructional days of the next full semester (fall or spring).

Requesting a Grade Review:

Students who would like an outside review of one or more of their written assignments have the right to request this after the semester is over, provided that they submit the request in writing within 15 instructional days of the next full semester (fall or spring). Please follow the below process for a grade review:

If you would like to request a grade review for an individual assignment or set of assignments from a General Education writing course, please submit a grade review packet, as outlined below, to the appropriate program director: Dr. Lisa Arnold, for first-year courses, or Ben Melby , for upper-division courses. Please consult the department chair if writing program directors are not available or if they are involved in the grade review as instructors.

Grades based upon attendance or class participation cannot be reviewed, but the appropriate director can meet with a student and instructor to try to resolve any misunderstandings related to those grades.

Grade Review Packet:

To begin the process of review, please prepare a grade review packet. The packet should include a cover letter and the assignment(s) you would like reviewed.

Cover Letter: Please address this letter to the program director and introduce the assignment(s) you would like to be reviewed. In your letter, please indicate your course number, your section number, and include your Student ID number. Briefly introduce the assignment(s) you would like to be reviewed. Please also identify your academic adviser, his or her email address, and your NDSU email address. Do not indicate your instructor’s name, the grade you received, or the grade you think your assignment deserves; the director and review committee will make every effort to keep the review impartial and based on the material at hand, not instructor or student perceptions of the work.

Assignment Information: Include with your letter a clean copy of the work you would like reviewed, and a copy of the assignment sheet(s) including grading rubric(s). Your instructor can provide you with copies of the assignment sheet(s) and rubric(s) if you did not save a copy.

The Process: Three members of the First-Year Writing Committee or the Upper-Division Writing Committee will review your work and assign it a grade based on the rubric(s) provided. If the new grade is higher, the committee will ask your instructor to re-calculate your final grade; if the new grade is the same or lower, your grade will not be changed and no further action will be taken.

A copy of the review will be sent to you, your adviser, and the English Department Chair, and a copy can be made available to the University Grade Appeals Board if you would like to have your work reviewed further. Please consult the NDSU Policy Manual for additional information about the Grade Appeals Process at NDSU.