Appealing a Final Grade at NYU Wagner

A final grade earned in a course taught by an NYU Wagner instructor will be changed only in exceptional circumstances. Grading is a matter of the discretion of the instructor in his or her application of the NYU Wagner Grading Policy [available at http://wagner.nyu.edu/students/policies/grading].

Only the instructor who assigned the final grade can make a quality grade change (e.g., change a grade from a B+ to an A). The following circumstances are the unusual exceptions that may warrant a grade appeal: (a) the final grade assigned for a course is based on clear error (e.g., an arithmetic error in computing a grade or failure to grade one of the answers on an examination), or (b) the faculty member who assigned the grade did so in violation of a specific New York University policy.

A student who believes a final grade was assigned pursuant to (a) above must first present the case informally to the NYU Wagner instructor responsible for the course in which the student believes an inappropriate grade has been awarded. All possible effort should be taken to resolve the case at this informal stage. The instructor can make a quality grade change at any time prior to a final written decision by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at NYU Wagner (the “Associate Dean”).

If the grading issue cannot be resolved with the instructor or a student believes a final grade was assigned pursuant to (b) above, the student may choose to submit a formal, written appeal to the Associate Dean within the first fourteen (14) days of the term following the awarding of the final grade under challenge. The written appeal shall state clearly whether the appeal is based on manifest error or an alleged violation of NYU policy. If the basis for the appeal is manifest error, the appeal shall state the alleged error and provide all supporting documentation (such as exam grades, course syllabus, etc.). If the basis for the appeal is an alleged violation of NYU policy, the appeal shall include the written policy of the University that has allegedly been violated and describe the facts and evidence supporting the alleged violations. In either case, the written appeal shall indicate what redress is being sought and provide a brief history of the attempts to resolve the case, including a detailed account of all communication with the instructor.

The Associate Dean may meet, and the written appeal may be shared, with any persons he or she deems appropriate for the purpose of ascertaining the facts and attempting to resolve the case. The written appeal may be shared with the instructor at the Associate Dean’s discretion. The Associate Dean may only take one of the following actions in regard to the appeal: 1) no change of grade or 2) change of grade to “Pass.” The Associate Dean shall render a written decision on the merits of the appeal. Final decision authority on grade appeals rests with the Associate Dean and the decision of the Associate Dean is not appealable.

Please note that the Grade Appeal process is not a substitute for or does not supersede other University policies and procedures governing community standards at NYU.