Grade Appeal and Grievance Procedure

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Final Course Grade Appeals

A student has the right to appeal a final course grade if one or more of the following reasons can be substantiated:

  • A grading decision was made on some basis other than the student’s course performance.
  • A grading decision was based on significantly different standards from those applied to other students in the same course in the same term with the same instructor.
  • A grading decision was based on a significant and unannounced departure from the course syllabus.
  • The student experienced a significant extenuating circumstance within the last 7 days of the course term that prevented the student from participating in class or submitting coursework.

Before initiating a grade appeal, the student is strongly encouraged to work directly with the course instructor to resolve the concern. Per the Grade Appeal Policy, if the student still chooses to appeal their final grade the student must complete, sign, and submit the school’s Grade Appeal Form by the 3rd day following the end of the term. The form must be accompanied by any relevant documentation to support the student’s reason for the appeal. The burden of proving the reason for the appeal rests solely with the student. An appeal cannot be made solely based on a disagreement with the instructor’s decisions. Students can obtain the Grade Appeal Form from their Dean/Director of Education or Registrar.

Grievance Procedure

Students are encouraged, at all times, to communicate their concerns to members of the faculty and administration. If a situation arises in which a student has a complaint or grievance the student must follow the following procedure, unless they are filing a Final Course Grade Appeal (above), and then the student skips immediately to Step 3; if the Dean/Director denies the appeal, the matter then proceeds to the Campus President under Step 4:

  1. Within 2 business days: Discuss the matter with his or her instructor, if applicable. If not resolved,
  2. Within the following 2 business days: Discuss the matter with the Program Director, if applicable. If not resolved,
  3. Within the following 2 business days: Discuss the matter with the Dean/Director of Education or Nursing. For nursing students enrolled in online courses, this step is directed to the Dean of Online Nursing. If not resolved,
  4. Within the following 2 business days: Discuss the matter with the Campus President.

If a student is still unable to resolve the issue, a written grievance statement along with supporting documentation may be submitted to the Campus President. The written statement should include the details of the student’s issue, a summary of the conversations the student had with individuals while following the above procedure, and an explanation as to why the student believes the issue remains unresolved.

The Campus President will schedule a grievance committee meeting within two (2) business days of receipt of the written grievance. Students are required to appear before the grievance committee. The Campus President will inform the student of the time and place to appear before the committee. The grievance committee has the responsibility of reaching a decision that is in balance with the best interest of both the student and the college/institute. Students will be notified in writing within three business days of the committee’s decision. Legal representation is not permitted because a grievance committee meeting is not considered a legal proceeding.

Further, students have the right to report any apparent inconsistencies with the application of the Grade Appeal and Grievance Procedure outlined in the school catalog. The request must be completed in writing and submitted to the college/institute Ombudsperson at: ombudsperson@edaff.com. The request must include a summary of the student’s grievance and any details and supporting documentation of the student’s conversation with campus staff regarding the grievance, and it must describe how the campus’ management of the grievance procedure was inconsistent with the school catalog. The Ombudsperson will research the student’s report as deemed appropriate, including requesting additional information from the student as needed, and render a final decision that is binding. The student will be notified in writing of the decision. If the resolution is unsatisfactory, the student may choose to address his or her concerns to the state licensing authority, the institutional accreditor, the programmatic accreditor, or other approving agencies, including the following:

The title and address of the state licensing authority is:
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
James Monroe Building
101 N. 14th Street, 9th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: (804) 225-2600
Fax: (804) 225-2604
www.schev.edu

National Accreditor Complaint Procedure:
Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)
ABHES’ online complaint system:
https://complaintsabhes.com

The title and address of the programmatic accrediting/approving agencies:

Surgical Technology program
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
1361 Park Street,
Clearwater, Florida 33756
727.210.2350
www.caahep.org

Practical Nursing program
Commonwealth of Virginia
Department of Health Professions Perimeter Center
9960 Mayland Drive, Ste. 300
Richmond, VA 23233
Phone: (804) 367-4515
www.dhp.virginia.gov/

If the student has been dismissed, the student will remain dismissed until the matter is resolved. If the matter is resolved in the student’s favor the student will be reinstated at the next available course start date.

If the student’s eligibility for Financial Aid has been suspended, the student may remain in school during the Appeals process.

The Virginia State Approving Agency (SAA) is the approving authority of education and training programs for Virginia. This office investigates complaints of GI Bill beneficiaries. While most complaints should initially follow the school grievance policy, if the situation cannot be resolved at the school level, the beneficiary should contact the SAA via email at: saa@dvs.virginia.gov.

Maryland Residents

Students must first exhaust the complaint/grievance procedures established by the institution before submitting a complaint to the Maryland Higher Education Commission. If the complaint has not been resolved appropriately by the institution, the complainant may submit an official complaint to the MHEC as outlined on their website. Specific types of complaints are handled by different agencies or organizations. A student must submit a complaint to the appropriate agency or organization as described on MHEC’s website, Student Complaint Process, and follow the specific procedures. Complaints involving alleged violations of the Education Article or the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) Title 13B Maryland Higher Education Commission, or a Private Career School’s own written institutional policies, may be submitted to MHEC via Student Complaint Portal. The student can complete the Student Complaint Form and email it as one scanned attachment to pcs-complaint.mhec@maryland.gov Student Complaint Process.