Appeals and Grievances Policy

The Academic Review Committee (ARC) exists as the final arbitrator of all grievances at Goodwin College. There are specific instances where the ARC may be called upon to make a final judgment on academic issues. However, this Committee is the last resort and the student must follow all required steps in their entirety before taking the issue to the ARC.

The Academic Review Committee (ARC) exists as the final arbitrator of all grievances at Goodwin College. There are specific instances where the ARC may be called upon to make a final judgment on academic issues. However, this Committee is the last resort and the student must follow all required steps in their entirety before taking the issue to the ARC.

GRADES

Grades are part of the student’s permanent record. In rare instances, there can be situations in which course grades may need to be changed. These include computation errors, clerical errors, and the discovery of overlooked components in a student’s body of work.

A student who believes that an error in grading has occurred may request a review by the instructor of record up until the end of the semester following the one in which the grade in question was earned. Students may access their grades using Blackboard or by checking semester grade postings. If the instructor believes the change is justified, the instructor will initiate the grade change. If the instructor does not agree with the grade change, the student may appeal the decision to the Department Chair within 15 days of the grade posting. If this process results in agreement that the grade should be changed, the instructor will initiate the grade change. If the agreement is that a grade change is not justified, the Department Chair will notify the student in writing with a copy to the instructor. If the problem is still not resolved, the student may appeal the grade to the Academic Review Committee.

DISMISSAL

In unusual circumstances, a student who is dismissed due to failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress may be allowed to remain as an enrolled student and retain eligibility for financial aid if the student provides documentation of unusual and/or mitigating circumstances, and the Academic Review Committee grants temporary reinstatement. Examples of such mitigating circumstances include, but are not limited to, death in the family, sickness of student or child, or other events outside the student’s control that negatively impact academic performance.

A written appeal must be initiated by the student and must be received by the dean of Academic Affairs within three business days of notification of the dismissal. The circumstances must be documented, and the student must demonstrate that these circumstances had an adverse impact on the student’s satisfactory academic progress in the program. Furthermore, the student must demonstrate that such circumstances will not continue to adversely impact student performance. All appeals will be responded to within ten business days of receipt by the College.

SUGGESTIONS AND GRIEVANCES

When questions or concerns arise which must be discussed and resolved, it is important to know the person with whom to speak and the procedure for obtaining resolution of issues.

Goodwin College treats its programs as a form of on-the-job training for its students. For that reasons, any complaint or suggestion regarding a class should be discussed first with the instructor. If a student is unable to satisfactorily address the problem, he/she should make an appointment with the appropriate Department Chair. After that, appeals may be made, in writing, to the Academic Review Committee. All appeals should be sent to the Vice President of Academics, Chair of the ARC. Decisions will be rendered in writing within two (2) weeks. If still aggrieved, students may request to appear in person at an ARC meeting.