Grade Appeals Process

At Kennesaw State University, we value fairness in the grading process. You have the right to submit a formal grade appeal if you believe a final course grade has been assigned in error or unfairly. The process outlined below ensures that any grade-related concerns are thoroughly reviewed based on specific criteria outlined in KSU’s Grade Appeal Policy. 

We’re committed to ensuring your concerns are heard and addressed properly, whether you believe a grading policy was violated or a miscalculation occurred. 

Grade Appeal Policy

You can find a full description of KSU’s Grade Appeal Policy in Section 3.6 of the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs.

Kennesaw State University is committed to treating students fairly in the grading process. A student may appeal a final grade awarded for a course. Interim grades or grades on specific assignments are not appealable. An appeal must be based on one or more of the following:

  • An allegation that the faculty member has violated the stated grading policy,
  • An allegation that the faculty member assigned a grade using a different standard than was used with other students in the same course.
  • An allegation that the grade was miscalculated.

The student has the burden of proving these allegations. All formal appeals under these procedures will be based only on the written record.

This process does not address academic integrity allegations, faculty misconduct, or discrimination/retaliation. If the student alleges their grade is based on discrimination or retaliation because of their membership in a protected class, the student may file a complaint with the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE).

PLEASE NOTE: Complaints filed with the OIE are independent of the grade appeal process and are not reviewed by OIE as an appeal of a grade. If an OIE complaint is filed, the grade will remain the final grade and cannot be changed based on OIE authority. However, upon receiving a finding from the OIE as to whether there is a violation, the Dean may determine whether a change of grade is warranted.

A complaint filed with the OIE and a Formal Grade Appeal may be filed concurrently. Filing a complaint of discrimination/retaliation with the OIE regarding a grade does not change the time requirements for filing a grade appeal based on this policy.

How to Submit a Grade Appeal

Beginning in Fall 2024, the grade appeals process will be created in Owl Express. Grade appeals can be submitted for a course from the day after grades are posted for the semester until the 20th business day of the following semester. If your grade appeal is approved, the grade change process will be initiated automatically. If your grade appeal is denied, you will have 20 days from the date of the decision to appeal the denial.

Follow These Step by Step Instructions to Submit a Grade Appeal

 

  • Log in to Owl Express and Select the Student Records tab.

    A horizontal banner with three sections: "Registration," "Student Records" in a highlighted yellow box, and "Student Services

  • A list of student resources related to academic records, including "Transient Letter," "Personal Information," "Student Consent to Disclosure (FERPA Release)," "Request CeCredential," and a highlighted link to "Request Grade Appeal" with a note about requiring VPN access for off-campus users.

    Note: To begin the Grade Appeal process, you must connect to the campus network or, if your current location is in KSU housing or off campus, you must connect to the KSU virtual private network (VPN) using GlobalProtect. To connect to the VPN, follow the steps outlined on uits.kennesaw.edu/vpn to download GlobalProtect and log in.


    This ensures the security of your data!

  • On the left menu, expand the Grade Appeal folder, then click Student. The dashboard will load.

    login to grade appeal screen shot

  • On the Grade Appeal dashboard, select Submit New Request.

    A webpage image showing a grade appeal form. The page title is "Grade Appeal" and there is a button labeled "Submit New Request." Below the button, there is a table showing current appeals with columns for transaction number, submission date, course prefix, course number, course title, decision, and appeal decision due date. Two rows of data are visible in the table.

  • The Grade Appeal Acknowledgement box appears.
    Read the acknowledgements, then select Acknowledge & Continue.

    A webpage image showing a grade appeal acknowledgement form. The page title is "Grade Appeal Acknowledgement" and there is a button labeled "Acknowledge & Continue." Above the button, there is a section titled "Policy Confirmation" with three statements about acknowledging the grade appeal policy, discussing concerns with the faculty member, and understanding that discrimination allegations should be filed with the Office of Institutional Equity.

  • On the Grade Appeal Request form, select the course for which you would like to submit the grade appeal form. You are required to enter a justification for your appeal and upload the course syllabus. You may upload additional supporting documentation; however, this is not mandatory.

    • NOTE: PDF file type is preferred.
    • NOTE: Once the appeal has been submitted, supporting documents will be visible to those with access and cannot be deleted.

    A webpage image showing a grade appeal request form. The page title is "Grade Appeal Request Form" and there is a button labeled "X" in the top right corner. The form contains fields for semester, CRN, course prefix, course number, course title, section, credit hours, grade received, and instructor name. The current values in the form are for Spring Semester 2024, CRN 15625, EDUCE 2110, Critical & Contemporary Issues, 01, 3, D, and Bradford Burel. There is a section titled "Appeal Justification" with a text box for the justification and a note about attaching the required course syllabus and supporting documentation. Below the justification box, there are sections for "Course Syllabus" and "Supporting Documents" with file upload fields.

  • Grade Appeal Request form with a horizontal banner with three buttons: "Save as Draft," "Cancel," and "Submit." The buttons are enclosed in a red border and there is a number "6" above them.

    When finished, select one of the following:

    • Save as Draft to save your appeal without submitting.
    • Cancel to exit the appeal form without submitting.
    • Submit to submit your appeal for review. You will be prompted to confirm your submission.
    • Select Yes to submit your appeal.

    A submission confirmation dialog box for a grade appeal request. The title is "Submit Prior to Confirm" and there is a message warning the user that the appeal will be submitted upon confirmation and cannot be updated afterwards. The user is asked to confirm if they want to submit the request. There are two buttons: "No" and a highlighted "Yes" button.

    A submission complete window will display.

    A submission complete confirmation message indicating that the grade appeal has been submitted successfully. The message includes a confirmation email will be sent to the user's KSU email address and instructions on what to do if the email is not received within 24 hours. There is a single button labeled "OK.

  • Your appeal will be listed on the Grade Appeals dashboard with the status Pending Department Chair Decision.

    To review your appeal submission, select the transaction number.

    A transaction number table row showing information about a grade appeal. The row includes a transaction number, submission date, course prefix, course number, course title, semester, grade received, and a note indicating that the decision is pending the department chair's decision.