Course Grade Appeal Process | Bergen Community College

Course Grade Appeal Procedures

Step 1: Informal Discussion with Faculty Member
A student raising a complaint or concern about a final course grade must first contact the faculty member of record to attempt an informal resolution. This contact must be initiated no later than ten (10) business days after the official start of the regular semester immediately following the semester in which the grade was issued.

If the faculty member does not respond to the student’s outreach within five (5) business days, the student may bypass Step 1 and proceed directly to Step 2.

Step 2: Department Chair Review

If the grade appeal is not resolved with the faculty member, or if the faculty member remains unresponsive, the student may submit the matter to the appropriate Department Chair or Program Director within ten (10) business days of the conclusion of Step 1 (or the expiration of the faculty response period).

The Department Chair or Program Director will log the grade appeal, investigate the concern, attempt to resolve the matter, and notify the student of their decision in writing within ten (10) business days of receiving the appeal.

Step 3: Division Dean Formal Appeal
If the appeal remains unresolved, the student may submit a formal appeal through Maxient within ten (10) business days of receiving the Department Chair or Program Director’s written response. The submission must include all supporting documentation and prior correspondence.

Upon notification from Maxient, the Division Dean will initiate a formal inquiry. The Dean may consult with faculty within the discipline, review departmental records, and meet with the student. The Division Dean will issue a decision in writing via Maxient within ten (10) business days of receiving of the formal appeal. If an extended review is required due to case complexity, the Division Dean will notify the student through Maxient with an updated response timeline. The outcome letter will include instructions on how to escalate the appeal to the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost.

Step 4: Final Appeal to the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost
Following receipt of the Division Dean’s decision, the student may request a final review by submitting a written appeal directly to the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost within ten (10) business days of notification.

The Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost will review all accumulated documentation, consult relevant parties as needed, and issue the final decision in writing within ten (10) business days of receipt. If additional time is required, the Vice President’s Office will notify the student of the updated timeline. The decision of the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost is final. The final appeal request, any new documentation reviewed, and the resulting decision will be added to the existing case file in
Maxient by the Vice President’s Office.

“E” “F” Grade Appeal to the Committee on Academic Standing

An E grade is assigned by an instructor when a student has completed too little work for an earned grade (A, B, C, D, F). As of the Fall 2023 term, the E grade is no longer an option for grading. Starting with the Fall 2023 term, instructors will assign an F grade and enter the last day of attendance.
Prior to the Fall 2023 term, students received E grades because they did not attend class or stopped attending class but did not withdraw from the course by the official deadline. The E and F grade both have the same academic weight with a student’s GPA.
A student may petition the Committee on Academic Standing to request that an E or F grade be changed to a W grade.
This request should be filed only when students were prevented from withdrawing from a course officially due to circumstances beyond their control. (See current Bergen Academic Catalog Policies.)
Petitions must be filed within four (4) semesters of the semester in which the E, F, was received, not including Winter or Summer terms.

Form

The student must meet with an Academic Counselor to initiate/start the E Appeal Form (ADV0007) completion process.

Academic Forgiveness Request to the Committee on Academic Standing

The College’s Academic Forgiveness policy is designed to help students recover from past academic problems.
There are two options for academic forgiveness. The first option applies to students who have not attended Bergen for at least six consecutive fall and spring semesters, and the second for current students who change their curriculum.
A student may apply only once for each forgiveness option.

Option 1 – Based upon Past academic performance/Nonattendance

After three consecutive years of non-attendance (3 Fall and 3 Spring semesters), a student may request Academic Forgiveness of grades as follows:

After the student’s return to Bergen Community College, he/she must complete at least nine (9) credits with a GPA of 2.50 for the request to be approved. The request will be reviewed after the student has completed at least one semester.
If the student’s request is approved: grades of “F“, “E“, “R” and optionally “D” for the courses from the prior attendance period will be removed from the Bergen Grade Point Average. However, the courses will remain on the student’s official academic transcript , designated with a special code for Academic Forgiveness (“@“).
Form: Academic Forgiveness Form (Option 1 – Nonattendance)

Option 2 – Based upon Change of Curriculum

A student may request Academic Forgiveness based upon a change of curriculum at any time after matriculation and after credits have been attempted.
If a student’s request is approved, grades of “F,” “E,” “R,” and optionally “D” in courses that were required by the student’s former academic program but that are not required by the new program will be removed from the student’s Grade Point Average. However, the courses will remain on the student’s official transcript designated with a special code indicating Academic Forgiveness (“@“).
Form: Academic Forgiveness Form (Option 2 – Change of Curriculum)