SPS is responsible for determining course and program requirements, setting standards for student performance, and establishing qualifying examinations. SPS course instructors retain considerable discretion in these matters. However, instructors remain under obligation to also ensure that their course syllabus is consistent with the goals of the curriculum and that grading standards are appropriate to the educational objectives of the program.

Instructors have an obligation to students to make clear the basis of evaluation - including students' reading assignments, written submissions, contributions to class discussions, and presentations - at the start of each course so that students face no unexpected or untimely demands. Grades on students' examinations and coursework are also the responsibility of the instructor.

The Academic Appeals Process
If a student questions the validity of a grade for a course, final examination, or a portion of coursework, the student may appeal it. Most of these appeals can and should be resolved through the student's direct communication with the instructor. A student's appeal of a final grade must be formally initiated within thirty business days following the posting of the grade on the student's transcript. After the thirty-day deadline has passed, the grade becomes permanent.

The Academic Appeals process comprises three levels as described below. The student may terminate the appeal process after Level I (with the instructor) or after Level II if a satisfactory conclusion is reached. The Level III decision of the Academic Appeals Committee is final.

Level I With the Instructor:
The student shall meet with the instructor in an attempt to resolve the complaint. The student should email or call the instructor, explain his o her concerns, and ask for specific information as to why this grade was received. The student may be accompanied by a person of his/her choosing to the discussion with the instructor. Under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), students have the right to review their examinations. It is the instructor's responsibility to provide the student with a detailed explanation of how the grade was determined.

Level II With the SPS Coordinator of Student Services:
If the matter is not resolved at Level I, the student shall submit a written appeal to the SPS Coordinator of Student Services. The written appeal must specify the nature of the complaint and the outcome the student is seeking, including the date of discussion with the instructor. The Coordinator of Student Services will schedule a meeting with the student and the instructor in an attempt to resolve the complaint. The Coordinator of Student Services and the instructor with whom the complaint is filed will then communicate their decision in writing to the student.

Level III The Academic Appeals Committee:
If the matter is not resolved to the student's satisfaction at Level II, the student shall submit a written appeal outlining the nature of the complaint and the outcome sought to the Dean of the School of Professional Studies (or his/her designee). The Dean shall schedule a meeting with the student and the Academic Appeals Committee. The Academic Appeals Committee will consist of the Dean, two members of the SPS governing committee, and one SPS instructor or CUNY faculty member with relevant specialization, who will hear the student's complaint. The Dean, on the basis of each individual student complaint shall randomly determine the members of the Academic Appeals Committee; the committee will not function as a standing committee. The Dean will communicate the decision of the Academic Appeals Committee in writing to the student. In academic appeals, the decision of the Academic Appeals Committee is final.

The academic appeals process will be accomplished in a reasonable period of time not to extend beyond six months. A student's failure to comply with the aforementioned process will nullify the complaint. The timeline for the specific stages of the academic appeals process is given below.

Timeline Governing the Appeals Process:
A formal academic appeal is filed after the student has met with his/her instructor but has not resolved the complaint. Students have 30 business days from the date their final grade is posted to initiate a Level II academic appeal to the Coordinator of Student Services. A formal academic appeal is considered filed only when a postmarked letter or email is sent to the SPS Coordinator of Student Services. Students have 30 business days to initiate a Level III academic appeal from the date they receive notice of the outcome of a Level I academic appeal.

When the SPS Student Services Coordinator receives a Level II appeal, he/she has 10 business days to respond by scheduling a meeting with the student and instructor. Once the meeting has been conducted, the student will receive a decision in writing within 10 business days. If the appeal is denied, the student may move to the next level of the appeal process (the Academic Appeals Committee) by submitting a request within 30 business days of the notice of the Level II academic appeal outcome.

Requests for Level II appeals are submitted to:



When the Dean (or Dean's designee) receives a written appeal requesting a hearing with the Academic Appeal Committee, the Dean has 10 working days to respond to the student's formal appeal by scheduling a meeting with the Academic Appeals Committee. Students will receive a decision in writing within 10 working days of the Academic Appeal Committee meeting. The decision of the Academic Appeals Committee is final.

Submit Academic Appeal Committee requests to:



Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What should be included in an appeal letter to the Coordinator of Student Service?
The appeal letter must include the student's name, address, student ID number, phone numbers (indicating the number and time best for contact) and email address (note: if an email address is included, the student is responsible for checking email frequently). The letter should be dated and signed.

The letter must begin with the name and number of the course and the semester in which it was taken (e.g., "I am appealing my grade in Disability Studies DCCP 60100 - Psychosocial, Cultural and Political Aspects of Disability, fall semester 2004) and state the instructor's name, the grade received from that instructor, and the resolution requested.

2. May the student be accompanied to an Appeals meeting?
The student may bring a person of his/her own choosing to meetings with the instructor or to any of the appeal hearings.

3. Will the information become public if I file an appeal or send a letter to the SPS Coordinator of Student Services and/or Dean?
The appeal process is confidential and all information shared, either orally or in writing, is kept in the strictest confidence. All materials related to the academic appeal are kept locked in the Office of the Coordinator of Student Services.

4. Who has the authority to change a student's grade?
Only the instructor and the Academic Appeals Committee have the authority to change a student's grade.