Appeals

A few times each semester we make an error in grading. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. We work very hard to grade correctly and consistently and we include safeguards to keep it that way, but if we make an error, we apologize and correct it.

If you discover that a problem (note that a subproblem is a "problem", for example, problem 3d is a problem, and so is problem 3e) has been graded in error or if you feel that a submission was late because of circumstances beyond your control, you can request that the problem be regraded. Please understand, however, that only clear errors on our part can be corrected. Questions about our interpretations of your solutions to problems and complaints about our choice of weightings for problems are not appropriate for appeals and cannot be considered grounds for an appeal. If, however, you are convinced that there has clearly been an error in grading a problem on one of your assignments, you can appeal for a regrading. The rules and the process for appealing are given below.

1. Once an assignment is returned, you have 2 weeks to submit an appeal, except that, after the semester has ended, all appeals must be submitted by the first Friday after the last day of class for that semester.
   
2. If you feel that a grade has been given in error, you may appeal to have the work regraded. Similarly, if you feel that a submission was late because of circumstances beyond your control, you may appeal to have the deadline extended retroactively just for you for that particular submission.
   
3. To appeal, you must personally hand a physically printed or handwritten request to a teaching assistant. That request must be written on paper (not email), as described below.
   
   Note that on any of the required items, an error or omission will invalidate the appeal. Please understand the reason for this seemingly harsh restriction: There are thousands of individual problems graded in each semester of this class. We pledge to do our part to grade each of these as accurately as we can so that both you and we can avoid the time required for handling appeals. We typically achieve roughly a 99% "satisfaction" rate on the intial grading. However, even a 1% appeal rate means that multiple appealed problems must be processed each week. Because of the individually tailored aspect of an appeal, it is far less efficient to process an appeal than to grade a problem, and each appeal requires processing by two or three of our staff. As a result, in order to avoid reducing the attention that we pay to other important aspects of this class, we must require that you do your part by following the instructions exactly.
   
   1. Your name (printed legibly). If this is a team assignment, include all team names.
   2. Your email address. If this is a team assignment, all email addresses.
   3. The date that the appeal is handed to a staff member (Don't write the date down until just before handing it off).
   4. The signature, next to the date, of the staff member to whom you handed the appeal.
   5. A detailed description of the grading error.
   6. Your signature (You are pledging your honor that you have made no changes in the originally graded work and that what you say is true in this appeal). If this is a team assignment, all members of the team must sign.
   7. Attachments:
      • If you are questioning the grading (as opposed to the lateness) of submitted work, include the graded work with the form. Attach the graded printout of the entire submission, i.e., the entire homework assignment, entire exam, or entire program in question, not just the problem or part in question. Note that errors that are discovered in other parts of the assignment will be corrected also, even if they reduce your grade.
      • If you are questioning the lateness (as opposed to the grading) of submitted work, include any papers verifying the circumstances that you could not control (doctor's signature on health form, hard copy of email from system administrator about computer problems, print out of file dates, etc.).
4. Hand this request to any teaching assistant, who will forward it to the instructor in charge.

The entire exam, homework, or program will be regraded as a whole (i.e., not merely one part). Any mistake in grading discovered in this process will be rectified. (There is a possibility that your grade will be reduced.)

Your assignment will be returned with the new (possibly the same as before) grade marked on it. Any change will be reflected on line as well. If it is not changed in OAK within one day of your receving the hard copy, you should email the Appeals Coordinator.