Grade Review, Challenge, and Appeal Process

The UW School of Medicine has a formal process in place for any student that wishes to challenge or appeal their clerkship grade:

Step 1: Grade Review

All students are permitted under Family, Education, Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to review educational records (e.g., exams and evaluations) upon request and any time after grade submission. Typically, a student will meet with a department representative to review de-identified evaluations, summative comments and/or final examination score. If after the grade review, a student is unsatisfied, the student may initiate the grade challenge process.

To initiate a grade review, a student should contact the department Clerkship administrator (nsclerk@uw.edu) to set up a time to speak or meet face-to-face. Students should check the department website for information on grading guidelines.

Note: The grade challenge and appeal process must be completed within twelve weeks after the grade is posted.

 

Step 2: Grade Challenge

Following an unsatisfactory grade review, a student may submit a grade challenge within four weeks after the grade is posted. This allows the department to connect with the student and process the challenge within seven weeks after the grade is posted. The Clerkship Director(s) then reviews the relevant grading and evaluative materials and elicits related materials from faculty or department resources to determine the uniformity and impartiality of the grade or summative comments. After the Clerkship Director(s) completes the fact finding process, the student and director(s) meet to discuss the student’s challenge. After the meeting, the Clerkship Director(s) will contact the student within seven weeks in writing with the grade challenge decision, allowing the student one week to decide whether an appeal is necessary. If after the grade challenge decision the student is still unsatisfied, the student may initiate the grade appeal process.

1. Complete Clinical Grade Challenge Form
2. Send completed form to the Clerkship Director(s) and Clerkship administrator at nsclerk@uw.edu
3. Meet with the clerkship Director(s)

 

Circumstances in which a challenge is appropriate include:

• An apparent mathematical error in computing your final grade.
• A technical problem with the evaluation process.

Circumstances in which a challenge will not be entertained include:

• Performance on the exam or the weight of exam.
• Disagreement with our grading process (e.g. how the clinical GPA is calculated and weighted).
• Disagreement with the an evaluator’s assessment of your performance.
• Discrepancy between the feedback you received and the evaluation that was submitted (see here for more information).
• Disagreement with final comments vs. final grade.

 

Step 3: Grade Appeal

The grade appeal must be submitted within eight weeks after the grade is posted. This allows the grade appeal committee to meet and decide the student’s grade appeal within twelve weeks after the grade is posted to align with UW policy.

1. Complete the Clinical Grade Appeal Form
2. Submit completed form to somchlng@uw.edu