Final Grades

All student grades except "Incomplete" are final when submitted by the instructor to USD's Professional and Continuing Education at the end of the course. An instructor may request a change of grade when a computational or procedural error occurred in the original assignment of a grade, but a grade may not be changed or revised as a result of reevaluation of student work, student reexamination or the submission of additional student work after the end of the course.

USD's Professional and Continuing Education considers grades to be a matter of academic judgment on the part of the instructor. You may only challenge your grade and request a final grade review in certain circumstances. Grounds for requesting a grade review at the end of the course include:

1. Application of nonacademic criteria – such as consideration of race, politics, religion or gender–not directly reflective of performance related to course requirements;
2. Sexual harassment; or,
3. Clerical or procedural error in the calculation of the student's final grade.

Consult your instructor if you have a question about your final grade. If the matter is not resolved at the instructor level, you should write to your program director to request a final grade review within 30 days after your final grade is posted to your student account. Within your final grade review request, state which of the above three criteria comprises the grounds for the request. The program director conducts the grade review and informs you of his or her decision – including any remedies, if applicable – within 30 days of receiving the request for review.

If, and only if, the above procedures have failed to resolve the matter, you may appeal the program director's decision by submitting a letter addressed to the Dean's Office.

Office of the Dean
Professional and Continuing Education
5998 Alcalá Park
San Diego, CA 92110

This written request for appeal must be initiated within 30 days after receiving the decision from the program director. The dean's designee reviews the request for appeal, conducts an investigation and makes a decision – including any remedies, if applicable – within 30 days of receiving the request for appeal. The dean's designee makes the final decision for unresolved grade appeals for all students enrolled in Professional and Continuing Education courses and programs.

In extenuating circumstances, the above timelines may be extended.