1991-1993 Catalog - Catalogs - West Virginia University

final grades of all seniors provisionally approved for graduation at the close of eachsemester or summer session are reported to the deans of their colleges or schools.Special report forms for this purpose are supplied by the Office of Admissions andRecords.At the end of each semester or at the close of each summer session, a report ofeach student's work is prepared for that period and sent to the student.Transcripts of Academic RecordsEach copy of an official transcript costs three dollars, payable in cash or moneyorder. You may request, in person, an on-the-spot transcript at a cost of five dollars.Priority service is not available at all times. Because of demand, it may take two tothree weeks to process an application for a regular transcript at the close of a semesteror summer session. At other times, it is the policy of WVU to process all regulartranscript requests within 48 hours of receipt of the request.If you owe money or have some other financial obligation to any unit of theUniversity, you forfeit your right to claim a transcript of your record until you meet yourobligation. Additionally, you also forfeit the right to claim your diploma until thesefinancial obligations have been met.When you apply for a transcript, you must furnish your last date of attendance andyour student number. Be sure to indicate the full name under which you were enrolled.Requests for transcripts must be made in writing to the Office of Admissions andRecords. We cannot accept telephone requests because of the risk of the security ofyour record.Final Grade AppealsStudents have the right to appeal final course grades which they believereflect a capricious, arbitrary, or prejudiced academic evaluation, or reflect discriminationbased on race, sex, age, handicap, veteran status, religion or creed, sexualorientation, color, or national origin. The grade appealed shall remain in effect until theappeal procedure is completed or the problem resolved. The primary intent of thisprocedure is to provide a mechanism whereby a student might appeal a failing gradeor a grade low enough to cause the student to be eliminated from some program or torequire the repetition of a course. Grade appeals that do not meet this classificationare not precluded.Step 1. The student shall discuss the complaint with the instructor involved priorto the midsemester of the succeeding regular semester, whether the student isenrolled or not. If the two parties are unable to resolve the matter satisfactorily, or if theinstructor is not available, or if the nature of the complaint makes discussion with theinstructor inappropriate, the student shall notify the chairperson of the instructor'sdepartment or division (or, if none, the dean). The chairperson or dean shall assumethe role of an informal facilitator and assist in their resolution attempts. If the problem isnot resolved within 15 calendar days from when the complaint is first lodged, thestudent may proceed directly to Step 2.Step 2. The student must prepare and sign a document which states the factsconstituting the basis for the appeal within 30 calendar days from when the originalcomplaint was lodged. Copies of this document shall be given to the instructor and tothe instructor's chairperson (or, if none, to the dean). If, within 15 calendar days ofreceipt of the student's signed document, the chairperson does not resolve theproblem to the satisfaction of the student, the student will forward the complaint to theinstructor's dean (see Step 3).Step 3. Within 15 calendar days of receipt of the complaint, the instructor's deanshall make a determination regarding the grade, making any recommendation for agrade change to the instructor involved. If the instructor involved does not act on thedean's recommendation, or ifthe student is in disagreement with the decision of thedean, the dean will refer the case to a representative committee, appointed by the36 West Virginia University