What do you do when you want to
dispute a final transcript grade?

6 Easy Steps

Summary of the Rule under the CA Education Code

When grades are given for any course of instruction taught in a community college district, the grade given to each student shall be the grade determined by the instructor of the course and the determination of the student's grade by the instructor, in the absence of mistake, fraud, bad faith, or incompetence, shall be final.

(The burden of proving mistake, fraud, bad faith and/or incompetence is on the student. If your grievance proceeds to a hearing, this means that you, the student, must provide all evidence to prove your claim.)

Step 1
Contact the professor. If you cannot reach the professor, contact the department chairperson. If you cannot contact the department chairperson, contact the area dean.

Visit the list of Department Chairs.

Step 2
If you are not satisfied after speaking with all three (3) parties about your grade dispute, you are entitled to file a Statement of Grievance with the Grade Grievance Officer at the college. Read LACCD Administrative Regulation E-55 (Student Grievance Procedures) to understand the grade grievance process.

Step 3
Complete and sign the E-55 Form 1 Statement of Grievance and go to the next step.

Step 4
Go back through your course materials and retrieve the following written materials:

1. Course outline
2. All graded papers/quizzes/exams and/or graded Scantrons
3. Any email communications with the instructor, department chairperson and/or area dean regarding the grade dispute or coursework
4. Any other written material you deem relevant towards proving your claim

Step 5
Collect all materials from Steps 3 and 4 and put them in an envelope. Bring the parcel to the Office of Student Services or mail the parcel to Annie G. Reed, Associate Dean, Student Services, Los Angeles Valley College, 5800 Fulton Avenue, Valley Glen, CA 91401.

Step 6
The Ombudsperson will make all attempts to mediate the situation to resolve the dispute. If the instructor of record does not change the grade, the Ombudsperson will contact you to ask if you would like to request a grade grievance hearing. If you request a hearing, a Grievance Hearing Committee will meet to determine whether your allegations, if true, would constitute a grievance under Administrative Regulation E-55. Once the Grievance Hearing Committee notifies the Ombudsperson that a grievance hearing will be held, the Ombudsperson will schedule the date of the formal grievance hearing. At the formal grievance hearing, you will be given the opportunity to show the Grievance Hearing Committee whether there was mistake, fraud, bad faith, or incompetence. The Grievance Hearing Committee then prepares a recommendation; if you are unsatisfied with the recommendation, you may appeal to the Grievance Appeals Committee. The College President makes a final decision based on recommendations received from either the Grievance Hearing Committee or Grievance Appeals Committee.

Please see Administrative Regulation E-55 for rules for more specific information on hearings and appeals.

For more information about Grade Grievance call (818) 947-2320.

For more information about the Compliance Office Visit the Office of Compliance web site.