What should I do if one of my students disputes a final grade?

Students may challenge a final grade on academic or nonacademic grounds.

The Regulations of the Riverside Division of the Academic Senate state that if a student believes that nonacademic criteria have been used in determining a grade, the student shall attempt to resolve the grievance with the instructor of the course through written appeal to the instructor via the chair of the department. If the grievance is not resolved to the student's satisfaction at the departmental level, the student may file a complaint with the dean of the college or school having jurisdiction over the course or with the dean of the Graduate Division if the student is in graduate status. The complaint should be filed immediately after the alleged use of nonacademic criteria but no later than six weeks after the beginning of the subsequent quarter.

Grounds for formal grievance are the application of nonacademic criteria, such as considerations of race, politics, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or evaluation of student work by criteria not directly reflective of performance related to course requirements (see Regulations of the Riverside Division R5). Campus procedures for the informal resolution and formal settlement of such grievances are described in the same section of the Regulations.