The Residential College has a separate Board on Academic Standing (BOAS) that makes decisions regarding academic discipline and considers petitions submitted by students for independent and field study work and exceptions for various LSA and/or RC requirements.
RC students interested in completing independent or field study work must meet with prospective faculty sponsors in the RC and complete and return the appropriate application form (found in the Academic Services Office, 1813 East Quad). Students seeking exceptions for distribution requirements must schedule an appointment with one of the RC Academic Advisors. An advisor can make exceptions for distribution and can determine which requirements are fulfilled by transfer and study-abroad courses.
Discipline
The RC BOAS meets twice a year (after the fall and winter semesters) to consider matters of academic discipline; impromptu meetings are scheduled as necessary or conducted via email. All transcripts of RC students are reviewed by the Director of Academic Services, who makes tentative categorizations for review by members of the RC BOAS. Decisions are then made to send a letter of concern, place a student on probation, suspend the student for a semester, or mark the student "Action Pending."
If a student's record is not complete for the previous semester (for example, reports of "Incomplete" or No Record), the student is reported as "Action Pending" and emailed about their status. Letters of concern are sent if the student has at least one grade below a "C" for the semester, or has earned only partial credit in an RC language course.
Students are placed on probation if they have a GPA below 2.0. They are advised of their status and the terms of probation by email: the student must take no more than 12 graded (not pass/fail) credits in the next full semester and must earn grades of "C" or better. Students on probation are also required to meet regularly with an RC Advisor. Requests for exceptions to the 12-credit limit can be considered by the Board.
Students can be suspended or NTRed if they have not met the terms of probation, have had an especially poor semester, or if the record overall raises significant concern for the Board. If a student is suspended (NTRed), they are emailed about their status and their right to submit a petition to the Board to make a case for their return.
Follow-up to Disciplinary Action
Students placed on probation (or continued probation) receive a follow-up email if they have not arranged to meet regularly with an RC Academic Advisor. If a suspended (NTRed) student submits a petition to register, the petition goes before the Board on Academic Standing and the student is emailed the decision. Students who received an "Action Pending" are reviewed again by the Board; if the student has made no progress in completing their record, and especially if the student has received an AP in previous semesters, the Board may vote to place the student on probation or to suspend (NTR) the student immediately, and the student is notified by email. No follow-up is taken on students who receive a letter of concern. All communication on behalf of the RC Board is directed from a single RC Academic Services account; no other email accounts are used or kept on file.
Grade Grievances
Within the Residential College, instructors are expected to set fair and consistent grading procedures for their courses. The key to fair grading is that individual instructors adhere to grading rubrics applied evenly and consistently to all students in a course. If the rubric is used consistently for each student, the final grade is assumed to be correct. Students may still inquire about a grade and initiate a grade grievance if they believe the grade was unfairly given. The guidelines below advise students, faculty, and administration on RC grade grievance procedures.
I. Consultation with Instructor. The first step is to contact the lead instructor of the RC course. The student's initial inquiry should take place within the first fifteen University business days of the first full term following the term in which the disputed grade was issued. If the student is not satisfied with the instructor's response, they may initiate a formal grade grievance by contacting the RC Director of Academic Services (currently Briana Lloyd).
II. Formal complaint to the RC Director of Academic Services (RCDAS). The student must convey in writing the basis for the complaint, with specific evidence that the grade was given in error or unfairly determined, and summarize the outcome of the initial inquiry to the instructor. The Director will ask the instructor to provide a written summary of how the grade was determined and to respond to the student's specific claims. The RCDAS then determines whether sufficient evidence exists to convene the Grade Grievance Committee. If not, the matter is closed and the original grade stands. If so, a formal hearing is scheduled.
III. Grade Grievance Hearing. The RCDAS empanels the RC Grade Grievance Committee, comprising the Director of Academic Services (ex officio), an advisor from the Board on Academic Standing, an outside faculty member, the Residential College Director, the program head of the course in question, and, if possible, one or two students chosen at random who have taken the course. Both parties receive copies of the written complaint and the instructor's summary in advance. At the hearing, the student presents the basis of the complaint, the instructor explains how grades were determined, and an open question period follows before adjournment.
IV. Grade Grievance Committee's Recommendation. The Committee has ten University business days to determine its recommendation and submit a written report to the RCDAS. If a grade change is not warranted, the RCDAS conveys this in writing and the original grade stands. If a change is recommended, the RCDAS communicates it to the instructor, who responds in writing within five University business days indicating whether they will abide by the recommendation. If the instructor agrees, the student is informed and the grade is changed. If the instructor does not accept the recommendation, the original grade stands, because by College policy a final course grade rests solely with the instructor and cannot be changed without their consent. Once this procedure is exhausted, there is no further appeal in the Residential College, the College of LSA, or the University of Michigan at large.
