Grade Appeals and Other Grievances

Course Grade Appeals

Students who wish to appeal decisions about grades or other various academic matters should follow the procedures described in the Graduate Catalog. These appeals always begin with the course instructor for course grades or advisor for academic matters. If the initial appeal is denied, the student can appeal to the SECD Graduate Committee Chairperson. If denied again, the student can appeal to the UNL Dean of Graduate Studies. Final appeal would be to the UNL Graduate Council. All appeals are to be made within 30 days of notification (assignment or course grade posting, exam results).

Other Grievances

For grievances regarding other matters, the steps below should be followed:

1. The student should seek to determine if the issue can be resolved with the faculty or staff member involved. 
2. If unresolved with the faculty or staff member, the student can choose to meet with the Department Chair. 
3. Formal grievances submitted in writing to the Department Chair will be handled as follows:
   1. Grievances that may involve regulatory issues (e.g., title IX, discrimination) will be reported to the appropriate office at the university.
   2. Grievances that may involve criminal activity will be reported to the university police.
   3. For other grievances, the Department Chair may:
      1. Mediate a meeting with the student and faculty/staff member;
      2. Form a committee of at least three faculty members to gather information and make a report and recommendation to the Chair. The Chair will communicate with the student regarding the outcome of the committee’s work.
4. Records will be maintained in the department office.
5. If the student does not feel that the grievance was adequately addressed at the department level, they may file a grievance with the Dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences. In this circumstance, the department will forward all available documentation to the Dean.

Program Violations

Complaints regarding violation of the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) accreditation standards can be submitted to the CAA in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology by mail to:

Chair, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
2200 Research Blvd, #310
Rockville MD 20850

Complaints must be signed and submitted in writing via U.S. Mail, overnight courier, or hand delivered to the address given above. Emails and facsimiles will not be accepted. For more information about appeals to the Council on Academic Accreditation, click here.