help... does anyone know about grade appealsin nursing school

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i'm a nursing student in mass. and have ben appealing a grade i recieved to be able to move onto nurs. 3 does anyone have any advice on how to win the appeal????? please help...........thank you

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

What is the basis for your appeal? Why do you believe you should have received a higher grade?

What is your school's policy for appealing a grade? Have you followed that policy?

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Specializes in Operating Room, Ortho, Neuro, Trauma.

We have a form in our handbook. But how much are you appealing for? 1 point? Start with the chain of command then work your way up. It just depends on your circumstances and why you are appealing. I would talk to the facilitator or dean before a grade appeal because the appeal form is for the college not NS and it would delay any action if you need it now. At least that is how it is done at our school. I had a friend who went through the exact same process and that is the advice the DON gave her who ended up giving her the point to pass instead of having to appeal through the college and student court. BUT it is circumstantial. Good luck.

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.

You have to have a concrete reason, in most cases to win an appeal.

Examples are, errors on the test that you can back up with the text. An instructor that may have a habit of letting class out early every day and not completing lecture, and then "blowing through the material" the last class before the exam...this is mismanagement. Adding material that was not in the course objectives given to you in the original syllabus that was significant..this is important, as a syllabus is considered a contract. Also, if you have made repeated requests for feedback, assistance, assignments not being handed back in a timely manner, etc.

It's hard to win an appeal on, "My life has been hard" or "I can do better" or "I was overloaded this semester", etc....I'm not saying that these are your arguments, but these are common ones that some students thinks are grounds for an appeal.

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Specializes in Operating Room, Ortho, Neuro, Trauma.

I want to be clear that it was not a hardship point that was given. The student went to the DON with much paperwork: e-mails of requests for help from instructors that were never answered, taped lectures, copies of test scores from previous work and much more ammunition to prove her case. So if you think you deserve the opportunity to pass have the proof to back it up.

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tx everyone... i did have some real life hardships and have brought them up but it has only been to prove that through all of that i was still able to maintain good grade and i brought in lots of letters from other students to prove i was in study groups and as well as my daughters lawyer wrote me a letter and her therapist to back up what i have said about what was going on.

my case is it is the school policy that you pass the final with a 75 and your ending avg. has to be a 75 well i got a 74 on my final so i went into the final with a 80 and still have a 79 avg. but they will not allow me to go onto nurs.III.

what i am appealing is to review my final, that they will not allow me to see and that is not a policy. oh... in the past they would allow students who went into the final with a passing grade to retake the final if they did not pass the final, but only if the retake would allow to still have a passing avg. at the end. now this semester they decided at the end of the semester they were not going to allow this but they never notified any of the students so we were not aware of this, so when the students that did fail the final try to request a retake to our surprise it was denied. so that is how my appeal began and i have tried speaking to the director of nursing as well as the dean and they said i have to appeal with the student committee which is what i am in the process of doing. i am waiting to here from the school as far as a date and time to go and appeal.

what i am asking for is either let me retake the final or give me a point for one of the questions i felt were unfair.

one of the questions asked how do you prevent nosicomial infections??? well they had a picture of a nurse all scrubbed up except her toop half of the mask was off. so the lst two best options were take the mask off or wash your hands before cont. to put on the mask.... i was not sure and they always stress hand washing hand washing hand washing, so i thought this was a trick question. they always tell us the right answer does not have to be there you have to pick the best answer from what you have. well the correct asnwer was to take it off because she was in the cafeteria and i picked the hand washing answer, well how was i suppose to know that there were no signs or food or anything it appeared as if she were finishing get into her scrubs for the OR.... to me non made sense.....

so i just need 1 point to move on and do not believe they are going to give it to me. so any advise on how to go into this appeal to win would be greatful and very appreciated...

tx

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.

Test reviews have to be an all or nothing deal.

Either there is a policy that you can review your tests or there isn't.

Call the Director/Dean..ask to see a copy of the WRITTEN policy where they do not permit students to review the finals.

They most likely will not have what does not exist.

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yea, i did and she said there is no policy but this is just how they have always done it so she said no that i had to appeal with the student committee affair.....

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I wish you the best but have to say that I've never once seen a grade dispute be successful. Please keep us posted and good luck.

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tx i will

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