Academic Obstacles
The Dean of Students Office is here to provide support, care, and access to resources to Idaho State University students encountering barriers to achieving success. We work with students and campus partners to support you in your goal of being a successful scholar and citizen. We understand that situations may arise where your classroom experience feels especially challenging. There are several processes which you might need to navigate that are outlined below. Please note that there may be different processes for undergraduate and graduate students. Additionally, there are some academic programs which have processes that are specific to their program. If your program has its own Student Handbook, please review it for additional pertinent information.
Academic Grievances
If a student has a complaint or grievance about an academic policy, procedure, or decision, the following steps should be followed to work toward resolution:
-
-
The student should first meet with the instructor or official responsible for the policy, procedure, or decision.
-
If the issue remains unresolved after the first meeting, the student should next meet with the instructor’s department head (or official’s supervisor).
-
If the issue remains unresolved after meeting with the department head, the student should then meet with the dean of the college in which the course is offered.
-
If, after that meeting, the issue is still unresolved, the student may appeal the decision, in writing, to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs who shall have ten (10) business days to investigate and render a decision in writing on the student’s complaint/grievance.
-
The Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs may elect to meet with the student or may decide the merits of the case based on the written appeal. This is the final appeal at the University level.
Academic Grade Appeals
Students may reasonably expect their instructors to assign grades based on their performance that is demonstrated by class participation, assignments, assessments, and tests. Although students want objective evaluations of their course work, not all assignments or assessments are conducive to objective evaluation, and depending on the academic discipline, may not even be possible. The subjective professional judgment of instructors is acquired and refined by experience teaching, research, personal study, and work history. Because objective grading can be elusive, students are better served by valuing and anticipating careful and conscientious professional judgments form their instructors that are transparent and consistent. Disagreeing with the subjective professional judgment of an instructor is not a sufficient reason to appeal a grade.
For more information about the process, timeline, accepted rationales for grade appeals, please see Scholastic Appeals and Dismissals in the Academic Catalog.
Academic Integrity and Dishonesty Policy
Academic integrity is a core value of our university experience. The high-quality academic performance of students at Idaho State University is essential to our reputation, to the value of our programs, and to the demonstrated work and knowledge base that our degrees represent. As such, incidents of academic dishonesty, including but not limited, to cheating and plagiarism, are considered a serious offense and handled with urgency. Detailed information about academic dishonesty can be found in the following resources.
Scholastic Appeals
The Scholastic Appeals process provides redress for students who believe they have experienced unfair treatment from instructors and academic administrators (department chairs and college deans). Most academic conflicts can, and should be, attempted to be resolved through Academic Grievance or Academic Grade Appeal processes. Scholastic Appeals are reserved for elevated situations such as:
- Dismissal of a student from a program; or
- Adverse decisions regarding a student's final course grade for reasons other than academic dishonesty
For full information regarding this process, please refer to Scholastic Appeals and Dismissals in the Academic Catalog. Students who have exhausted the outlined appeals process and want to petition the Scholastic Appeals Board must follow the instructions outlined and submit the Scholastic Appeals Petition. Contact the Dean of Students Office to receive the petition form.