Palomar College updates grade-dispute policy

By: NOELLE IBRAHIM - Staff Writer
Changes prompted by dispute two years ago | Wednesday, March 12, 2008 12:10 AM PDT ∞

SAN MARCOS -- After nearly a year of work, Palomar College's faculty senate has finished updating the district's grade-dispute policy, which establishes a process to follow if students and professors can't solve grade concerns informally, and puts clear limits on who can change final grades.

"It's important that we maintain the integrity of our grades at Palomar," college President Bob Deegan said before the college's governing board of trustees meeting Tuesday, during which the updated policy appeared an informational item. "All of us are adamant that the grades recorded and reported are that of the professor."

The need for an updated policy was prompted by an investigation into charges that Bruce Bishop, former director of Palomar's office of student affairs, illegally changed the grades of five students in a foreign language class two summers ago without the authorization of the professor, Deegan said.

"We have one person saying, 'I didn't give you permission,' and the other person saying, 'yes you did,' " he said.

The investigation was dropped in the fall after the professor, whose name has been withheld by the college, accepted a teaching position at a university out of state, and Bishop voluntarily resigned his post to return to the classroom as a professor, said Deegan. Bishop's resignation was not connected to the grade-change investigation, he said.

The students' grades were restored to the marks originally awarded by the professor, he said.

"We went no further," said Deegan, who said the college had planned to reach resolution through a formal hearing. "They're not here to continue the process."

Palomar's old grade-dispute policy was not clear, possibly contributing to the incident, he said.

Grade disputes previously fell under the broad area of student grievances, which occur when a student believes he or she has been subject to an unjust action, said Brent Gowen, president of Palomar's Faculty Senate.

While grievances have historically been addressed by the office of student affairs, grades are final and can only be changed by faculty members, under state education code, unless students provide proof of a mistake, fraud, bad faith or incompetence on the professor's part, Gowen said.

The case involving Bishop drew attention to the need for creating a separate and clearly defined policy, he said.

"Even though it was a difficult period for all involved, good came out of it -- an affirmation of faculty's primacy in matters involving grades," Gowen said.

The updated policy, crafted by the Faculty Senate's academic standards and policies committee, provides a step-by-step process that students should follow to first attempt to resolve the dispute informally, and then formally, if it reaches that level. However, nearly all grade disputes are resolved between student and professor at the lower level, Gowen said.

"It is crucial we faculty try to explain to students the basis of their grades," he said, emphasizing the importance of grades to educators and students. "We come to understand each others' position and concerns."

At the informal level, a student must initiate discussion with his or her professor about a final course grade within one semester of earning it, according to the updated policy.

If the dispute cannot be resolved with the instructor, the student can meet with the chairperson of the department offering the class, and then the academic dean of the division to present the concern.

If a resolution is still not met and the dean feels state law may have been violated by the professor through a mistake, fraud, bad faith or incompetence, the student can file a request for a formal hearing. During a formal hearing, a panel made up of the vice president of instruction, two faculty members and a student representative would hear testimony, examine witnesses and review evidence as necessary before reaching a decision on the final grade to be assigned.

Jesse Lyn, president of Palomar's Associated Student Government, said student leaders fought to have a student included on the panel, to ensure that perspective would be heard.

"It's a student issue," said Lyn, who called the new policy fair. "Ultimately, it's our grade."

The policy is posted on the faculty senate's Web page and is expected to be printed in Palomar's catalog and schedule of classes, Gowen said.

-- Contact staff writer Noelle Ibrahim at (760) 740-3517 or nibrahim@nctimes.com.