Examinations and Grading - Part 2
- Academic Probation, Dismissal and Readmission Policy
- Bar Passage Program
- Class Attendance and Examinations
- Incompletes
- Repetition of Classes
- Anonymous Grading Policy
- Receipt of Grades
- Class Rank Information
- Finality of Grades and Grade Grievance Policy
Academic Probation, Dismissal and Readmission Policy
- Academic Probation and Dismissal Policies for Students Who Entered the Sturm College of Law in the Fall of 2007 and All Subsequent Semesters
- Graduation
A student must achieve at least a 2.3 cumulative grade point average to graduate from the Sturm College of Law. The Sturm College of Law will not graduate, and will dismiss, students who have satisfied the course requirements for graduation but have not maintained the required minimum 2.3 cumulative grade point average. - Dismissal
All students who enter the Sturm College of Law in the 2007 Fall, or any subsequent, semester must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0, including the first semester of their first year. The Sturm College of Law will dismiss any student whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 at the end of any semester, including the first semester of law school. Ordinarily the SCOL will not readmit dismissed students. - Academic Probation
All students who enter the Sturm College of Law in the 2007 Fall, or any subsequent, semester must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.3 to remain in good standing. The Sturm College of Law will place on probation any student whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.3 in any semester.
Students on probation can continue in law school provided they make satisfactory progress toward good standing as described below in paragraph 5. Any student readmitted to law school after dismissal remains on academic probation.- Conditions of Academic Probation
The following restrictions apply to all students on academic probation:- The student may not participate as an elected officer or devote substantial work to any student activity or faculty committee without the written approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
- The student must register for and complete a normal academic credit load each subsequent semester while on probation, which requires 12 or more credit hours per semester for full-time day students and 8 or more credit hours per semester for part-time evening students.
- The student may not enroll in seminars, directed research projects, simulation courses, clinics, internships, courses offered outside the Sturm College of Law curriculum, or courses graded by a different method than the usual letter grade system. Simulation courses and clinics consist of educational experiences in which students perform lawyering skills and faculty base all or part of the grade on observation and assessment of student skill performances.
- To maintain eligibility to continue in law school while on probation, the student actively must participate in the Academic Achievement Program. The student also must meet with, and secure approval from, the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs with respect to the student’s proposed academic schedule each semester.
- A student placed on probation during any semester has two subsequent consecutive semesters in which to achieve a good standing GPA of 2.3. During the first of these two semesters, however, a student on probation must make satisfactory progress toward good standing: the student must raise his or her cumulative GPA by one-half the difference between the student’s cumulative GPA and a 2.3 cumulative GPA.
During the second of these two consecutive semesters, the student who remains on probation must raise his or her cumulative GPA to 2.3 or above. Failure of the probationary student to secure the required progress in either of the two consecutive semesters described above results in dismissal from law school. Summer terms are not considered “semesters” for purposes of satisfactory progress toward good standing. As a consequence the SCOL does not include summer grades in a student’s cumulative GPA until the end of the subsequent Fall semester.
- Conditions of Academic Probation
- Graduation
- Academic Probation and Dismissal Policies for Students Who Entered the Sturm College of Law Before the Fall of 2007
- Graduation
A student must achieve at least a 2.2 cumulative grade point average to graduate from the Sturm College of Law. The Sturm College of Law will not graduate, and will dismiss, a student who has satisfied the course requirements for graduation but has not maintained the required minimum 2.2 cumulative grade point average. - Dismissal
The Sturm College of Law will dismiss any probationary student who fails to make “satisfactory progress” toward good standing or any student who has completed the course requirements for graduation but has not maintained the required minimum 2.2 cumulative grade point average. Ordinarily the Sturm College of Law will not readmit dismissed students. - Academic Probation
The Sturm College of Law will place on academic probation any first year student whose grade point average falls below a 2.0 after the first semester of law school. The Sturm College of Law will place on academic probation any student who has completed at least two semesters of law school and whose cumulative grade point average falls below 2.2.
Students on probation can continue in law school provided they make satisfactory progress toward good standing as described below. Any student readmitted to law school after dismissal remains on academic probation.- Conditions of Academic Probation
The following restrictions apply to all students on academic probation:- The student may not participate as an elected officer or devote substantial work to any student activity or faculty committee without the written approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
- The student must register for and complete a normal academic credit load each subsequent semester while on probation, which requires 12 or more credit hours per semester for full-time day students and 8 or more credit hours per semester for part-time evening students.
- The student may not enroll in seminars, directed research projects, simulation courses, clinics, internships, courses offered outside the Sturm College of Law curriculum, or courses graded by a different method than the usual letter grade system. Simulation courses and clinics consist of educational experiences in which students perform lawyering skills and faculty base all or part of the grade on observation and assessment of student skill performances.
- To maintain eligibility to continue in law school while on probation, the student actively must participate in the Academic Achievement Program. The student also must meet with, and secure approval from, the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs with respect to the student’s proposed academic schedule each semester.
- A student placed on probation during any semester has two subsequent consecutive semesters in which to achieve a good standing GPA of 2.2. During the first of these two semesters, however, a student on probation must make satisfactory progress toward good standing: the student must raise his or her cumulative GPA by one-half the difference between the student’s cumulative GPA and a 2.2 cumulative GPA.
During the second of these two consecutive semesters, the student who remains on probation must raise his or her cumulative GPA to 2.2 or above. Failure of the probationary student to secure the required progress in either of the two consecutive semesters described above results in dismissal from law school. Summer terms are not considered “semesters” for purposes of satisfactory progress toward good standing. As a consequence the SCOL does not include summer grades in a student’s cumulative GPA until the end of the subsequent Fall semester.
- Conditions of Academic Probation
- Graduation
Please consult Appendix D for details with respect to Academic Probation, Dismissal, and Readmission Policies.
Bar Passage Program
The SCOL has implemented a Bar Passage Program as of the Fall of 2008 that requires the following:
- Any student with a GPA of 2.6 or below at the end of the first semester of law school must meet with the Director of the Academic Achievement Program in the spring of his or her first year. At this meeting the student and the Director of the Academic Achievement Program will perform a diagnostic review to determine the reasons for the student’s low GPA and develop a program designed to address any issues identified;
- Any student with a GPA of 2.6 or lower at the end of the first two semesters of law school must take a three hour course that stresses legal analysis in the first subsequent semester. Furthermore, any student with a GPA of 2.6 or lower at the end of the first two semesters of law school, with the exception of one course per semester, can “ONLY” register for required courses and courses designed to prepare students for the practice of law. Courses that are designed to prepare students for the practice of law include the following:
- Any advanced course in a first year subject
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Advanced Criminal Procedure
- Advanced Indian Law
- Advanced Legal Writing*
- Agency, Partnership & LLC
- Administrative Law
- Bankruptcy
- Basic Tax
- Basic Criminal Procedure*
- Basic Real Estate
- Commercial Paper
- Copyright & Trademark
- Corporations
- Employment Law
- Employment Discrimination
- Evidence
- Environmental Law
- Family Law
- Federal Indian Law
- Federal Jurisdiction
- Immigration Law
- Labor Law
- Natural Resources
- Oil & Gas
- Remedies
- Sales
- Secured Transactions
- Securities Regulation
- State & Local Government
- Trusts & Estates
- Water Law
- * Strongly recommended
- Any student with a GPA of 2.6 or below at the end of the first four semesters of law school must take Advanced Legal Analysis [bar review course] in the semester before he or she graduates. A passing grade in this course, however, is not a condition of graduation.
Furthermore, any student with a GPA of 2.6 or lower at the end of the first four semesters of law school, with the exception of one course per semester, can “ONLY” register for required courses and courses designed to prepare students for the practice of law until the student graduates from law school. Courses designed to prepare students for the practice of law include the following:
Any advanced course in a first year subject- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Advanced Criminal Procedure
- Advanced Indian Law
- Advanced Legal Writing*
- Agency, Partnership & LLC
- Administrative Law
- Bankruptcy
- Basic Tax
- Basic Criminal Procedure*
- Basic Real Estate
- Commercial Paper
- Copyright & Trademark
- Corporations
- Employment Law
- Employment Discrimination
- Evidence
- Environmental Law
- Family Law
- Federal Indian Law
- Federal Jurisdiction
- Immigration Law
- Labor Law
- Natural Resources
- Oil & Gas
- Remedies
- Sales
- Secured Transactions
- Securities Regulation
- State & Local Government
- Trusts & Estates
- Water Law
- * Strongly recommended
- If the faculty person who teaches the Advanced Legal Analysis [bar review course] identifies any student as at risk to fail the bar exam, that student must meet with the faculty person during the same semester for individual exercises and assistance.
Class Attendance and Examinations
Adequate student learning requires consistent class attendance. The SCOL encourages all professors and adjunct professors to set a firm attendance policy. A professor may refuse to allow a student to take a final examination or submit a final paper if that student has failed to attend 20% or more of the total class meetings for the semester. If the professor imposes this rule and does not allow the student to take a final exam or submit a final paper, the student receives a grade of F in the course.
Incompletes
The College of Law does not recognize a grade designation of “Incomplete.” A student who drops a course without official permission, fails to take an examination, or fails to timely complete the required course work, receives a grade of “F” for that class.
Repetition of Failed Classes
A student must repeat any required course in which the student obtained a grade of “F.” Students may elect to repeat any non-required course in which they received a grade of “F.” Whenever a student repeats a course, the Registrar must record both grades on the student’s transcript and will use both grades to compute a student’s grade point average. A readmitted student who repeats the entire first year represents an exception to this policy. [See Appendix D on Readmission] A student may not repeat any course in which the student has received a passing grade.
Anonymous Grading Policy
The Sturm College of Law employs an anonymous grading system. The SCOL requires Anonymous grading whenever the grade for the entire course, seminar, or exercise rests on a written examination. However, in other situations, such as faculty supervised student research, writing seminars, classroom participation credit, writing exercises, skills training, and performance courses, professors have no obligation to anonymously evaluate a student.
Whenever a professor anonymously grades any part of the course, the professor must maintain anonymity with respect to that part of the grade until the Registrar records final grades. Students who seek to discuss their performance on an examination should not contact the professor until the Registrar records the professor’s final grades.
The Registrar shall issue a final examination number to each student each semester. A student must use that number for all final examinations. The Registrar’s office also will issue a different examination number for all scheduled mid-term examinations. The Registrar keeps all examination numbers confidential. Students have the responsibility to keep their examination numbers confidential and know their numbers at all examinations.
Receipt of Grades
The Registrar’s Office cannot release information with respect to grades. The Registrar will post grades to MyWeb as soon as possible after their receipt.
Class Rank Information
The Registrar’s Office releases class rank to students at the end of the summer after each academic year. Please note that honorary society, The Order of St. Ives, recognizes students in the top 10% of their class for outstanding scholastic achievement, but The Order of St. Ives does not constitute an official class ranking.
Finality of Grades and Grade Grievance Policy
- Grade Appeals to Professor
Once a faculty member submits a final grade to the Registrar, the professor cannot change that grade unless the professor determines:- The professor has made a mistake that does not involve an issue of judgment, such as a mathematical mistake or a mistake in the conversion of a numerical score to letter grade; or
- The professor has made an incorrect evaluation of a student’s work, provided that:
- the professor did not know the identity of the student during the reevaluation process, and
- the professor informs all students in the course about the opportunity for reevaluation.
If a student wishes a full-time professor to review his/her examination to confirm the numerical accuracy of a grade, the student must maintain anonymity with the professor and make such a request through the Office of the Registrar or through the staff assistant assigned to the professor. The student must make this request within three months after the Registrar posts the final grade.
If a student wishes an adjunct professor to review his/her examination to confirm the numerical accuracy of a grade, the student must maintain anonymity and file a Grade Review Request Form with the Office of the Registrar. Students can find the form here or in the Registrar’s office. The student must make this request within three months after the Registrar posts the final grade.
If a student wishes a full-time professor to review his/her examination to confirm the accuracy of the professor’s evaluation of the student’s examination answers, the student must maintain anonymity and the professor must first inform all students in the course about the opportunity for reevaluation. The student can submit a written petition that requests a substantive reevaluation to the staff assistant assigned to the professor or to the Office of the Registrar. The petition must include the student’s examination number and must NOT include the student’s name. The student must make this request within three months after the Registrar posts the final grade.
If a student wishes an adjunct professor to review his/her examination to confirm the accuracy of the adjunct professor’s evaluation of the student’s examination answers, the student must maintain anonymity and the adjunct professor must first inform all students in the course about the opportunity for reevaluation. The student anonymously must submit a Grade Review Request Form to the Office of the Registrar. Students can find the form here or in the Registrar’s office. The student must make this request within three months after the Registrar posts the final grade.
- Grade Appeals to the Examinations and Standing Committee
Once a professor has entered a final grade or after the completion of a grade appeal to the professor, a student may file a grade appeal with the Examination and Standings Committee whenever a student believes that the professor has unfairly assigned a grade. The student initiates this process by filing a petition with the Examination and Standing Committee by hand delivery or by mail to the Chair of the Committee.- Statute of Limitations for Grade Appeals to the Examination and Standing Committee
The student must file such a petition within three months after the Registrar has posted the final grade. The Committee shall consider a mailed petition as filed on the date of the postmark. The Committee shall consider a hand-delivered petition as filed upon the date of receipt. If “for good cause” a student cannot comply with the three month statute of limitations, the student must submit a written request to the Committee before the expiration of the three month period. The request must contain the good cause reasons why the student cannot comply with the three month statute of limitations and a request for a time extension. The Committee may extend the statute of limitations for good cause shown. - Form of the Petition to the Examination and Standing Committee
A student shall address the petition to the Chair of the Examination and Standings Committee, and the petition shall state:- The student’s name and the student’s examination number
- The name of the course in which the student received the appealed grade
- The year, semester, and division of the course in which the student received the appealed grade
- The name of the professor who taught the course
- The date on which the Registrar posted the appealed grade
- A short and concise explanation why the student believes the requirements articulated immediately below in number 3 provide a basis for relief and, at the student’s option, a statement of the specific relief requested.
- The Criteria Required to State a Claim to the Examination and Standing Committee
A petition states a claim if it asserts the following:
Either- The petitioner consulted with the professor and requested relief and the professor declined to grant relief which was acceptable to the student, or
- The petitioner attempted to consult with the professor and the professor refused to meet with the student, or was not conveniently available within a period of two months after the Registrar posted the final grade,
- And, that the student received an unfair, or substantially inappropriate, grade for one or more of the following reasons:
- The professor made a numerical error in the calculation of the grade; or
- The grade received resulted from the bias or prejudice of the professor against the student. If the student received the grade in a course graded, anonymously, in whole or in part, and the claim of bias or prejudice relates to the anonymously graded portion of the class, the student also must allege a breach of anonymity in the anonymously graded portion of the class; or
- The conditions or circumstances under which the student took the examination effectively prevented the student from communication of his/her answers. Such conditions or circumstances may include, without limitation, unreasonable noise in or around the classroom, problematic temperature or lighting conditions, or the occurrence of an illness during the exam which the student immediately reported to the Registrar; or
- The student clearly and unequivocally establishes that the grade bears no reasonable relationship to accepted and reasonable grading standards; or
- The student clearly and unequivocally establishes that the work graded bears no reasonable relationship to the material covered or assigned in the course.
The Committee shall not apply the above standards in a manner that substitutes the Committee’s judgment for the good faith professional judgment of the professor.
- Examination and Standing Committee Review of the Petition
- Review Period
The Committee shall make every reasonable effort to review and issue a written response within three months after the student files the petition. If, for any reason, the Committee cannot make a timely recommendation to a timely filed petition, the Committee shall send a letter to the petitioner within three months from the filing of the petition that sets forth the reasons why the Committee has taken no action. If the Committee does not submit a timely response or a timely letter that explains the delay, within six months after the student timely files the petition, the student may assume that the Committee has denied the petition. At such time and under such circumstances, the student may appeal directly to the Dean of the SCOL. - Initial Action by the Examination and Standing Committee
In response to a petition, the Committee may do one or more of the following:- Decide, after due deliberation, that the petition fails to state a claim, in which case the Committee shall send their written decision and any dissent to the student and to the Professor. The student may appeal such a decision to the Dean.
- Decide, upon approval from the student and the professor, to mediate the differences between the student and the professor.
- Decide by majority vote, after due deliberation, that the facts stated in the petition if true, state a claim the criteria noted above. In such case the Committee shall notify, in writing, the professor whose grade the student has challenged and shall invite the professor to submit a written response to the petition within a reasonable period of time set by the Committee. If the professor submits a written response, the Committee shall include that response in the record. The Committee cannot require the professor to submit a response. The Committee then shall make a decision based on the available evidence.
After the Committee receives the professor’s response or the professor’s time for response has expired, the Committee may request the petitioner or any other person to provide any documents or information that the Committee considers useful to determine the merits of the petition. The Committee cannot require the student or any other person to produce the requested documents or information. Ordinarily the Committee shall make a decision based upon written submissions. In an unusual case the Committee may decide that special circumstances require a hearing. If the Committee schedules such a hearing, both the professor and the student shall have the right to attend and present oral testimony. The Committee cannot require any person to attend an oral hearing.
The parties may offer whatever evidence they consider relevant and may produce evidence that the Committee deems necessary to assist in a decision. The Committee shall judge the relevance and materiality of all evidence and the Committee need not conform to the Colorado or federal rules. The Committee may reasonably limit the time for oral presentations.
- Final Action by the Examination and Standing Committee
If the Committee finds that no action is appropriate, the Committee shall notify the student and the professor, and the student may appeal to the Dean.
If the Committee makes any recommendation, the Committee first shall inform the professor in a written communication that states the recommendations and the reasons for them. If the professor declines to accept the Committee’s recommendations within three days, the Committee shall send the recommendations to the student and refer the matter to the Dean. The student may appeal any recommendation to the Dean. The student or the professor must appeal any decision or recommendation of the Committee to the Dean within ten days after the student receives written notice of the Committee’s decision or recommendation.
The student or the professor, or both, may appeal to the Dean any matter related to the petition. The Dean shall then determine what action, if any, the Sturm College of Law should take and and implement that action. The student or professor may appeal the Dean’s decision only in accordance with University Procedures.
The Chair of the Committee shall retain custody of all final recommendations, including dissents, and the record of the case, and the Committee shall consider such final recommendations as precedent for future cases. Students and faculty may request a copy of any decision rendered by the Committee, but the Committee first shall delete the names of all parties. When the number of the written decisions makes it unreasonably difficult for the Committee to locate a particular decision, the Chair of the Committee shall devise an index system.
- Review Period
- Statute of Limitations for Grade Appeals to the Examination and Standing Committee
Subcommittees
The Committee may delegate to a subcommittee of at least three members all duties and responsibilities under these rules. In such cases, the decision of the subcommittee shall be the decision of the Committee.
Liberal Construction
The Committee and the Dean shall liberally construe these rules to serve the just, speedy, and fair resolution of every petition.
Appeals to the Provost
A student who has exhausted these grievance procedures and who remains unsatisfied with the resolution may file a written appeal with the Provost pursuant to University of Denver policies.