Grade Appeals Policy

Appeal of Non-Failing Course Grades

A student who wishes to appeal a non-failing course grade must make the appeal to the course director within one week following posting of the grade. The course director must act upon the student's appeal within one week following receipt of that appeal. A narrative explaining the basis of the appeal must accompany the request. An appeal must be based on one of the following premises: 

1. Factual errors in course assessment tools
2. Mathematical error in calculating the final grade
3. Bias

If the appeal is denied, the student has the right to appeal the decision to the course director's immediate supervisor within one week of receipt of the course director's denial. The course director's supervisor should notify the student of the director's decision within one week following receipt of the student's reappeal. The decision of the course director's supervisor is final.

Appeal of Course Grades Subject to Academic Review

A student whose academic progress will be subject to review by the student's Promotion/Academic Review Committee and who wishes to appeal a grade must do so in an expedited manner prior to the scheduled meeting of the Committee. In this case, an appeal of a didactic course grade must be submitted within one business day following posting of the grade and must be based on one of the premises stated above. The course director must act on this appeal within one business day. If the appeal is denied, the student has the right to appeal the decision to the course director's immediate supervisor. The course director's supervisor should notify the student of the faculty member's decision within one business day following receipt of the student's reappeal. The decision of the course director's supervisor is final. An appeal of a failing clinical clerkship or rotation grade must be submitted within two business days after a grade for rotation is posted. The course director must act on this appeal within two business days of receipt of the grade appeal. If the appeal is denied, the student has the right to appeal this decision to the course director's immediate supervisor. The course director's supervisor should notify the student within two business days following receipt of the student's reappeal. The decision of the course director's supervisor is final. Any extension of the time for student appeal or course director's decision must be approved by the College Dean. The student is responsible for notifying the chair of the Promotion/Academic Review Committee that a grade appeal has been filed prior to the meeting of the Committee.

All appeals and decisions must be communicated in written form.

Graduation Walk-Through Policy

A walk-through candidate is defined as a student who has not satisfied academic requirements for a particular degree, but will complete all academic requirements for the degree within one quarter immediately following the official scheduled end of the academic program for the candidate's class.

All degree candidates for graduation and graduation walk-through candidates must be approved sequentially by the College/Program faculty, College Dean, Faculty Senate, President, and Board of Trustees.

A walk-through candidate must submit an official request to participate in a graduation ceremony and the request must be approved by the Dean four weeks prior to the ceremony.

The Dean may grant late submission of a Walk-Through Request due to unforeseen circumstances.

A graduation walk-through candidate will not receive a diploma until the candidate has successfully completed all academic requirements for graduation.

Incomplete Grades

The grade (I) incomplete may be assigned by a course director when a student's work is of passing quality but is incomplete or if a student qualifies for reexamination. It is the responsibility of the student to formally request an extension from the course instructor. By assigning an I (incomplete) grade, it is implied an instructor agrees that the student has a valid reason and should be given additional time to complete required coursework. To resolve an incomplete grade, an instructor will resubmit the new grade on-line. All incomplete grades must be resolved within 10 calendar days from the end of final examinations for the quarter. In the case of courses ending prior to final examination week, it is the obligation of the course director to monitor the use and resolution of the incomplete grade with notice to the Registrar. If an incomplete grade remains beyond the 10 calendar days, it is automatically converted to a grade of (F) failing by the Registrar, which signifies failure of the course.

In-Progress Grade

An in-progress (IP) grade may be assigned when extenuating circumstances make it necessary to extend the grade completion period past 10 days (e.g., illness, family death). Authorization by the Dean is required, and the completion period should not typically exceed one quarter with notification of the Registrar.

Last Day to Add/Drop Courses

The last day that a student may add or drop a course is Friday of the first week of the course. To add or drop any course after the course begins, a student must complete a course add/drop request which is located on the student portal. 

Students are able to submit "add" requests for most electives, but assistance from an academic advisor, Program Director or College Dean is required to add core courses and restricted electives. Any course "add" request submitted on behalf of a student, must first be approved by the student before it is forwarded for final approval and Registrar processing. The status of approvals and final processing can be tracked online.

Courses dropped after the first Friday of the week in which the course starts may be recorded as "W" (Withdrawal), or "WF" (Withdrawal/Failing). Grades will be noted on the transcript in accordance with the college guidelines stated in the catalog.

Leave of Absence

There are two types of leaves of absence: mandatory and voluntary. A student may be put on a mandatory leave of absence for academic, medical, or administrative reasons. Alternatively, a student may voluntarily request to take a leave of absence for bereavement, jury duty, maternity leave, medical reasons, military duty, or other personal reasons.

Midwestern University students requesting a leave of absence must comply with the following: 

1. Make an appointment with the Program Director/College Dean to discuss the leave of absence.
2. A student must provide written notification and documentation, if applicable, to the Program Director/College Dean stating the reason for the leave of absence from Midwestern University. If approved, the College Dean will conditionally approve a leave of absence until all clearances are obtained. 
3. The student must receive clearance of the student's leave of absence from the Midwestern University departments on the online.midwestern.edu leave system within seven calendar days from the date of the College Dean's approval. This time frame will allow offices such as Student Financial Services and the Registrar to process the leave of absence, prepare the required financial aid exit, and calculate the return of unearned Federal Title IV aid and all other aid, as appropriate.
4. Upon submission of all completed documentation and adherence to all clearance procedures, the College Dean will provide an official letter granting a leave of absence to the student.

The student is withdrawn from all courses if the leave of absence is granted in the midst of an academic quarter. Once the College Dean conditionally approves the leave, the Department Chairs/Program Director/course directors receive an automated electronic notification of the student's withdrawal. A grade of "W" (Withdrawal) or "WF" (Withdrawal/Failing) appears on the official transcript. The course director is responsible for submitting the correct grade. Students on the approved leave are obligated to pay their premium for long-term disability insurance.

All leaves of absence are granted for specific periods of time. Typically, a single leave of absence will not exceed 12 months, and consecutive or multiple interrupted leaves of absence will not exceed 18 months. At a minimum of 30 days prior to the end of the leave period, the student is required to submit written notification to the College Dean and Registrar of an intention to return. If the leave of absence was granted for medical reasons, a letter must be provided to the College Dean from the treating physician verifying that the student is both physically and mentally capable of resuming the academic program prior to registering for classes. To request an extension of a leave of absence, a student must resubmit another written notification as described above. If an individual fails to return to Midwestern University at the agreed-upon date, the student is considered to have withdrawn from the University and must reapply for admission. Leaves of absence can only be initiated through the Office of the Dean. 

Students on leaves of absence are ineligible to run for or hold student organizational/club/class offices and are not permitted to work for the University.

Bereavement Leave

Students may request a short-term leave of absence due to death of a member of the student's immediate family. The student should follow the Leave of Absence policy. Students who find it difficult to come to campus during this time to arrange a leave in person should contact the College Dean immediately to make leave arrangements. The duration of the leave shall usually be up to 5 consecutive working days. The immediate family includes any of the following persons: mother, father, spouse/domestic partner, son/daughter (including stepchildren and foster children), brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandchildren, spouse's parents/grandparents, or such persons who have reared the student.

Jury Duty

Students who have been requested to appear for jury duty and cannot do so while attending classes and/or clinical rotations may bring the original jury duty request to the Office of Dean or the Office of Student Services. The College Dean or Dean of Students will give the student a letter requesting that the student be excused from jury duty. Students should be aware that individual counties/states may not excuse them from jury duty even if a letter is submitted.

Maternity Leave

Enrolled students who become pregnant can request a leave of absence for maternity reasons. The request must be in writing and sent to the College Dean; however, prior to officially requesting a maternity leave, pregnant students must contact the Office of the Dean to discuss how a leave will affect their progress in the academic program and to review options available to them. The amount of leave time granted depends largely on the personal needs of the student and the timing of the birth within the academic program. In addition, students must inform the Office of the Dean of their intentions to return to classes at least one month prior to the end of the leave of absence period. A final decision is reached after careful consideration is given to personal and professional circumstances.

Medical Leave

Enrolled students who become seriously ill can request a leave of absence for medical reasons. The request must be in writing and sent to the College Dean; however, prior to officially requesting a medical leave the student must contact the Office of the Dean to discuss how a leave will affect their progress in the academic program and to review options available to them. The amount of leave time depends on the severity of the illness. All medical leaves require documentation from a physician/specialist, including a diagnosis and a statement as to why the student cannot continue with the student's coursework. Additional documentation from the physician/specialist that the student is medically capable of returning to classes must be submitted to the College Dean at least one month prior to the end of the leave of absence period. Approval for the medical leave of absence, as well as the ability to return to classes, is reached by the College Dean after careful consideration is given to the supportive medical documentation and to personal and professional circumstances.

Military Leave

Midwestern University is committed to supporting students called to active military duty. Students called to such duty will be considered on military leave. Students called to active duty should immediately notify the College Dean and provide their pertinent call-up papers. Students returning to Midwestern University from active duty will be eligible for reinstatement as full-time Midwestern University students once the individuals have notified the College Dean and have supplied any pertinent military papers requested by the College Dean.

Students called to active military duty will be entitled to receive refunds of tuition and fees if the withdrawal is prior to the sixth week of the quarter. After the tenth week, students will receive both grades and credit hours for courses in which they earned a passing grade.

Preclinical students with less than two-thirds of assignments/exams completed will be encouraged to restart the courses once they return. Departments, however, will have the prerogative to make special arrangements. Clinical students returning to Midwestern University will be reinstated as closely as possible to the previous point of progress in the clinical experience. The point of entry and order of clinical rotations for the clinical student will be determined by the College Dean and by the Program Director or Department Head/Chair. No additional tuition will be due from students for the resumption of any "incompletes" for work that they started before leaving for active military duty. Tuition charges for students restarting classes or for subsequent academic quarters will be set at the tuition rates in effect at the time the student returns from military duty. The College Dean will provide leadership to facilitate the re-entry of students into their programs as close as possible to the point when they were called to active military duty. The Dean of Students will provide leadership to facilitate student programming to address issues of stress and personal crisis and assist students in need of counseling because of a call-up.

Reexamination (Retest)

Reexamination occurs when the student fails a course, but qualifies for a reexamination. It is the prerogative of the course director to offer or not offer a reexamination for a course failure and to determine the eligibility criteria for a reexamination. If a course director has a reexamination policy, it must be stated in the course syllabus.

If a student qualifies for a reexamination, a grade of "I" must be submitted to the Registrar at the end of the quarter. The reexamination must be completed within 10 calendar days starting from the last day of final examinations for the quarter. If the student passes the reexamination, the grade of "I" will be converted to the minimum passing grade of the college/program. If the student fails the reexamination, the grade of "I" will be converted to a grade of "F".

Registrar

The Registrar maintains, prepares, and verifies all academic records, grades, and transcripts. The main number of the Office of the Registrar is 630/515-7600 (Downers Grove Campus) and 623/572-3325 (Glendale Campus). 

Registration

Registration is done automatically for all students by the University Registrar. Exceptions to this rule include students registering for special schedules (extended course of study) and electives. Students registering for special schedules should contact the Office of the College Dean,Office of the CHS Program Director or Office of the CGS Program Director, if applicable, for assistance.

Religious Accommodations

Midwestern University colleges, programs, and course directors/coordinators will make a good faith effort to provide reasonable accommodations to students with sincerely held religious beliefs upon request, unless the accommodation would create an undue hardship for the college/program.  A student’s request for reasonable religious accommodations, including requests for time off from or rescheduling of school activities, is justified when all of the following criteria are met: 

• A request MUST be submitted in advance. The student must submit a written request for a religious accommodation to a college/program administrator (specifically, the Assistant or Associate Dean of the college, or the Program Director of the College of Health Sciences or College of Graduate Studies) prior to the start of the academic year for the student’s academic program AND not less than 30 calendar days in advance of the requested absence day(s).
  • For newly admitted students only, the written request for a religious accommodation must be submitted not less than 30 days in advance of the requested absence day(s).
• The request must be submitted on a Religious Absence Request Form, which is available from the Office of the Dean/Office of the Program Director. Text message or e-mail requests are unacceptable.
• The request should include all of the requested dates for time off from courses or rotations for religious accommodation for the academic year.

The College/Program will protect the requesting student’s privacy in evaluating and implementing the accommodation requested to the extent possible.  However, following the receipt of the request, the College/Program will discuss the accommodation request as necessary with the student, and with the appropriate course directors/coordinators.  Following consultation with the course directors/coordinators, a decision on the request will be provided in writing by the College/Program to the requesting student typically within two weeks of receipt of the request.

Definitions

Religious accommodation 
A religious accommodation is a change in work or school schedule or environment, or in the way tasks or assignments are customarily done, to enable a student to participate in the individual's religious practice or belief without causing undue hardship to the college/program faculty who are administering the course.

Religious practice or belief
A sincerely held practice or observance that includes moral or ethical beliefs as to what is right or wrong, most commonly in the context of the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe.  Religion includes not only traditional, organized religions, but also religious beliefs that are new, uncommon, not part of a formal religious institution, or section, or only subscribed to by a small number of people.  Social, political, or economic philosophies, as well as mere personal preferences, are not considered to be religious beliefs.

Undue hardship 
An undue hardship on the college/program occurs when significant difficulty and expense arises based on the resources and circumstances of the college/program in relation to the cost or difficulty of providing an accommodation.  Undue hardship may include financial difficulty in providing an accommodation or accommodations that are unduly expensive, substantial, disruptive, or that fundamentally alter academic requirements, or the nature or operation of the how the 
college/program  administers the course.

Retake

A retake may be offered when formal repetition of an entire course or a portion of the course is required due to (1) course failure, or (2) in the College of Health Sciences or College of Graduate Studies when a "C" letter grade has been earned and the student is on academic probation or placed in an extended program, or (3) in the Arizona College of Optometry or Chicago College of Optometry when a student is placed on an extended program and required to repeat courses that would serve to enhance the mastery of optometry knowledge, skills techniques, and concepts that are deemed critical for success in the Doctor of Optometry curriculum. A course may be retaken when any of the following occur: 

1. No reexamination is offered by the department.
2. The student has failed the reexamination.
3. The student fails to meet eligibility criteria for reexamination, if offered by the course director.

It is the decision of the Student Promotion and Graduation/Preclinical Promotions/Clinical Promotions/Academic Review Committee of each college/program to recommend a retake of a course. The committee, in conjunction with the approval of the Department Chair, Program Director and/or course coordinator, will determine the nature of the retake and the timeframe for completion of the repeated course. The course may be repeated at Midwestern University or at an outside institution, if offered. The options for repeating a course at Midwestern University may include a directed readings remedial course with examination, repeating the course in its entirety the next academic year, or taking a specially designed course that contains the appropriate student work hours needed to meet the credit hours of the failed course. The repeat course must be completed in a regularly scheduled quarter. In either case, the student must be registered for the course and will be charged a flat rate of $1,500 per quarter for retake courses, individually or in aggregate, that total one to five credit hours and $3,000 per quarter for retake courses, individually or in aggregate, that total six credits or more. The College Dean or Program Director will issue a Course Retake Plan Letter to the student specifying the courses included in the Course Retake Plan. Only the courses in the Course Retake Plan Letter qualify for the retake tuition rate. Retake courses may be taken with additional non-retake courses during the same quarter. Applicable tuition rates will be applied to non-retake courses. A student will not be charged more than the full-time per quarter tuition rate during any quarter, except in the instance of course overload situations, including while completing a retake course or courses. The maximum allowable grade that can be earned as a course retake is determined by college policy.

A course at an outside institution that is eligible as a replacement for the course that the student failed at Midwestern University, must be approved by the department or program that offers the course at Midwestern University as a satisfactory replacement for the failed course. A student must earn a minimum grade of "C" (not C-) in a replacement course completed at an outside institution and submit an official transcript to the Dean/Program Director in order to apply the credit toward the degree requirements of the college or program. Students are responsible for all costs associated with repeating a failed course at another institution.

When a student retakes a course, the maximum grade that can be earned is determined by the College and this policy is included in the College's subsection of the Catalog.

When a student repeats a course, the course is entered twice in the permanent record (transcript) of the student. Consistent with the College's policy on the maximum grade that can be earned for a course retake, the grade earned each time is recorded, but only the most recent grade is used in the computation of the student's cumulative grade point average.

Retention of Tests or Written Assignments

Instructors will retain examinations or written assignments not returned to students for a period of one quarter after course completion. After that time, materials are destroyed.

Transcripts and Duplicate Diplomas 

The University releases transcripts and duplicate diplomas upon receipt of a request from a student or graduate. All requests should be submitted through the Document Request Center.

1. No phone requests are honored.
2. Allow one week for processing.
3. There is no charge for a transcript release for Midwestern University students prior to graduation; however, graduates and transferring students are required to pay a nominal amount per official transcript release.
4. Individuals who are no longer students at Midwestern University are charged the same rate as an alum.
5. Transcripts and diplomas will not be issued for any student with a past-due account balance with Midwestern University or the Midwestern University Clinics.
6. Transcripts and diplomas will not be issued for any student or alum who has not completed a financial aid exit interview, if aid was borrowed while attending Midwestern University.

A graduate can request a duplicate wall diploma through the online student/alumni portal. For current pricing on transcripts and diplomas, please refer to the Registrar. 

Travel and Lodging for Clinical Education/Fieldwork It is the student's responsibility to assure that the student has made appropriate arrangements for lodging and transportation to/from clinical education/rotation/fieldwork sites throughout the curriculum. The University does not generally provide for the cost of transportation and lodging. Travel arrangements are the sole responsibility of the students. Students are not considered an agent or an employee of the University and are not insured for any accidents or mishaps that may occur during any traveling that is done as part of the student's professional program. Students are usually responsible for all expenses associated with clinical education, such as transportation, meals, housing, professional attire, laboratory fees, etc.