Your Rights and Records | Student Standards of Conduct

Your Rights and Records

Grade Change Guidelines

University Policy on Nondiscrimination and Sexual Harassment

Nondiscrimination

The University of California, in accordance with applicable Federal and State law and University policy, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy (pregnancy includes pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), disability, age, medical condition (cancer-related), ancestry, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation, or status as a Vietnam-era veteran or special disabled veteran. The University also prohibits sexual harassment. This nondiscrimination policy covers admission, access, and treatment in University programs and activities.

Discrimination, Harassment, or Arbitrary Treatment

If students have questions or concerns about possible discrimination, harassment, or arbitrary treatment, they may contact Student Judicial Affairs for information and assistance (530) 752-1128. Additional resources for students include Matilda Aidam, Director, Mediation Services and Interim Title IX and Disability Compliance Officer, (530) 757-4480 or the dean's office for their college. Graduate students may also contact the Office of Graduate Studies (530) 752-0650 or the Graduate Students Association (530) 752-6108. Students are encouraged to seek assistance as soon as possible, as time limits may apply to some grievance processes.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is prohibited by law and by university policy, and will not be condoned. Campus policy (P&PM Section 380-12 at http://manuals.ucdavis.edu/ppm/380/380-12.htm) describes campus procedures for resolving sexual harassment complaints, which include early resolution processes and formal investigation procedures. Complaints of sexual harassment or other illegal discrimination made against UC Davis students, staff, or faculty may be resolved through grievance and/or disciplinary processes. Students may also use formal and informal grievance procedures to resolve complaints of alleged sexual harassment or other illegal discrimination; see P&PM Section 280-05, cited above; the Administration of Student Discipline, Academic Personnel Manual Section 015, and Personnel Policies for Staff Members Sections 62 and 70.

Accommodations for Disabilities

Any student with a documented disability is entitled to reasonable accommodations for that disability. Students having questions or concerns about appropriate accommodations, or wishing to establish eligibility for accommodations, may seek assistance from the Student Disability Center, (530) 752-3184. For complaints of alleged discrimination on the basis of disability under P&PM Section 280-05, contact the Interim Title IX and Disability Compliance Officer (530) 757-4480, or Student Judicial Affairs.

back to top

Disclosures From Student Records

Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and University and campus policies, students have the right to review their records, and to request corrections of records that are inaccurate. Most disclosures from student records to outside parties require prior consent from the student. Students have the following rights:

A. The right to review their own student recordswithin 45 days after the student submits a written request for access to the Registrar or other department having possession of the records. That office will arrange for access and notify the student when and where the records may be reviewed. If the records requested are in a different office, the request will be redirected and the student notified. The campus maintains several types of student records in various locations. Questions about how to obtain records should be referred to Student Judicial Affairs at (530) 752-1128.

B. The right to request amendment of their own student records if they believe the records are inaccurate or misleading. Students should submit a written request to the office that maintains the records specifying the portion of the record the student wants changed and why it is believed to be inaccurate or misleading. That office has 45 days to determine whether the record should be changed and notify the student of the decision, including giving notice of the right to a hearing and hearing procedures.

C. The right to restrict the disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in student records, except when law and policy permit disclosure without consent. The following are examples of when student consent is not required:

1. Student consent is not required for disclosure of "directory" or "public" information which includes the student's name; local and/or permanent addresses, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers; dates of attendance; major; grade level; en-rollment status (undergraduate or graduate, full or part time, number of enrolled course units); degrees and honors re-ceived; most recent previous educational institution attended; participation in officially recognized activities, including Intercollegiate Athletics (ICA); and the name, weight, and height of participants on ICA teams.

- Students may request that their address and telephone not be disclosed as “directory information” by submitting to the Office of the University Registrar a printed and signed copy of the “Directory Confidential Update Form” available here. To prevent disclosure of their e-mail address, students must follow instructions at https://computingaccounts.ucdavis.edu/ and select the Change your directory information option.

- Students may designate all information about themselves as confidential and withhold it from public disclosure by filing a “Request to Restrict All Information” form and presenting a legal photo ID (e.g., drivers license or passport, but not a UC Davis ID) to the Office of the University Registrar. If all information is designated confidential, UC Davis cannot verify student status or degrees, make public any Honors, or include the student's name and degree in the commencement program without the student's specific written consent.

- Students may reverse a decision to withhold public information by filing a form with the Registrar's Office.

2. Student consent is not required for disclosure to campus officials having a legitimate educational interest in the records (for example, faculty, staff, student employees, or those under contract with the University). Legitimate educational interest means the information is relevant and necessary to a task or determination that is (a) an employment responsibility or an assigned subject matter for the inquirer or is related to (b) the inquirer's participation in the student's education; (c) the discipline of a student; or (d) providing a service or benefit related to a student or to a student's family (such as health care, counseling, job placement, or financial aid).

3. Student consent is not required for disclosure to another educational institution (a) in which the student seeks or intends to enroll if the institution has requested the records or (b) if the student is enrolled in or receives services from that institution.

Parental/guardian information is confidential. It is used by UC Davis only for notification of events, ceremonies, awards, and development or in case of an emergency involving the student.

For more information, see UC Davis Policy and Procedure Manual Section 320-21 at http://manuals.ucdavis.edu/ppm/320/320-21.htm.

Contact Student Judicial Affairs for questions about these rights and requirements. Student complaints regarding alleged violations of privacy rights should be submitted to Student Judicial Affairs.

Students may also contact the U.S. Department of Education about alleged violations of these requirements, addressed to:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW.
Washington, D.C. 20202-4605
or see Section 99.63 at
http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html.

Social Security Numbers

A student's Social Security Number is used to verify personal identity in the UC Davis Student Records System. Disclosure of student Social Security Numbers is mandatory in accord with the campus record-keeping system that was established prior to January 1, 1975; pursuant to the authority of the Regents. In compliance with state law, Social Security Numbers are confidential and are not used as student identifiers.

Release of Registration Material and Grades

In compliance with student privacy rights, the Office of the Registrar may not release a student's grades, registration material, and/or identification card to anyone other than the student without specific written authorization signed by the student. The person to whom the information, material, or card is released must be designated by name and the signed authorization is kept in the “Record of Disclosures” in the student's file.

back to top

Grade Change Guidelines

Academic Senate Regulations (systemwide and individual campus) provide that grades are final when filed with the Registrar by an instructor. A grade can be changed only if a “clerical” or “procedural” error can be documented. The Davis Division (DD) Grade Change Committee (GCC) has prepared the following guidelines:

A. Authority. The GCC administers grade changes. See DD regulations A540 through 550 at http://academicsenate.ucdavis.edu/. The GCC also has the authority to approve or deny retroactive drop and withdrawal petitions (those submitted after final exams). No grade except “I” or “Y” can be changed or removed from the transcript without the approval of the GCC. To change an “I” to the appropriate grade, the student obtains a “Petition for Incomplete Grade Change” from the Office of the University Registrar. The student should present the petition to his or her instructor who, after entering the grade, will mail the petition to the Office of the University Registrar. Section A540(C) of the DD regulations states: “The student is entitled to replace this grade by a passing grade and to receive appropriate grade points and unit credit provided he or she satisfactorily completes the work of the course in a way specified by the instructor before the end of the third succeeding term of the student's academic residence. If a degree is conferred upon the student before the expiration of the time limit for conversion, the time limit for conversion for the graduated student shall be the end of the third regular term succeeding the term in which the Incomplete grade was assigned. If the time limit for conversion expires before a degree is conferred upon the student and the Incomplete grade has not been replaced, the grade shall revert to an F, a Not Passed, or an Unsatisfactory, depending on the grading system in effect in the particular instance. If the time limit expires after a degree has been conferred and the Incomplete grade has not been replaced, the Incomplete grade shall remain on the student's record.”

B. General guidelines include the following:

- Petitions for retroactive changes for courses taken in a certain quarter should be filed with the Registrar within five weeks after the beginning of the following quarter. Petitions submitted after this time must include valid reasons for the delay.

- No course or grade will be removed from the transcript after the course has been repeated.

- Once a student has graduated, the individual record is closed and no changes can be made to the record.

- Petitions based on medical problems will not be approved unless accompanied by medical documentation that the medical problem was likely to have significantly affected the student’s academic performance during the last few weeks of the quarter or during the final exam period.

- Petitions for retroactive drops for academic reasons or due to failure to file a drop card prior to the drop deadline will not be approved.

- The “I” notation will not normally be dropped. It is awarded only if a student’s work is passing but incomplete for good reason. It is a contract by which, because of extraordinary circumstances, the instructor allows a student extra time to complete work. In accepting the “I,” the student obligates himself or herself to complete the work.

- A “Y” (Pending) grade is changed by the instructor to a final grade after a matter referred to Student Judicial Affairs is resolved.

C. Retroactive Drops and Withdrawals. Petitions are obtained from the Office of the University Registrar. Reasons for seeking such actions include medical problems, severe emotional difficulties, death or severe illness in the immediate family, etc. Petitions should include a detailed account of the problem, appropriate documentation, and an adequate explanation of why an “I,” late drop, or withdrawal was not taken during the quarter in which the problem occurred. (See the General Catalog.) Requests for retroactive drops should include strong evidence that the particular courses were adversely affected. The instructor’s signature is required on all retroactive petitions. The instructor is not required to make a recommendation but must be informed of the student’s intention to drop the course retroactively. A $3.00 nonrefundable fee, comparable with the late fee assessed during the quarter, is applicable on all retroactive drops.

Late Drop (after drop deadline but before final exam)—Dean’s Office. A student can petition to drop a class after the drop deadline but before the close of business on the business day preceding the scheduled final exam for a course (or before close of business on the last day of scheduled final exams if no final is scheduled for a course). The petition must be approved by the appropriate dean and, in addition, by the appropriate committee of the faculty of the student’s college or school, or by the appropriate subcommittee of the Graduate Council.
Authorized signatures from the Student Accounting Office and the dean of the student’s college, division, or school are required on withdrawal petitions.

D. Retroactive Adds. Petitions can be obtained from the Office of the University Registrar. Each petition should include the reason for the student’s failure to add the course during the quarter in which it was offered. The petition must be supported by the instructor’s signed approval, together with a statement from the instructor indicating knowledge of the student’s participation and performance during the course in question and the instructor’s understanding as to the reason for the student’s failure to add the course before the end of the quarter. A course grade must be assigned by the instructor. A $3.00 nonrefundable fee applies to all retroactive adds.

Late Add (after add deadline but before scheduled final exam)—Department Office. A student may petition to add a class after the add deadline but before the close of business on the business day preceding the scheduled final exam for a course (or before close of business on the last day of scheduled final exams if no final exam is scheduled for a course). Approval to add a course may be granted by the department offering the course upon petition by the student.

E. Grade Changes Solicited or Supported by the Instructor. Grade changes for “clerical” reasons (for instance, incorrect addition of points) are automatically granted. The instructor must indicate the precise nature of the error. Petitions entitled “Request for Grade Change” can be obtained from department secretaries. The petition must be completed and signed by the instructor, and the department chairperson.

The only other justification for grade change is procedural error, and the committee requires a full account before deciding if a case qualifies. Each case is judged on its merits. In general, a procedural error would be a mistake by someone other than the student, in the conduct of a class or the grading procedures, and that results in an incorrect evaluation of a student. For example, if an instructor arranged with a student to allow credit for certain nonstandard work, later forgot the arrangement and graded the student as if no agreement had been made, the GCC might determine that a procedural error had been committed. The grade would be changed upon petition by the instructor.

Academic Senate regulations prohibit a change of grade based on reevaluation of a student’s work or upon the submission of additional work (I excepted).

Requests to interchange P, NP, S, or U and normal letter grades, based upon student need (e.g., NP to D to allow graduation, P to B for entrance to professional school, etc.) do not involve clerical or procedural errors; these petitions are denied automatically. Thus, students should exercise their P/NP or S/U option with extreme caution.

F. Grade Changes Opposed by the Instructor. If the GCC finds that a clerical or procedural error has resulted in a student receiving an incorrect grade, it may authorize a change even if the faculty member who awarded the grade is opposed, if an appropriate grade can be determined. Generally, the GCC will require the student to have discussed the matter with the faculty member and the department chairperson. The latter has no authority to change a grade, but may assist in finding an informal solution that prevents adversarial procedures. If this fails, the student should discuss the situation with the secretary of the GCC. The student will be expected to bear the burden of proving that a clerical or procedural error occurred and caused the incorrect grade to be assigned.

G. General Principles. Faculty have authority to evaluate student academic work and assign grades as part of their professional responsibilities. The GCC recognizes that some grade changes are necessary and is guided by the principle of fairness to the individual student, to the student body in general, and to the faculty. Unfortunately, a number of grade changes are needlessly and futilely sought. Faculty are reminded of their responsibility to be knowledgeable of the regulations regarding grades and to inform students of what is expected of them. Students are reminded of their responsibility to be aware of the procedures and regulations in the General Catalog and Class Schedule and Registration Guide, to verify their schedules via SISWeb and to familiarize themselves with the expectations of their instructors. For further information, contact the GCC secretary in the Office of the University Registrar, in 12 Mrak Hall.

I. Appeals. Bona fide appeals of final decisions from the GCC may be referred to the Student Petitions Subcommittee of the Executive Council of the Academic Senate. However, appeals are limited to confirming that the GCC did not act in an arbitrary or capricious manner in making its determination and that the decision was based on substantial evidence. The Student Petitions Subcommittee will not substitute its judgment on the substantive merits of the case for the judgment of the GCC.

back to top