At Orange Coast College, we recognize that a positive and trusting relationship between students and instructors is essential to effective learning. The grade grievance process is designed to provide fairness and due process when a student has a concern about a final course grade.

Under California Education Code § 76224(a) and California Code of Regulations, Title 5 § 55025, the course instructor is responsible for determining a student's grade. The instructor's grade determination is final unless there is evidence of mistake, fraud, bad faith, or incompetency. The regulations state, “In any course of instruction in a community college district for which grades are awarded, the instructor of the course shall determine the grade to be awarded each student. The determination of the student’s grade by the instructor shall be final in the absence of mistake, fraud, bad faith, or incompetency.”

The grade grievance process is limited to reviewing whether one of these grounds may apply.It does not address concerns related solely to personality, character, teaching style, or general dissatisfaction with a course.

Students who believe there is an issue with their final course grade based on one of the criteria listed above should follow these steps to seek resolution:

• Step 1: Attempt to resolve the grade concern informally by discussing it directly with the course instructor.
• Step 2: If the concern is not resolved after speaking with the instructor, students should contact the appropriate academic dean.
• Step 3: If the concern remains unresolved after Steps 1 and 2, students may file a formal grade grievance petition. The petition must be submitted before the end of the sixth week of the subsequent semester following the semester or summer session in which the grade was assigned.

For questions about the grade grievance process at Orange Coast College, please contact:

Shannon Quihuiz, Ph.D.
Dean, Student Relations & Title IX
(714) 432-5930
squihuiz@occ.cccd.edu