An update to El Camino College’s grade change policy was announced during an Academic Senate meeting on Oct. 15.

The policy is in the process of approval. The Academic Senate will vote on the proposal on Nov. 5.

Administrative Procedure 4231 allows a student to file a petition or request to change a grade to a faculty member and the dean of the office overseeing the class within 18 months after the original submission of the grade, and cannot be extended after that period.

The Vice President of Academic Affairs Carlos Lopez said the update was made to ensure students understand the process of changing a grade.

“The grade change policy was updated to provide more clarity for students and the process,” Lopez said. “The language was to create more flexibility so that instructors could go back and change grades.”

As per the update, extenuating circumstances will allow students to file a petition past the 18-month period if the faculty member who issued the grade approves of making that change.

Darcie McClelland, the Academic Senate’s vice president of educational policies said the change to the policy went through a revision process as part of the accreditation requirement, passing through the College Council and Academic Senate.

She added there have been cases when students had extenuating circumstances in which a grade change petition was filed after 18 months, adding that the admissions and records department was unable to process a petition due to the policy.

“The policy just needs to reflect that we allow for exceptions,” McClelland said.

Due to FERPA laws, Lopez and McClelland did not elaborate on the extenuating circumstances surrounding the students who filed the petition.

Extenuating circumstances include military service, relocation to a new state or country and family emergencies in which students are away from the college for a long time.

In addition, if the faculty member who issued the grade is not available, the vice president of Academic Affairs can grant an extension.

Reasons for an unavailable faculty member include retirement or the instructor being employed elsewhere.

First-year student Marissa Zamora, 18, says the updated policy will benefit students who are in the process of transferring to another school.

“I think it would be very helpful for students who want to transfer,” Zamora said. “It’ll help transcripts look better overall for grade GPA, scholarships.”

Charlene Brewer-Smith, the president of the Academic Senate, said the policy will not affect most students, though she added that it will benefit those who get put into special circumstances.

“Maybe they [students] had to withdraw a class, maybe they got to the end, something happened, and then they got a bad grade in that class – but the grade doesn’t represent the student,” Brewer-Smith said. “They may be eligible for the grade change – this is a positive.”

Editor’s note:

• Additional information was added on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 9:33 a.m.