Senate Engrossed

political bias; grade challenge department

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-sixth Legislature

Second Regular Session

2024

SENATE BILL 1477

An Act

amending title 15, chapter 13, article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-1650.07; relating to the Arizona board of regents.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Title 15, chapter 13, article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-1650.07, to read:

START_STATUTE15-1650.07. Grade challenge board; political bias; appeals; definition

A. The grADE CHALLENGE DEPARTMENT IS ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE Arizona BOARD of regents.  tHE GRADE CHALLENGE DEPARTMENT SHALL HAVE A LOCATION AT EACH PUBLIC UNIVERSITY AND SHALL HEAR CHALLENGES FROM PUBLIC UNIVERSITY STUDENTS REGARDING GRADES RECEIVED IN ANY CLASS OR ON ANY ASSIGNMENT IF A STUDENT ALLEGES A GRADE WAS AWARDED because OF POLITICAL BIAS.

B. THE grade challenge DEPARTMENT SHALL BE COMPOSED OF VOLUNTEERS SELECTED BY THE Arizona BOARD OF REGENTS to PROVIDE A HEARING FOR PUBLIC UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TO CHALLENGE A GRADE AWARDED ON AN ASSIGNMENT OR AN OVERALL CLASS GRADE. tHE BOARD SHALL PROVIDE STAFF TO SUPPORT THE department AS NECESSARY.

C. IF THE grade challenge DEPARTMENT determines that A student's GRADE WAS AWARDED because OF POLITICAL BIAS, tHE DEPARTMENT MAY REQUIRE ANY FACULTY MEMBER OF A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY TO REGRADE the STUDENT'S ASSIGNMENT OR REEVALUATE the STUDENT'S OVERALL CLASS GRADE CONSISTENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT'S GUIDANCE.

D. IF A STUDENT BELIEVES THE grade challenge DEPARTMENT WRONGLY DISMISSED the STUDENT'S CHALLENGE OR DID NOT ADEQUATELY CONSIDER THE FACTS OF the CHALLENGE, the STUDENT MAY APPEAL THE DECISION OF THE DEPARTMENT TO THE Arizona BOARD of regents.  The board may order ANY FACULTY MEMBER OF A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY TO REGRADE A STUDENT'S ASSIGNMENT OR REEVALUATE A STUDENT'S OVERALL CLASS GRADE CONSISTENT WITH THE BOARD'S GUIDANCE.

E. For the purposes of this section, "public university" means a university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents. END_STATUTE