Academic Standards & Honor Code

Student Honor Code 

1. Preamble The basic presumption of the Honor Code is that all law students should adhere to the ideals of professional responsibility in honorably conducting themselves while pursuing a legal education. The purpose of the Honor Code is to enumerate specific guidelines to govern student conduct with respect to any academic matter and certain non-academic matters. Nevertheless, the enumeration of these specific guidelines should not be construed as a denial of the existence of other duties and responsibilities equally imperative, though not explicitly mentioned.
2. Definitions For purposes of interpreting this Honor Code, the terms below are defined as follows: 
   
   “Class Day” means any day falling during the Law School’s fall semester, spring semester, or summer session that is a weekday other than a federal holiday, excluding winter and spring break. 
   
   “Electronic Signature” means any writing transmitted by computer bearing the author’s name. 
   
   “Law School” means the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.
   
   
3. Prohibited Conduct An Honor Code violation demonstrates a lapse in professional judgment and may have a serious adverse effect on a student’s professional career. Except as otherwise specified in III.A. through III. N., to be guilty of an Honor Code violation, a student must have engaged in the prohibited conduct purposely, knowingly, recklessly, or negligently as these terms are defined in the Model Penal Code section 2.02. Under the Model Penal Code section 2.02, the terms purposely, knowingly, recklessly, and negligently have the following meanings: 
   

   Purposely: A person acts purposely with respect to a material element of an offense when: 
   (i) if the element involves the nature of his conduct or a result thereof, it is his conscious object to engage in conduct of that nature or to cause such a result; and
   (ii) if the element involves the attendant circumstances, he is aware of the existence of such circumstances or he believes or hopes that they exist. 
   
   Knowingly: A person acts knowingly with respect to a material element of an offense when: 
   (i) if the element involves the nature of his conduct or the attendant circumstances, he is aware that his conduct is of that nature or that such circumstances exist; and
   (ii) if the element involves a result of his conduct, he is aware that it is practically certain that his conduct will cause such a result. 
   
   Recklessly: A person acts recklessly with respect to a material element of an offense when he consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the material element exists or will result from his conduct. The risk must be of such a nature and degree that, considering the nature and purpose of the actor's conduct and the circumstances known to him, its disregard involves a gross deviation from the standard of conduct that a law-abiding person would observe in the actor's situation. 
   
   Negligently: A person acts negligently with respect to a material element of an offense when he should be aware of a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the material element exists or will result from his conduct. The risk must be of such a nature and degree that the actor's failure to perceive it, considering the nature and purpose of his conduct and the circumstances known to him, involves a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would observe in the actor's situation.

   It shall be a violation of the Honor Code to engage in any of the following:
   1. To use resource materials, or receive other assistance:
      1. in an exam other than as specifically authorized by the professor;
      2. in research or in other writing assignments when specifically prohibited by the professor; or
      3. in a competition, when specifically prohibited by the competition’s rules;
   2. To submit as one’s work the work of another in draft or final form;
   3. To make any material misrepresentation as to work toward satisfaction of the requirements for grade or credit in any activity for which credit is given;
   4. To discuss the contents of an exam:
      1. with anyone who has not yet taken the exam;
      2. with any other person in any place where a reasonable person should realize that the conversation could be heard by another student who has not yet taken the exam;
   5. To give or to receive any aid during an exam or fail to abide by exam time limitations;
   6. To engage in any conduct which the actor knows affords an unfair advantage to any student in an exam, research or clinical assignment, competition, or any activity for which academic credit is given;
   7. To knowingly violate rules provided by a professor or competition chairperson, whether or not an unfair advantage is gained;
   8. In use of the law school library, writing center, or career development office:
      1. to mark, mutilate, hide, or destroy materials;
      2. to remove materials without proper authorization;
      3. to deprive students of materials meant to be for the use of all students, such as an unreasonable refusal to reshelf or replace books, multimedia recordings, or other class or resource materials;
   9. To steal, damage, or deprive another student of his or her books, notes, computer, storage device, or other class-related materials;
   10. To knowingly damage or disrupt the school’s computers, systems, or networks;
   11. To make any material misrepresentation on a document submitted for employment, including, but not limited to, a résumé, a grade report, a cover letter, a recommendation, or a writing sample;
   12. To knowingly fail to adhere to the Honor Board’s conflict of interest provisions, or to the confidentiality imposed upon all participants in the proceedings described below;
   13. To knowingly file a false complaint;
   14. To fail to make a prompt complaint as required by section V(A).
       
       
4. Composition and Terms of Office of the Honor Board
   1. The Honor Board shall be composed of nine persons, including the Honor Board Chairperson. These nine persons shall be as follows:
      1. one Chairperson elected at large from the entire student body, who shall be a nonvoting member of the Honor Board;
      2. one person elected from each of the eight classes and divisions, for a total of three day students, four evening students, and one LLM student.
   2. All elections shall be held in the spring concurrently with the Student Bar Association (“SBA”) elections, except for the election of the first year members and LLM member, who shall be elected in the fall, concurrently with the first year officers.
   3. The terms of all Board members, except first year and LLM students, begin and end on the last day of finals of the spring semester. The term for first year day and evening Board members begins as of the date of election in the fall semester and ends on the last day of finals of the following spring semester.
   4. If a seat is temporarily vacant, such as during the period between the end of spring term and before first year elections, the SBA President shall make temporary appointments from the SBA Executive Council.
   5. The Honor Board Chairperson shall remove, in writing to the member and the SBA President, an Honor Board member who has two unexcused absences from meetings of the Board. The SBA Executive Council may remove, in writing to the member and the Honor Board Chairperson, the Honor Board Chairperson, member, or alternate upon a 2/3 majority vote, pursuant to the SBA Constitution and By-laws.
   6. Should a permanent vacancy occur for whatever reason in the office of a voting member of the Honor Board, the respective SBA class president shall appoint a permanent voting member of the Honor Board from his or her class and division. Should a permanent vacancy occur for whatever reason in the office of Chairperson of the Honor Board, the SBA President shall appoint a permanent replacement from the SBA Executive Council.
   7. A quorum shall consist of five voting Honor Board members for every non-hearing meeting. A quorum shall consist of the Honor Board Chairperson and eight members for every hearing.
      
      
5. Procedures
   1. Complaint
      1. Anyone who has reason to believe that an Honor Code violation has been committed shall promptly report it in writing to the Honor Board Chairperson or to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
      2. The written report should specify the date(s), time(s), place(s), person(s) involved, potential witnesses, as well as describe the incident(s), and shall be signed and dated by the complainant.
      3. Upon receipt of the complaint, the Honor Board Chairperson shall convene the Honor Board within ten class days. At the meeting the Honor Board shall consider the report submitted by the complainant to determine whether the allegations set forth in the complaint constitute a possible violation within the scope of section III.
      4. If at least five members of the Honor Board decide that the complaint alleges a possible violation, the Honor Board Chairperson shall select a student to act as Presenter of Facts, who shall be given in writing the scope of his or her investigation by the Honor Board Chairperson. The Presenter of Facts shall automatically have the authority to investigate any underlying conduct by students, other than the accused, that is relevant to the investigation. During the course of the investigation, if the Presenter of Facts discovers a potential Honor Code violation by other students, the Presenter of Facts must report this conduct to the Honor Board as required under V(A)(1).
      5. The Honor Board may choose any student, other than a member of the Honor Board, to act as Presenter of Facts. However, in making this choice the Honor Board Chairperson shall consider the following factors:
         1. his or her ability to perform the duties of Presenter of Facts with discretion and without prejudice;
         2. whether personal relations with the accused or known witnesses would inhibit or unduly influence the performance of his or her duties; and
         3. whether the reported violation occurred during a course or activity in which he or she has an interest.
            
            
   2. Disqualification and Absence of Honor Board Members
      1. An Honor Board member shall disqualify himself or herself when an actual conflict of interest exists with the accused or known witnesses in a particular case. An Honor Board member shall make this decision based on whether he or she believes that they can be impartial in face of this conflict of interest. The member shall promptly disclose any potential conflict of interest to the Honor Board, regardless of whether the member disqualifies himself or herself. The Honor Board may disqualify a member from a particular case upon the affirmative vote of five members.
      2. Should any Honor Board member be disqualified or disqualify himself or herself from any case, or be unable to attend an Honor Board meeting, the respective SBA class president shall serve as an alternate Honor Board member, and shall serve as a voting member for the duration of the given case or meeting.
      3. If the Honor Board Chairperson is disqualified from a particular case or is unable to attend an Honor Board meeting, the SBA President shall serve as the Acting Chairperson.
         
         
   3. Investigation
      1. Within ten class days of his or her appointment, the Presenter of Facts shall contact all relevant witnesses, the accused, and any witnesses then proffered by the accused and shall prepare a written statement of each witness’ account of the facts; the Presenter of Facts shall ask each witness to sign and date the statement of his or her account.
      2. When the Presenter of Facts contacts an individual, in relation to the underlying conduct, he or she shall inform that individual:
         1. of the specific charges and course of conduct alleged to constitute a violation of the Honor Code;
         2. that he or she is entitled to be represented by counsel or other representative;
         3. that he or she is under no obligation to admit or deny the charges or to make any other statement;
         4. that any statement he or she makes may be used against him or her; and
         5. that he or she may plead guilty at any time, in which case the Honor Board shall recommend sanctions as provided in section VI.
      3. During the investigation, the accused shall not have the right to be informed of the name of the complainant.
      4. All other witnesses contacted by the Presenter of Facts shall be informed of the confidentiality requirement imposed by sections III(L) and V(D)(1).
      5. The Presenter of Facts may request, in writing to the Honor Board Chairperson, to expand the investigation to cover activities reasonably related to the underlying allegation if such activities may constitute a separate Honor Code violation. An affirmative vote of five members of the Honor Board is required to expand the investigation, in writing through the Honor Board Chairperson. If the Honor Board finds that the acts are not reasonably related to the underlying allegation, it may, in its discretion, appoint a separate Presenter of Facts pursuant to section V(A)(3-5).
      6. Upon completion of the investigation, the Presenter of Facts shall communicate to the Honor Board Chairperson a detailed, written summary of the results of the investigation. If the Honor Board Chairperson has any questions about the results of the investigation, the Chairperson shall request an in-person meeting with the Presenter of Facts to resolve any questions.
      7. Upon receiving and reviewing the report of the Presenter of Facts, the Honor Board Chairperson may, instead of setting a date for hearing, dismiss the charge. However, the matter shall be dismissed if, and only if, the Honor Board Chairperson determines that the investigation has revealed that there is no reasonable basis in fact for the charge. If the matter is dismissed, the Honor Board Chairperson shall state his or her reasons in writing to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and the accused.
      8. If the Honor Board Chairperson does not dismiss the charge, then the Honor Board Chairperson shall set a date for the hearing, to take place within ten class days of the receipt of the summary from the Presenter of Facts. At least six class days before the date of the hearing, the Honor Board Chairperson shall notify the accused, in writing:
         1. of the date, time, and place of the hearing;
         2. of the specific charges and course of conduct alleged to constitute a violation of the Honor Code;
         3. that he or she is entitled to be represented by counsel or other representative;
         4. that he or she is under no obligation to admit or deny the charges or to make any other statement;
         5. that any statement he or she makes may be used against him or her; and
         6. that he or she may plead guilty at any time, in which case the Honor Board shall recommend sanctions as provided in section VI.
      9. The Honor Board Chairperson shall also notify all other participants of the date, time, and place of the hearing.
         
         
   4. Hearing
      1. The hearing shall be presided over by the Honor Board Chairperson, and shall be attended by the Honor Board members and any relevant witnesses. Except for these witnesses, the hearing shall be closed to the public unless the accused requests a public hearing. A request for a public hearing, or for a separate trial in a case with more than one accused student, must be made in writing to the Honor Board Chairperson at least forty-eight hours prior to the scheduled time of the hearing.
      2. At the hearing it shall be the duty of the Presenter of Facts to present the witnesses to the alleged violation and to present, as fairly and objectively as possible, the facts of the case. The accused shall have the right to rebut any testimony presented, and to present his or her defense or proof of such mitigating circumstances as the accused shall deem necessary.
      3. All hearings shall be closed to the public, except in the circumstances described in section V(D)(1). No participant in these proceedings shall disclose anything that transpired therein except if a public hearing under section V(D)(1) is held.
      4. The hearing shall be recorded on portable media. If the Honor Board makes a guilty determination, the Honor Board Chairperson shall hand deliver the recording to the Chairperson of the Administrative Committee. If the Board makes a not guilty determination, the Honor Board Chairperson shall hand deliver the recording to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
      5. The hearing shall be conducted under the following rules of procedure:
         1. The Honor Board Chairperson may admit and give probative effect to evidence, including hearsay, which possesses probative value commonly accepted by reasonable and prudent persons in the conduct of their affairs. It shall give effect to the rules of privilege recognized by law. It may exclude incompetent, irrelevant, immaterial and unduly repetitious evidence.
         2. All evidence, including records and documents in the possession of the Honor Board of which it desires to avail itself, shall be offered and made a part of the record in the case, and no other factual information or evidence shall be considered in the determination of the case. Documentary evidence may be received in the form of copies or excerpts, or by incorporation by reference.
         3. Every party shall have the right on every genuine issue:
            1. to call witnesses and present evidence;
            2. to cross-examine every witness called by the Honor Board or any other party;
            3. to submit rebuttal evidence; and
            4. to present summation and argument.
         4. If at any time during the hearing, any witnesses or counsel for the parties exhibit disrespectful, abusive, or hostile behavior or act in disregard of the dignity of the proceedings, the Honor Board Chairperson, upon his or her discretion, may require any person except the accused to leave the proceedings.
      6. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Honor Board shall reach a verdict by a preponderance of the evidence as to the guilt of the accused. A vote of at least five members shall be necessary to find the accused guilty. If the Honor Board reaches a guilty verdict, it shall also vote to recommend sanctions pursuant to section VI, reaching its recommendation by a majority vote. The Honor Board Chairperson shall not vote for either verdict or for the sanctions to be recommended by the Honor Board.
      7. Within five class days of the conclusion of the hearing, the Honor Board shall announce to the accused, in writing, its verdict and the sanctions it will recommend. If the Honor Board makes a finding of guilty, it shall state its reasons in writing to the accused, and shall provide a signed copy to the Administrative Committee Chairperson.
         
         
   5. Appeals
      1. The accused shall have the right to appeal an adverse verdict by the Honor Board to the Administrative Committee within the time and in the manner provided by section V(G) of the Student Disciplinary and Appeals Procedure. The Honor Board’s finding of guilt shall not be reversed unless it is found to be arbitrary, capricious, or lacking a substantial factual basis; however, as set forth in section V(G)(5) of the Student Disciplinary and Appeals Procedure, the Administrative Committee reserves the right to hear appeals of an Honor Board’s finding of guilt de novo. All sanctions recommended by the Honor Board may be modified by the Administrative Committee following a hearing before the Committee – whether or not the accused appeals. See section VI(B) of the Honor Code.
         
         
   6. Complaints Against Graduating Students 
      If a complaint is pending against a student within the last two weeks prior to that student’s expected date of graduation the following provisions shall apply:
      1. The Honor Board Chairperson shall immediately notify the Associate Dean for Student Affairs that a complaint is pending against the graduating student;
      2. The Honor Board Chairperson or Associate Dean for Student Affairs shall then immediately inform the accused:
         1. that a pending complaint will prevent the accused from graduating unless the matter is resolved by the day prior to the date of graduation; and
         2. that he or she may immediately request in writing that:
            1. the matter be turned over to the Administrative Committee for disposition pursuant to section V(F) of the Student Disciplinary and Appeals Procedure; or
            2. the Honor Board Chairperson forgo the six class day notice requirement and expedite the disposition of the matter.
      3. A request under this provision must be made in writing, with copies to both the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and the Honor Board Chairperson within two days of the date the accused is notified of the pendency of the complaint.
      4. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs or Administrative Committee may, for any reason, deny a request made pursuant to section V(F)(2)(b)(i). The Honor Board Chairperson shall grant any request pursuant to section V(F)(2)(b)(ii) unless it appears to the Honor Board Chairperson that the matter could not be fairly resolved in the period remaining prior to the graduation date.
         
         
   7. Complaints Against Students Outside of Spring and Fall Semesters
      1. Subject to the procedures in Section V(F), the Honor Board shall take reasonable steps to proceed with an investigation or hearing that is reported outside of any class days during the Fall or Spring semesters. However, if for any reason conducting the investigation or hearing is not feasible outside of the Fall or Spring semesters, the investigation and/or hearing may be postponed to the Fall or Spring semesters.
         
         
   8. Miscellaneous Procedures
      1. At the discretion of the Honor Board Chairperson, time limits for meetings, investigation, and hearing may be extended, in writing to Honor Board members and the accused.
      2. Parties may waive any right herein granted by writing to the Honor Board Chairperson.
      3. All correspondence required or permitted by this Honor Code may be transmitted and signed electronically.
      4. In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Honor Board may seek the advice of counsel for the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.
         
         
   9. Complaints against Master of Science in Law (MSL) students
      1. Any complaint against a student pursuing an MSL degree shall be turned over to the Administrative Committee for investigation and disposition pursuant to section V(B) of the Student Disciplinary and Appeals Procedure. 
         
         
6.  Sanctions
   1. If the accused is found or pleads guilty, the Honor Board may recommend any one or more of the following sanctions:
      1. permanent expulsion from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law (only if such decision was reached unanimously by the Honor Board);
      2. suspension for a specified time;
      3. official reprimand to be made a part of the student’s permanent records and disclosed to the bar examiners for each state to which the student applies;
      4. in cases of destruction of property, monetary restitution for damage done;
      5. reconsideration by the course professor or competition chairperson of the grade, credit, or position given or to be given to the violator of the Honor Code;
      6. mandatory remedial education or training;
      7. any other resolution which the Honor Board deems appropriate.
   2. The Administrative Committee shall impose such sanctions for a violation of the Honor Code as it deems appropriate. In making this determination, the Administrative Committee shall give serious consideration to the recommendation of the Honor Board. The Administrative Committee shall report its sanction and final disposition of the case in writing to the Honor Board Chairperson.
   3. The sanctions imposed shall be commensurate with the nature of the violation.
      
      
7. Miscellaneous
   1. The Honor Code may be amended at any time by a vote of two-thirds majority of the SBA Executive Council and concurrence of the Faculty Council. All proposed and adopted amendments shall be communicated to the student body.
   2. This Honor Code shall be the exclusive procedure for handling violations of section II of the Honor Code at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. It shall not apply if a complaint is received after a student has graduated.
   3. This Honor Code shall be publicized to the student body as often as is necessary to ensure student awareness of its provisions.

The Student Honor Code
Adopted 1976; amended 1984, 1989, 1990, 1999, 2007, 2013, and 2017.

The University of Maryland School of Law regards academic freedom as essential to our mission and core values. Our commitment to academic freedom extends to all members of the law school community. We recognize the need for academic freedom for students and teachers, in their, at times overlapping, roles as scholars, educators, clinicians, administrators and librarians. Freedom in research is fundamental to the advancement of truth. Academic freedom in the classroom is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the teacher in teaching and of the student to freedom of learning. We also endorse the "Statement of the Association of American Law Schools in Support of Academic Freedom for Clinical Faculty," which affirms that "academic freedom is critical to achieving the objectives of clinical legal education and that the principle of academic freedom applies equally to clinical law faculty." We also believe that academic freedom is central to our core commitment to the pursuit of diversity as a source of richness within our faculty, student body and the legal profession as a whole. Finally, we endorse the 1995 declaration of the American Association for University Professors, which declares, "Academic freedom is indispensable to librarians, because they are trustees of knowledge with the responsibility of ensuring the availability of information and ideas, no matter how controversial, so that teachers may freely teach and students may freely learn."

COVID (Remote Operation Exception)-  During COVID remote operation, students may submit electronic signatures with request and receive their class ranks by email until normal operations resume.

Students may obtain their class rank by making a request to the Office of Registration & Enrollment during normal business hours, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  Student Request forms may be found at the following link: https://www.law.umaryland.edu/Current-Student-Resources/Curriculum-Advising-and-Policies/Registration-and-Enrollment-Forms/index.asp  Email requests are not acceptable—the request must have a signature.  You may fax the request to (410) 706-2103 or drop it off in person. When requesting rank, each student must include his/her social security number or student identification number, printed name and signature.  Students must also indicate the method by which s/he wishes to receive the rank (mail, fax, email).  Please note that class rank is not available to first year students until the end of the academic year. 

Class rank is only calculated at the end of the fall and spring semesters.  Students who take summer school classes are not issued a new class rank in August, they must wait until December to receive a new rank which factors in their summer grades. Students changing divisions, for example from day to evening, will be ranked with that new division at the end of the next semester.  Grades processed after the availability of class rank (e.g., due to completion of work under a grade of Incomplete) will be included in the determination of class rank only in the next semester.

Class rank for graduates is determined in May of each year. It includes day, evening and part time day graduates from May of that year as well as the graduates from the preceding December and July graduation dates. 

The chart below has been developed in response to student and employer requests for information about the School of Law’s grading scale.  It will be updated and posted after each semester's grading is complete.  Please recognize that the numbers will change from semester to semester, and that students switching from one division to another will be ranked in their new division at the end of that semester.  Class rank of the graduating class combines all Day Division, Evening Division, and Part-time Day Division students graduating in July, December and May.

GRADING CHART – June 2023

*Class ranks for students who have not yet graduated are considered unofficial. GPAs for currently enrolled students are calculated to the hundredths column (two decimal places).

**Calculation of class rank for graduating classes combines all Day Division and Evening Division students graduating in July, December and May. GPAs for graduating students are calculated to the 4^th decimal column (four decimal places) to avoid ties in class rank among graduating students when necessary (otherwise two decimal places). This was implemented beginning with the Class of 2014 graduates.

It is the policy of the University of Maryland to adhere to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (Buckley Amendment).  As such, it is the policy of the university (1) to permit students to inspect their education records; (2) to limit disclosure to others of personally identifiable information from education records without students’ prior written consent; and (3) to provide students the opportunity to seek correction of their education records where appropriate.  For a complete description of the campus policy, students should check the Policies section of the Student Answer Book which is available on line. 

A. In the grading of coursework by their instructors, the students of the School of Law are entitled to a good faith evaluation of their actual course performance founded on an articulated standard. Grading, however, fundamentally falls within the professional judgment of the individual instructors for courses at the School of Law. As a result, the grade an instructor assigns to a student’s work is normally final. A grade may be changed only (a) by the instructor if a computational or recording error has been made, or (b) pursuant to this Grievance Procedure when it is determined that the grade was arbitrary or capricious.

B. If a student believes that a grade is arbitrary or capricious, he or she may challenge the grade only by initiating a grade grievance pursuant to the following procedure.

The student shall first contact the instructor for the course to consult about the instructor’s reasons for the assigned grade and to ensure that no computational or recording error has occurred. If an acceptable solution is not reached by this means, and the student wishes to pursue a grade grievance, the student must file a written or electronic complaint with the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development of the School of Law within 45 days from the date the disputed grade is posted by the University Office of Student Records to the student’s online academic record (SURFS). If the instructor is not available for consultation within this deadline, the Associate Dean may extend the period for filing the grade grievance for an additional reasonable period or may waive the required consultation. The student must expressly request such an extension or waiver from the Associate Dean in writing or by electronic communication before the 45-day deadline expires to be granted an extension.

C. The complaint shall:

• demonstrate that the student has complied with, or the Associate Dean has waived, the consultation requirement;
• state facts that, if found to be true, would justify a finding that the grade was arbitrary or capricious; and
• propose a remedy that the student believes is appropriate for the claimed injury.

D. If the grade grievance satisfies the requirements of Part C above and is timely filed as provided in Part B above, the Associate Dean shall undertake an investigation to determine whether probable cause exists to believe that the grade was arbitrary or capricious. The Associate Dean shall inform the instructor of the grade grievance and provide a copy of the complaint to the instructor. The instructor may respond if he or she desires. Upon completion of the investigation, the Associate Dean shall prepare a report that includes the reasons for the determination on the issue of probable cause. The determination of the Associate Dean on the issue of probable cause is final. If, therefore, the Associate Dean determines that no such probable cause exists, there shall be no further proceedings on the grade grievance.

E. If the Associate Dean determines that probable cause exists to believe that the grade was arbitrary or capricious, the Associate Dean shall appoint a three-person ad hoc Committee of members of the Faculty Council to decide the matter. The Committee shall investigate the complaint and is empowered to establish the rules of procedure under which it will make its findings and determination of remedy. If the Committee finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the disputed grade was arbitrary or capricious, the Committee shall have the power to substitute a pass for the grade or take any other action it deems appropriate to remedy the injury to the student, including adjusting the grade for the course. The Committee’s decision on the complaint shall be in writing and shall include supporting reasons for its finding and the action taken. The decision of the Committee is final, subject to the right of appeal set forth in Part F below. The Committee shall complete its investigation and render its decision within 60 calendar days from the date on which the complaint was assigned to the Committee by the Associate Dean. At the request of the Committee, the Associate Dean may, for good reason, extend the time within which the Committee must report its decision. The Associate Dean shall promptly forward a copy of the Committee’s report to the student and the Dean of the School of Law.

F. Appeals
The student or the involved instructor may appeal a decision by the Committee as provided in Part E above to the Dean of the School of Law in writing within ten working days of receipt of the decision by the Committee. The only basis for such an appeal shall be clear and convincing evidence of an error of substance or procedure by the Committee. The Dean shall render a binding, final decision on the grade grievance appeal, including as appropriate any remedy he or she deems justified, within twenty working days of receipt of the appeal.

G. Exclusivity of Procedure
These rules state the only grounds and procedures for challenging a grade received in a course at the University of Maryland School of Law. These rules implement and are consistent with University System of Maryland and University of Maryland Baltimore policies concerning grade appeals.

Approved, May 10, 2012

Students may obtain an unofficial grade report from the Office of Registration and Enrollment by completing, signing and submitting the Student Request Form (the form is available on the forms shelf outside Suite 280, Law School, or online under Curriculum, Advising, and Policies.  The form may be submitted in person, by fax (410-706-2103) or by scan attached to an email message to reg_enroll@law.umaryland.edu

Every request requires the student’s signature; thus, email requests can be accepted only if accompanied by a scanned, signed form.

Students also are able to produce their own informal grade reports from SURFS (Student UseR Friendly System). This system is maintained through the campus Office of the Registrar. http://www.umaryland.edu/surfs/

Students may also reach SURFS through the Law School’s main page: click on “Student Resources,” then click on “Campus Resources,” and then click on “Student UseR Friendly System (SURFS).”  To login, students must provide their Student Identification Number (the nine-digit number assigned to you by the campus Office of the Registrar).  The initial value of PIN is your Date of Birth in the mmddyy format.  The choices once you log in the Personal Information Section include:

• Change PIN
• Change Security Question
• View Addresses and Phone Numbers
• View E-mail Address(es)
• Update E-mail Address(es)
• View Emergency Contacts
• Update Emergency Contacts
• Update Marital Status
• Request for Name Change
• Social Security Number Change Information
• Request for Address Change
• Request for Telephone Number Change

• Letter Grade Scale
  

  A letter grading system is used, in which each letter grade is awarded points on a four-point scale for purposes of computing grade point averages:

  4.33	A+
  4.00	A
  3.67	A-
  3.33	B+
  3.00	B
  2.67	B-
  2.33	C+
  2.00	C
  1.67	C-
  1.33	D+
  1.00	D
  0.67	D-
  0.00	F (failing)

• Grade Point Calculation
  

  Grade point averages (GPA) are computed by multiplying the point equivalent for the letter grade for each course by its weight in semester hours, adding the products for each course, and dividing the sum by the number of semester hours taken. Grades are rounded to two decimal points.  Students should not report self-calculated GPA's; use the GPA found on SURFS. When a course is repeated, the new grade, whether higher or lower, and credits replace the old grade and credits in the student's grade point average; however, both grades remain on the student's transcript, with the notation ' R' (the course was repeated) next to the first grade.

• Grading in Year-long Courses
  

  Grading in year-long courses, such as Clinics, and Trial Planning & Advocacy, is as follows: at the end of the fall semester, the student will receive a grade of NM indicating that no grade is available; at the end of the spring semester the student will receive a letter grade for all work done in the clinic/course.  On the student’s transcript, this letter grade will be listed for each semester according to the number of credits attributed to each semester and it will replace the NM originally listed at the end of the fall semester.  A student who is permitted to withdraw from the School of Law after completing one semester may receive a grade for the work done during the semester.

• Incomplete Grades
  The grade I (incomplete) is given only to students who have a proper excuse for failure to present themselves for examinations or to complete any other work that may be required by the instructor in time for the instructor to complete grading by the grading due date.  It is not used to signify work of inferior quality.  A grade of incomplete may not be carried for more than one semester without the approval of the Director of Registration & Enrollment.  An incomplete grade given at the end of the spring semester or summer session must be converted to a letter grade by the end of the subsequent fall semester, and an incomplete grade given at the end of the fall semester must be converted to a letter grade at the end of the subsequent spring semester.  An incomplete grade not converted to a letter grade within these time limits, and for which the Director of Registration & Enrollment has not granted an extension, shall be converted to an F (0.00).  The grade I (incomplete) will remain on the transcript even after the work has been completed.

  If a student withdraws or is excluded from the law school, these periods of limitation regarding an incomplete shall be suspended while the student is absent from the school.  Any grade of incomplete remaining at the time a student is certified for graduation shall be change to an F (0.00).  The Director of Registration & Enrollment will approve the extension of an incomplete only in extraordinary circumstances.

• Withdrawal from Courses
  “W” reflects a student’s withdrawal from a course, either voluntary or required after the add/drop period. “WA” reflects a student having been withdrawn administratively and “WD” indicates a student’s withdrawal from school. 

Summa cum laude is awarded to the top five students in the graduating class.

Magna cum laude is awarded to the students in the top 10% of the graduating class.

Cum laude is awarded to the students in the top 1/3 of the graduating class.

Order of the Coif is awarded to students who are in the top 10% of the graduating class and who have completed at least seventy-five percent of their requirements at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.

A graduating class combines all Day Division and Evening Division students graduating in July, December, and May.

ABA Standard 309 requires that law schools “provide academic support designed to afford students a reasonable opportunity to complete the program of legal education, graduate, and become members of the legal profession.”

Students who perform at a low academic level will receive academic support consistent with this ABA policy.  These students will have the opportunity to focus on the development of skills necessary for success in the academic program through recommended or required participation in the Academic Achievement Program, as follows:

1. After the fall semester of the first year, students performing in the lowest twenty percent of the class – based on fall semester grade point averages – will be strongly encouraged to take the spring elective Legal Profession/Reasoning & Rhetoric or its equivalent.
2. After the fall semester of the first year, students who earned below a 2.0 grade point average will be required to take the spring elective Legal Profession/Reasoning & Rhetoric or its equivalent.
3. After the fall semester of the first year, students who earned below a 1.5 grade point average will be placed on academic probation and will be required to meet with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Communications for academic and other counseling immediately upon receiving first semester grades.
4. At the end of the spring semester of the first year, students performing in the lowest twenty percent – based on cumulative grade point averages – will be strongly encouraged to take Commercial Law/Reasoning & Rhetoric II or its equivalent.  In addition, a student will be required to take Commercial Law/Reasoning & Rhetoric II or its equivalent if the student: (i) was ranked in the lowest twenty percent of the class at the conclusion of the fall semester of the first year, (ii) did not take Legal Profession/Reasoning & Rhetoric or its equivalent during the spring semester of the first year, and (iii) is ranked in the lowest ten percent of the class at the conclusion of the spring semester of the first year.

Students may obtain an official transcript by clicking on “SURFS” (http://www.umaryland.edu/surfs/) and then selecting the “Request for Official Transcript” option.

After the fall semester of the first year, students who earned below a 1.5 grade point average will be placed on academic probation and will be required to meet with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Communications for academic and other counseling immediately upon receiving first semester grades.

At the end of each academic year, any student with a cumulative grade point average below 2.0 will be permanently excluded from the school.

At the end of each academic year, a student with a grade point average below 2.0 for that academic year will be permanently excluded from the school. For the purpose of determining grade point average for the academic year, summer session grades apply to the average of the subsequent academic year.

Students permanently excluded from the school may petition the Administrative Committee for readmission.

A student who has been excluded may be readmitted only by action of the Administrative Committee, upon petition in writing setting forth reasons for seeking readmission.  The Administrative Committee cannot consider the petition for readmission of any student who, at the time of making the petition, is in default (1) with respect to tuition or fees, or (2) with respect to any financial obligations of the student to the University of Maryland other than for tuition and fees that in aggregate exceed $25.00, until the default has been cured. (See also Financial Responsibility.)

Readmission will be granted after academic exclusion only when the Committee is satisfied that there is good reason to believe the student will be able to do satisfactory work in the future. A student who is excluded for academic reasons will not be readmitted unless the Administrative Committee, by at least one vote more than needed to have a majority vote of the Committee, determines that the student has satisfied the readmission standards. The Committee’s decision on readmission will be final. A student who is readmitted to the school after having been academically excluded is in good standing and is not on academic probation. Readmitted students are subject to academic exclusion again if cumulative or academic year grade point averages fall below the required standard.