Petitions

PETITIONS FOR EXCEPTIONS TO ACADEMIC POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
(Policy Stated in the Preamble to "Academic Policies and Procedures for Undergraduate Students"
in The University Faculty Senate Policies for Students)

When a student has not followed a University Faculty Senate policy or procedure and believes an exception to the policy may be warranted, he/she may submit a petition to the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Education Subcommittee on Academic Standards. A petition may be used to request an exception to any policy and/or to request a retroactive procedure. The committee does not grant petitions automatically. Strong, documented justification must be provided to establish the circumstances that warrant a retroactive action.

A petition must establish why the student did not use existing University procedures before the established deadline.

If a student alleges that the failure of an eLion application resulted in his/her extenuating circumstance, the student's eLion transaction will be examined as part of the petition review process.

Effective summer 2006, retroactive registration requests do not require a petition; requests are reviewed by the Registrar's office.

It is to the student's benefit to provide a complete, well-documented petition to the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Education. All items listed under the heading instructions for preparing a petition (below) should be carefully considered and included by the student submitting the petition.

Students are responsible for preparing the student request, obtaining supporting documents, completing University forms, and obtaining a transcript and relevant registration records, as described below.

Trauma drop/withdrawal procedures should be followed when a student's circumstances require unusual confidentiality (e.g., the victim of a sexual assault or violent crime). This procedure is streamlined to reduce the number of people involved in processing.

Student Request

The student should prepare a brief, factual letter (see sample letters) that includes the following:

Along with the student's request, he/she should provide documentation of the circumstances that he/she claims justify an exception to University policy. Some examples are hospital records, a letter from a physician, a statement from a counselor, a statement from a student financial aid adviser, or court records.

If the student's justification is based on a significant, prolonged medical problem and the student received care at University Health Services (UHS), the student may request verification of his/her condition for a senate petition by contacting his/her UHS primary care clinician. The director of UHS reviews all requests and decides on the appropriate recommendation.

If the student is alleging that his/her extenuating circumstance is the result of one or more of the following problems: (a) unfair teaching practice; (b) misinformation from University personnel applying a University regulation, policy, or procedure; or (c) an administrative, advising, or clerical error then the student should provide documentation from the appropriate academic, administrative, or advising unit.

If the petition involves course work taken through the World Campus, a statement about the student's enrollment history in the course must be included in the supporting documents. The student should request this statement from a World Campus adviser.

Transcript

All petitions should be accompanied by the student's most recent official or advising transcript.

University Forms

When a form is required for an action, it is also required when this action is requested retroactively. The appropriate University form, as described below, should be completed and filed with the petition.

Retroactive Withdrawal: The petition should be accompanied by a completed withdrawal form. If the student is petitioning for a withdrawal from more than one semester, a withdrawal form for EACH semester should be included.

Retroactive Late Drop: The petition should be accompanied by a completed registration drop/add form. (If the petition is approved, the $6.00 schedule adjustment fee will be charged to the student's account.)

Retroactive Grade Changes: The petition should include a letter from the instructor of the course, supporting the change and explaining the circumstances surrounding the student's request. (Disputes are addressed through the grade adjudication process.) A request for a retroactive grade change should be accompanied by a grade change authorization form.

Before submitting a petition for a retroactive drop, late drop, or withdrawal, students should contact the appropriate offices.

Students should submit materials as instructed below. Students should not send petitions or supporting materials directly to the Faculty Senate office. The dean, executive director, chancellor, chief academic officer, or Registrar's representative will review the student's petition and complete a University Faculty Senate Petition Cover Sheet. All materials are then forwarded by the college or campus submitting the petition to the Vice Chair, Senate Committee on Undergraduate Education, 101 Kern Graduate Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.

Provisional students submit materials to the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies.

Nondegree-regular students submit materials to the college in which he/she hopes to enroll or, if undecided about a college, to the Division of Undergraduate Studies.

Nondegree-conditional students submit materials to the dean of the college in which he/she plans to enroll.

Students at other Penn State campuses should submit their petitions to the appropriate office.

Petitions are not reviewed on a regular schedule but are considered by members of the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Education and processed by the senate office staff as quickly as possible. The committee reads each petition and evaluates it based on its unique circumstances; there are no guarantees of approval on specific types of petitions.

A letter indicating if a petition has been approved or denied is sent from the University Faculty Senate office to the student within three to five weeks from the date that the senate office receives the petition. A copy of the letter is sent to the college or office that forwarded the petition to the senate committee.

If a petition is approved, the senate office initiates the appropriate action(s) with the Registrar.

The Office of the Bursar is notified if a student's account must be billed tuition and fees resulting from an approved retroactive action (e.g., retroactive registration). Tuition and fees are based on the current tuition rates, information technology fee, and activities fee as well as the student's current semester standing. A $50 late payment fee and a $250 late registration fee (if applicable) will be assessed for each semester approved for retroactive registration. After the student has paid the appropriate tuition and fees to the Office of the Bursar, the Registrar will add the courses and any grades already submitted to the student's record. If there are grades missing, the Registrar's office will notify the course instructor or department that a grade is needed.

If a petition is denied, the student may appeal the decision if he/she can provide additional information to support his/her case. Appeals should be prepared according to these guidelines.

The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. Please consult a Penn State academic adviser for more detailed information.

This page is part of the University Undergraduate Advising Handbook, which is maintained by the Division of Undergraduate Studies, DUS@psu.edu.

Reviewed: October 2009
Last Update: July 2008